[My] Life in Wisconsin

Flintville Ketchup

It's a pity-pot thing...  


Good Evening;

I am tired- so tired- but sleep won't come easy...
Behind on my pills - And when I do take them I will sleep for a few hours, waken- and another day begins. Maybe I slept too much today.
I have dreams- mostly of the variety that make little sense- but always of people I know (though they look real different too).
Very very weird- as I try to analyze them even a little...

I've had a raunchy week. (Shall I add "thus far")?    Doubtful.    I get to the point where I cannot 'do' anything- 
My laundry sits in the clothes chute, begging for cleaning.
As do my dishes.

As I do also.
Sitting in the shower upon a hard plastic chair just doesn't do it for me...
So, after a very thorough Polish bath, I had an appointment yesterday at the pain clinic. Nothing more they can do for me, so they are having us go in to talk to a psychiatrist.
No. Wait. He isn't a psychiatrist. He cannot prescribe pills- Anyway, he is some kind of 'ist' that has to tell us what the Intrathecal Drug delivery system, (otherwise known as an implanted pain pump), will do for me; and how to care for me afterward etc etc etc...
This all, since the meds- and how many so far- leave me a far cry from having a life of my own. I don't even know what *that* is anymore.
Sitting in a fooking wheelchair even for more than a month or three is no way to go through life; not by my standards anyway.
The beauty outside- of life renewing itself in the Spring leaves me inside, looking outward; and waiting.
WAITING FOR WHAT?!?  I would imagine that 'death' would be the answer to that.
Casey didn't show up for our appointment yesterday. Greg is sick, and I suppose she wanted to stay pretty close to him.
But it's OK she didn't show.
The guy just moved on to my testing phase- It was a "fill in the dot" thing that was just about 1000 questions, give or take.

Did they even have a table for me to write on?
No.
So I drove across town, (me and my Punkster)- just to go sit in someone elses wheelchair for 4 hours, in the waiting room, and coloring in little dots all afternoon.
But I do wonder how I did- (say, compared to Stephen Hawkings, or Einstein)? hehehe
I will find out in a few weeks how it went.

My next door neighbors came and cut the lawn, but just around the house and shed - I am very thankful that got done none the less. It looked real nice (until the dandelions decided to pop up through the mown lawns). 
Very very thoughtful of them to even have done that. I tried to pay her, but she would not take money. In the end, she settled for using the gasoline in my little red cans up when they come through here to do it.

Sorry that I have no better news. My TV is even dead. Lucky me.
It was old so it is time for a new one- Will go price them one of these days when I feel like it.
I do truly miss the chatter in the background though.

Hope all is well with everyone.
My love to all.

XOXO
Me

24 comments:

  1. oh Anna........I am so sorry! how depressing it is for you and I can sympathize a bit, as I know how it was being trapped in my house for 6 weeks after my surgery as I was not able to drive myself anywhere. is there any chance at all that surgery would help instead of taking drugs forever? my surgery went absolutely great and I am feeling wonderful, I recommend my surgeon to anyone who needs back surgery. Dr. Arvind Ahuja of Midwest Neurological Sciences, he is a neurologist and the chief surgeon. a very wonderful doctor, with a great compassion to his patients. {{hugs}} take care sweetie, stay strong and find the beauty and joy all around you.

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  2. Oh, Sis, I feel like shit that it slipped my mind and I didn't call you back. I am SO very sorry. I wanted to make sure you had time to get there and back and rest a bit and time got away from me. I am an awful Sister.

    I DO love you and wish that I were close enough to help with what you need done. I would help with whatever needed done.You are such a sweet Sister and I'm ashamed I neglected you.

    oxox,
    foreveryoursnotball

    ps,
    please forgive me?

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  3. pain is so devestating my dear friend--HUGS :)

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  4. Anne, sometimes it just doesn't seem to matter how good we have taken care of ourselves in the past. Old injuries and general age deterioration get to us one way or the other. And we both know, that pain we feel in our own bodies is pretty darned real to us!

    It is good to hear that you can still count on the neighbors to pitch in when needed. Maybe when Greg is feeling better he can come over and check out your TV. I've had old sets that seemed to last forever and also had newer ones that died in on only a couple of years. My mom and dad bought a used one really cheap at a pawn shop once that was the best TV they ever had. Maybe Greg and Casey can swing by one of those places for you and see what they have. If you have to stay confined so much, a TV would help a little with keeping your thoughts off of those aches and pains. ( I did say..."a little." )

    Hope you feel better soon!

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  5. "The guy just moved on to my testing phase- It was a "fill in the dot" thing that was just about 1000 questions, give or take."

    Er~what has that got to do with pain? Am I missing something? Are they missing something?

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  6. *hugs*

    the chair sucks to be sure.... but it DOES mean you are still alive and that should be something to be celebrated.

    XOXOOX

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  7. Anna I really do feel for you and am hoping all the time that you have some sort of improvement my friend, it is so sad that we age and deteriorate so quickly in life, we look back and see the accomplishments we have made and that does cheer us up a little.
    I hope that some thing will be done soon for you Anna
    http://lesterdavo.multiply.com/journal/item/647
    All the best and hopefully get well or part there of so as there is some life improvement Anna OK

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  8. My Sweet Suzy Q!
    I am happy that you came by, as I miss you when you don't...

    I am not exactly trapped; in that I have a car, and can go places- Just that my social life is now limited to the damned doctor appointments and a few stops for groceries and dog food. hehehe (At least Punk has some fun then)...

    My back is completely and permanently inoperable.
    The only way it would be operable in the least would be to cement the entire thing, and that cannot be done.
    Hell, I'd be a puppet! HAHAHA.................................................................. no.

    I am bound to be on the pills to function- even IN addition to the pain pump, but at the very least, it might be very helpful to make that functioning easier for me.
    All the rest of the no-no's would remain in place too. Like the weight limits and all.

    Catch-22

    Love to you!

    XOXO
    Me

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  9. No worries my Sweet Snotball-
    I've been called slippery before!
    hehehe

    Oh wait. That didn't sound right.

    OK Don't worry about it.
    I've been forgotten about before.
    Still not quite right... ?

    Hmmmm....
    How 'bout just Quit worrying!

    No shame either. Actually I have been napping most of the days way anyway.

    Love to my SissySnotball.

    XOXO
    Me

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  10. That it is Sweet Heidi-
    For sure it is. It's a killer-
    And it matters not whether it is physical or emotional.
    What matters is making it go away, right?

    Love you muchly! ;-)

    XOXO
    Me

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  11. Sweet PeachieBaby-
    For me it's DNA.
    (It's in my jeans)!!!!
    hehehe

    ...And from being all scrunched up in pain for so long I am beginning to get this damned camel thing.
    Little for now, but if the pump doesn't help I will be only a question mark in a few years.

    I have 4 bones threatening to break right through my skin- In the top thoracic part of my spine. I made a few padded thingies to put under the brace so those don't hurt so much.

    The dead TV.....
    Kelli has offered me one of hers- But I don't want to be borrowing a brand new TV from anyone!
    The cat would knock it over- or the dogs tail would- and then I'd have to buy 2 TV's
    Casey offered e hers 'way back when it happened but it is very very small. Too small for me to see from a chair in here. But since I miss the chatter and the news, maybe it might be worth it too. Who knows.
    I will still go check them out one of these days, when I can.

    XOXO
    Me

    .

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  12. Oh hell Mr. Lurchmeister; I have NO idea why they want to know if I like Mechanics magazines. (That was the 1st question on the test, I kid you not).
    He said the answers ABSOLUTELY have to be yes or no.
    Sure I like it. But not enough to put out $$$ for it. So how would you answer?
    I filled in the "T" for 'true' dot.

    So I don;t know why- Nor did I ask.
    Anything that brings me closer to a little help I will do.
    But methinks you are right. Somebody is missing something.
    hehehe

    XOXO
    Me

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  13. Anne so much of this is sounding like I wrote it and yeah it is ridiculous and and after a while it just gets to be a real drag...hope you feel better soon!

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  14. *Thanks* Sweet Pea;
    I shall try to figure out how to celebrate pain then.

    Love to ya!

    XOXO
    Me

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  15. I did miss that Mr. Lester- And THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH !!!

    I would be happy to give it a try. (Please always remember that I am a farmers daughter).
    There were MANY times that we used the liniment for the dairy cattle on ourselves. (This, since we never killed any of the cattle by using it on them first).
    hehehe

    I actually have some horse liniment that I use on Punk- those worn off places on her elbows which are NORMAL for Labrador Retrievers bother ME.
    hehehe
    And yes, it works wonders on those elbows and on her cold cracked and chapped feet in Winter too.
    All that, and she loves the little massage that comes with it... (It was getting her not to lick it off that was rough). hehehe

    ODD too that your list shows "Family Pet Food Center" on it- But the Mother company is only 3.5 miles from the farm here. It is "Pulaski Warehouse"

    Tammi's is where Kelli gets her horse feed- oats and beets, and all added feedstuffs for their grain, etc...
    And Tammi's is right across the street from our Veterinarian, Dr. Spires.

    Small small world.

    XOXO
    Me

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  16. Mr NealMan!
    My apologies for that- But I am glad then that I wrote it- That now I know there are others beside me that feel this way.
    I am sorry- And yes, I thank you too.

    XOXO
    Me

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  17. You sound so depressed Sweet Annie, believe me I know what it feels like to be suddenly disabled and stuck, I know I literally felt stuck. It gets better hon, they havent been able to solve all my pain yet, but somehow you just learn to live with it. choose life!! it does get better
    xoxoxoxooxx

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  18. 10:44a
    Annie, I've been sitting here for at least ten minutes trying to think how to start a thought, a sentence. I just lean back in the very only chair that supports my painful back, & adjusts so I can use the arms to get out of it.
    Then what do I do? Stare through the woven blinds at the flurry of green leaves, blue sky & lazy white clouds...way too tired to get up & raise the blinds. I'd only have to lower them again tonight....

    Annie, my heart really goes out to you, more than you can ever know. I don't feel that this is 'life' at all. I'm serving a term in a prison, in isolation. But I didn't know you could drive your car! You can go to the store? I can't even go down to get my mail...for five months at the end of this month.

    This chair is my PC chair. I have floor to ceiling windows at right angles in the corner. I have a canvas at the bottom of the one facing the lake, because if I didn't, the people down there could see me at night. This is a picture of the last time I looked at the lake...some time last year.


    Pretty? I never see it anymore. I used to take four laps around it every day, & see the adorable ducklings in the Spring, & at dusk...the cormorants getting their difficult purchase on eucalyptus trees at the other side. I 'may' have a finch nest again, in the dead yucca tree on the balcony.
    Social life, sweet Annie? God. The plumber, Safeway delivery, prescription delivery, & one more visit from the RN. My oxygen level was 97! I do NOT have COPD, & I disconnected Monday night.

    "This all, since the meds- and how many so far- leave me a far cry from having a life of my own. I don't even know what *that* is anymore.
    Sitting in a fooking wheelchair even for more than a month or three is no way to go through life; not by my standards anyway."
    I don't think this is 'depression,' I think you're being very pragmatic. I wish I could say something encouraging, but I don't know what? Do you like music, do you have a CD player..or..you could play CDs on your computer. My TV died 3 years after my PE. I'd left it on all the time just for company.

    I'm so glad you're keeping in touch, no matter how you feel...& I wish we could talk, personally!

    12:05p!

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  19. http://scootch2.multiply.com/journal/item/220/ONE_HEROIC_UNDERTAKING?replies_read=9

    I just left a comment for you on my page. I hope the last words of my first comment make you laugh! I typed a comment before, when I was half asleep, & hit "delete" by mistake, which is good!

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  20. Anne,

    Thinking about you and sending prayers.

    Love and miss you.

    Your Slurkie.

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  21. join the club... we all eventually learn to live here.


    we are all in the same boat at the same time... perhaps for once we need to find some one to care for us each? You and I, we need a guardian angel... Casey, she needs a whole pack...


    XOXOOXO

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  22. That's a danged shame, it looks so lovely. You don't have anybody at all, do you?

    I commented on your blog, have you been there lately?

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  23. Just for that, I'd put in all question marks. Wonder what he'd think of THAT!

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  24. 1. No.

    2. Do I have a blog? I'll give a look, my friend!

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