1/4/24

 Thursday, January 4, 2024

In bed at 9, awake at 4:30 and up at 4:50.  Let Lilly out at 4:56 and in at 4:58, again at 5:25 and in at   .  25° with high of 31°, wind NNW  at 9 mph, 3-10/14.  Sunrise at 7:23, sunset at 4:29, 9+5.

Treadmill; pain.  Awoke w/ upper & midback pain.  Big scare in early afternoon with pain around right kidney area, like pain on 11/25, but not as intense.  Took 3 Advil and laid down on bed under beach towel.  It felt better lying  on right side rather than left.  3 false starts but pain/discomfort held me back. 00:00

I'm grateful to the Veterans Administration for all the medical care, medication, and other help it provides.  I thought of this while I was lying down, post Advil, and received a call to confirm two appointments next week, one with Jody for Healing Hands, the other with the VA hypnotherapist.  I have two Rollators from the VA, a 'low boy' ("Judy")and a 'high boy' ("Rachel"), neither of which I have used in more than a year, probably out of vanity and a silly sense of embarassment about 'rollating'  down the street where all my neighbors live.  The treadmill in the basement lets me get a half hour of walking in almost daily in the privacy of the home, but it's awfully boring, relieved only by YouTube, for which I am also grateful.  This morning I called in again for the weekly VA discussion group focused on Mindfulness Meditation, this week led by Mary.  I enjoy hearing each of the participants in this group and I chip in a comment myself when I think it might be useful or otherwise welcome.  It's only through the VA that I am able to take part in this activity with a group of other veterans, male and female and to address this practice of mindfulness and meditation with support.  I've read about M/M and tried it before but I've never stuck with it and felt it would be helpful to me until I became connected with this VA telephone group.  This is probably the least costly help the VA provides me, compared to the cost of all the doctors, nurses, therapists, medications, etc., but it's certainly one for which I am very grateful. 

"Rachel," my VA-provided rollator, serving as a coat rack and a stand for towels used to wipe off Lilly when it's raining or snowing out.  Foolish pride.😔

Picked up Andy at the Ogui Garage at 8 a.m.  Luxus is acting up again.  Uh oh.  Left at 7:30, back home at 8:25.

Callback from the vet re: Lilly.  He says it looks like she injured her knee, which could have happened when we struggled to help her into the back of the Honda to go to the groomer's shop yesterday.  But that doesn't address the distress I witnessed and recorded in this journal a few days ago.  Hmm. . . .