3/24/24

 Sunday, March 24, 2024

A first: I slept in the recliner all night

In bed  Last night I realized it was foolhardy to get into bed around 10 knowing I would be at best very uncomfortable and unable to sleep with my shoulder(s) pain and other pains so I slept on the BarcaLounger in the TV room until 3 a.m. when I woke, lit my Kitty cadle, let Lilly out, loaded the dishwasherm and made a cup of strong herbal tea (cinnamon apple & black cherry berry.)  29°, cloudy, snow forecast to begin around 4:15, high of 39°.  The wind is SE at 7 mph, 4-21/34, a windy day with snow ahead. Sunrise at 6:46 at 87°E, sunset at 7:09 at 273°W, 12+22.   Solar noon at 12:57, altitude 49°

Pain, etc.  Much of the pain I was experiencing last night subsided overnight though my left shoulder os still achy with limited ROM.  The absence of any significant right shoulder pain confirms my thought that it was due to the PT stretches, mainly overdoing the pulls on the yellow elastic exercise band.   

I'm grateful to Ashley Boynes-Shuck for the following poem she wrote about arthritis pain. Her website is arthritisashley.com.  It's a bit too buoyant for me right now but I appreciate how she describes the reality of severe arthritis and I recognize the wisdom in what she says about healing.  There is a huge difference between being 'healed' and being 'cured.'  I've known this for some time now.  When I got involved in the VA's Whole Health program, I told my 'health coach' Melinda that I didn't expect my pains (then mainly pelvic) to go away, but I hoped to learn to live with them better, not to be laid low by them.  So I have tried hypnotherapy, acupuncture, 'healing touch' and mindfulness.  As it turned out, the pelvic pain did go away (fingers crossed) after my bladder surgery, but then arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, and rotator cuff pains set in.  I'm reminded of Roseann Roseannadanna reflecting the wisdom of her grandma Nana Roseanadanna to Jane Curtin: "7. "Well, Jane, it just goes to show you, it’s always something! If it’s not one thing, it’s another! You either got a toenail in your hamburger or toilet paper clinging to your shoe."

Joys and Pains by Ashley Boynes-Shuck (2011)

“Unrelenting pain and never-ceasing fatigue.

Hurts and aches in every place.

Wondering at times, “Why is this? Why me?”

But putting on a happy face.

Prone to sickness and infections, too

Difficulty sleeping at night.

Limited on what we can physically do,

Trying hard to see the light.

Living with swelling and joints on fire,

We wonder how this could be real.

But when we get past the negative thinking,

We can rise above it and heal.

Maybe our physical struggles will stay,

And it’s true that there may be no cure.

But if we choose optimism to lead our way,

It will be easier on us, for sure.

Yes sometimes it feels like our bones are all broken

And our hearts, sometimes, too.

We have so many internal struggles unspoken

That may, at times leave us blue.

But the support that we get from others like us

Can make this an easier ride.

We can help to lift each other up,

And learn to take our sickness in stride.

Sure at times we feel frustration

For all the things we cannot do.

And there are times we’re in desperation

Because it seems no one else has a clue.

“You don’t look sick!” “You’re too young for arthritis”

Makes this journey even more tough.

But with it all comes a strength deep inside us,

a compassion for when times get rough.

“I have arthritis, it doesn’t have me!”

We need to learn to make do with what we’ve gotten.

There will be tears and struggles and adversity

And we may even at times feel forgotten.

But the important thing is we rise above.

We do what we can when we can.

By surrounding ourselves with support and with love,

And by accepting it as best as we can.

No one wants to be sick, yes this is true,

And no one would choose this life.

There’s things we give up, and things we can’t do,

and trials, tribulations, and strife.

But realize this – you are still blessed!

Every day you wake up is a gift.

So open it with kindness and try not to stress –

You have a life – so LIVE!”

Another Roseanne Roseannadanna: A Mr. Richard Feder from Fort Lee, NewJersey writes in and says: "Dear Roseanne Roseannadanna, Last Thursday, I quit smokin'. Now, I'm depressed, I gained weight, my face broke out, I'm nauseous, I'm constipated, my feet swelled, my gums are bleedin', my sinuses are clogged, I got heartburn, I'm cranky and I have gas. What should I do?" Mr. Feder, you sound like a real attractive guy... you belong in New Jersey!