WWQP Bulletin Board Chat

LUCKY YOU

We are still caught in the midst of what I read today is the worst drought in Western NC since records have been kept. There is no burning allowed, many cities and towns have restricted the use of water even to the extent that car washes have been closed. That hasn't been imposed here in Jackson County yet although an increasing number of individual wells and springs have dried up. So far so good for me. Needless to say, there isn't much blooming here. We haven't had the normal variety and number of wildflowers here this year from Spring on. I guess we need, (don't breathe this out loud) is a hurricane. Trouble with those is they often cause flooding. Farmers who have much livestock are hurting for hay for the winter and the weather service is predicting a dry winter. The local apple crop was destroyed in its flowering stage in what is called here the "Easter Freeze" which ocurred over Easter weekend. Every flower was frozen so there was no fruit. I bought some apples at a favorite place in Waynesville that is normally selling its own apples. They have purchased apples from PA and MI this year. That's still better than the super market apples from WA. It clouded up today and I planned to go to the car wash as I have the dirtiest vehicle in the Western Hemisphere thinking that might bring us a sprinkle but by then I was tired and hungry and the back of the car was full of groceries.

Tonight I start a medication recently approved by FDA for the treatment of the difficult and diffuse pain of fibromyalgia. It has a good record of treating the pain of diabetic neuropathy and post-herpatic neuralgia. A fellow quilter put me onto it. After doing some Internet checking I made and appt. to talk to primary doc about it. She was all for it and had already brought herself up to date on it. Since it is a close relative of the stuff I've been taking in increasing doses for very bothersome restless leg syndrome I will be dropping that and hoping that the new stuff does both jobs. She did warn me to start it on an evening before a day I wouldn't have to drive as it can cause serious drowsiness. Until we know how I will react I'll be cautious about that. If it makes me too dopey I'll go back to the other stuff and continue to live with the perpetual pain and stiffness in the neck and hips. I am fortunate that my fibro pain is nowhere near as bad as it can be. I take some credit for that as I do exercise regularly which is one of the keys to handling that pain. It's the key to almost everything even if we would prefer to sit still and eat ice cream.

I'm also going to see an orthopedic surgeon in Asheville about scheduling a knee replacement as soon after the holidays as I can. It's no where near as painful as the other was when I had that one done but I lost two years hobbling around with a cane putting on 20 pounds and losing all muscle tone. The result of that surgery was not much to write home about and I continue to have modest pain around that prosthesis have limited flexibility in the joint. At this point in my life there isn't so much of it left that I want to waste any more time than I can help sitting around suffering if it's not necessary. That knee is caving in significantly. I was always a bit knock kneed and despite the relatively little pain compared to the other knee, it's getting worse and as a consequence of the increased inward angle the difference in length between it and the corrected knee is increasing thus screwing up my gate big time. I move a bit like Igor in the old Frankenstein movies of the 30s (step, clump, step, clump.) That irritates my hips. The jaw dentist whom I saw today for the first time in four months and to whom I complained about some relapse, spotted a change in my posture for the worse and the funny gate the minute I walked in. He says that will mess you up the spine, shoulders etc. This time I'll go to Mission Hospitals in Asheville where they have all the same new high tech methods and equipment they have at Mayo clinic. I had perfectly miserable nursing care in the local place last time and I won't risk that again. With my doc's referral I was able to get in for an evaluation 10/31. It won't be fun but it will certainly not get any better if I put it off. The knee discomfort has begun to interfere with my efforts at serious aerobic exercise too and that helps with the weight control. Remember that old song that every chorus used to sing called "Dem Bones"? You know...foot bone connected to de ankle bone connected to de shin bone" etc. It's true.

Time for bed and get back to one of my favorite authors, Frederick Forsythe. I haven't read a good spy thriller in a good while. This was, unfortunately, a bit prophetic anticipating the rise of fascism in Russia after a failed attempt at democracy. Sounds like the latest news from our friend, Putin, doesn't it?

Jane in dry and still quite warm western NC

posted by Jane in NC @ 7:13 PM