Holiday

Okay, kids it's a holiday week.

The traffic around here is crazy and I'd have thought everyone would be traveling and be out of town. Guess I was wrong. Shh...don't tell Rick. I am never wrong, sometimes less right, but never wrong. Right ladies?

I was chatting with my mom last evening. My stepmom is 82. 

We share old age stories and we laugh that we do this since she is only 14 yrs older than me. 

I was saying how I never took any pills except a thyroid pill when I moved here.

I had very low blood pressure my whole life.

My eyesight was 20/20 after I turned 45 from 20/14 which is excellent.

I wore a size 10 pants (hardly small I know) and well, a L or XL on top.

I moved here and I had chemo and large doses of steroids for an enormous mass on my retina which the doctors tell me gave me high blood pressure. 3 pills for that and puffy weight gain.

No longer did I have low blood pressure of 110/60 or lower. Oh no, need meds to get it to normal now. Doctor told me chemo does that to most. Yipee.

My eyesight was no longer 20/20. I can barely see out of my right eye.

My back began to act up and I waited until I couldn't wait any longer. 

I had 4 or 5 injections into my spine. More (steroids) and buffy bloated look and weight gain.

Then my shoulders, more steroids. 

I now wear a size 14/16 pants. Top xl or xxl. I feel and look like shit. My skin has become dry (could they do that to my skin too?) 

Honestly, is the pain or the vanity that bothers me most? 

I'm going to be shallow and say this weight gain.  I hate it.

I have nothing to wear. And I REFUSE to buy something more in this size.

I look like shit.

My husband is blind to it. Thank God!

I will be having a reverse shoulder replacement in late summer or early fall.

One week ago I had injections in both my shoulders to help with the increasing pain. I have very little mobility on my right side. Yes, I am right-handed.

I can not hold my coffee, wine, gin, or water and then lift it to my mouth.

The pain is in my shoulder and down my bicep. Doing dishes really bothers me but they have to be done. Same with cooking, chopping, stirring, etc.  

The more I use my arm, the worse it gets. So the doctor tells me not to use my arm.  Really that is your helpful solution?

The tall strapping Ortho Doc at Duke went over all my options. There are bone spurs, arthritis, and a tear in my rotator cuff (which I had repaired in 2007) I saw my X-ray next to a normal X-ray of a right shoulder. Oh, it wasn't pretty.

I wasn't thrilled with my options but this pain is unrelenting and being right-handed makes this worse. Yes, my left shoulder needs this too but it isn't as bad and let's face it my left arm is not used as much as one would think. Left shoulder will come later.

I had 2 options. Steroid/Cortizone type shots in my shoulders to help with the pain. 

#2 Surgery.

If I chose option #1 then I'd have to wait 3 months to have the surgery I was told.

I chose the shots. I had them done 1 week ago today.

I don't find a lot of relief yet but like my spinal injections, it took a couple of weeks.

In the meantime my husband yells to me each and every time I run to the bathroom to "Use your left hand"  That makes me laugh. But if we're all being honest wiping one's butt with your dominant hand is a given. So when my arm is in a sling for 4 weeks or more I will need to use my left hand. I love him but I draw the line at having him help me in this area. This is when I wish I were ambidextrous like my Dad was.

And more shallow shit - I can't style my hair. I have a short style that needs a blow dryer and a round brush. I can't lift my arm. I've been wearing a baseball cap around the house but to go out I need to have my hair done. The day I went to the drs I tried like hell. It looked bad but it was better than going in public with a baseball cap on. I mean if going to Target or Walmart a cap is fine. But otherwise, not for me.

So to conclude. I've had the injections. Next will be the surgery.

Driving isn't great but I can drive. Hence why Rick insists on driving of late.

My body seems to be riddled with Arthritis. Mom and I discussed Dad's and his family's health. He had a sister with arthritis. Dad did not, nor did his other siblings or mother. No one on my mom's side did either. Because she is my step mom she asked about my mom's sisters. I told her that everyone in my mom's family died of heart disease and/or cancer. They all smoked like chimneys too. So I guess I just got lucky with this arthritis gene. HA

I have had back surgeries, colon surgeries, hysterectomy, and a torn meniscus. NOTHING was as difficult a recovery and painful as my rotator cuff surgery so I don't imagine a total shoulder replacement will be a walk in the park. 

God, I hope I get some good drugs since they don't give me pain medication now.

Rick says it's his turn to take care of me.

Last night he told me it was in the vows. When I said, "But...." 

He told me to "hush and just deal with it. Do you think I have enjoyed you having to care for me like a baby last year?"

Touché 

So there ya have it. 

Cataract surgery

Shoulder surgery in a few months.

Are we having fun yet?

But in good news, my back has finally gotten all the injections. It took 3 weeks but it's feeling great. I can walk again. I can stand up straight. I am doing well in that area for now. 

In the meantime, I can still enjoy my 3 favorite beverages with my left hand.

I will begin a new diet as soon as the steroids leave my system. The doctor told me that while those are in my system weight will not come off.  I know these drugs help people but I don't care for them one bit!!

Oh, and I got a call for my cataract pre-op Tuesday morning. 

He asked a lot of questions and I answered. 

When he asked if I used any recreational drugs I said, "I wish."

He laughed so hard. He said, "Best answer I've ever received." 

Ah, it was legal in DC but nothing but guns are loved and legal down here so no more pain-reducing recreational drugs for me now.