Lived Experience Forum

[Zoe7]

A lot going on for you @Owlunar but you sound very positive in amongst it all Hon - so lovely to hear so much from you. Yes being assertive is important and I am glad you stood up for yourself with the GP. I had a similar experience a few years ago when my GP was away - the one I had to see at short notice grilled me about pain meds. He obviously did not read my history nor what I was dealing with. I got the meds but left feeling really down - not at all what I needed mentally on top of the physical pain. I luckily never had to see him ever again.

Sorry to hear about your rent man passing away - but glad you could let his wife know what a wonderful man he was. Even though it was not someone close to you, you would still have that grief to del with so look after yourself @Owlunar 

[Appleblossom]

@Owlunar 

I like autumn too. Lovely to hear your chatty news. The ordinary things of life, including funny things about your cleaning lady.  They all are individuals, and sometimes personal contact is more important than the convenience of knowing where all your stuff is ... lol ... I guess. I had a cleaning lady for a year, but seem to manage alright now, maybe the meds I was on really slowed me down.

I had some beautiful time with my grandchild last weekend.  Walking, talking reading, playing... they grow quickly.  My son is at gym at the moment.  

Interesting hearing you talking to @Zoe7 about pain meds and being assertive around health care.  I am titrating down a BP med.  My pdoc is fine with my low doses of psych meds, but I am noticing night waking.  Maybe getting my balance right is gradual.  Not adding stress to my life, just enjoyable activities, and WooHoo I paid a bit of super last year working on zoom very part time. 

i am on pain meds at the moment, with a lumbar problem.  My physio is good but it is persistent.  Doing new set of stretches.  Last physio worked mostly on top half and neck, I guess this one will focus on below the waist.  Well we try to find distractions, which for me is garden, keeping moving and Beethoven on the piano.  Playing the Waldstein atm not at full speed but not too slow.  Gentle, not doing sforzandos.  Funny how he has become part of pain my management .. lol.  Cant sit much atm.  And I have a plumbing fiasco ... major part still to be fixed but have 2 shiny new cisterns, there we go whinge over.

Seems I am slowly losing the isolation.  It had been a big problem when I first joined the forum, but little things are filling my diary... lovely to talk.

[Shaz51]

Wow my sister @Zoe7 , Toby is 8 and Clover is already 2 xxx

Hello my Forum mum @Owlunar 

Interesting to hear about your cleaning Lady ---- i wonder and i sure i do the same to my clients and a cleaning lady , my customers don`t say anything but i wonder !!!!

hello and hugs @Appleblossom 

[Zoe7]

@Appleblossom My pain is mostly lower back also but it affects my legs also. Hard to do anything with wobbly legs 😔 I hope your physio can help and you can get some relief.

[Zoe7]

Toby is 9 now @Shaz51 How quickly time flies hey.

[Owlunar]

Hi @Shaz51 @Zoe7 @Appleblossom 

I do like to treat life with a degree of humour - after all - it is the stuff and whatever of soap operas and at times I think I could write some episodes from my experiences - but no - I will save that for here.

Lumbar spinal pain - Apple and Zoe - I have problems in that area - it is a complex issue and does affect the legs - my daughter has lumbar spinal issues too - she has had a spinal fusion and has now started to see one of the specialists at the pain clinic I go to - different doctor though - which is a good idea.

I have had facet joint injections into my lumbar spine - it's not necessary to have a General Anaesthetic for this procedure - I had the last set nearly two years ago and so far - so good - and although I am not superstitious - I have to touch wood every time I make a comment about it. 

I would follow a black cat under a ladder on Friday the 13th without a thought - but touching wood - oh yeah - that is my safety trick when it comes to anything that might impinge upon my good will.

My cleaning lady - Shaz - don't worry about what you might or might not have done - having a pleasant person around to do chores is much more important than not being able to find something. It's a bit of a problem when she can't - so far we haven't lost anything.

The funniest thing was the day when my pest exterminator came - she opened the front door for him and before I went outside to speak to him - I told my cleaning lady that I had cleared everything out of the laundry so he could climb up through the manhole. A few minutes outside telling him about my noxious pets and I went back inside - and the laundry was full of stuff that belongs there - and my bed linen was stacked on top of the washing machine. Oh no! I had to move it all away again while he waited. 

She is such a lovely person though - just mystical - she works really hard and yet will sit down for a chat if that's what I want- sometimes that is all that I want. So I think it's humorous - and truly - it is. How boring life would be if things were not always as planned.

I will miss my TV man Zoe - I will have to buy new things when these break down and get someone to install them - my mind, eyes and right hand are agreeable to little tasks - my left hand depends on the phases of the moon I think - it won't always play. Never mind - that is a problem for the future.

It's a beautiful day today - after yesterday's gloominess - all the best with back pain - that is wearing - and a broken tooth - uncomfortable - Zoe - I have broken some through life and have partial dentures too - sometimes life makes us feel green I think and it is not easy being green.

All the best today

Owlunar

[Zoe7]

We had rain most of the day yesterday so it is a nice change for today @Owlunar but having the rain also meant I was inside and got a fair bit of school work done.

The back pain - as you would know - is very restricting at times. Sitting for long periods is definitely not good for that so trying to move a little more today in between doing more work. 

Lots of soft foods for me at the moment as it is uncomfortable to chew ...looking forward to having the tooth fixed.

[Shaz51]

hello and hugs @Owlunar , @Zoe7 

Sciatica is playing up today , so half resting and half doing little things today xxx 

[Appleblossom]

Yep @Owlunar I agree humour really helps.  I only learned to laugh late in life and make mum jokes all the time these days.  I enjoy comedy a lot more.  Tbh when I was a kid I did not get a lot of it, did not have access to much and did not know a lot of cultural references, so was not that interested, but only reading good irony in good lit helped me get it. Researched it cos curious. A such a nerd lol. Mostly I try to laugh at myself.  I also saw the importance for my kids to be able to laugh, sorry I could not give them a lighter time when they were younger.  It was what it was.

Its lovely to hear from you and keep our friendship going, and you too @Zoe7 @Shaz51 I am flat on my back typing with computer on my chest and knees,  as sitting is not a good idea.  Did some gardening and trimming though and went to church, hobbling a bit. Its been worse.  We are warrior women in our way of enduring all this stuff.  

My son is playing piano in the back ground and wants to have a planning meeting later which is good. We are having salmon and salad.

[Shaz51]

hope you feel better soon @Appleblossom ❤️

salmon and salad sounds lovely , something nice and easy 

not sure of what to have yet xx