Fall into Winter - Part Two

It was late February, 2007.  Nearly 39 years after I broke my leg walking to the bus stop.  It was a Thursday morning.  We were coming to the end of tax collection season (March 1) and I was really busy.  I had a noon meeting away from the office that day and I was scheduled to chair a meeting in Lansing on Friday morning.  I was rushing to get my investments done and make sure everyone would survive without my being there until Monday.

I had a corner office with a wide  hallway separating it from the front clerical offices.  Offices were all carpeted, but the hall was tiled with runners running down the center.  I was walking back into my office when it happened.

Before I knew it, my left leg (I previously broke the right one) just went out from under me.  I landed on my rear.  When I looked down I saw the bone sticking out of my leg.

I yelled.  Then I yelled again for help.  My Deputy came running and the first thing I told her to do was to take my boot off before my foot started swelling.  Here is a photo of the boots I had on that day.  (I donated them a few years ago since I never again put them on my feet.)

My friends from the fire station arrived to transport me to the local hospital.  I broke both my fibula and tibia and my ankle.  Instead of spending my afternoon at a meeting, I spent it in surgery.

The surgeon re-constructed my leg with a steel plate and nine screws.  I spent the night in the hospital and came home to see all my family here the next day, Friday.  Saturday night, my son had to call EMS to come take me back to the hospital.

I was deathly sick.  I had no idea what was going on and being immobile and knocked out by anesthesia after effects along with the pain medication that was pumping into my leg really freaked me out.  I was diagnosed with norovirus at the hospital.   Hey, when it rains, it pours.

Back home at last, I was non-weight bearing for eight weeks.  I had this ridiculous scooter that I rested my left knee on and propelled myself with my right leg.  My previous experience with crutches was a disaster, so the scooter seemed the right choice.  Even so, I fell off the scooter one day right onto the ceramic tile floor.  Luckily it happened when my son was here (he moved back in when this happened).

The original cast was so heavy I could not sleep in bed and had to use a chair and ottoman.  Not great for my back issues, either.  After two weeks they put me in a removable cast, though I wasn't allowed to remove it.  It was just lighter.  And eventually I got rid of the scooter and propelled myself with a walker, still putting no weight on my left leg.

I had to have a friend help me into the shower with a garbage bag over my cast.  I sat on a stool.  It was impossible to ever feel really clean.  The same friend came everyday to look in on me.

The IT department from work came and hooked me up to their computers so that I could work from home.  I kept up with all my office work, but I never once paid attention to what was happening at the Board table.  Oh, what a relief it was.  Since I live just a mile from the town offices, we just shuttled papers back and forth a couple of times a week.

After six weeks in the lighter cast I was actually able to remove it at night and really walk around in it.  But by that time I had managed to get a stress fracture in my right foot from pushing myself around in that damn scooter and then using the walker.  So, now I had a cast and a boot.  And a cane.  And it wasn't over yet.

Once the leg was completely healed, I had innumerable hours of physical therapy.  The calf muscle in my left leg was gone.  I almost cried when I saw what my leg looked like after 13 weeks.  I was still using a cane to walk around, too.

My surgeon told me in the emergency room that if I had hit my head instead of breaking my fall as I did with my hands and rear-end, that I would be in the morgue, not the ER.  It was a sobering thought.  As I went through my recovery, I knew that my working days would end the following year and I would not run for re-election.  Life is just too short.

In April, 2008 I re-entered the hospital to have all the hardware removed from my leg.  I knew two people who had issues with their screws coming loose, literally, and having to have surgery, so I decided to just get it over with.  Four weeks in a walking cast was a piece of cake after what I had been through, though I did have to go back for more physical therapy.

My two legs look different, especially the ankles.  My left leg is much stronger than my right.  It also has some ugly scars.  And if I turn my ankle the wrong way, the scar tissue is very painful.  Want to know if the barometer is dropping?  Just ask me.  In the cold winters here I have to keep socks on over that ankle to relieve the pain.

Up next, what I've learned about falls and my balance after this experience.

Fall into Winter

Batten down the hatches.  Stock up on food and drinks.  It's coming.  ONE TO TWO INCHES OF SNOW!!!  Are you prepared?

I had to turn off the radio this morning as this first snowfall of the year, which is still a day away, is all anyone can seem to talk about.  This is Michigan.  It is nearing the end of November.  Guess what folks.  We get snow!

All the hype drives me up the wall.  What is more important to me is knowing how to deal with the snow and ice once it gets here.

I have not blogged much about my falls.  Two of them to be precise.  Both falls resulted in broken legs.  And because this is the time of year when falls are more likely to occur because of the weather and because this is supposed to be a blog about retirement, i.e. older folks might read it, I thought I would reminisce about the falls.  In winter.

(BTW.  Speaking of 'falls' in winter, if you want to see something astonishing, go to Niagara Falls in winter.  Among all my old photos is one of me back in January 1970 standing in front of the Falls.)

Back to the task at hand.  My first fall was in March, 1968.  I was walking to the bus stop to change buses on my way to my internship at the old Detroit General Hospital.  I managed to step on one of the last pieces of ice in the entire city and fell down.  I got up, waited for the bus, got on and rode downtown.

When I tried to stand to get off the bus, the pain was incredible.  I finally disembarked and proceeded to immediately hail a taxi.  When I told the driver where I wanted to go he looked at me and said 'Miss, it is two blocks away'.

I told him that I knew that but that I thought that I may have broken my leg.  When we arrived at the emergency entrance, I told him to go inside, make a right into the Blood Bank, and tell them Denise was outside and needed a wheelchair.

I actually worked from the wheelchair until an ER doctor was able to see me.  They were able to get the boot off easily enough.  The x-ray showed a clean break of the fibula.  I was in a cast for four weeks, but was horrible on crutches.  It's a wonder I didn't fall and break something else.  Near the end of the recovery I even managed to be a bridesmaid.  Thank goodness for long dresses.

Ever since that fall I have been terrified of walking on slippery surfaces.  Ice, wet floors, waxed floors.  Gives me the creeps.

But this was the 'easy' fall in winter.  Stay tuned for part two and the fall that prompted me to decide to retire.

UPDATE:  Now they are saying 5 to 8 inches of snow.  It will be interesting to see what we actually get.

The Virus from Hell - or thereabouts

I have not done much blogging lately.  Or anything else for that matter.

I am now into week four of the virus from hell.

It started with an allergic reaction to an over-powering smell of cleaner being used in a store.  Within a couple of hours my entire head was stopped up.  By the end of the week I had a full-blown head cold, which makes me wonder if they were using the cleaner because someone had been sick in the store.  I have a school teacher friend who had a child get sick in the classroom and she and four students became ill afterwards.

As the cold developed I started coughing.  Just a dry hacking cough.  I would feel better for a couple days and then go back to coughing again, but with no other cold symptoms.  Just the cough.

After three weeks of not sleeping through the night and feeling like c---, I went to see the doctor. Yup.  Just upper-respiratory congestion.  No infection anyplace.  So she gave me a prescription for cough medicine with codeine to help me sleep.

I try to avoid taking codeine.  It really wipes me out.  Which is what it is supposed to do.  Yesterday I dragged myself to yoga class and the first thing the instructor said to me was that I did not look well. We did a restorative class which really helped.  But when it was done I was ready for a long nap.

Fortunately, I do not get sick very often.  So I guess I shouldn't complain too much when I do.  But this cough is just damned annoying.  I'm only taking the cough medicine with codeine at bedtime so I can reasonably function and get my errands done.

I read a blog post today from someone who said her husband has been coughing a lot at the new home they moved to this summer.  She thinks it is due to the sycamore tree in her neighbor's yard. Guess what grows just outside my bedroom window in the neighbor's yard.  Yup.  A sycamore.  And I blow those leaves off my driveway everyday.  Maybe my conscientious leaf clean-up is making me sick.  Who knows.

Healthy as a Horse? or Strong as Bull?

I had my annual physical this morning.  I am as 'healthy as a horse'.  Later, I went to yoga class and my instructor said I was 'strong like bull'.  Sorry for all the animal references, but that seemed to be the theme for the day.

We are kicking the kidney meds to the curb and I will see what happens.  Hopefully, I will not again experience a gigantic kidney stone that shuts down a kidney as happened in 2004.  My blood pressure was 108/60 this morning and I have been off the meds for eleven days.  So, it is most likely that my BP just dropped too low again (once it was measured at 90/60).

Other than my persistently high cholesterol (genetic I am sure), I am just fine.  Actually, I am in better shape now, than I was four years ago.  So, healthy as a horse, just in case I need to pull a plow.

Which is also what bulls do, I guess.  I had a sorority sister who used to say she was 'good Polish girl, strong like bull, pull plow in fields.'  Whatever. I laughed when my yoga instructor used the 'strong like bull' term in class.

On Monday we had a Vinyasa yoga class that kept us moving.  It was a little more challenging than our usual class.  Today she had us move from a deep lunge into side angle pose, triangle pose and then half moon.  I was hoping she would forget that we had two sides of our bodies to work on.  I don't like to sweat in class.

I am thinking that I should book an individual class and bring my camera.  Then I can post pictures of my own sweaty body doing the poses.  For now, I'll be content with linking to others and be happy knowing that part of the reason I am so calm is due to yoga class.  Namaste.


 Half-Moon Pose  (with instructions)

Blogging Blues

I have no good excuse.  I just didn't feel like sitting here at the computer.  Simple as that.

It is not that I didn't have ideas for a post.  I have TONS of ideas.  I do my best thinking while driving, mowing the lawn, or taking a shower.  If I was hooked to a computer and could dictate my posts, I would be very prolific.  But sitting here typing?  Sometimes it takes more effort than I am willing to make.

Since my last post I can say that the cool weather has not improved much.  I wore a jacket to my yoga class yesterday.  In August for goodness sake! 

My week has not been uneventful.  I went to my regular yoga classes, but I also found time for a massage.  It was so nice to have one without having any muscle or joint issues.  Very relaxing!

I managed to discipline myself and not indulge in any cheesecake on Tuesday, which was National Cheesecake Day.  I did browse through a lot of recipes, but since I had no cream cheese or ricotta in the fridge, the decision not to make a cheesecake was pretty easy.

On Wednesday I went to a reception for students from Awaji City, Japan.  Awaji City is the location of our Sister Library.  None of the students spoke English so we had a local resident who acted as an interpreter.  There was a very nice showing by the local Japanese community for the event.  Since I don't speak Japanese, I spent the evening talking to a couple of residents I had not seen since my retirement.

Last night I gave a couple of friends a tour of the gardens.  They are re-doing their landscaping and wanted to see what plants and shrubs I have growing.  Of course, they would say 'what's that one called?' and I would be rummaging through my brain trying to remember.  Really, 'houttuynia' is not an everyday word you remember.

I also got my blood work results back for my annual physical.  My lipid levels are still high and I am tired of trying to control them.  Rather than that approach, I think my doctor needs to figure out why they are that way in the absence of any known issues, or just forget about it.  I have a couple of friends who have decided that they are not taking any more statins until someone figures out what is going on.

This whole cholesterol issue always reminds me of my former life as a medical technologist.  One of the chemical tests I performed in the lab at Detroit Receiving Hospital was 'Zak's' cholesterol.  The director of my lab was Dr. Bennie Zak (this article written at the time of his death in 2005 is a good portrait).  I also worked with him in establishing normal levels for triglycerides.  We found that usually, if a patient had an Eastern European last name, the levels were outside the ranges of anyone else and were thus eliminated in setting normal levels.  I am sure that has a lot to do with my high levels with two grandparents from that area.

And I am not so sure that being on Weight Watchers has not made the levels of lipids higher.  I am eating more fruit, which has more sugars than the 'healthy' almonds I used to snack on.  But fruit has no points and an ounce of almonds have four.  I am also eating more protein which usually has more cholesterol.  I am thinking this is a game that cannot be won.  I'll see what my doctor says.

Anyway, I am off to breakfast with friends.  Enjoy your weekend.

Cold and Flu Season is Upon Us

It's that time of year.  Not for me, but for others.  I did a battle with the flu back in October.  And I have been fortunate enough not to have gotten ill with a cold this season. 

I started thinking about colds and illness yesterday while reading Dear Abby.  Some poor fella in Corpus Christi is married to a 'controlling, slave-driving witch' (Abby's words, not mine) who insists that he go to work even when he is ill.  If he tries to stay home, his wife decides that he should baby-sit the kids, rather than send them to their grandmother's home for the day.  Abby called her 'Simone Legree'.

Unfortunately, I have known people over the years who have some rather crazy notions about illness and spreading germs.  I call them the 'martyrs of the workplace'.  No matter what the situation, they will be there and expect you to be there too.

When I worked in the hospital, I once had a boss who bragged that 'she never took a day off for illness'.  After hearing this several times, I finally told her that 'No, she didn't.  She just came to work and made everyone else sick.'  Everyone else nodded in agreement.

OTOH, I had a boss at another hospital where I worked for a short time who, during flu season, would line us up in the morning and check us for signs of illness.  Anyone sniffling, or with a cough or teary eyes, was sent home.  He did not want any of us infecting each other or the patients, since we were out on the floors for sample collection.  He reminded me of a teacher I had in grade school who would call parents and tell them to come retrieve their ill child.  A good idea in my opinion.

I adopted this latter attitude when I worked for the Township. On more than one occasion, I told an employee to go home and come back with a doctor's OK to work.  Once someone called back to say they had walking pneumonia, another had bronchitis.  Both were off for several days.

In all of my job situations, people were paid for sick time they did not use.  So there were some who would come to work ill, just so they could get the cash payment at the end of the year.

If folks are sick, I would just as soon they remain in bed.  The world will not end if they do not show up for work.  And I am not interested in sharing in their misery.

To all of you who are sick this season, stay home, drink tea, sleep.  Focus on getting well.

Good Skin

Writing about 'good skin' is not something I have ever considered in the past.  What would I know about it?  But as a result of personal experience, comments I have heard recently, and an article in this morning's paper, I decided to give it 'my two-cents worth'.  (a good title for my political blog if it happens)

Over the years I have had the occasion to hear someone tell me that I have 'good skin'.  Or 'soft skin'.  I have always just shrugged it off.  I had not had much to compare it to.

Growing up I was fortunate not to have to deal with acne.  An occasional blemish was all.  And I have small pores.  Both pluses for good skin.

When I was working at the hospital, I noticed that my lab aide always used hand lotion after washing her hands.  I asked her about it and she said you need to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.  And so I began after every shower (not bath) slathering my body and face with moisturizer.

I also stopped using soap on my face, no matter what is was called.  I always used make-up remover and then a toner followed by, you guessed it, moisturizer.  I made sure that I stayed out of the sun and always had SPF 15 in all my facial products if I was going to be outdoors. 

Only once in my life did I ever have a problem with dry skin or lack-luster hair.  It was when I was a faithful follower and life-time member of Weight Watchers.  My hair was dry.  My skin itched.  I finally decided that limiting the fats in my diet was doing me more harm than good.  I started adding nuts and olive oil and 'voila!', the 'glow' was back.

I was asked recently what my secret was to good skin.  I jokingly told them chocolate, dried fruits and nuts.  But seriously, the fat content of those items (well, not the fruit) makes a huge difference.

My routine for good skin is really simple.  Avoid soap.  Stay out of the sun.  Use products with SPF regularly.  Moisturize morning and night.  Eat healthy fats.  Make sure you have adequate humidity in your home.  Limit those long soaks in hot water.

With everyone making New Year's resolutions about losing weight, we sometimes forget about the complete picture and only focus on the numbers on the scale.  I have seen many thin women who look like 'crap'.  Saggy skin from weight loss.  Dull hair.  Pasty skin. 

My goal this year is to lose enough weight to see the muscle definition I have been working on.  I'd rather be healthy and look healthy than be thin and look sick.  When I was down to a size four, a gentleman friend asked me if I was ill.  When I said 'no', he suggested that I gain some weight to improve my appearance.  He was right.

And it all goes back to having good skin.  The only way to get it is to live a healthy and balanced life.  That's my resolution for the year.  Same one every year.

Better Health through Partying

Back in December a couple of my friends and I decided to throw a 'Survivor's Party' after the holidays.  Tomorrow is the big day.

I said that I would host the party at my house and provide the food.  We'll have the usual cheese and fruit tray, crackers, veggies and artichoke dip, baked brie, along with my poached shrimp, ham and cheese in puff pastry and honey-glazed chicken bites.  Pastries and wine will fill the bill.

The only thing I said to hope for was good weather.  Well, today it is 55 degrees and tomorrow it is supposed to hit 60.  The snow is just about gone and the morning fog has finally lifted.

I went out side to get my mail and my AARP newsletter was in the box.  I have been a member of AARP for over 25 years due to the fact that my husband was ten years older than me.  While I don't always agree with positions they take, I find their publications interesting.

It's January, which means everyone is making resolutions about improving their health.  AARP has an article titled "10 Tips for Better Health".

Tip number one is 'Throw a Party'.  Hey, why read any further?  According to a study by Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, "social activity may help preserve your ability to perform day-to-day activities as you age".  HMMM.  Some days I do not have much activity besides eating and yoga, but if throwing a party will help, count me in.

I can also go along with 'choose chocolate' (#3).  I made coconut macaroons dipped in dark chocolate and have some dark chocolate caramels.  And of course, we will raise a glass or two of wine (#5) while listening to some favorite music (#7) in the background.

I'll begin my morning with a cup of coffee (#4) and hopefully not have to take a nap (#8) before everyone arrives.

I am feeling so much healthier already, I think I need a cookie.  lol

Good Teeth

My sons all seem to have 'good teeth'.  Growing up in the 1980's with fluoridated water probably has a lot to do with it.  It is not likely they inherited any 'good genes' for teeth from my side of the family.

I have lots of gold and silver in my mouth, despite having had fluoride treatments when I was young.  I also did some time with braces.  If you have ever had to wear a retainer with those idiotic rubber bands, you know what I mean by 'doing time'.  And now, every night, I put a retainer in my mouth to keep from grinding down the teeth I have left.

I have had people comment through the years that I have nice dental work.  All I can say is that it comes at a price.  When they ask for a referral and I tell them how much a crown costs me, they say 'thanks' but 'no thanks'.  To the credit of paying for good dentistry, I have never had to have a crown or filling replaced due to breakage.  Well, that is up until today.

Yesterday I felt this 'hole' in my jaw line.  No pain, but definitely something was missing.  So this morning I went in to see the dentist (who is actually a prosthodontist).  I had lost part of the filling, not enough to cause any pain, but I was afraid that I would lose more in the future.

I have been with this practice since 1977, though my original dentist retired last year and his partner now runs the office alone.  I told him that I thought they had replaced the filling in the mid-70's.  Sure enough, 1978 according to the records.  He asked me to guess what I paid for the filling.  I guessed $30.  Close, it was actually $23.  I certainly got my money's worth out of that procedure.

He then said he hesitated to tell me what a new ceramic inlay would cost.  I had a number in mind based on my last crown.  I was close again with the figure for this procedure being $1500. 

Yes, $1-5-0-0.  Actually, I thought it would be more.  But I consider it money well spent.

Both of my parents lost all of their teeth and had false teeth.  I swore when I was young that I would make sure I kept as many as I could keep.  (I lost four teeth to make room for the other 28 when I had my braces put on.) 

I get a kick our of British TV shows when they talk about Americans teeth as though we were obsessed with them.  Maybe I am.  But for me, oral health is of great importance, and not just because I like to see a 'good smile' when I talk to someone (yes, I can be shallow, too).  And I am more than willing to pay for it.

Now, I just have to hope this temporary fix lasts until I get back there in two weeks.

Living with 'Meralgia'

Meralgia is not a person, but a condition.  The full name of the condition is 'meralgia paresthetica', named in 1895 by Vladimir Roth of Moscow.  

The name is the sum of its three parts. “Meros” is Greek for thigh, “algos” is Greek for pain and “paresthetica” means unprovoked sensations. In other words, English, it means pain in the thigh from an entrapped nerve, in this case the lateral femoral cutaneous.  This entrapment  neuropathy was one of the first to be recognized as such.
I was diagnosed with this in 2009.  On a flight home from Seattle I experienced severe burning and tingling in my left thigh.  Getting home late at night, I undressed and noticed that my thigh was covered with petechiae (evidence of small blood vessel rupture), probably from my rubbing it so hard.

By the time I realized something was wrong and called my doctor, the petechiae were gone, but my physician wasted no time making the diagnosis and placed me on a nerve medication.  After several months I finally began to feel better and eventually the pain was completely gone.  After two years I went off the medication and experienced no issues until a few weeks ago.

Out of the blue, this burning wakes me up most nights.  I change position in bed and the burning disappears.  I have absolutely no problems during the day.  It is making me nuts (some would say I am already there). 

The most common causes of the entrapment are diabetes and obesity.  I don't have the first problem and while I would love to lose weight, I hardly think I am obese. 

We are constantly hearing commercials asking people if they are living with (fill in the blank), and then hearing a spiel for a medication we should ask our doctor to prescribe for us.  Everyone I know who has gone on a nerve medication has complained about it and I was no exception.  While I did not find myself falling asleep at the drop of a hat, I did experience more weight gain.  And even going off the medication does not mean that the gain miraculously disappears.

While researching this condition, I discovered that it was also experienced by Sigmund Freud.  After reading about his issues, I consider myself lucky.  Mine came and went in a relatively short time frame and even though it has returned, I can still live with it.  For now.  We'll see what the next few months bring.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

Let me begin by saying that Twelve Days of Christmas is not my favorite Christmas song.  That will be revealed on December 15, which is the 'Capturing December' day for one's favorite holiday song.  But this song has always been a great challenge to those who are trying to remember what items go with what day.

When I was working at the City hospital in the 70's, several of us in the laboratory got to talking about the song and we couldn't agree on the lyrics.  Back in those old days you could call the Detroit Public Library 'hotline' and ask a question.  So, we called and asked if they knew the lyrics (a good example of how we got by before the Internet).  Sure enough, the answer was given. 

I have a particular fondness for 'the partridge in the pear tree'.  I have a lovely pillow with the image on it.  I have various holiday ornaments depicting it.  And last year, Hallmark started a collection of ornaments celebrating the song, so I have purchased those too. 

 

But, the reason for this post is that in my latest Costco Connection magazine, there is a new list of gifts.  Authored by Linda Melone, these are items for good health and a lot less expensive than the gifts in the song.  They are as follows:

 

1 molasses cookie - A study at the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior found lower body weight and reduced body fat in mice fed molasses extract for 12 weeks.  Woo hoo.  Let me go whip out that recipe for my ginger molasses cookies and start baking.  OTOH, I have not had the occasion to see many overweight mice, so am not sure this is really important evidence for indulging in cookies.  But I'll give it a go.

 

2 ounces of almonds - Well, I usually eat about one ounce or less a day, so I'll have to up my intake.

 

3 ounces of salmon - has anti-inflammatory agents; no recommendation on how often this should be eaten, but it is my favorite fish

 

4 ounces of red wine - great anti-oxidant, but I like to stay awake and wine puts me to sleep

 

5 yoga poses - Certainly no problem here.  I have poses for whatever ails me

 

6 ounces of Greek yogurt - good source of protein, again not a problem

 

7 servings of veggies - veggies make you happy?  Who knew?  But that's a lot of food

 

8 hours of sleep - this is my kind of list

 

9 minutes of meditation - 'Serenity now'; no indication if falling asleep while meditating is good or bad, see above item

 

10 minutes of activity - certainly we can all find ten minutes a day to be active?  maybe three times a day?

 

11 minutes of sunlight -  Hah!  I live in Michigan.  I haven't seen the sun since sometime last week.  (see yesterday's post)

 

12 weeks of resistance training - this is supposed to reduce high blood pressure, not a problem I have

 

So, there you have it.  Now, I need to go start on Day one.

The Truth about Mammograms?

I found an interesting article in my local paper yesterday that was picked up from the Associated Press.  The article was titled 'Study finds mammograms lead to unneeded treatment'.

I may have skipped reading the article if not for the fact that 1) I've had two call-backs after a mammogram and 2) I know several women who underwent 'preventative' mastectomies.

1) Several years ago I came home to find a message on my answering machine that said, 'Please call the hospital regarding your mammogram.  We need to do some follow-up testing'.  I nearly had a heart attack.

As it turned out, there was absolutely nothing wrong and the follow-up scans were not needed, just costly.

Last year, I again received a phone call.  The mammogram showed a mass in one breast.  I actually told the nurse who called that I was pretty sure it was a cyst, since I knew that I had several in that breast.  She said I could be right but that I would have to come in for a biopsy.

So with trepidation, off I went to the hospital.  While being poked and prodded, the doctor eventually hit the spot just right and the cyst broke.  Tests on the the tissue that was removed showed it to be non-malignant.  I have no idea how much all of that cost.

I decided in the end that it was better to be safe than sorry.

2)  The first time I ever heard of someone having a 'preventative' mastectomy  (not sure if that is really what they are called) was well over fifteen years ago.  A neighbor had a sister who was diagnosed with breast cancer and so she decided to have a double mastectomy, just in case she might someday develop cancer.  When I asked around among my friends, they also knew someone who had done this.

Since that time I have met other women who opted to have the mastectomy after a test for the gene that causes breast cancer (they heard about this on Oprah) or as a follow-up to a lumpectomy, 'just in case'.

My first thought when I hear of surgery is 'What are the effects of the surgery itself?'  I have undergone the 'knife' on nine different occasions.  Only one surgery, to remove hardware in my leg from a previous surgery, was elective.  I had some serious trepidation about a mastoidectomy in 2000 after reading about possible complications, but everything turned out OK.  OTOH, surgery in 2004 to remove a blockage in my kidney resulted in nephritis, despite the use of antibiotics.  Sulfa drugs were needed to knock it out.

So, surgery itself is not without complications.  The article raises some interesting questions.  If I receive a call in the future, I am not sure how I will react.  But at this point in my life,  I doubt that I will undergo anything 'preventative'.  That too presents a risk.

Twist - and 'Shout'

This was supposed to be a good day for running errands.  The plan was to shower, clean the bathroom, head to yoga and then run some errands.  The plan collapsed during the 'clean' phase.

If you are anywhere near my age, you will understand exactly how this happens.  You are going along 'great guns' and then, 'Oops'.  I bent down to put a bottle of lotion under the bathroom sink and the next thing I knew my hip was killing me.  Somehow I just 'zigged' when I should have 'zagged', or whatever.

For the last four hours I have been doing the 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off, 'icing routine'.  That gel pack in the freezer always comes in handy. 

At least at this point I can walk without limping.  But I can still feel this muscle knot right above the iliac crest.  It feels like someone stuck a golf ball in there.

I have a friend who says that getting old is not for sissies.  She is right.  But as folks say, it beats the alternative.  And I often wonder how bad these 'twists' in my life would be if I wasn't active. 

I really wish that in that 40 year span between college graduation and retirement I had spent more time worrying about keeping my muscles and joints in shape.  But thank goodness I made the effort that I did, as little as that seems to me.  At least I am up and around.  Losing four hours of activity to a wrong move is better than losing days or weeks.

So, if you are sitting at your computer reading this, whatever your age, get up and move when you are done.  You'll be glad you did.

The Good News was the Bad News

Who hasn't known a senior citizen who fell at some point?  Tripping is what we seem to do best.  But my problem is not a lack of balance, it is just plain carelessness.

I am great in yoga class, doing my tree poses and practicing 'warrior III':
 
Alas, when I am working around my house my yoga brain goes offline.  Yesterday, I was getting ready to leave my house and go to a meeting.  I opened the door to the garage and noticed the box I had thrown into the garage right in front of the step.

I stepped out of the house onto the small step, grabbed the box, and then stepped down onto a pair of shoes that were under the box, shoes that I never even saw.  Whoa, ho ho!  What a trip!

I immediately crumpled.  My right foot twisted as it hit the shoe and my knee met the floor.  My left arm went down to break the fall.  And then the parked car broke my fall to the floor.  THAT was the good news.

THAT was also the bad news.  It was the side of my head that hit the car.  Nice sturdy Buick.  POW!

I picked myself up, dusted myself off, and headed to my meeting.  My hostess was gracious enough to give me a bag of ice, which I proceeded to move from one body part to the other - my hand, my knee, my face, my shoulder, you name it.

Once I was home that evening, I again did the bag of ice routine, though I have this 'comfort gel pack' that I keep in my freezer.  (It gets a lot of use at my house.)

I guess I need to be more careful.  No, correct that.  I know I need to be more careful and aware of my surroundings.  It is just so easy to move too fast and not pay attention to what we are doing.  And if you happen to be someone who has a problem with balance, the results could be far worse than looking like an idiot sitting at a meeting with a bag of ice on your head.  Take care, my friends.

Taking it One Day at a Time

I have a cold.  A really awful head cold.  I never get head colds.  I can't remember the last time I had one.  Allergy attacks in the Spring?  Yes.  An attack of the norovirus in 2007 that sent me to the ER?  Yes.  Strep throat and an ear infection in 1999 just three days before my flight to Paris?  Yes.  Sinus infections?  Lots.  But a plain old head cold? 

Growing up I always had respiratory issues.  I had bouts of bronchitis, viral pneumonia, and pleurisy.  But once I moved away from home and the constant exposure to cigarette smoke, my health improved greatly.

So, when I suddenly felt like I had been hit by a truck last Thursday afternoon, I thought it had to be something more than 'just a cold'.  I mean, one minute I am having lunch with a friend and an hour later I am miserable.  Fever, running nose, dizziness. 

Alas, when all is said and done this has turned out to be nothing more than a bad cold.  I had seven empty Kleenex boxes in the recycle bin this morning.   The last time I used that many boxes of tissues my cousin got married and we made flowers for the cars.  (BTW, does anyone still do that?)

I've gotten past the continual nose drip and worked my way up to (or down to) the hacking cough stage.  I've accomplished absolutely nothing for the past five days other than sterilizing all my dishes that I have used.  Thank goodness for the 'SaniCycle' on dishwashers.  Actually, I've had no appetite and most of the dishes consisted of spoons for honey and tea cups.  I've had so much Assam tea I have an urge to go buy a sari.

The websites all say to let it run its course of one to two weeks.  That I can easily do.  If there is one thing I have learned about being ill, it is that we gain nothing by trying to be super women and avoiding taking it easy.  Call me 'lazy' or whatever, I do not care.  I have nothing to prove to anyone.  I just want to feel better. 

When I worked at the hospital, I had a supervisor who bragged that she never took a sick day, she came in and did her job no matter what.  I turned to her and said that she was right.  She came in sick when she was infectious and made everyone else sick in the process.  Some hero.

Snow + Sun = Migraine Headache

I am living like a hermit in my home.  We finally got some snow, but not a lot of it.  We also have sunshine.  Bright sunshine.  For me, that equals 'migraine headache'.

Snow reflects 80% of the suns UV rays, more than sand on a beach.  To some, I guess this is beautiful.  OTOH, I have in the past found myself wearing sunglasses indoors.  Even with the blinds closed!

I do not get migraines very often.  But on Thursday, I had a whopper and the snow did not even arrive.  I think it was from the drop in barometric pressure. 

What is know about migraines is that environmental factors can trigger one.  The factors include a change in the weather, a change in barometric pressure, and high winds. Other environmental triggers include a bright or flickering light (like the one in a Home Depot recently), glare (like what we have today), and intense smells or vapors.

All the blinds are down and closed with the exception of two that are up just enough to let light in for the plants on the floor.  The solar light tube provides enough light to keep the family room lit.  But even there I had to 'pass' on the fancy faceted cover.  The installer put the beautiful faceted light cover on the ceiling opening and my head was spinning almost immediately.  I had to settle for the old-fashioned style of plain frosted glass.

Fortunately, I made the decision to go out at eight a.m. yesterday and clean the driveway.  That was well before it was too bright outside.  Otherwise, I'd be waiting for the snow to melt.  And from the forecast I've seen, that may be awhile.

Cooking What we Love

We have firmly established, I think, that I am not 'super' woman at anything.  This has hit home most recently as I try to come back from my spinal surgery.  I guess a year of suffering and straining back muscles has really played havoc with my stamina.

I already blogged about just doing a small holiday meal with my three sons and no one else.  With each day that passes I realize what a brilliant decision I made.  When I try to push myself over my limit of activity, I suffer for it.  Even yesterday with laundry, vacuuming, shopping and baking, I was whipped by five in the afternoon. 

Our dinner will be nothing fancy.  No turkey breast stuffed with sausages or dried fruits, just plain turkey.  Mashed potatoes from a package (Idahoan brand) - actually my sons think they taste great.  Who knew?

Back to the Jiffy mix - a Michigan company - for a quick corn muffin.  And I already made my cranberry chutney.  Roasted squash can cook in the oven with the turkey. 

Notice anything missing?  I only ask because in today's Detroit Free Press Mitch Albom talks about weird Thanksgiving food.  Growing up in both an Italian and Polish family, I saw my share of 'weird' food at the holiday dinners. 

The Italians prepared 'tripe' - cow's stomach.  Really?  You want me to taste this?  It's child abuse at the very least.

The Polish side had its favorite 'czernina' - duck blood soup.  I am proud to say I have never tasted either of these foods. 

But in America, we have the ubiquitous 'Jell-O mold'.  Green.  Wiggly.  Filled with unnatural stuff in disgusting colors.  Yuck.  I have never ever made a Jell-O mold.  Or made Jell-O for that matter.

The other day a friend was telling me about her holiday meal preparations.  It was going to be one of those pot-luck sort of deals and someone was bringing the Jell-O mold.  To me you might as well be saying you were bringing black mold to my house.  How can this side dish still be so popular?

Not that I haven't had my own holiday foods I always made.  Every Easter I would make tropical salad with pineapple, oranges, marshmallows and coconut mixed with sour cream.  I began to notice that each time I had more and more left  over even as the children got bigger and should have been eating more food.  It has been many years since it has seen the light of day in my home.

I stopped making all the traditional holiday foods about ten years ago.  I wanted to try new foods and preparations.  I think I have enjoyed the meals more.  And I also stopped making so many different sides, but my sons will still ask 'Where are the peirogis?'.

Whatever you plan to eat this holiday, I hope you truly enjoy it.  And I hope you are sharing it with the people you love.  Even the ones who love Jell-O molds.

Why Diet is a Four-Letter Word

I received an interesting email from one of my readers this weekend.  It was about weight loss and the importance of motivation.

Weight Loss?  Lack of Motivation?  Of course most of us would like to lose weight.  And often we have plenty of motivation, like not having to buy bigger clothes.  But when you are a woman past the age of menopause, good luck with that.

I had never really had a so-called 'weight problem' when I was younger.  Yes, it would have been nice to be 'model thin', but hard to do when you have hips and boobs. 

When I was in home-economics in seventh grade, everyone had to make a skirt.  We all took our measurements so that we could go buy the right size pattern.  (Do they even teach this anymore?) 

I had a 24-inch waist and 37-inch hips.  These are not standard measurements and I had to buy a pattern to fit the hips and then alter the waist.  I never again made anything with a waist even though I sewed a lot of my clothes through high school and college.  Hmmm.  Probably why I hate sewing and my Singer machine has not been touched in years.

In my 50's I still had a 25-inch waist and now 38-inch hips.  Not bad for an old broad.  I had even joined Weight Watchers and got thinner than I had ever been.  And then the dreaded 'M' appeared. 

At first my doctor prescribed a new estrogen supplement.  I stayed on that until the study came out about how dangerous it was and he took it away.  So, I increased my exercise program figuring that I would just use up the calories that way.  And then I started having pain in my foot.  That was diagnosed as end-stage arthritis in my big toe.  Recommendation: no more long walks that irritate the toe. 

In my late 50's I found that I did not have to actually eat any food to gain weight.  It just seemed to jump onto my flesh.  And then the disaster of 2007.  I fell at work and suffered a tri-maleolar fracture of my left leg.  I was non-weight bearing on the leg and mostly sitting for over three months.  Then the long physical therapy and another surgery one-year later.  And more physical therapy.

I have had six different surgeries in the last ten years.  I hope I am done now. 

I have been able to lose about 15 pounds in the last two years.  Not a lot, but not bad considering how my back situation has hindered me over the last year. 

But here is the big deal with weight gain:  Food tastes good!  I enjoy food.  Obviously my body likes it too.  Years ago I was at a big political luncheon and was seated at a table with a well-known female politico who was model-thin.  When the lunch was delivered she covered everything on her plate with salt and explained that it is her way of making sure she did not eat too much food. 

Ok.  Moving right along.  I am healthy according to my doctor who laughs at the idea that I could ever be a size six again.  But I would settle for a size 8.  Oh, but wait, under the new 'vanity sizing' of some manufacturers, I probably am. 

As for more dieting, I'll continue to eat healthy small portions of food and know that in case of dire circumstances with no food in the house, I can probably use up some of my 'stored' resources in my thighs.

How Do You Spell R-E-L-I-E-F?

I am now in the sixth week of my recovery from spinal surgery.  Oh what a relief it is. 

While I have no idea what it will be like when I get back to serious gardening next Spring, I do know that I have improvement in even the simple things I am allowed to do on my 'restricted duty'.

For example:  I can rollover in the bed without difficulty.  I can even lie on my back without excruciating pain.  And I no longer feel like I need a forklift to get out of the bed in the morning. 

Once up, I am able to move about immediately.  Before surgery it would take me about two hours to get myself together so that I could function like a normal person.  Now I am ready to go at whatever time I get up.

I am looking foward to being able to go back to my yoga exercises.  But, I have promised myself that I will continue to take things slowly.  I had a bad habit of over-doing, even when I was in pain.  And each time I would do that, I would suffer and my recovery time would get longer and longer. 

So, I have informed my family that the big Thanksgiving dinner is being put on the shelf for this year.  I am not sure what we will eat, but I plan to spend a quiet day with my sons. 

If you have never actually cooked a big dinner, you may not realize that there is a tremendous amount of time involved.  Planning the menu, making the grocery lists, doing the shopping, the prep work (I really need a sous chef), all the cooking, the cleaning, etc.  It becomes a two-week affair and I have no energy for that.  Last year I was wiped out for four days after everyone left.

I am almost up to walking for one-hour a day.  Yesterday I used my time to follow the self-propelled lawn mower around the yard.  That took twenty minutes.  The rest of the time was spent walking around covering shrubs for the winter, more to protect them from the animals than the elements. 

I also did some general clean-up and before I knew it I was out there for an hour and half.  And an hour later I was exhausted. 

Today looks to be a beautiful, if rather cold, day.  I could walk to the library and back in the time I am allowed.  It may be one of the last nice days this year to do that.  And before I know it Spring will be here and I can go back to doing what I love outside.

Alarm Clocks in Retirement. Why???

I have an Oregon Scientific clock next to my bed.  I bought it years ago because it automatically has the correct time and date and doesn't die when the power goes out.  It is also handy when I wake up and do not know what day it is.

I never use it as an alarm clock.  Why would I do that?  I am retired.  Unless I have to be someplace very early in the morning, I will wake up and get up when my body feels rested.

Now, is it just me who feels this way?  A friend of mine said she always gets up with the alarm.  She said she is afraid that she will fall back asleep if she doesn't.  And this would be a problem why?

Admittedly, when I was working, using an alarm clock was sometimes necessary.  I mean, if you have to be someplace at 8:00 am, waking up at 7:30 might not work out too well.  But when you are retired, why force yourself to live by man made schedules when you don't have to?

I go to sleep anywhere between nine and midnight.  It depends on how tired I am.  I wake up anywhere between 5:30 and eight, maybe nine.  Who cares? 

The way I figure it, my body should be dictating how much sleep I need, not the clock or what is on the television.  If I continually wake up with an alarm clock and never complete a full sleep cycle, my body will suffer for it.  Or so I believe.

There was only one time in my life when I had trouble sleeping.  It was when I broke my leg in 2007.  I slept in a chair because it was impossible to sleep in the bed with the heavy cast.  Afterwards, I had a terrible time getting back into a good sleep schedule and had to use sleeping pills.  Fortunately, it didn't last long.

My head hits the pillow and I am out like a light.  After that happens, I don't want anything or anyone waking me up until my body is ready for a new day.  And hey, there is nothing wrong with an afternoon nap.  Wonder woman who does not need sleep is not who I am.