¡Buenos días a todos from the Old Pueblo! It is 7am and 59F (15C) with an expected high of 70F (21.1C) and rainy skies.
I was not able to participate in last week’s Chat. I did check out some of the posts and made comments here and there; however, I was just not up to writing a Chat, or doing much of anything else other than adding profiles to WikiTree.
Before I go into my own measly, mewling poor me stories, I want to mention two events that are much more important than my whining. Please hold intention for the World Central Kitchen volunteers who died in the Israel/Hamas conflict this week, their families, all the innocents who will now have even less to eat and for peaceful and feasible resolution to this conflict. Second, please hold intention for all the people of Taiwan during and in the aftermath of the unimaginable earthquake. Our own Betsy Ko has
Taiwanese ancestry, and I am sending intention for her and any family there caught in the tragedy. I spent time in Taiwan when I taught for the military in Asia. The people and the country are beautiful.
And now for my puny life events. Last Saturday, I underwent an MRI of the head to determine if there is further advancement of MS. As a cost-savings to insurers, Medicare, and myself, the neurologist alternates imaging. Last year, I had a CTA of the head and neck. This year, the MRI. Next year, the CTA (if I live that long). I also had imaging done of the full spine about two months ago, which had shown further severe deterioration. The last time the full spine was done was in 2018.
I also saw the pain specialist last week thinking I would be getting a steroid injection. Much to my chagrin, no injection…just a chat to determine what to do next (with nothing in the interim). It seems these steroid shots are not lasting long, perhaps a month. We had hoped for at least two months given that I am only allowed 5 of these injections per year. By last weekend, I could barely walk as the pain was excruciating. Some days I use a cane and sometimes one of those four-wheeled chair walkers. Most embarrassing is yelling out loud as I turn to get something while I am out in public. I mentioned in past Chats that I cannot use aspirin or non-steroidal analgesics because of anti-stroke medication. I do not do well with narcotics…they just make me more stupid, and I still do not get pain relief. I am using all the creams, lotions, gummies, unguents, gummies to no avail. I walk when and as much as I can (motion is lotion), meditate, homeopathy, chair yoga, nap, sit with my back toward the sun, and use a heating pad at night. I wish one of these physicians would suggest something, a muscle relaxant, something that might ease this pain. As to my primary care provider (PCP), after telling her my pain was at 11 when she asked me to rate it on a 0 to 10 scale with 10 being worst, she said she wanted to put me on an anti-cholesterol drug! What? Huh? Twilight Zone? Outer Limits? The Prisoner? Dr. Who?
And…my new TVs are not working! I went to practice using the Xfinity NOW cable remote with the small telly in the guest room. I turned it on and…no channels. I received an email from Xfinity a few days prior and thankfully saved it! She had a tech call me (can you believe this service? Their NASDAQ stock must be down). He walked me through clicking on the HDMI 1 through 3. Nothing. I manage to use the remote with the Samsung TV in my office. I settled back to watch a movie that would take my mind from the pain. As I reported in my Chat two weeks ago, the lips are not in sync with the words! Watching movies out of sync is like nails running along a blackboard, an off-key singer…as psychologically painful as severe, unrelenting back pain! I drove to Best Buy and had another hissy fit. So, Taylor the Geek (we are on a first name basis now) will be arriving sometime today to ‘assess’ the TVs. He will return if I need to exchange either or both TVs. If the lips are out of sync ONLY on the office telly, then it will need to be exchanged. I just know that one or both will need to be exchanged. Just put me up against a wall and shoot me! Giving birth was easier than this!
On the upside, despite the pain, I drove to Tempe on Monday for a bit of collaborative work. I had the opportunity to see some friends and go to a great ‘indie’ bookstore. Plus, Macy’s and Dillard’s’ at Chandler Mall have better selections than Tucson. This past Wednesday, we had our usual American Academy of Nursing nurse sleep researcher zoom meeting. We had a new member join us. She is research director at Michigan State University. Plus, surprise, her dean was a colleague of mine at ASU several years ago. We will select our next sleep topic in May.
WikiTree has been a great friend in providing me with biography and sourcing challenges that keep my mind off the pain. I still move between the Buckinghamshire Baldwins and whichever profiles in Massachusetts or Maine need a bit (or more) of TLC. These profiles usually end up becoming families. Why should it not surprise me that one profile with only a name, birth/death date (hopefully), location (hopefully) and nothing else? Seeking this information, or any relevant information keeps my mind off my body. Our Buckinghamshire Team got a compliment in the form of an email to me from one of our England Team members mentioning how reductions in the number of errors speak to the fine work the Bucks team is doing. That was a mood lifter.
Pip, as always, thank you for leading the Weekend Chat. I will be celebrating my 79th birthday on April 10th and only wish you could be here in Tucson so you, Mike and I could go to that Mexican restaurant after the de Grazia tour (when I got lost). Do you recall the name of that restaurant? I also want to wish all my WikiTree friends and family a great FIRST weekend of April 2024!
