Tag Archives: rest

Short Break

8 Replies

I’m afraid I’m going to have to have a short break from WP. Even typing a small amount is a bit of a strain at the moment, with my hands being less than 100%. I’m also a little concerned that part of the problem is RSI from poor posture when I type at home and at work, as I’m alos getting pains running up my forearms. This has happened before and I should have been taking better care of myself.  I’ve tried various combinations of rest and heat and painkillers and the pills and rest seems to be the best option.

I’m not ignoring you, and I’m not having a serious problem, it’s just that if rest provides the best hope I am going to have to rest.

If I don’t start to improve by the weekend I will ring the specialist and see if they can come up with anything.

Blossom at Wilford

In the meantime I will save my typing efforts to send off this month’s submissions, which haven’t gone yet. They are ready (near enough, anyway) but it’s a matter of concentration as the arthritis is taking too much of my thinking time.

With one thing and another, it’s time to get a grasp of my health. There is no point being retired if all I’m going to do is fester in front of the TV. I’m not going to make any sudden changes (my paternal grandfather, for instance, stopped smoking at 85 and died at 86, which has always struck me as ironic) but a little less food and a little more exercise, even a touch of fish and a suspicion of salad, might be called for here.

Like my pension arrangements, I really should have done something about this 50 years ago. Hindsight – a precise science.

However, for now I will confine myself to resting my arms and seeing how that goes. I am intending to confine my exercise tomorrow to lifting cups of tea and take it from there . . .

Daffodils

A Month of Illness

15 Replies

It very quickly became apparent that Plan A (the active one involving doing lots of stuff) was not going to happen. It’s too cold and my back feels stiff.

Plan B (the one that involves salmon for tea and some moderate tidying) looks like the one to aim for.

I have others, going right down to Plan F – watch TV, think of a good excuse for when Julia comes home. Even I wouldn’t sink that low after she’s been working all day and I’ve been at home. Not until next week after the novelty of Mondays off has sunk in.

Yesterday was a notable day. My bowels returned to proper function. They have not distinguished themselves during my recent illness and I have been concerned. However, it’s not necessarily a subject for in depth conversation so I will leave it there.

It was also the first night when I have felt comfortable sleeping on my back. I had a much better sleep than usual, slept in too long and, as a consequence have the stiff back I already mentioned. It was good to get back to normal.

The first cough I recall was on the tram as I travelled to my knee X-Ray appointment. That was 14th December or thereabouts. It’s 15th January today, so that’s a full month from one end to the other of the illness.  It’s been a long time, but having lost weight nd had some decent rest I have to admit I feel better than I did a month ago when I thought I was well. Strange how you need to become ill to get better.

Looks like a bishop in a cage – Crowland Abbey

A Quiet Day

14 Replies

I went to Hospital this morning, back to the Treatment Centre. It went better than the last visit, as I was given treatment and was allowed to keep my trousers on.

The treatment consisted of injecting steroids into my troublesome knuckle. I wish I hadn’t bothered reading the article myself, as I hadn’t realised all the potential problems. I naively thought that the worst thing about the injection was that someone had to ram a needle into the space between two finger bones.

It seems that I was wrong. There is a list of possible side effects, including infection, bleeding and the risk of tendon rupture. It is for that last reason I was advised not to perform strenuous activity for the rest of the day. I’m not clear what strenuous activity I might have to carry out with my little finger, but I avoided it anyway and drank my tea without crooking my little finger.

I will try to remember to take a picture of my heavily bandaged finger later. If there is ever a competition for the most out of proportion dressing I may be in with a chance.

That’s really all I’ve done today. Get ready for the hospital, go to hospital, avoid strenuous effort.

I’ve had worse days.