Nothing of Note

Just exactly as the title suggests, nothing good or bad is happening around these here parts. In a way that's good, but in other ways, disappointing. I have had some relief in both the sciatica and knee departments, so that is the good news. However, my increased exercise and mindful eating have not yielded quite the success I'd hoped for. I had some "flu" bug or another on Saturday evening thru Sunday, so I did lose weight thanks to that. Of course, when I re-hydrated, my wonderful loss was suddenly not quite as wonderful. However, I did lose 5.6#, and believe me, I'm perfectly ok with that.

I find that each day my energy increases, and my sciatic nerve pain lessens a bit. I still go to the chiro regularly, but I'm stretching the time between appointments each week. Even better, I've been able to play golf....adding to my exercise this week. Once again, I'm beginning to be satisfied with baby steps at this time.

My next cortisone shot is coming up in a week or two, so I'm hoping that some relief will be forthcoming. Easier walking should, theoretically, lead to lessening of the pressure on my sciatic nerve. At least that is what both the chiro and the orthopod tell me. Since at the time of my last shot, the sciatica was minimal, I'm awaiting that relief in that department.

I do have to confess a funny mistake I made last Saturday. It was football Saturday, and we were going to the game. In order to be ready for the long walk, I put on my knee brace early. Laced it up, buckled it, and off we go. About an hour away from the stadium, I realize I have put the brace on the wrong knee!! This required a trip to the restroom in our parking lot, and a bit of maneuvering to get it on the right knee....literally the right knee. Felt a bit silly, but everyone enjoyed a good laugh. I may have to use a magic marker now to make sure I'm hitching up the right side.

I Love My Postal Worker!

Well, not in the literal sense, but figuratively, anyway. Yesterday, my new blogger friend, Spunky Suzi sent me a package of delicious bars....my favorite postal worker delivered them! I simply could not resist trying just one right then and there. I chose a coconut and mango (she had me at MANGO) bar. It was lovely, even tho' I am not a huge coconut fan, I enjoyed this bar. After looking at my goody package, it occurred to me that I had won a give away a while back. This little goody bag arrived just at the right time!! I am feeling a bit better, and have begun exercising more, so a mid-day snack that is healthy will be a wonderful treat. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Suzi. I'm really anxious to try the Macadamia Nut Butter. That sounds delicious.

We have begun the tailgating season around these here parts. I am still trying to include a healthy alternative to some of the usual tailgate culprits. If I don't mention that a certain dish is healthy, it goes just as fast as the ribs, brisket and cheese corn bake. This week's switcheroo is a healthy mac 'n cheese. It came from a Taste of Home Healthy Eating cookbook, and is quite delicious. Made with healthy pasta (which coincidentally comes in the shape of the letter "N" for Nebraska) no one will know it's a lower fat, lower calorie version of the usual fat laden dish. I am also including a smoked turkey breast as well. I think I'm all set. I made a few changes last year, and they went over well, so I'm expanding this year. I've heard that many of our tailgate participants are trying to improve their eating habits, so I feel it my duty to assist them in this endeavor.....all the while really making it work for me!!

Knock, Knock...

That is the sound of my knuckles meeting the desktop. Not that I'm overly superstitious, but just in case, I'm taking no chances. After 4 days of being miserable, and still trying to do the new stretches my chiro gave me, I had shown no relief in the sciatica. Then this morning, after a fairly miserable night, I awoke to the least amount of pain I've had is weeks and weeks!!! Instead of having to sit down on an ice bag for 45 min. to an hour before I could get anything done, I was ready to go in only 15 min.!!!! Hip, Hip, Hurray! I got right after the stretches, and began to graduate to a few leg lifts, and sit ups. Weights came later, but I did get a few done. No outdoor walk today, it's raining again. Baby steps.

I hesitate to get too excited and overdo, but I am feeling heartened by the little progress I'm currently enjoying. Now, I'm going to have to get my cooking and eating under control. I've felt so lousy lately, that I've not been good about food preparation, at all. Whatever I can throw together is what we end up with. Not good at all. In all honesty, there have been a few too many trips to a fast food joints, too. If this pain relief is the real deal, I'm anxious to get back and get crackin' on my new plan for more soups, and for using more grains and legumes.

Tomorrow is the last regular delivery for our CSA produce, but this year, I wised up and extended our share for the fall. I love the squash and fall veggies, so we decided to pony up and get the extended share. That will begin next week. Last week's box brought a little "Carnival" squash, and this week it should be ready to eat. I've been busy dehydrating chili peppers and making chili powder for soups this winter. I just finished a batch of tomatoes that I dehydrate and use as snack chips. I'm going thru all the right motions, I've just been terribly remiss in putting the right things into action.

I've also found, by stepping on the scales this morning, that I have not been maintaining my weight, as I thought I had. With little or no exercise, and a diet of junk and crap (sadly).... imagine my surprise when my scales showed a gain!!! Not as bad as it certainly could have been, but more than I'd like to have seen. I even modified my calorie intake to compensate for the lack of exercise, but then it just all went to hell, and off the wagon I tumbled. I'm reaching for the reins right now, trying to gain control of my wagon, so hopefully in the very near future, my results will be better. Here's hoping.

Day Three, I'm On a Roll!

Well, a mini-roll anyway. I do feel improvements, gradual as they may be, but at least I'm feeling perkier by the day. I'll take what I can get.

I went for a little longer walk today. Still not overdoing, but it felt good to at least get stretched out and get something done. I'm working my way up to the recumbent bike, as it requires hoisting my leg over the middle of the bike. We don't have one of the fancy ones with the completely cut out middle portion.

I'm also making it a point to begin thinking about re-vamping (for a 2nd time) our eating habits. With my exercise limited, I need to alter my portions and daily calorie allotments. I informed Hubby Dearest that we are going to be enjoying more grains and more soups this fall and winter. We (meaning I) are hoping that using soups, which are quite filling, will provide the proper fiber and calorie counts without breaking the dietary bank. There are only a few (canned) soups that HD even likes, and besides chili, this could be a real challenge. But, to his credit, he has taken all of my previous wild ideas in stride, and is extremely cooperative. All I need to do is leave out the mushrooms and I'm golden. :)

So, now armed with the umpteenth iteration of my "plan", I am hopeful that I'm back on the right track. All I need is for the knee and the back to hold out until Nov. 29 when I can then fully engage in all of the things that I've been planning to do. Not quite a bucket list, but kinda close.

Ho Hum!

Another day, another blog post. OMG!!! This makes two in a row! Alert the media, I'm back at it. Well, sorta. After yesterday's "Oh Woe Is Me" post I felt I owed it to myself (and to the one or two people who actually read my blog) to let you know that I am seeing some improvement. My walk yesterday was, in fact, longer than the day before, so that's progress. I still have great difficulty getting on the recumbent bike, but that day will come soon, I am sure. For now, a few weights and a walk or two is about all I can muster.

I can't tell if the prednisone is really helping yet or not. I do know that it tastes bitter, and gives me terrible indigestion. Ahhhh, the price one must pay for results. The gigantic bruise on my butt is not subsiding, and sitting is still an issue. Perhaps I mentioned I had a deep tissue massage, with a sledge hammer, so I'm still mighty tender. Ice, Ice, Baby!! The good news is that I did, as usual, awaken at 3:00 this morning for my nightly trip to the potty, but instead of being in pain and having to go downstairs to medicate and sit on my ice bag, I was able to go back to bed with minimal pain, and get 3 hrs. more of the sleep I so desperately crave. That, my friends, is progress. I still have the morning pain, but it begins to subside about 11, so I am hopeful that each day, as the prednisone takes hold, my mobility will arrive earlier in the morning....day by day.

I am currently able to get some work done around the house, so that makes me feel a little bit more useful. Can't do some household tasks, but they are the ones that I hate to do when I'm completely well.....vacuuming being one of them. Luckily, Hubby Dearest has sprung for a cleaning lady, but she is only able to come every 4 weeks until Nov. But believe me, that is better than nothing. So, I am trying to maintain bathrooms and dust now and again. Not too much bending over at one time, and I can "Get 'er done!"

Lest I bore you all further, I shall now go back upstairs to my comfy chair and lovely ice bag. Getting a lot of reading done as I sit all day. Boring, but at least I don't have to twiddle my thumbs all day long.

Shame, shame, shame

ON ME!!! I have not only been remiss in my blogging, I have been remiss in almost every other area of my life, as well.

This is the point where I now begin the litany of maladies that have prevented me from doing what it is I know I must do. So as not to disappoint, I shall begin by saying that my sciatica has come back with a vengeance. It has prevented me from sleeping, doing stairs, driving long distances, and sitting comfortably. I have not come downstairs to blog or to ride the recumbent, or to do any exercises at all. As one might suspect, the lack of activity has taken a toll on my previous successes. I am about as out of shape and "blubbery" as I have ever been. It's more than slightly depressing. I'm trying to work myself back into some sort of groove, but when I awake at 3:30 every morning in pain, I'm not exactly motivated to get exercising. I know, Excuse #1. When the pain finally subsides, I drive the 7 blocks to the chiropractor, where he uses his elbow to go deep into the tissue to loosen up the "knots". I'm black and blue for days, and it hurts to sit on the bike seat. Excuse #2. There are days I cannot stand to do the stairs. I can get downstairs from the bedroom, but doing another flight just isn't in the cards. Excuse #3. I could go on and on, but instead I bit the bullet and actually went to my regular Doctor.

After making me push and pull various muscles, he came to the conclusion that I do, indeed, have sciatic nerve problems, caused by my bad knee. (Which, due to the sciatica, I'd almost forgotten about.) He's given me prednisone (sp?) for the time being. I only have to get to Nov. 29 when I have my knee replacement, so this is a 6 day pack, with 6 days of residual effect. That will hopefully give me some much needed relief. I just want to sleep more than 3 1/2 hrs. per night. I think the worst part of all of this is my pathetic lack of golf this summer. It has always been the one key component to my exercise regimen. That, may very well be the cause of my blue mood. I've only had one day on the prednisone, so we'll see if relief is on the way. Fingers crossed.

I did try to take a short walk yesterday, but turned back after less than 1/2 block. I thought the stretching would be helpful....I was incorrect. Back to the ice pack again. I'm going to try again this afternoon, so we'll see how far I can get. I'm going with the any progress is good. Even if I only go 3/4 of a block today, it will be an improvement.

I probably should have titled this post "Oh Poor Me!", but I think I've used that before. :)