Life can be a Pain

Hi @Shaz51@outlander@Former-Member

I have a busy day on Wednesday this week - brunch with my daughter in the morning - domestic help then Companion Cat is going to the vet for her annual check and shots plus weigh-in anc claw clipping

She is left-handed - yes - I know I don't have enough to think about - and therefore the claws on her left front claw are sharp and scratch me from time to time - when her majesty is displeased - and the claws on her right paw are still okay - but that left paw - dangerous territory

And I have a referral to a physiotherapist with a medicare plan - he can't get the cartilage back for me but he can suggest the best thing to do while I still get by without surgery.

I am still being told the most remarkable things about knee replacement surgery and they have one thing in common - someone thought it was the best thing they ever had but then - whatever - it took longer to get better than they thought - some gave up and said it turned out to be the worst

These opinions are from people I know who see the crutches and ask questions - I accept what they say and continue what I am doing - but yes - it can hurt and my knee feels unstable - and I am glad I have my alarm system if I do fall at home - not something I am planning - if I thought that really was the case it would be different - maybe the physio can suggest the best brace for my knee - there are some that can be worn over my trousers - good idea that

But a good thing is that cars stop and let me go over the road with their waving me - aw - this has to be the easiest part - often people don't care about any one on a pedestrian crossing - you know what they say about older people and pedestrian crossings - anyway - enough of that

I got some stuff to clean my carpet but no way can I do this - the guy doing the cleaning chemicals at the supermarket reccomended this one but I will have to get someone else to do it - my case-worker was not happy about this idea last week suggesting that my regular carers could clean the coffee stain - but no - not with the fumes and the fussing and the vacuum etc -

I lose hours with my domestic help often - I shall have to start keeping a record of the hours I am short - this whole domestic help thing is trouble trouble trouble and mostly I am just glad that someone comes to do it -

I am annoyed with myself for spilling my coffee - and I can't get down there myself and be sure I can get up - please let us not make the situation worse

Enough whinging - I have other things to do and to write about

All the best my friends - I hope the day gets better for everyone

Dec

Tuesday and no notifiations - that's okay - it's just life getting in the way

I got so busy yesterday afternoon - maybe it helps spending a couple of hours with my breakfast sitting in the chair with my laptop and sending and receiving messages because when I get around to doing things I have less back pain

Anything to make life easier

I am seeing a physiotherpist this afternoon - the idea is to save what cartilage I have left - let's do whatever to stop needing surgery

And - if anyone is looking - I have left a couple of ideas under "Notifications" in the forum pages for anyone to find it easier to find what other people are doing

All the best everyone

Dec

@Owlunar Hi Dec good luck with the physiotherapist this afternoon ... is it arthritis? I agree avoid surgery as much as possible.

Thanks for the heads up with the notifications xx

@Shaz51@outlander@Former-Member@Decadian Hope everyone is doing well today xx

Hi @Bunniekins

I see you are able to find people today - that's great

I have lost a lot of cartilage in my right knee and need a half-knee-replacement at some time in the future - so I am seeing my physiotherapist on how to save the rest and maybe find what kind of knee-brace I would be useful - no good just getting one - it has to be the right kind for damaged cartilage

But this won't grow new cartilage alas - but let's keep going the best we can without surgery

I was done in last night though - aw - what? I fell asleep watching TV - about 8.30 pm and got up and went to bed around midnight and didn't wake up until just before 10.00am - ah no - I had better plans than that

I'm having brunch with my daughter tomorrow - I haven't seen her for a few weeks - we go to a coffee shop near where I live and this is frequented by lots of school kids during school holidays - so noisy it's really hard to hear each other but if tomorrow is like today it will be really great to sit outside

Great to find you here

Dec

Hi @Bunniekins

Thanks for the thoughts - always welcome and always enjoyed - also I am Decadian - I had a bit of trouble earlier in the year and had to get a new ID and the old one still works except for whatever reason I can't get it to let me into the forum - so Dec it is

And @Shaz51@outlander@Former-Member

I saw the physiotherapist yesterday - d'uh bleak thoughts - the knee will need replacing - but I am not going to go for that yet - I have to stop walking on concrete - walk less - ah what - haven't they heard my old GP who retired nearly three years ago telling me to walk, walk, walk for the sake of my spine

Sometimes ya can't win

I rang Life Line last night - most of the time I get really good help from them - last night - not so - I was brushed off - okay - I get it - people can feel really badly when someone does that - just tells them how great it will be when and finishes the call - darn -

They were busy last night and I went to bed and had a broken night but why not? I feel pushed into a bad place but I can do the exercises the physio has reccomended - I will do anything to avoid an operation - walking in the house with straight legs - why not - though I have been told to sit down more

Ever get the feeling that no matter what you are doing someone is going to tell you differently - after a good serve of that I listened to the exercises and told him I would do that and I will buy a bike rather than walk on the concrete - but how darn miserable I have been feeling

It's okay to feel miserable - and the nausea I have been feeling - that's the bone on bone in my knee - no wonder I haven't been eating much - I could rattle on but that's enough for now

I might start again later - I will beat this thing - I will

Anyway - I spoke to my daughter last night - we were going to have brunch today but she is waiting for servicemen today - and I told her about my knee and not having an operation and buying a bike - I will have to look up some bikes on the internet - there is one locally - and she can drive me there tomorrow and I can move away from the main street with the bike and ride it on my way home - I am sure we never forget how to ride a bike

I don't have room here for an exercise bike and somehow all that work without a change of scenery - hang on - I have said enough

It's mild and cloudy here atm - they have forecast rain - I am glad I did my washing yesterday

So that's my story so far - I can remember a day when things were cold and dull and dreary back in 2004 when a friend of mine suggested I get onto the internet - so I had a free month on dial-up - remember dial-up and so I stared at it and thought - "Now I have got it what do I do with it" - another friend showed me how go find a group and hey - the world of the World Wide Web opened up for me - I have had some wonderful adventures since then - so

Dec -- eearch

@Owlunar

Thanks @Shaz51

I took Companion Cat to the vet today - carrying that cage with the cat in it is not easy for my back and now my knee - aw - it's bad today - I did my exercises this morning and I have given them up for today -

Sometimes I feel my knee with lock permanently - luckily I have an alarm system -

I rang the guy at the bike shop and told him what kind of bike I would like - I can go and look and if they haven't got one I feel safe on they can get it in - I had a machine with small wheels with broad tyres that was very stable on the road - I would like one like that

My first bike was my 11th birthday present - as soon as I started riding it I realised it was my mother's bike all painted and made new - I never told my parents I knew what they had done - same thing happened a year later when my brother had his birthday and got Dad's bike

But I got a new bike years ago and it was a machine with small wheels and broad tyres and I could fold in and put it into the boot of my car and I would do this and drive all over Melbourne then take it for a ride wherever - Melbourne has lots of beaches and the Yarra is a great river - I would sometimes ride along that

Riding a bike would be easier than walking and I could go further

So tomorrow I go and see what there is

Thanks Shaz

Dec

Hi @Shaz51@Bunniekins@outlander@Former-Member

I have been out having brunch with my daughter - that was really cool - since she has become a musician we have a lot to talk about - she's been doing this for 2 -3 years now and getting good

I never thought she would learn an instrument

So we talked about bikes, exercise bikes, walking, whatever I have been told by my GP who knows me and the physiotherapist who doesn't - and this was good - really good - I find that I am perfectly okay living alone but when I share ideas with my daughter I am getting good feedback about things

So she drove me to the bike shop and we talked to the man there and he suggested a bike and I was allowed to try it - ah - no - I found it hard to get on and worse to get off - and I am someone who has looked after their body all my life and this was a blast I could have done without

Aw - this is really painful

So - I might have this trouble with an exercise bike also - but my daughter has great ideas - I can go up to the local pool where they have a gym and ask if I can try sitting on one of their bikes - and yes - where do I put this if I get one

So we talked - and I need a stand for my piano keyboard because the dining room table takes up too much space in my other front room and let's get rid of that - her husband has a ute to get it to an op-shop - nothing wrong with the table - and I took three boxes of stuff out to the hard rubbish collection and no sooner had I done than they were picking it up

So a lot of stuff has gone - good start

I feel tired and I ache everywhere - taking Companion Cat to the vet yesterday meant lifting the cat cage and my stars - why did I get such a big one? I remember - my choices the day I got the cage were a big blue one and a big pink one and I am not getting another cage - not yet - not way

I'm getting old - I'm getting past it - I don't want to give up and won't but aw...........there are days when my body really aches - so much arthritis

Ancient Dec

Hello @Owlunar xoxo

carrying that cage with the cat in it is not easy for my back and now my knee -- oh dear that would of being so painful my friend

having brunch with your daughter sounds lovely

but my daughter has great ideas - that is a great idea about the exercise bike xx and have you thought water treapy might be helpful too

hugs @Owlunar dont ever give up

jsut rest