Gardens

@Dimity

No reply to my request to change plants in front garden.

by end of this month I’m hoping to have moved chrysanthemums to pots on back fence and neighbours to take Daisy plants.

that will leave Coastal Rosemary plus 4 Kalanchoe out the front

eventually I will need to have different companies come to my house and give quotes on items (if items able to be done) then submit paperwork and wait to hear if approved.

outcome of my getting to see new psych is Zero as no one taking new patients and local gp feels Telehealth not viable.

That's frustrating @Former-Member re wait on approval for garden. But worse re trouble finding a psychiatrist. Did your gp say why telehealth wasn't a viable option? It's worked for me since the Covid lockdowns. My recent stay in hospital was the first time I'd seen my psychiatrist face to face in years.

I've just come in from a walk. I'd better water the potplants.

I'll have a busy week next week, a lot of appointments, which makes me nervous.

I really think you should ask your gp again about telehealth. Being on the right meds could help a lot, both with your c-ptsd symptoms and also being more stable could greatly help the therapy with your psychologist.

I've been seeing a new gp as my usual gp has been so busy. The new one wants me to check in with her again and see my social worker as soon as possible but I've been holding back. I know I'll be confronting family issues when I do. And I haven't been up to walking to/from the busstops.

Reading newsletter last night I read that forms for specific things are no longer to be sent via email. They must be placed into mail box for the office.

after couple of medical tests this morning I put my paperwork into that mailbox. @Dimity based on there already being lots of things in that mail box it’s definitely a waiting game.

They don't make it easy do they @Former-Member ? Good luck, I hope you don't have to wait too long for an answer.

I'm replacing my back and front doorknobs. Hoping to have it done this week sometime.

@Jynx @Dimity scan I had late last year showed OA in my spine has gotten lot worse during last 2 years. Scan results included severe OA in multiple discs in lower spine. During last couple weeks I’ve gone from some discomfort with certain movements to extreme pain with same movements. All OTC meds for pain do nothing.

Friday morning was croquet in which the other team did better than my team. Following game I sat and scored for, also helped ease back pain. Monday I went to photography group hoping to learn if any of the digital cameras that were my husbands still work. Great time out until came time to work, correction shuffle, home. Yesterday spent lovely approx 1hr in my back yard dealing with weeds, cutting back and digging up 3 creepers. Thoroughly enjoyed it, downside was spent couple hrs in pain.

generally feeling down and miserable. Been in tears today and feeling scared. 50yrs ago I did damage to discs in my neck area and was banned from doing heaps of things due to concern of damage.

Got talking with small group of different neighbours this morning, have been encouraged to go to pain management group at a private hospital for pain block in my spine.

@Former-Member 🫂🫂🫂

OA in my family, and me I got the ol' sisyphian back pain slog myself. Solidarity my friend. I am sorry to hear that things are progressing that way for you, scary is the word for it!! Definitely a latent fear of mine so I can only begin to imagine how much this is for you to process. But the more we feel our big feelings the better it is for us, and that in turn will also help the pain.

Did the cameras come out as working? And you've reminded me I need to do my own gardening 😵 I have to do it tomorrow, yaaay will be sore Monday. But the enjoyment of movement is definitely worth it, I think. Maybe if I do a bit of dancing after it will help loosen up anything that gets too stiff... 🤔

I definitely think I need physio, is that something you've got atm? The pain management group sounds like a great idea! A pain shared is a pain halved and all that jazz 😉 Let us know how it goes if you end up going!

Hope your weekend has been calmer for you 🤞💜

Hello @Former-Member @Jynx

Sorry to hear about your back but glad you could get some enjoyment from croquet photography and gardening. Have you taken out the jasmines?

My back and sciatica are giving me twinges but they're better than after I came home from hospital. I'm trying to keep moving and take pharmacy meds when needed. I'll soon be allowed to do core strengthening exercises that might help but I'll still be limited re weights etc and digging.

I hope the cameras work - photography would be a great interest. I had a 35mm SLR in the days of film.

@Dimity yeah only up to like the lightest possible weights so far, was just doing body-weight training prior. It's hard to go so slow but in the past I have hurt myself, and it has made me not wanna do it anymore. Super slow the way to go!!

I see a sports physio @Jynx and have a set of muscle strengthening exercises I do at home which has helped with impact of OA in one knee. Years ago I used to have my back stretched out which helped, place I had that done at no longer exists.

Im still working through the cameras, need some help from one in our photography group with 2 cameras. One camera I now know is average quality. One camera appears to have lots of potential, waiting on battery and battery charger to be delivered.

yesterday I started moving plants out of front garden bed. 3 chrysanthemum plants were moved into couple large pots out the back. Last night and this morning given entire garden bed good soak as soil is dry and compacted. Next step will be trimming Coastal Rosemary.

overnight temperature in single digit, moving the plants plus taking 6.2kg cat to vet yesterday ….. my back is far from comfortable. Reverse side, thoroughly enjoyed being out side gardening

@Dimity

Jasmines all were dug up and removed from trellis last week. Took about 1hour to deal with the 3 plants. Next step is gradually getting rid of them amongst my rubbish.

went to Bunnings on Friday after physio and purchase the new plants for out the front. Yesterday dug up from out the front and potted into couple large pots out the back my 3 chrysanthemum plants.

my husband was not good at keeping things together. Couple people at photography group advised first step with the cameras is to charge the batteries. Had to search online for information about the cameras. One camera just uses AA batteries and has quite limited capabilities. Two cameras I need to ask one specific person in our photography group about. Last camera appears to have good possibilities. Waiting on new battery and battery charger, that I had to buy, to arrive.

with my OA I take OTC pain meds daily. I also have anti inflammatory meds which are on script. Both do almost nothing. I find heat pack at times helps. Hardly a day goes by now when I’m not in some degree of pain. Sudden drop in temperature isn’t good, single digit last night resulted in me waking in pain early hours this morning. Thank goodness for cellular knit blankets and polar fleece blankets