The Return of PAIN!

Tuesday was a cloudy day. Unfortunately, we got no rain. The clouds lasted all day. There’s a chance of a shower today, but that seems unlikely as we are moving ahead to endless sunshine again.

I spent the morning finishing the cleaning of the studio floor. I’m almost done with the studio now. I just have a lot of stuff to burn once the fire ban is lifted. Plus, of course, I watered gardens and then I had lunch before Bronwyn arrived for consultation on my gardens and her doing some work for me.

I like her and I trust her. With her help, I will make my gardens gorgeous. I’m really excited about the wisdom she will bring to my husbanding of my plant family. She’s going to bring 2 dump trucks full of compost in to blanket all my beds. I’m thrilled to have someone knowledgeable guiding me. It’s going to be pricey, but as friends travel, I am stuck at home and so investing in furthering the health of the gardens I planted thrills me. Money could not be better spent for me.

When she left, I got comfortable on the chaise and started another Commissario Guido Brunetti novel. But soon it was time to go to the clinic to see Jennifer. It was a follow-up appointment about my sciatica. At one point I said that I am nervous about falling and she replied, “Then where is your cane?” I’m going to use my cane until I have no further tinglies or numbness.

On the way home, I picked up my post. And hurray! The Convenant of Water arrived. It’s by Abraham Verghese. He wrote Cutting for Stone, one of my favourite novels of all time, so I’m really excited about reading this new book that’s 720 pages!!! Yum! I’ll read it this Winter, after I finish the Brunetti series.

I have a tendency to obsession. That’s why my dresses were so pleasing to make—making thousands of feathers, gluing thousands of marbles, sewing thousands of plastic pearls. And why I kept my food at meals separately and ate one at a time. And it’s why I only read one book at a time. And a series all the way through.

I have a new project in mind. My chaise, where I love to sit, is right up against the huge front window. Where I sit, I cannot see the house across the street or it’s gate. What I do see are the trees and, centrally, is a yellow, dry, field of dead weeds. I gave up on the lawns, so I’d like to build a circular patio with pavers and put a fountain on it. I shall ponder this for a while!

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Wednesday, I awoke in pain. The day began with a dog walk with my friends, for which I desperately needed my cane. The sciatica is back and bad again.

When I got home, I had to rest on the chaise, but I soon got antsy just sitting there. It felt a bit better to move around, even though it hurt, so I wrote to Gabriola Disposal and asked them to come by the house for a pick-up today, and then, with Dave’s help from next door, I moved all the crap from the destruction of my dresses, and from out behind the shed, to the driveway. It’s all ready for disposal today.

Then I had a spa to ease the pain, and while I was in there, I knew that sleeping last night would be a challenge. So, I searched out my collection of pain pills from long ago that I knew was somewhere in the house. And I found it! And in there, were a lot of Tylenol 3s from 1988. I put the container on my desk in case I needed it.

Then I got back on the chaise and read before going to the post office. I went there to pick up my new zero-gravity chair and then I returned Nancy’s chair to her. I’m very glad to have one of my own, especially since this pain is back. I really love getting into the chair in the sunshine. It is so wonderfully comfortable. I love it and I love the warmth of the sun on my skin.

And then I lit a fire. It was cloudy and cool in the house. I was so hobbled and sad about the pain all day; I wanted some comfort. I had dinner and went to bed early, but I could not sleep. The pain was horrid. I tossed and turned for 2 hours and then I decided to risk the 1988 medication. It worked like magic. I soon felt weary, and the pain felt softer and the next thing I knew it was morning. And miracle of miracles: I’m feeling much less pain today.

Today will be gentle so I further my recovery. My plan is to do some cleaning of the floors and the fridge and just putter around the yard. I’m going to be very careful of what I do now that I know how easily the pain can come roaring back.