Wondering where I’ve been?
Well, I am out of commission. Somehow I have (re)injured my knee and I can’t stand for very long to do much of anything (cooking/cleaning) because it swells up so bad inside that I can feel it out the back of my knee and up my thigh. I also can’t sit for too long to rest it because then it freezes up and I am positively crippled upon standing again!
I am currently living on 100mg Celebrex and hobbling about on Bob’s walking stick. The tree is still up, the chores are piling up, and I am fed up! 😦 I am calling the Dr as soon as I press the publish button.
On a humorous note: We went to see the newest Peter Jackson Hobbit extravaganza and I was worried they wouldn’t let me in with my rather large walking stick. Bob laughed and quipped:
They will just think you are in character. What you need is a wizards cap and cape!
He was right, no one really noticed me and my “weapon”. 😉
On other topics, so far 2014 is coming in on frigid winds and ice-cold temperatures. It is 10:30 in the morning and our current temperature is 21 degrees. Over the next few days we will continue to get below freezing temperatures and the temperatures will stay well below freezing even for the highs.
The worst of it will be Monday with a high of 20 degrees and a low of 5 deg, and Tuesday is not much better with 23 H and a 12 L. You know this California expat is still not used to this kind of winter weather!
I have express ordered a heated water bowl for the Mountain Farmlet. I would have just picked one up at the local pet store or the Co-op… but this is the Deep South and they don’t really stock them here.
How are you surviving the cold where you are?
Life on the Farmlet 
I am in n. West Ga. And it’s going down to 10 one night next week
Time for our wooly socks and extra blankets, eh Barbara? Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
It is way to cold here right now, isn’t it? We added a heat lamp to the coop last night, and the water was still frozen this morning. 😦
Anke, we have a heated base for our water to sit on, it too was frozen this morning, and next week will be even colder! I have never seen the chicken’s water freeze even with the heater… This is just way too cold!
oh amiga! i am so so sorry; you’re surely missing a more holistic climate while you’re recovering. it’s bad enough to have cabin fever; it must be really frustrating to be hobbling around as you see things that you’d like to do but know that you should not!
how do i cope with cold weather? ha! jimmy buffet was spot on with his changes in latitude song! i no longer have ‘cough variant asthma’ – always triggered in november with the first true cold weather, and it hung with me until march or april when temperatures thawed!
i’m perched in a river-view seat w and am barefooted with short sleeves.. windows open, breeze blowing, and it’s a tiny tiny bit too cool for my comfort but wow, pretty close to perfect.
i wrote my family this mormning when i saw the predictions for a low of 13 on sunday. brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.. i am very glad to be here!
shall i send the magic carpet and retrieve you until you’ve healed? you can toss popcorn to the pelicans!
z
I never imagined I would get used to the cold enough for 35 to actually feel warmer. These temperatures are simply beyond my endurance!
Watching the skies for that magic carpet, Lisa!
shall i pick you up at the bewitching hour?
seriously, when the new internet is installed – two weeks from now perhaps, i’d like to have another magic carpet ride to celebrate. maybe we should start planning now!
z
If you mean what I think you mean, then I hope it is in summer and we are already moved. If not, I will still be delighted for that MCR, because anytime you are involved it is magical! 😀
I hope you feel better soon! My view is covered in a beautiful white fresh snow fall!
Thank you, Diane. I love your new avatar! Well, at least you have snow to show for all your cold temperatures! 🙂
I’m so sorry to hear that you’re having problems. I certainly hope you start feeling better very soon. It’s so frustrating, especially with Christmas decorations, to be out of commission and not able to get things back to normal.
Lillian
Well, at least is was Christmas light with the decorating, Lillian. The stuff outside was limited to a wreath on the door, and a pretty framed metal work that says “NOEL” that I had hung next to the door. I got those in this morning. Bob is going to help me with the tree later this afternoon.
HA! Thank you, Lillian, but around here with so many irons on the fire there is no longer any such thing as normal! Perhaps a controlled chaos? 😉
Aw, how vexing for you 😦
I hope 2014 started on the lowest note and keeps getting better for you from hereon!
This began at the end of last year, so there is no other way but better in 2014, I think! Thank you!
Well, Lynda, you started the new year off with a bang! And so did the weather. It really should not be this cold in N. Alabama! That’s supposed to be deep South. I grew up in NC where we had some snow and cold, but it was rare to get really bad weather. I live in South Texas now. If we get near freezing here, everybody panics. Forty degrees is freezing now! I hope your knee feels better very soon. What an annoyance besides the pain!
George, I certainly did! As for the weather, well apparently it is to get worse before it gets better. Right now I am just thankful that our 100% chances of rain for the afternoon/evening are not going to coincide with tomorrows 15 deg. high and overnight low of 4 deg!!! Yup, that is really cold!
I have to laugh when I think about how we panicked in California when it dropped to just freezing, Or how we all bundled up like arctic explorers and cried about how cold it was at 50 deg. Now in winter we remark about how warm it is at 35 to 40 deg in winter. 😉
Celebrex is a lifesaver, isn’t it? I assume you’re doing the whole RICE drill? I hope it gets better really soon, for the sake of your sanity if nothing else! Let the chores, the tree and the rest of it go, just take it slowly and let it mend. I can hear the frustration coming through… Stay warm, stay safe.
Kate, yes it is! I try to take it ONLY when it is unbearable because of the cost and because I don’t want to injure my stomach. What is the RICE drill?
LOL, tree is down, but the ornaments are on the coffee table for the moment… I blew it yesterday with too much activity, but your point is well taken, and the resultant pain is certainly a reminder that I have to behave! 😯
Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. My knee has just come out in sympathy with yours – as well as arthritis, I have loose ligaments everywhere and the damn kneecap is now wandering, which means the knee clunks and hurts like billy-o. I’m paying the price for my double-jointed youth. I HATE getting old(er)!
AH! I had never heard of that before. Thanks, Kate! I am fast becoming not a fan of getting older my own self! It is highly overrated.
N.B. I neglected to mention this before (did you find the earlier comment about RICE, btw?) and it may sound ridiculously obvious but, when elevating, be sure that the joint is fully supported with a pillow, towel or blanket roll behind(under) the knee; with cold compress/ice pack (wrapped in a triangular bandage/tea towel) for 20 minutes every other hour.
Stay warm! HUGS, D.
I found out about the roll behind the knee simply because it felt better (I had tried A LOT of things!!!) Thanks for your help, Deb!
Hey, no problem! I did send a little blurb about RICE and a Wikipedia link when you first wrote about your knee. Did you happen to find it? (Or maybe it went to the Great Unposted Comment File in the sky, LOL!
Old Ski Patrollers never die… They just keep going downhill; )
You know, I went back and searched and it simply is not there. I have had that happen to me when I get in a hurry and forget to actually ‘post’ the comment. It is frustrating when it was a long and involved comment. Sorry it didn’t make it through, Deb, but I appreciate your effort!
Psst! Refer back to Comments on your initial post about the knee injury for info on RICE; )
Pain is a warning: unfortunately pain killers dull sit down so we can overdo… (But, of course, you already knew that; )
Arnica?
Thanks, Deb. I do understand about the pain meds. But at the moment I can’t even get to the bathroom without them and the walking stick! Dr was out on vacation for the holidays, so now I am trying to call her again tomorrow first thing. Hopefully, the roads won’t be too iced over on the day of my appointment. If they are, I won’t be able to get in to Huntsville to see her! 😐
Oh, please look after yourself; perhaps an osteopath or good chiropractor might be able to help get your various bits back into the correct alignment?
And this is how I’m coping; this rock slide happened less than 10 minutes walk away from my house…http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/update/2014-01-03/video-cliff-collapses-in-sussex/
My new Dr is an OD! I have seen her before, a few years back, and really like her.
You know, I have seen rocks like that come down in California. Totally FRIGHTENING, and because of the high population there was usually death and mayhem involved. Glad no one was hurt or worse, killed! Surely it felt like an earthquake at your place when it happened?
Sorry to hear about your knee Lynda but one way of looking at it could be there is nowhere to go but up from here 🙂 hope you are feeling better in the coming days.
Thank you, Joe. You are correct nowhere but up from here… so long as I behave myself that is. 😉
Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Thank you, Tom. You certainly know about bad knees and knee pain. Hopefully, my Dr. will be able to get me up and moving as yours has for you!
I rely on an excellent physio more than the doctors for looking after my mobility.
I agree, Tom! My old Dr, who is on the approved list for my Obama Care coverage, is a DO. When I used to see her in the past she always made sure I got in to see a specialist for a good assessment and then PT. I am trusting her to do the same for me now that I can see her again. So long as I am covered for it… We’ll see!
I hope you are covered. It seems fantastic to us over here that free medical care is not part of everyone’s life.
Thank you, Tom. Sadly, I think that most all of the folks who voted for the ACA thought that was what they were voting for. It is a mess over here for health care at the moment. We shall see how it all shakes out over time.
There was just such a vehement reaction to the whole idea; do you think that part of the problem might be deliberate sabotage on the part of those who do NOT want this to succeed?
Deb, most people who wanted it thought it was going to be government healthcare. They are now shocked at how little it will help them. For those who had no insurance in the first place it may help some, but for those who had decent coverage to begin with, well it is missing the mark by several hundred miles. Less coverage, higher copays, and astronomical deductibles. If all you can afford is the Bronze plan, and the deductible for the year is $12,000 dollars with three free visits a year, I have to ask: How is that helping???
Another flaw is that the plan was banking on the young adult to buy and pay into the plan so there would be a larger base of income from those who won’t use it as much as us Baby-boomers will be. This is not happening.
The sabotage began in the whitehouse because it was poorly thought out and implemented. It is my understanding that many are opting out in favor of just paying the fine because it is cheaper than paying for the insurance.
Good Lord, this sounds very complicated!! Surely this is not how it was originally intended, was it?
Deb, it is worse than you know, and yes, this is how it was intended. We were told we could keep our insurance and our Doctors. Our insurance was cancelled because the policy was no longer valid under the demands of the government. We can’t keep our Doctor, because he is not listed on the approved list for our new policy. I have to pay for insurance for things I simply don’t, and never will need like pregnancy coverage. I’m 60 and have no plumbing! Yeah, I need that coverage. It is very complicated, and if I understand it correctly, we are now receiving a subsidy to help us pay for our insurance, and the policy is being taxed which increases the premium. Essentially, giving us money with one hand and taking it back with the other.
Completely illogical… But I’d still like to see the plan as it was originally presented to Government (the House of Representatives? Sorry, not up on the terminology). I wasn’t really paying attention at the time; but I do recall a lot of “back & forth”, very antagonistic/vitriolic discussion between the two parties. Or was that The House and The Senate? Either way, I’m sure you get my drift…
In answer to my own question (hope this link works for you: )
http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/polar-vortex/
I do hope you find relief soon!!! Our Sun. & Mon. night temps are to be -30F!!!!! The highs are to be -16…..maybe! Ugh! It was easier to deal with such when I/we were much younger!!!!! Hugs to you…………….
You’ve just made me feel better about our predicted high of 17F and low of 4F for tomorrow! Though our wind chills will make it feel like where you are…
Yes, right about now I am missing the warmth of California, and my youth. Thank you for the hugs, I’ll be needing that kindness in the cold. 🙂
…..as we huddle together for warmth!!!!! LOL!
Exactly! 😀
🙂
We are cold here on the Eastern Shore, but not quite as cold as you all. Fighting the chills with salsa-nated baked chicken with sour cream, paired with a glass of red wine. I’ve had feet,leg, knee problems for a while – no fun. Get better soon!
Thank you D.J., and no, injured knees (feet and legs) are certainly not fun. I hope your Dr. is getting you back to good health.
We had “salsa-nated” leftover chicken in burritos for dinner last night. You just can’t go wrong with a chicken and salsa combo, although I do wish we had remembered the sour cream! That would have really rounded out the flavor. Oh well, there’s always next time! 😀
Sorry to hear you are having so much trouble with that knee, Lynda. Hope the Dr is able to diagnose the problem quickly and get you mobile again soon.
I was almost housebound last winter and on a walking stick with my old ankle problem, but the warmer weather helped.
Thank you, Vicki, and I do remember your ankle troubles. Glad you are better now. I am looking forward to warmer temps but for the moment we are being treated to a really deep freeze with a high of 15 degrees and a low of 4! That’s just too cold for this region!
Oh, my gosh! I’m so sorry. What an absolute bummer – not only because it’s been the holiday season, but also because you’re such an energetic sort, with so much to do. It must be driving you crazy. Get thee to the physician, girl, and make sure that you (a) get the right treatment, and (b) don’t do more damage.
As for the cold – I just came in from giving all the plants a good soaking. Well, except for the cactus, which I’ve learned should not be watered if a freeze is coming. Tomorrow night it may be time to drag out the freeze cloth – things are looking a little sad, but I just can’t bring everything into the house. I suppose if it gets too bad, I’ll have to. Sigh. On the other hand, there are several things that need repotting, so if I have a little die-back, that won’t be the worst thing in the world.
As for me – I’m really looking forward to next week. I just have to get back to work, so it’s going to be layers on layers. The high Monday is only going to be 44, with a low of – AACK! 29! It looks like some plants may come inside, after all.
Stay warm and get better!
Linda, still waiting for the Dr visit, and yesterday the weather warmed up and I got out in it… too late, I’m back to square one. Why is it we don’t listen to our own bodies when they are telling us we are hurting ourselves?
Cold? Tomorrow’s high will be 15 and the overnight low will be 4. Yes, you read that right, and Tuesday will not be much better. Thankfully, or at least if the weatherman is correct, the 100% chance of rain will not coincide with this massively COLD weather. Seems the cold is moving in behind the storm. But there will be black ice and burst pipes for many. Lots of it.
Lynda – I’m so sorry to hear about your knee problems. I got a new knee for Christmas to match my new steel heel earlier in the year. So here’s hoping for a happy and more mobile 2014 for both of us.
Curt, thank you. I knew you’d been injured but certainly didn’t know about your new bionic bits! I have a friend in California who had knee replacements. At 73, and after healing of course, she was hiking circles around me in the mountains! At this point, the pain has me wishing for my own bionic knee…
Oh no! Please let us know what the dr says.
Thank you, Julie, I will! (I overdid it yesterday) 😦
So sorry to hear that you are hobbling! I’m glad you got to see The Hobbit, though. I still need to drag Dave to it, or just go myself. I don’t think I’ll even comment about our weather, you know what it’s been like here; oh gee, I have to water the lawn again!
I did hear about your bit of recent freeze, Penny. My friend Pam was shocked to have to scrape ice of of her windshield a couple of weeks back. How did that affect the orange crops there? And yes, I do remember having to water the lawns in winter. 😉
As for the Hobbit, do read your LOTR appendices before you go. Otherwise you will think Peter Jackson has gone off the deep end with the story plot and action, LOL!
Cold, you say? How about -29*C (-15*F)? It’s felt like mid January weather here since the beginning of December and this month’s not looking any better… (Oh, and did I mention the >1″ of freezing rain just before Christmas?): *sigh* Hopefully Spring shows up on time…
SO sorry to hear about your recurring knee trouble! Are you doing your Arnica montana inside and out? (Witch Hazel compresses may help with the inflammation as well.) Good luck with the Doc, when you get there. Meantime, hoping your New Year starts looking up “tout suite”! BIG hugs, Deb
Thank you, Deb. For the next few nights we are just hoping our pipes don’t burst! We simply aren’t equipped in this region for weather like this.
I hope you get better very quickly!
Thank you! I probably will if I can behave myself…
I’m really sorry you are hurting, hope it’s better soon. We are under a winter storm watch with -20 wind chills. Hasn’t been that cold here in 20 years. I cannot wait for Spring and the pretty things it brings.
I’m with you! I’m waiting for the loveliness of Spring too!
Since we’ve already communicated about your knee (still … so sorry), I will comment that we are experiencing the same temps, and I had to chuckle about the heated bowl in the Deep South 🙂
And yes … we did notice you’d been MIA! Sending healing thoughts!
Thank you, Laurie… now if I only had common sense! I was feeling better and now I’m not. 😦 When will I learn? BTW, because the new bowl would not arrive on time to help, we ended up calling EVERYWHERE (!!!) to see if there was a chance of finding one in time. Get ready for it…
We found a place that had some and the store manager told us “they had put them away for the season.” 😯
When we arrived to purchase one they had wheeled their stock of them out on a cart to a prominent location at the front of the store! LOL!
Poor you!
I hope your knee is better very soon
Thank you, Janet! 🙂
Bummer about your knee – trying to work out the perfect balance of pain and movement is important. Hope you’re becoming zen on that front. Here’s to a great 2014, warmer temps and everything you want at the mountain farmlet 🙂
Annie, unfortunately, I haven’t got the Zen on that yet. And apparently, we have to get even colder before we are to get warmer. We have a high of 15 and a low of 4 in our immediate future! 😯
Yes! 2014 has got to be better than last year, although there were a few highs in it.
It must be unusual weather for your neck of the woods if they don;t even stock heated water bowls.. I HATE it when i can’t do everything I want to because of an injury.. I really hope that you start to feel better soon but knees do take a while.. at least it is so cold outside you have to huddle in at home anyway! I know..small consolation.. take care.. c
It is unusual, Celi, and it is only getting worse! A high of 15 degrees is unheard of for this California girl, and the windchill tomorrow will send us into the negative zone! I was feeling better and the weather had warmed to almost 50 yesterday… today I am back to square one.
Why do I do this to myself? 😦
Why, yes, I was wondering where you were. Sorry to hear your knee is bothering you. I’m staying in with this cough/cold, didn’t even feel like getting dressed today.
Thank you, and I’m sorry to hear you are under the weather, Patti. Tis the season, Eh?
Hope by now you are better and have visited the Dr. Hurt my calf a couple of weeks before and the bruise is now on the bottom of my foot. Weird that! Our temperature is to be 2′ tonight. Fortunately, it seems the wind blew enough to get the moisture away. I’m thinking that they will call off school restarting tomorrow since waiting for the bus in those temperatures would be brutal…. but you never know. Ice and heat to you and quick healing.
Thank you, Margaret! The Dr was on vacation, but she is back today. I will be calling her shortly!
2? 2!!! Good grief!
We have been updated to a temperature low of 7 instead of 4. Hoo-boy! We’re saved! (LOL!)
Re your pipes: if this ridiculous weather does get worse again, leave your (uppermost) taps(both h&c) on just a tiny trickle to keep the water moving and prevent freeze up. Bon chance! Apparently the Arctic air has shifted back on top of us and we’re heading down like a rocket again today (but it was +7*C and POURING rain last night):
This weather is crazy, we were told on the news last night that we were actually colder than NEW YORK! We will be in the 60s by Sunday. It’s gonna feel like a heat wave after this!
They’re calling it am Artic Vortex (whatever the heck that is…):
In answer to my own question (hope this link works for you: )
http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/polar-vortex/
Interesting! I had never heard about this.
I am sorry to hear about your calf injury. I have had the same weird experience with trailing/draining bruises. In the calf, same as you, and received in a car accident. If I recall, the Dr. told me that the blood follows the channels along the tendons. 😯
Hope your knee is better. Mine have been shot for years because my knees are double jointed. I am using a cane most of the time now. Can’t compress for Lymphedema above my knees because of the arthritis which is a byproduct of being double jointed (decades of backwards grinding). O’leave supplement by my blood morphologist helps a lot as does yoga for arthritis, only reason some days I am cane-free, plus we have a TENS unit machine both John and I use. Medicare is helping with some of the Lymphedema maintenance cost, but that is ONLY because it is required by law now in California under the ACA. Thank God. Literally.
Thank you, Kathee, I see the Dr. tomorrow. I am so glad you are on the road to better health, you’ve had to put up with a lot for a very long time! xo
hope you have been to the doctor and it is an easily fixed problem. Stay warm.
Thanks! I see her tomorrow, and yes I am staying warm.
Hope you are too! 🙂
Lynda, I hope you ditch the walking stick soon. Sorry to hear about your injury, knowing healing slows as we age. What is wrong with your knee?
Sounds like you have a good X-mas all things considered. I have not a chance to wish you: Happy New Year! I wish things only get better from this point on.
Best,
Angela
Thank you, Angela! I don’t know yet. It may be osteoarthritus. I have it in my fingers and shoulders, so I wouldn’t be surprised. am getting an exray, and then most likely being sent to have therapy. I hope it works, because as it is I can’t even walk our lovely trail on the Mountain Farmlet. 😦 I’ve managed to gather Christmas up. It is all stacked on the coffee table waiting for me to wipe of the dust, wrap, and pack it away for next year. 😉
Wishing you wellness, intelligent doctors, and a Happy New Year, too, Angela!
I am in a similar situation to you but it’s my hip/back. I take Celebrex twice a day and am now on a pain pill every six hours. I can’t stand at all and limp when I walk. Staying in bed is just awful! We are trying to get ready to leave for a six week mission trip and I’m stuck in bed….and whining. 😦 blessings, marlene
I’m so sorry to hear this Marlene. Back pain is far worse than knee pain; I know! Praying for your healing.
Sorry to hear about your knee. Isn’t Bob the comedian? LOL We’ve had extreme cold here too. I have a heated bird bath and I have a submersible heater in the wildlife tub (got that in Nebraska years ago!). We just got back from a week in Fort Worth and Dallas. FD had meetings and I stayed with him part of the week and his Sissy Jo the rest of the week. It was cold there too. Isn’t this the darnedest winter?
Hideous, Lori, and we are going to be plunged into the deep freeze again next Wednesday. Not as bad, but the high will only be about 38. X ray tomorrow!
I’ve been tracking your weather too. Very cold! I was surprised when our weather was colder than you, and stunned when the weatherman said we were colder than New York! Strange events are at work. Our coldest temperature was 5 degrees, and just to the east of us it was down to 4. 😯
I am not surviving the cold very well. I currently have on 2 sweaters and a jacket with a hood…and I am in my house. I have been coughing for over a week, so now I have no voice. The coughing totally wore me out. Went to the doctor and was told that I don’t have the flu, because I don’t fit the “protocol.” Instead, I was told it was a sinus infection. Whatever it is, it’s making me crazy. It did go down to 4 degrees here, and that was about 3 days after it was 65 degrees. Up down, down up—I’m so tired! Someone bring the spring!
Mary, I hate if when the weather does this to us. I call it, “Make you sick weather!”
I know how you feel. I used to be the queen of sinus infections, that is, until my sinus surgery, and now I rarely get them. They are so miserable, aren’t they?
I do hope you are feeling better today! 🙂
How frustrating Lynda, I hope your knee is improving!
Thank you, Claire. It is, but I still can’t do much, and trying sends me back to square one…
I’m being very good.
Glad to hear you are taking it easy. Hope it continues to improve. think of it this way, by the time spring gets here, whenever that is!!! you will be ready to dig and plant and paint!
I do hope so.
I’ve had cabin fever, so today I went out for just a short walk down our lane. I got about halfway down and it began to snow! It is a short distance, so I kept going to the end and I am glad I did, because there was a huge blue heron in my neighbor’s pasture near the pond. It was so worth it!
Hi Lynda,
Sounds like you are slowly recovering or at least feeling better. Good to hear.
Thanks for checking in on me, Angela. I am not recovered yet, and frustrated at what I can’t get done around here. At the moment I am making myself do things and then just paying for it on the other end. Frustrated is the most polite way I can phrase what I am feeling right now. (I know you understand my frustration.)
I see the Dr. next Tuesday to discuss the x rays… we will see what happens (or not) from there. 😛
The waiting, living with the pain and not knowing,…
We should talk sometime, exchange ‘frustrations.” 😉
Angela, that would be nice! (farmlet (at) att (dot) net)