I Am Thankful For:
My husband and son going on a weekend fishing trip
Having nothing to do
Having time to clean out kitchen cabinets and reorganizing
Self care day
"Girl Dinner"
Reading late into the night
The guys are back home
Morning at the library
Healthy lunch
All the clean laundry is folded
Beautiful blue skies
Doggy smiles
This post is in no way intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new healthcare regimen. Never disregard medical advice or delay seeking help because of something you read on this website.
All was well until a couple of weeks ago. I say down to have a cup of tea and read. I put my feet up on the ottoman, and as I straightened my legs there was suddenly an intense pain in that same knee. I couldn't straightened it all the way due to the pain, and walking was also painful. It was almost exactly the same as last summer but without the POP sensation. I was back to the Orthopedist for more Xrays. I have some osteoarthritis in the knee, and there l ossifications located at the fibular head. No surgery recommended right now, but at some in my future I'll be needing a knee replacement.
I was feeling very alone in my experiences with knee problems, until I read an article from AARP that said joint pain can be a common symptom in menopause. Other common causes of knee pain iinclude typical wear-and-tear, osteoarthritis, and injuries.
My Orthopedist explained it to me that some people have bones and cartilage like oak, and some like pine. If you have oak floors in a home, they can take a lot of walking on and will hold up for the lifetime of the house. If the floors are pine, after many years they will start to show signs of wear. Apparently, mine are like pine.
Fortunately, there are things we can do to protect our knees and keep them healthy for as long as possible.
Taking care of our knees can keep us active through midlife and well into the senior years. And isn't that something we all hope for?
I Am Thankful For:
Opening windows to air out the house
Family resemblance
8 hours of sleep
The Lunar Eclipse
The full moon
Errands and lunch with my husband
Irish whiskey
Finishing a crochet project
And starting a new one
My husband cooking breakfast for me
Sunshine after the storms
Feeling cute
A delicious Irish stew
Guinness
Adding to my TBR list while volunteer at the library
A Spring breeze
I Am Thankful For:
My daffodils about to bloom
My daughter
A quick appointment with the orthopedist
Small local businesses
My son
Oil change done
Getting a same day vet appointment
My grandsons
A trip to the garden center
Beginning a new routine
Laundry put away
My husband
Crepes for Breakfast
My little dog is feeling better
Reporting plants
Insightful book discussions
Unhurried mornings
Our son-in-law
Planning a short trip
Old family pictures
Volunteering at the library
I Am Thankful For:
Volunteering hours scheduled
Things starting to get back to normal
Cozy mornings
Ruining errands
A day without needing muscle relaxers
Family
A Spring-like day
February is over
Brownies and ice cream
My husband making breakfast for me
Family safe from local wild fires
My husband
A pain-free day
Clean doggos
A good check-up for Max
Daffodils blooming
Pancakes for dinner
Lunch with my husband
I am so thankful that February is a short month. I am oh-so-ready to put this month behind me! I definitely don't want two or three more days of the energy that February brought.
The most popular post on the blog for Febrary was actually the first Sunday Inspiration post of the month, followed closely behind by "A Giant Pain in the Back" where we talked some tips for dealing with back pain that often comes along in midlife.
It was a quiet month in our house. Especially for me. Honestly, I spent most of February lying on the couch. Not by choice.
First, I caught a nasty head cold that knocked me off my routine for a few days. Just as that started to clear up, I somehow hurt my back. The back pain ranged from sore one day and annoying the next for almost two weeks and then suddenly went straight to excruciating.
A trip to the Dr led to a diagnosis of "probable herniated disc", a prescription for prednisone and muscle relaxers and two weeks of rest to allow it to heal. Fortunately things have greatly improved. As I draw toward the end of the second week of rest, it's still a little achy, but SO much better than before. I no longer spend the first few of hours of my day almost crying from the pain. A few days ago I experienced the first shower in a couple of weeks that I wasn't miserable and rushing to get it over with. Yesterday was the first day I haven't needed to take any of the muscle relaxers. Yay!
Because of all this, Valentine's Day was at home, quiet, and extremely low-key. We had homemade pizzas for dinner and the Mr picked up a delicious chocolate pie for dessert. He gave me a couple of books from my list and some chocolates. I gave him a game pin from the Ravens/Browns game we went to last month. (He collects them from each game we go to and somehow this one got lost in the process of traveling home from Baltimore, so i found a placement.)
We celebrated our youngest grandson's second birthday this month. I had almost forgotten how fun birthdays are at that age. He was having so much fun and was so excited about opening presents and his cake.
I am excited to say that earlier this month I turned into my application to volunteer at the local library and received a call this week that it has been approved. Starting next month, I'll be helping out one morning a week. This is like a dream come true for me. I have loved the library since I was a very little girl, and I can't wait to give back to a place that has given me so much joy
And since we're speaking of books - this month I read four books and listened to one. My audio book for this month was "The Pirate's Wife" by Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos. The four books I read were "The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store " by James McBride, "The Boyfriend" by Freida McFadden, "Witchcraft for Wayward Girls" by Grady Hendrix, and "I Need You to Read This" by Jessa Maxwell.
How was your February? Any special memories from the month?
I Am Thankful For:
My grandson's 2nd birthday
Less pain
Ice cream
My husband coming home early and doing the grocery shopping
My volunteer application accepted at the library
Birthday celebrations
Birthday cake
Sunday afternoons
Feeling less foggy and dizzy
Breakfast for dinner
Listening to my husband read to me
Butterflies
Seeing a little improvement every day
A healthy lunch
Warmer days
I Am Thankful For:
Rainy days
Little puppy paws
Binge watching a favorite show
Grapes
New books
Valentine candy
Chocolate dessert
My daughter stopping by with the grandkids
My husband taking care of me with my sore back
A lazy Sunday
Long weekends
Dr appointment
Muscle relaxers
My husband driving me around
Getting plenty of rest
Being in less pain
Heating pads
Sleep
Homemade vegetable soup
Snow flurries
