Feeling better-ish
Last week, I started physical therapy for my back. It kicks my ass-- tiring, and a short upswing in back pain the day of/after therapy. However, after the upswing, there's a definite feeling of pain relief and looser muscles-- just in time for the next round of physical therapy. On the whole, it's helped quite a bit.
On the way home from visiting V & L last weekend, I got hit with a severe bout of allergies and/or sinus pain. Fortunately, I had a doctor's appointment already set up on Tuesday, to discuss the x-rays I had on my knee, which feels like a knife is stabbing into it if I put pressure on it (ala kneeling), but otherwise fine.
The x-rays showed not a thing, which just means that whatever the problem is, it's not bone. That leaves cartilage and tendons, which would require an MRI. While that remains on the table for later if things don't clear up, first comes a course of steroids, in the hopes that my body will just heal up on its own. Steroids, conveniently enough, also help allergies/sinuses.
Steroids ALSO make your blood sugar spike. This has necessitated a lot more glucose-meter readings. After a reading the first day that was not QUITE up to the threshold that the doctor said to call him if I got to, I've figured out how to stabilize things using protein drinks. Rather a lot of them, overall, but better to go broke on protein drinks than to destroy small blood vessels in my eyes and kidneys.
Things in my sinuses are finally calmed back down, and I'm left with just a little bit of cough and sniffles. Also, with the steroids coursing through my system, I feel GREAT, and about ready to conquer the world. I spent the morning shopping, picking up things to solve problems that bother me. After today's physical therapy, I came home and canned. Because what else do you do when you feel like you can conquer the world?
See, we've got this farm share. Mostly, it's an expensive way to feed the compost pile, because we're not used to food coming at us whether we're ready for it or not. Last night's share included a LOT of beans, and twice as many tomatoes as we usually get (which is five times as many as we use). In desperation, I chopped up the tomatoes last night and put them in the slow cooker to turn into tomato sauce. They still required cooking down today, but I cut off a couple of hours from the process, I think.
Tomato sauce is a lot of work, and I probably won't ever bother again. The beans are somewhat easier, though still more work than I like. In total, I ended up with three pint jars of tomato sauce, five pint jars of green beans (which is disappointing, since most of the beans were purple string beans. I didn't realize the cooking process would turn them green), and a valuable learning experience, which is "canning is not for me." (I also chopped up basil and froze it into ice cube trays, which worked out better except for the part where I jammed the freezer drawer shut.) Other than having to watch that damned drawer, freezing seems to be a system much better suited to my temperament.
On the way home from visiting V & L last weekend, I got hit with a severe bout of allergies and/or sinus pain. Fortunately, I had a doctor's appointment already set up on Tuesday, to discuss the x-rays I had on my knee, which feels like a knife is stabbing into it if I put pressure on it (ala kneeling), but otherwise fine.
The x-rays showed not a thing, which just means that whatever the problem is, it's not bone. That leaves cartilage and tendons, which would require an MRI. While that remains on the table for later if things don't clear up, first comes a course of steroids, in the hopes that my body will just heal up on its own. Steroids, conveniently enough, also help allergies/sinuses.
Steroids ALSO make your blood sugar spike. This has necessitated a lot more glucose-meter readings. After a reading the first day that was not QUITE up to the threshold that the doctor said to call him if I got to, I've figured out how to stabilize things using protein drinks. Rather a lot of them, overall, but better to go broke on protein drinks than to destroy small blood vessels in my eyes and kidneys.
Things in my sinuses are finally calmed back down, and I'm left with just a little bit of cough and sniffles. Also, with the steroids coursing through my system, I feel GREAT, and about ready to conquer the world. I spent the morning shopping, picking up things to solve problems that bother me. After today's physical therapy, I came home and canned. Because what else do you do when you feel like you can conquer the world?
See, we've got this farm share. Mostly, it's an expensive way to feed the compost pile, because we're not used to food coming at us whether we're ready for it or not. Last night's share included a LOT of beans, and twice as many tomatoes as we usually get (which is five times as many as we use). In desperation, I chopped up the tomatoes last night and put them in the slow cooker to turn into tomato sauce. They still required cooking down today, but I cut off a couple of hours from the process, I think.
Tomato sauce is a lot of work, and I probably won't ever bother again. The beans are somewhat easier, though still more work than I like. In total, I ended up with three pint jars of tomato sauce, five pint jars of green beans (which is disappointing, since most of the beans were purple string beans. I didn't realize the cooking process would turn them green), and a valuable learning experience, which is "canning is not for me." (I also chopped up basil and froze it into ice cube trays, which worked out better except for the part where I jammed the freezer drawer shut.) Other than having to watch that damned drawer, freezing seems to be a system much better suited to my temperament.
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