Tag Archives: sciatica

A Glorious Day

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It has been one of those rare calm Shetland winter days.  Even the sun made an appearance and everyone just breathed out and relaxed.

I am trying to get out more now, doing little things, but definitely doing.

 

When my sciatica sneaks back in, I then rest up until it’s gone again.  I am learning my triggers and also realising I am going to have to avoid them for the time-being.

I am also trying to get my brain working again, so I brought one of my Great-Great Aunt Kate’s tiny weeny diaries (1947) up to work on.  As it is not easy to read and type while lying on my bed, I tried dictating the diary entries one day at a time.  It did not go to plan. Talk about random words! One month’s entries usually takes me just over an hour of fast typing.  I managed one week in one hour, left feeling pretty exasperated but it is something I want to keep doing.  I need a better microphone, I think. And the computer doesn’t understand the words “Full stop” or “Brackets”.  Humpf.

My afternoon walk was much longer today too and Pepper and I enjoyed the quiet calm scenery.

Listening to the Hobbits traipsing along helps too.  They’ve just been caught by the Barrow-Wights and are about to sing out for Tom Bombadil (who I find incredibly annoying).

So that’s my day.  Slowly getting there.

A Different Approach

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Today’s regime has been different.

No painkillers today – I don’t think they actually help, just change my focus of attention.  The pain doesn’t go away but I just don’t care because I’m too zonked to notice.  Also they don’t help my innards one bit.  I can see that problem creeping up.

However, my acupressure mat makes a difference. I lie on it making sure to include my sore left side.

Then, after a good hour, I got up (peeled myself off the mat more like) and took the dogs out for a walk along our track and then the road.  I also wore a support back brace, which my jury is still out on.

It was not easy and I had to force myself to walk.  I honestly don’t feel like doing anything but I made myself and we went out and quite far.  Well, further than yesterday.

This time I remembered to put the dogs in their hi-vis jackets and they were very good about traffic too, coming to sit beside me and wait patiently.  I am lucky that with this road, I can see and hear most things before they are upon us.

And I specifically don’t wear my headphones either so there are no surprises.

So, that’s me and my different approach to my pain.  Try and walk it out or acupressure mat it gone.  I feel a bit more like myself without the muddying painkillers, which is good.  Looking back, I have absolutely no idea how I ever managed achieving my usual day.  I consider it a huge effort just making a cup of tea now.

Not Great

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Currently, I equate my life with the game, Snakes and Ladders.

Today I fell down a long snake and am back to square 1 with leg and back pain, etc.  I am very miserable, especially as yesterday it felt like I had turned a corner and things were going to get back to normal.

There is nothing I can do about it. Just keep on resting and doing gentle exercise – only getting up to help do the horses. OH and Floss are being marvellous.  I could not do any of this without them.

Of course, no horse or pony of mine is helpful, though today Kolka managed to swallow her pride or ego and let the little ones share a haynet.

Vitamin was being forced to share her’s (though I don’t know if she can actually eat it, but she was trying) with Gussie, who thinks all this food around is great.

Iacs, at the back, has been standing by himself a lot and that worries me.  He does eat, though.

Floss kindly gave him his own separate haynet which I limped over and specifically showed him, but he ran away saying Haakon had looked at him funny and he would rather starve.

Ditto Fivla but she had just finished a massive bucket of food so she was probably just digesting after eating herself to a standstill.

Newt has a death wish and just goes around secretly sniffing equine ladies’ derrières.  Big mistake.

So that’s me. Not great. The animals are all outside which I tell myself is actually much better for them. They have food, water, shelter and rugs.  Please be outside horses!