Our trip to Ottawa yesterday was verrrrrrrrrrrrrrry long.
We left home at 8:45am and didn't get back here until 3:00pm.
Lately, that seems to be the pattern though.
Our first stop was at a bank for John to get info (he had a 9:30 appointment) that took all of fifteen minutes.
My physio appointment wasn't until 11:15am so we had time to kill.
We made a brief stop to exchange some clothing that I had bought in Carleton Place on Saturday, but we were at a branch outlet and I'll not be going there again. The clerk was audibly and visibly annoyed with having to serve me. I wanted to return three items and exchange two for the proper size. I guess it was too much work for her on a Monday morning. This wasn't my first less-than-positive experience in that particular outlet. (When I got home, I telephoned my local outlet and spoke to the manager there to discuss the incident because I wanted her to know how much I appreciate the service I receive in her store. She's holding my size for me of one of the items that I wasn't able to find in the "bad" store. I've also sent a note to their head office explaining what took place because the service between the two stores is remarkably different, a reflection of management as far as I'm concerned. They can't fix that which they don't know is broken.)
Then we stopped to pick up John's turntable which he had dropped off for repair last week when we did our rounds. He thought it needed repair but apparently it too just needed an outing -- nothing wrong with it and it does in fact work just fine, now that it's home and re-installed.
And we were still early for my physio appointment.
But that was OK. The place was hopping busy but she was able to put me in a bed ahead of my scheduled appointment and get updated on my nightmare (I hadn't been there in three weeks). She went very slowly as she placed the numerous needles, starting at the hips which are the most crucial points for me.
Surprisingly enough to both of us, I was able to withstand the full complement of needles and I endured the treatment for my normal allotted time (although she timed me at the half-point to check, just in case I had to quit).
And again, just as it's approaching time to take those critters out of me, I'm ready to drift off to never-never land. It happens every treatment.
So I'm truly back to where I was before the nightmare turned to night terrors.
Once the needles were removed, she was able to do some very gentle traction (again, I have not had traction in almost a month so we have to start slowly ...). We'll resume the daily traction at home too, now that I'm well again (John has gotten very good at it).
I asked her if she has any tricks up her sleeve that we can try for my hips since I won't be letting the doctor give me any other narcotics (something with which she too agrees vehemently) and she said that she could try athletic taping on me. It is used with some success on lots of her patients and might work for me, if I can tolerate the adhesive of the tape. Of course, as she said, since I'm a redhead the adhesive might be a problem. I reminded her that she had that concern about the adhesive of the TENs electrodes as well. And I wear those all day long (and now all night long) with no difficulty. Perhaps I'll have the same luck with the athletic taping. But all we can do is try, which she'll do when I'm stronger.
One more trick to add to my arsenal, maybe.
Having got fixed up, we made a tiny bit of a detour and dropped in to see my little chickadee and Pauple (my beautiful boy was at school, of course). It's been way too long since I've seen them and I needed to show her that her Mom really is back (it's one thing to tell her that ...). We admired their handiwork in their kitchen (they've redone their cabinets and they look fabulous) and then we sat for a brief visit before we headed off to our next stop. It will be another week before I get to see my beautiful boy again :( .
When I told them that our next stop was at the computer shop to return that router that we didn't need (the one they "lent" us last week, "just in case"), Pauple was amazed at the level of trust they have in me. I reminded him that I've been going to that shop since the the current owners were in diapers! They really have become very dear friends and they knew absolutely that there was no risk in what they did.
We got to the computer shop and I collected my hugs and kisses, and I gave them back their router (it was funny to see him scan it back into inventory -- meaning that he took it out of inventory even tough we never paid for it; neat trick that). We chatted for a bit about our wireless service vs DSL vs cable vs dial-up yada yada yada and how the big guy makes money off the little guy and we slammed all the appropriate corporate jerks. Then I collected more hugs and kisses as we left, and I did my usual bad Arnold impression, "I'll be baack!" Their parting words were, "Wow, haven't heard that from you in a long time."
That was a defining moment for me. That's when I really knew that I had been away to everybody. And it felt sooooo good to be really back for everybody.
From there, we were finally headed home, with just a grocery stop en route but that was in Almonte so we kind of think of those stops as necessities.
We got hme and rested. We were both totally pooped.
But I felt good.
I felt validated, in a way.
I had managed to put in what for me had been a very full day, in the scheme of things, and I wasn't a basket case.
I was physcially tired, but emotionally I felt rejuvenated.
After resting, I managed to do two loads of laundry (just as I might have done in the old days after getting in from a day of work). No, I do NOT climb up and down stairs -- remember, I have a stair lift and I'm a master of multi-tasking and time-management!
We had dinner and watched a little television.
I cleaned the oven (automatic cleaning folks, don't panic!) and did the dishes (dishwasher!).
Gosh, it feels good to be back to a normal lifestyle and to work towards getting this house back into shape.
And I had no difficulty going to sleep (I had help though -- I took a sleeping aid).
So I only woke every three hours (rather than every two). I'm still not convinced the sleeping aid has any particularly beneficial effect because I can't definitively say why I'm waking with such frequency. I get up and go pee when I wake, but am I going pee because I'm awake, or am I waking because I need to pee? I have to turn over when I wake up, and if that is the purpose of my waking, there is certainly no point in taking any sleep aid. My physcial need to turn over is not likely going to change, no matter what I take, because neither hip can endure the pressure for a lengthy period of time. I guess I just have to learn to sleep on my back.
Today, I will take care of the bookkeeping that has fallen by the wayside in the last little while and then I will rest because we are going to my Angel's place for an early dinner (late lunch, early dinner -- to allow an early come-home time).
It will be nice to get out and socialize with such good friends -- it's been a long time since we've been able to do that too. When the invitation was issued last week, we weren't sure that I'd be up to it, but my Angel assured me that I could lounge on her sofa (instead of mine) and be served if necessary.
That's why I call her my angel!
We're both looking forward to the change of scenery and the visit with such good friends.
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