by Judy Handley | Nov 29, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 333: Quiet Morning, Late Afternoon Trip to Hyannis
Date: Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Weather: Mostly Sunny, but Chilly: High 36, Low 32 F; Sunset 4:15 pm (-1 min)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
What I can get done in a day due to my back issues has dwindled to very little. I can still contribute to getting grandkids to and from activities. I just can’t get out of the car and walk any distance when we arrive. This is fine for most things, but tonight I wanted to get out of the car to watch Sam and Jonah practicing under the lights at Barnstable High School, but I couldn’t walk the distance. So very frustrating.
I started taking Celebrex on Monday. At first I was taking the capsules a friend gave me and they were 200 mg, one twice a day, They seemed to really help. But then my doctor prescribed 100 mg capsules, one twice daily, and they help a tad but don’t take away the pain when I walk. So, I am contemplating upping the dosage to take two 100 mg capsules twice a day instead. I’ll report on how that is going in a few days.
In the meantime, I hobble along. But at least I can hobble!
by Judy Handley | Nov 28, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 332: With a Little Help from Friends and Family
Date: Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, Windy, Cold: High 41, Low 26 F; Sunset 4:16 pm (-0 min)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Heather arrived at 8:20 am to take Shadow for a morning walk. My back has gotten to the point where walks longer than down my driveway are just out of the question. So, Shadow and I both really appreciated Heather’s offer to walk Shadow. Then this afternoon after school, Jonah came over to rake Shadow on his afternoon walk. Again, Shadow and I were very grateful.
My day in between Shadow walks was very quiet. I read some, started a new jigsaw puzzle, played fetch with Shadow, watched some of Rosalyn Carter’s funeral in between icing my back. I dealt with some medical issues for my sister on the phone and then called my primary care to see if he would prescribe Celebrex for my back pain. Last night, a member of my wine group suggested Celebrex and this morning she brought 6 pills over for me to try. I felt I needed to check first with my primary care, and he agreed that it was worth a try, so he prescribed it for me. Celebrex reduces inflammation and has fewer undesirable side effects that other similar drugs. My neurosurgeon’s assistant prescribed pregabalin (Lyrica) a couple of weeks ago, but I have not taken it because of the severe undesirable side effects. My primary care agrees that trying Celebrex first, to see if it works, is a better choice. Here’s hoping.
I did go out to pick up the prescription, but otherwise, it was just a day at home with nothing pressing to do. I loved it. And I am so appreciative of friends and family who are supporting me during this trying time. The medical advice and help with Shadow are much appreciated. With a little help from family and friends, I will make it through this.
by Judy Handley | Nov 27, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 331: Hosting My Wine Group
Date: Monday, November 27, 2023
Weather: Mostly Sunny: High 54, Low 32 F; Sunset 4:16 pm (-0 min)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
I continue to struggle with my back pain issues, but it didn’t stop me from hosting my wine club tonight.
Jonah came over after school to help me do a few things to get ready—Thank you, Jonah—and at 5 pm my gang arrived. We had a wonderful evening experiencing wines from Australia.
My wine group is a very special group of friends. Once they arrived, they did everything for me. I could just sit and enjoy.
by Judy Handley | Nov 26, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 330: Finally at Home
Date: Sunday, November 26, 2023
Weather: Sunny: High 48, Low 47 F; Sunset 4:18 pm; Sunset 4:16 pm (-1 min)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
I finally got home today around noon and I was so happy to see Shadow (and I think he was happy to see me too). I heard from Heather that they would be home get their Christmas tree on arrival so they could decorate tonight. Heather leaves on Wednesday and she really wanted to get the tree up before she left. I offered to fix dinner for them, but I had to have Jed come get the beef stew as it was too heavy for me to carry. He insisted that I come with him, rather than drive myself, so off I went.
I got to hear all about their trip to New York. They visited Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty on Friday morning and then headed to the 9/11. Friday was a little more light-hearted. They took the train from Larchmont, where they were staying with the Dearman’s, to Grand Central Station, and then toured Times Square, Rockefeller Center, 5th Avenue, Wall Street, and Central Park where they took a horse carriage tour. All three boys really enjoyed their time in the city.
When I arrived the tree was up and the lights were on it. After dinner, the tree decorating started
and Ollie installed his train track around the tree
and the Christmas Lego land on the coffee table.
So I have now watched Justin and family decorate their tree and Heather an family decorate theirs.
My turn next!
by Judy Handley | Nov 25, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 329: Chilly Day on Cape Cod
Date: Saturday, November 25, 2023
Weather: Sunny: High 37, Low 28 F; Sunset 4:18 pm; Sunset 4:17 pm (-1 min)
Location: At the Goldstones, Falmouth, MA
If my memory serves me correctly, this is the first day this fall where the daytime high temperature did not climb out of the 30’s. It was just a reminder that winter is on its way. But the forecast shows that for the next nine days, the daytime temps will stay mostly in the 40’s. So back to fall weather.
I did not a lot today as the nerve pain from my herniated disks was back. I feel truly blessed that yesterday was such a good day. Just wish it could have lasted a little longer. I had lunch with good friend Jane Woodin today. She has a long history of back issues and was able to give me some advice. She has a pain management specialist at Brigham and Women’s in Boston that has been very helpful. I will call on Monday and see if I can get an appointment. In the meantime, I wait until December 8 to get the MRI and then go from there. But back to lunch with Jane. She and Bruce just returned from a trip to Italy. They flew to Milan, on to Rome, and then a cruise through the Mediterranean ending in the Bahamas. They had some ups and downs on the trip, but managed to enjoy the trip despite the ‘downs’. It was great to see Jane and catch up on life.
This afternoon I spent time going through photos from my trip to Puerto Rico. Like Bruce and Jane, my trip also had some ups and downs, but nothing kept me from having a wonderful time with Justin, Jo, Ziggy, and Coco. I love their little farm, Finca Maravilla. It is such a special place on this earth with all the plants and animals that live there. I spent my early mornings sitting outside and just taking in the scenery of a barnyard waking up in the morning—the horses,
the chickens, the pig, the cats, and the dogs. There are two horses, Hopi and Cacique,
numerous chickens and one hen with a baby chick,
the miniature pig that is not a mini,
cats—Mango, Cosmo, Hattie, Neema,
Baby, and Smudge, and dogs—Lenny, Maya Moon, Honey, Maddie, and Bluebell.
And Justin has a gerbil named Meena
and Ziggy has two goldfish, Gillbert and one yet unnamed.
Apologies if I didn’t get all of that correct, but I know I am in the ballpark.
Then there are the trees and various tropical plants of Finca Maravilla. One evening when we were around a fire outside, I asked everyone to name their favorite tree on the property. Jo and Coco both named the ylang-ylang, one of the tallest trees on the property with wonderfully fragrant blossoms.
Justin’s favorite is a tree called monkey-ear in Puerto Rico. This tree can have an expansive, spherical crown and seed pods that have a curious shape like monkey ears. The bark is gray but has red fissures running vertically making it look a rusty red. Ziggy loves the mango trees because he loves mangos.
And my favorite is their starfruit tree because I love the fruit.
But that was a hard choice for me because I also love the leaves of the breadfruit tree, so majestic.
There are so many different plants, all exotic and beautiful, but the passion fruit was in bloom at this time of year,
and the blossoms and the fruit both rate at the top of my list of favorite plants.
We had a wonderful week preparing for Thanksgiving and then enjoying a full-blown feast. And I was delighted that Coco and Ziggy wanted to get the Christmas tree while I was there so I could be a part of their Christmas celebration.
Despite my back issues and the not so perfect weather, it was a fabulous week of family togetherness.
I am thankful for many things in things in this world, but I am most thankful for my family—Heather, Jed, Sam, Jonah, and Ollie—Justin, Jo, Ziggy, and Coco. Just like the plants and trees of Finca Maravilla, every member of my family is a distinct species, all bonded together with love.
