Patrisha

July 22, 2007

This, That and, of Course, the Other

Long-time readers know I am one of those excessively perky energetic people in the morning. I was in the habit of waking up every morning with a list of things to do in my head. As the day progressed, I ran out of energy. Indeed, I actually picture it dripping out of the ends of my fingers around 3:30! {As an aside here, Fred is exactly the opposite. He gets up late and as the day progresses, he gets his stuff done. As midnight approaches, he is at his most energetic and productive! } But since the surgery, for me this pattern has changed. I had to force myself to get the job-of-the-day done, and sometimes, I just couldn’t do it at all. I was getting a bit worried because I thought I would never again wake up with energy — until this morning. Now, the energy level is nowhere near where it used to be, but I am thrilled to find this morning that I actually DO have a little energy and ambition!

The hardest part of this recovery process for me is to accept that it is going to take time to get back to where I used to be. Fred keeps telling me to rest, and he is quite right. Yesterday I felt pretty good in that I had very little pain but I had no energy at all. I started out on my daily walk down our street and back up again, and I didn’t even get to the corner before I turned around and came back. I am trying to add a little distance or walk the same distance every day but didn’t make it yesterday. I am not beating myself up over this. If I can’t do it on one day, I will try on the next day. I put in a call to the local physical therapy place on Saturday so I am hoping to hear from them sometime today.
I am not a Harry Potter fan. I read, I think, the first three books but mostly because I was at that time working in the library and since my kids are both grownups, I no longer know what children are reading, so I felt I should probably read what was popular with the children. I didn’t dislike them but they were a chore to read rather than a pleasure. Having said that, now the last book is out, I am thinking that I should perhaps give the series a second chance. With practically every series I have read, there is always one book that isn’t as good as the others. For example in the Lord of the Rings trilogy {which incidentally I was devoted to long before it became so popular}, it was the middle book that I felt dragged a bit. I remember telling my seventh graders that the middle book was not as interesting but they had to read through it to get to the third one and find out how it all came out. So, maybe I had reached a point in the Harry Potter books where I just needed to slog onwards…? So, as soon as I am able to drive, I will get myself to the library and try a couple of Harry Potters. I haven’t seen any of the HP movies either…

Talking about movies, I have been watching a lot of movies on television since I am home resting so much. Yesterday I rewatched "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" which always amuses me no matter how much I watch it. I think it is about to make its way onto my my "Movies I Will Actually BUY" list. Another thing I have rediscovered is how much I enjoy the old black and white movies. Yesterday I stumbled across one about Elizabeth Kenny, the Australian nurse who worked out a whole new and mostly successful way to treat what was then called infantile paralysis—polio. I can remember before the vaccine that almost every summer in England if there was an outbreak, the local swimming pools and other places where children congregated in the summer were closed…

To a large extent, my mother was anti-vaccine. But that was one she had us both in line for as soon as it was available. And in case you are wondering why she was anti vaccine, it was because she had a large and ugly scar on the upper part of one arm where she had been given the small-pox vaccine and somehow it had become infected and left the scar. My father was a police officer and he had to ask for an exception when we {his daughters} were not vaccinated for smallpox. He said it was "for religious reasons" because "vanity" wasn’t one of the approved choices! Because of this, I had to have the smallpox vaccination in 1962 before I came to the States in 1963, and it was both painful and debilitating since I was an adult. However, I have no scar! And, now, of course, smallpox vaccinations are no longer required.
The phone just rang and I have my first physical therapy appointment at 5 pm on Wednesday of this week! It is at the facility upstairs from our local drug store which is within walking distance back in the days when I could walk easily! It is all uphill going but it is within the bounds of possibility that I could walk back. Hmmm, perhaps not since every physical therapist I have ever been to has had me work really hard! Anyway, I know Fred will take me and fetch me back home again…

Ok, on with the day. Task for today is one load of laundry which is in the drier right now and then a walk up and down our street.

QUOTATION: If you have the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed.

— David Viscott

Create yours at BlingyBlob.com!

Pat

July 23, 2007

I have a heart-shaped small pox vaccination on my arm. My mom said the doctor did it on purpose! Hmmm… Your energy will slowly come back. I’m glad you’re feeling better today, but don’t overdo!! (((Hugs)))

Flyte

I have one of those ugly large smallpox vaccination scars. My vaccination puffed up so badly and stayed swollen like a blister for years. Finally a dr went in and drew out the liquid with a needle and it hurt like hell. It is still a very ugly scar. I also remember a friend of ours that had polio. We were all shocked and scared when it happened.

Violet

My smallpox vaccine is nearly undetectable now. For most of my life it was a pronounced bump. We talked about them in pathology this term and only two or three of us older students even remember them.

Shi

I’m not sure I have ever had a small pox vaccination, though I clearly recall both my sisters had scars from there.

I love Harry Potter because I am a fantasy fan. The fifth book isn’t that great in my opinion. Harry annoyed me to no end with his moping. I have the last book but I need to start reading it. I don’t believe that they are children’s books after the first three. She progresses in age with Harry in her writing style. My uncle got polio but he recovered without major damage. However, it gave some troubles in his sixties. I don’t know what happened but it never goes away completely. I am totally for getting my babies the shots. I go for flu shots and Ben will even get a chicken pox vacination.

Vermonter57

Glad the energy level is up. Too bad about the walking. I know how much you enjoy it and look forward to being your old self.

I’ve never read any Harry Potter – but I suppose they must have something about them. Maybe if they’d come out when I was a kid I’d have been into them? Who knows. 🙂

Orange Sorbet

It’s so good that you persevere! Some people would give up easily if they had a bad day, but you never do! I’ve never been interested in Harry Potter, but sometimes I wonder what I’m missing, so maybe I’ll read the books one day!

MiddleJo

I remember when having that little starburst on the upper arm was the common thing. Seemed everyone I knew had it. I didn’t – and seem to remember being told that I didn’t scar because I must have a natural immunity to smallpox. Who knows.

Happy Trails

My smallpox vaccination is on the underside of my arm, so it’s not visible–and it’s not very big anyhow. You brought back memories of the dreaded polio and having to take naps in the afternoon so we wouldn’t catch it.

runningwithscissors

I have a DPT (diptheria, polio and tetanus) vaccine scar on my right arm, but it’s barely visible through all the freckles. I guess it’s sort of a rite of passage??

Icklewriter

RYN: Thanks, I’ll look out for that one. I’ve seen a few books about making the switch, and I think it will be essential. More than anything, I’m looking forward to playing with something new, learning how to use it, and knowing it’s MINE, and ‘they’ don’t know I have it. I know how daft that sounds, but it’s important to me to regain control.

Mezzo

I have a vaccination scar. And like you, I remember the pools being closed due to polio scares… I got the oral vaccine for polio, that was the decade I grew up in. But I remember iron lungs and all the stuff that went along with that. Glad you’re feeling better. It will just keep improving from here on out. Love to you! ~M

Telynor

Given the choice between an itty bitty scar, and catching something dreadful, I’ll take the scar. I find the trend of parents not wanting to vaccinate their children, because it will make the child upset and miserable for a few days, simply outrageous. I can’t understand why a parent would want to expose their child to that. And while smallpox is more or less eradicated, and the only virus is leftin labs, you always wonder if some terrorists or a nutcase will get their hands on it. Yes, I know I am paranoid a bit…

I recommend that you rent the Harry Potter movies, in sequence. It only takes a couple hours to watch a movie, and after that you will know for sure whether reading the books will interest you. However, I might just add, there is a lot more to the books than can be fit into a two-hour movie, particularly after the third book. These books are the new “classics.”

I couldn’t get past the first chapter of the first Harry Potter book before finding myself horribly bored. You’re right…they are a chore to read.

greeneyes&sunflowers

whooo whoooo on the energy! must have been Fred’s chili????? *huggs* and I have not read the HP books, and kind of watched some of the movies, so I am still on the fence.

I’m glad your morning energy is returning. I just love my mornings. That surgery is not something you get over lightly…it sounds like you are coming along great guns though! keep up the good work!

gray tabby

July 25, 2007

i guess energy after surgery comes back slowly. i thought of you this morning while i was walking with merlyn. wondered how you were doing. thinking it won’t be long til you’re back walking again. i’m sure the physical therapy will help with that. take care,

I love hearing about stories from your childhood.

posthumouser

July 30, 2007

My, you bring back memories for me. My sister’s husband has been paraplegic for over 50 years now because of polio. And I have heard of Sister Kenny. I went to live in Europe in 1957 and I had shot after shots for months before we could go. I agree with Coco Wild, your ‘stories’ are as good as reading a book.