Sunday, February 11, 2018

Provoked, irritated


Yesterday was day seven with no pain medication. Today is eight. I have a dear niece who posts on Facebook, Do not post your personal problems on Facebook, as they require personal solutions. But this isn’t Facebook, so I’ll mention it again, and hope it will be resolved tomorrow.

In case I am overlooking something, I looked up the appeals process again. It can take up to six months. I understand the first appeal, three months ago. I was new; maybe I could take something else in the insurer’s formulary. But I couldn’t, so Belbuca passed, in about five days. I don’t understand what has changed.


The entire weekend has been rain, but the weather very warm. Tomorrow, bright sunshine is forecast, but it will be cold again. No cards tomorrow, so it’s breakfast with Lynn. 

I went back to sewing charity quilt blocks for my sister.  I went to her studio for some reason a while ago, and she said, “You know, I only have three of your tops left to quilt.” That was a ‘shut my mouth (or yours)’ moment. I put together over five hundred tops, before I left off, donated the sewing machines. So, I’ve started again.


The window of the room I sew in overlooks my street. This picture is so typical of the people here. The man across the street is a car mechanic. The fellow in the black car needs a repair to be able to go to work tomorrow. What you probably cannot make out is the tarp rigged over the hood of the black car, so the two men can work on it in the pouring rain.

I re-read The Little Prince today. I try not to read books I know I have read in the time before the accident. I’m afraid of how they may make me feel. But, I could remember The Little Prince was a special sort of book, and I enjoyed having it unfold. There is no allegory here for me; but I found I remembered the Prince’s journey just as it was about to happen.

I’ve spent the day in my special chair that helps support my back. I’m beyond the point of relief by support of a chair, or by sending acetaminophen down in a steady stream. I am very sad that I see my primary care physician tomorrow afternoon, and she will find my blood pressure elevated, from the pain, and tell me it distresses her. And, it does.

A couple of hours ago I heard the cookerer making up a batch of biscuits in the stainless steel mixing bowl. I had no idea what would go with them, and come supper time it was chicken soup. With mushrooms, peas and corn. And an ice cube. It was good!




32 comments:

  1. I wish I had a cookerer!!!! I wish I had a solution to your problem. All I can say is keep writing. I'm happy to listen.

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  2. AH THE GOLDEN YEARS. You gotta love em. I'm down to only 16 total pills this week...:)

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  3. Back pain or pain of any kind is so very tiring. I hope you get some relief soon. The soup sounds very good about now.

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  4. I'm sorry to hear that you are unable to get your meds so as to function. My sister is fighting with Kaiser over her pain meds that she's taken for years. She's 83 years old, do they really think she's an opiod addict?

    Mmmm, biscuits. I was thinking I might bake a batch, but probably not today. I've been on my feet, for the last 3 days, with a memorial luncheon setup, service, and redo today but with leftovers. I'm kind of tired of working with food.

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  5. Back pain is a beast.
    Sounds a good chap, that mechanic.

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  6. I feel for you with that pain you have Joanne. It makes everything in life so much harder. I hope the issue with the meds gets resolved to your pain relief and soon. The strees from pain puts up my blood pressure too.

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  7. Now you have me confused Joanne. Why an ice cube in your soup?
    Tradition or Too hot??
    Having to suffer back pain with no worthwhile medication available is an inhumane situation. Lets hope there is relief on its way.

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  8. I hope you get the meds sorted toute de suite.

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  9. I hope that you will be able to get some kind of pain medication that will help you. And I hope it happens soon. It isn't right for you to have to suffer like this because of stupid rules.

    Take care.

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  10. Oh gosh, Joanne. I'm so sorry. I sure hope you get those meds soon.

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  11. The worst pain I ever suffered in my life was in my back. I couldn’t imagine anything hurting so bad. I hope you get more than sympathy from your doctor tomorrow.

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  12. I'm sorry your chair no longer offers the relief you need and hope the powers that be will see sense and you get the medications that will help. I'm curious about the ice cube in the soup.

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  13. Home-made-by-somebody-else soup is very comforting and I do hope it's helped.

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  14. I hope that the back pain will get better soon! As to redeading: The Little Prince is such a nice book - worth it!

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  15. oh brother I can sympathise about the back pain; I do hope you can get some relief. I dread any injury here because I've been told we can't get any pain meds from any doctor in the whole county except one, apparently the state has seen fit to limit all pain meds to all people needing them because so many are addicted to them, so the folks not addicted to them can't get them and the addicts get them under the counter and those not addicted to them have to suffer unbearable pain. What's wrong with this world. Do you sleep lying on your side with a flat pillow between your legs? ever since I hurt my back I have done that and it does help. I have heard a zero gravity chair helps, not sure what they are or how much they cost

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  16. I'm hoping for the best on the blood pressure, and that you will get some relief from the pain.

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  17. Chronic pain is so miserable....surely there is something they can give you that will help the pain and not leave you feeling fuzzy mentally...On the plus side you are sewing again and you've got a cooker....biscuits and chicken soup sounds wonderful.

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  18. Back pain is the only pain that can keep me down - flat on my back. Oh Joanne.

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  19. We had fresh buttermilk biscuits and bacon for breakfast yesterday! Add a little honey - great breakfast! (and I agree biscuits go well with soup too)
    I've been taking Tylenol 500 mg for back pain lately. I expect mine is from my Intersititial Cystitis. Sure hope your pain problem is solved soon. I can imagine chronic pain must elevate blood pressure...

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  20. The Little Prince is a story I return to time and again. Sometimes I listen to it as well auf Deutsch.

    Hoping your pain minimizes!

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  21. Dear Joanne, this ongoing pain--chronic--is concerning in so many ways as it affects a person emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. I so remember the four months when I was in great pain and my inner struggle to not become an absolute bear! You handle all this well and I so admire you.

    I reread "The Little Prince" last year and watched the movie, which, while a great deal different from the book, still had its own charm. The book influenced my college life and attitude and I've remembered so much of it through the years. Peace.

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  22. I'd recommend yoga for your back but what causes your pain is probably beyond it. what a fucking mess when there is a med that will help but the people in charge won't let you have it. and you are probably paying them to deny you.

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  23. The car repair picture with tarp I understood almost without explanation. My family spent their entire working lives fixing engines through nights and Christmas days so they could go out the next day.

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  24. I too used to live near a repair spot that looked just like that. I so hope they can find something for your back that actually works above and beyond putting you to sleep.
    Glad you were able to reread that book. Hugs.

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  25. Hot soup (with an ice cube to cool it down?) and a biscuit w/honey, Oh that does sound awesome.

    Pain really takes winds out of sails for me. Your back pain is pure misery.

    What amazing weather shots you have. A great day to have soup.

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  26. Good to hear your cooker ear is looking after you

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  27. The food sounds good and what pretty flowers, too. Hope you feel better soon.

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  28. Wish a word could relieve your pain. I would certainly offer such a word. Wishing you all the best.

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