Category: My Life

This morning was bath morning for all three dackels. Hubby was playing with them this morning and they didn’t pass the smell test, so into the sink they went! They’re all pretty good, with the exception of Greta who let me know she wasn’t happy, by talking to me all through her bath!

This actually is a good thing because they are due for their next flea and tick application on May first and they tell you not to bath them a few days before or after. So I am all set!

We will be bringing up the potting soil that we got yesterday and despite the cold weather I will plant the seeds today for the garden. I think I may very well put the seed containers on trays that I can move inside until it warms up. Right now, even my green house is cold!

I made a ham steak last night for dinner. I love ham, but with just two of us, it doesn’t make sense to buy a whole ham. Anyway, it was so good, served with spicy German mustard, and Bratkartoffeln (German fried potatoes like homefries).

After a long, cold, and dreary winter, I am starting to feel better, brighter. This despite the fact that I had an interesting encounter last week.

I was out to lunch with a friend of mine named Laurie. We spotted a woman we both know quite well, as we were leaving the restaurant. We stopped to say hello and Ann acted like she didn’t know me. Finally Laurie said, “You remember, Maribeth?” and Ann said “Oh my gosh, I would never have recognized you!” I smiled, trying to be gracious, and said “Oh, it’s probably the longer hair.” Now that gave her an easy out. “No” she said, “That’s not it!” Okay I thought, what do I do? “Well I had a lot of plastic surgery last year”.

Then she gave me a little bit of a smirk, like I had been caught having a face lift. “I had facial cancer, and after they removed the cancer I had to have reconstructive surgery. My Boston doctor is so gifted and I am grateful”. And at that, we left.

I felt a little bad at first, but then I thought of her rudeness. I know she knew who I was. We were on the same committee here in town for three years. We met twice a month and in a town of 6000 people you see each other all the time.

The I remembered the song from “Frozen”. “Let it Go!” and that is what I have done. (At least now that I have shared it all with you.)

For the last three weeks the Physical Therapist has been treating me with a drug called Dexamethasone topically. At first he applied in on a pad and hooked it up to a machine that sent pules of electricity into the affected areas in my hand. Little by little it became even more painful. Last time I told him I couldn’t use the zapping machine any longer.

So on Thursday he just applied it using an ultra sound wand. It felt terrible and my skin felt like it was on fire.

Friday night I started to develop a rash and Saturday I broke out in hives. The hives started out at the wrist and continued right up my arm to just below my elbow. So no more of this crappy medicine for me!

I’m not sure what they will do. The doctor mentioned she might want to inject me with this stuff and after breaking out in hives, I can safely say, that is not going to happen.

Perhaps I need to just plain stop using that hand for a good week. I do not know. Tuesday will be my next appointment. We will see what the Therapist says.

I have been waking at night lately for two reasons. I am a snorer and my hand/wrist/thumb on my right hand continues to wake me.

I simply cannot get back to sleep and lie there feeling awful. So, last week I made up our guest room, and when I wake in the night, I grab my pillow and go down the hall and get into bed there, all by myself.

At first I felt sort of lonely. You know, no husband, no dogs, but now I find I quickly fall back asleep and wake in the morning feeling rested.

Yesterday I felt an odd hot feeling on  my wrist. I took off the brace and noted that the area where my Physical Therapist puts on Dexamethasone liquid to ease the pain there, was all broken out and bright, flaming red! I guess I need to add this to my allergy list! One thing is for sure, I won’t let him use that again.

So that’s the wrap up from New Hampshire. Hope you all have a great Sunday!

I decided to try to just let my hair be curly, if that was what it wanted to be. The last few months, I have been blowing it dry so that it is straight. On Friday I just flipped my head over and using the defuser, blew my hair dry.

I think it actually came out pretty well, and frankly, I was getting a bit tired of wearing my hair straight. True to itself, the hair sprung back into it’s soft curly self, despite the fact that it is no longer in layers.

It still amazes me how long my hair is getting! I have not had long hair since 1984! So this really is a big change for me, and I kind of like it!

Tomorrow I will be going down to spend the day with Mandy, Matt and Savannah. Savi has a music class and then after lunch I will babysit for Sav so her parents can go to a matinee. Now this is really what we call Oma Fun!

My therapy on my hand went well and my hand. I like my therapist and I am getting more and more pain free motion back.

On Thursday I go my hair done at my salon. My hairdresser did an amazing job. She really always does. A year ago my dear friend and hair stylist Margarita passed away from cancer. I miss her so much, and even though my new stylist doesn’t do my hair the way Margarita did, she does really well. Our relationship is uniquely our own. But we all miss Margarita.

The day was another beauty! Blue skies, warmer temperatures and lots of snow melting! Yay Spring!

My first day of physical therapy on my  hand went well. It was a bit painful then, and now several hours after, it hurts like heck, but I am determined to do the treatments and get better!

I have had to ask Hubby for help with thing like chopping onions, and he has been great! I guess I must make him something like a vegetable omelet.

I’ve gotten to the point where I can use the mouse with my left hand pretty well, but cooking, cleaning, and dressing are still tricky.

I have big news coming later in the week. I love surprises!

Today I start OT on my hand. I sure hope this works. I’m a little nervous because I think it may really hurt. Still, I know I must do it so I can get the use of my hand back.

I managed to change the sheets on the bed, do laundry and make dinner with one hand. I did have to get Hubby to slice the onions, but aside from that, I did it myself.

One thing that was tough today was turning the key in the car’s ignition. Also lifting the tea kettle in my left hand.

I do seem to be getting the mouse down in the left hand. It’s tricky, but it can be done.

We did not get any of the snow that fell on Wednesday. It stayed south of us. However we did get some strong wind. Forty miles an hour!

Well, here is the diagnosis. I have De Quervain’s tenosynovitis (dih-kwer-VAINS ten-oh-sine-oh-VIE-tis) it is a painful condition affecting the tendons on the thumb side of your wrist. If you have de Quervain’s tenosynovitis, it will probably hurt every time you turn your wrist, grasp anything or make a fist.

Although the exact cause of de Quervain’s tenosynovitis isn’t known, any activity that relies on repetitive hand or wrist movement — such as working in the garden, playing golf or racket sports or lifting your baby — can make it worse.

I also have In trigger finger, also known as stenosing tenosynovitis (stuh-NO-sing ten-o-sin-o-VIE-tis), one of your fingers or your thumb gets stuck in a bent position and then straightens with a snap — like a trigger being pulled and released. Often painful, trigger finger is caused by a narrowing of the sheath that surrounds the tendon in the affected finger. In my case all four fingers are affected.

So I am in a half hard and half soft cast. And of course while I am going through therapy, I cannot use my right hand, and yes, I am right handed!

So I am typing with one hand and not getting too far too fast. I start therapy on Thursday.

A few weeks back my hand, fingers and wrist started to bother me at night. I tried just immobilizing it, but gosh darn it, that did not work!

Luckily, I have a hand surgeon who did my carpal tunnel surgery a few years back, and I called her office. Today is finally the day I will see her and hopefully she can help me out.

The thumb, middle  finger, ring finger, and baby finger on my right hand are not only painful, but seem to get caught in the bent position.

I simply cannot imagine what it is. Dr. Google says it could be “Trigger Fingers”. We shall just have to wait and see what she says.