already?

It seems to be October. Very October even.  Where has the time gone?

The temperature has improved.  No heat on yet; windows open sometimes but sometimes too chilly at night.  We've even had a few drops of rain.  Not much, but enough to provide me with bad hair and the plants with a little relief.  I put in pansies and filled in gaps with some mums just before the rain Monday.  I also bought a new gardenia to replace the one by the dining room that died over a year ago.  I think I need CD to dig the hole however.


I reported on my bum shoulder ages ago.  I had the Lidocaine injection and it was important to doctors that injecting all the way (ow!) into the joint helped so much when injecting near it had not.  They knew the problem was inside, not any type of tear of the rotator cuff.  I continued PT for what felt, by calendar and by wallet, to be forever.  Nothing good happened.  I was asked to make another appointment and this time they said that due to the lack of improvement, they were blaming the problem more on the arthritis.  The "early onset" arthritis.  (I should insist that this phrase always be used when describing me!)  The doctor explained about a lubricating "motor oil" type of injection that might help, but also explained that not much could be done and that I needed to space out the few treatment options over the next fifty years.  What he did not mention until I went back in, thinking I was getting the first of the "motor oil" shots (but was not) was that the FDA has not approved this shot for a shoulder, only a knee, and that they are not covered by insurance.  Oh.  Several thousand per shot, thank you very much, goodbye.

So, I'm on my own.  PT doesn't work, so I'm out.  Doctors have dismissed me.  I'm trying to get back to exercising, but I can't do many of my former activities.  I can't raise my arm above my head anymore, and some days I can't lift much at all- even pressing the soap pump hurt yesterday.  My yoga teacher is a saint, and is helping me come up with alternative activities if I can't do the one she's leading.  The good part (the silver lining!) is that I've been forbidden to do anything with shoulder compression.  Ever.  So, no pushups, ever. Ever.  (The gym class me is so terribly excited that she is jumping up and down in her navy and white pinstriped polyester one piece snap over the shoulder gym suit.)  I mean, can you think of anything better than a Get Out of Push Ups Free Card?  The negative part of this is that I also can't dig in the dirt very well.


In comparison, Pook's elbow is healing well.  He had weekly x-rays for three weeks to be sure it was all in alignment.  Had it not been perfectly straight they'd have gone in surgically to insert pins.  Fortunately it is dong well and the cast will come off in two more weeks.  This is good because it is filthy and disgusting.  And he misses baseball and covering his ears when his brother annoys him.


I do not yet have "After" photos for the kids' bathroom. There is a good reason for this, not just that I have not taken them.  It is that there is not yet any "after" because it is still "during."  What is it with projects like this? Our contractor started out with full eight hour days, then it trickled down to four hours, then he skipped a day, then two, then came back for an hour one day....  We still owe him a four digit check, so I would expect he'd want to finish.  I am hoping this will be the last week.  The drywall dust is still coating every surface of the house and it is begging to be cleaned.  The bathroom is looking good; I'm eager to share the photos.  Soon.


Did I mention the job?  I'm still "floating" although I've spent most of my time in two rooms, so I'm getting to know the kids and teachers in those rooms pretty well.  They've done five screenings on kids who need services, but none have signed up yet.  It'll happen eventually.  I did get my first paycheck. The first one in ten years.  It came in the mail the same day that the water heater broke.  Guess which sum was more?

So, a summary today.  I need to keep up to date here better!  Maybe I'll have the bathroom pictures to post later this week.