And so it goes...

I know this is supposed to be a blog about life in the mid coast of Maine, but what I've been thinking about and dealing with in my life here over the last weeks, even months, is pain, my own pain (and I'm not even going to mention the much more significant pain of the families and students in Parkland, Florida, or of Dreamers let down by Democrats or ... need I go on?)

I can't remember when I posted here about my hip, the right one (or, actually, the wrong one), but it has been a real pain in the ass (literally!) for more than a year.  I've had a "bad" hip for many years, decades even, so if I walked too far (or back when I jogged, jogged more than 3 miles), it would hurt.  Then I'd rest it, take it easy for a few days, and be okay.  Over the years my osteoarthritis worsened, including in that hip, but apart from morning stiffness, which I could walk/exercise out, it was basically okay.  In other words, the "pain" I had fell into levels 2 and 3 with an occasional foray into level 4 on the "Pain Scale":

2 = Discomforting. Minor pain, like lightly pinching the fold of skin between the thumb and first finger with the other hand, using the fingernails. Note that people react differently to this self test.

3 = Tolerable. Very noticeable pain, like an accidental cut, a blow to the nose causing a bloody nose, or a doctor giving you an injection. The pain is not so strong that you cannot get used to it. Eventually, most of the time you don't notice the pain. You have adapted to it.

4 = Distressing. Strong, deep pain, like an average toothache, the initial pain from a bee sting, or minor trauma to part of the body, such as stubbing your toe real hard. So strong you notice the pain all the time and cannot completely adapt. This pain level can be simulated by pinching the fold of skin between the thumb and first finger with the other hand, using the fingernails, and squeezing real hard. Note how the simulated pain is initially piercing but becomes dull after that.

Until Christmas 2016.  As we had for several years, we volunteered at the Soup Kitchen's Christmas Community Dinner and I was on my feet for 8 hours or more.  (Standing has always been the hardest on my hip, much harder than walking.)  That's when the real trouble began.   I tried for 6 or 7 weeks to deal with it, but the hip wouldn't "go back" to the way it had been.  Now the pain reaches level 4 much if not most of the time and even up to level 5 on the "Pain Scale":

5 = Very Distressing. Strong, deep, piercing pain, such as a sprained ankle when you stand on it wrong or mild back pain. Not only do you notice the pain all the time, you are now so preoccupied with managing it that you normal lifestyle is curtailed. Temporary personality disorders are frequent.

(Well, I'm not so sure about the "temporary personality disorders!)

So I went to my doctor, who sent me to the orthopedic practice, who took x-rays and said I had bone on bone.  She sent me home with a super-ibuprofen type prescription.  I took it and it helped, but it came with dire warnings about stomach bleeding and after a few weeks I began having stomach pain.  So I asked for something else. She told me there was nothing else to do other than a cortisone injection.  I put that off for weeks and then months.  Finally in August, I had it done.  It helped (wasn't magic, but did help) ... for about 4 weeks, maybe 5 weeks.  When the positive effects wore off, I put up with it again ... for weeks.  Then finally I made an appointment with the Joint Replacement Center down in Falmouth (about 80 miles south of here).

I saw them in January.  More x-rays.  Confirmation of the bone-on-bone and even some further disintegration of the socket or something.  (Good news:  my left hip is fine!)  Next step.  Total hip replacement.  Earliest appointment they had for the surgery is April 19th.  Now I wait.

Meanwhile, the hip worsens.  The pain increases, both in intensity and duration, meaning I'm in pain most of the time and much worse pain some of the time.  It's hitting level 6 now:

6 = Intense. Strong, deep, piercing pain so strong it seems to partially dominate your senses, causing you to think somewhat unclearly. At this point you begin to have trouble holding a job or maintaining normal social relationships. Comparable to a bad non-migraine headache combined with several bee stings, or a bad back pain.

Ironically I have looked at this "Pain Scale" many times over the past months, but not in the recent weeks.  And posting it here, now, I realize that the description in level 6 about having trouble "maintaining normal social relationships" is probably true.  The pain has caused me to curtail almost all my out-of-the-house activities.  I haven't been going to shul.  I have cut back on volunteer activities.  I even think twice, three times, before going next door to my neighbor's house.  In the morning, I still get up, and either with David or by myself, take Ella for her morning walk, but much shorter, and it is hard.  (On the other hand, if I DON'T walk, I stiffen up and that's worse!)  I ride in the car with David driving (easier to get in the passenger side since I put my butt in and then can bring in the bad leg than in the driver's side where the bad leg has to lead) and sometimes drive myself.  I take Ella for her nighttime walk - much shorter.  I do a handful of other errands outside of the house, go to the library, an occasional meeting, but I am home much much more of the time.  That's okay; I'm reading a lot; playing music (and even occasionally vacuuming and cleaning other stuff, like the bathroom.)

At the January appointment they watched me walk and asked if I had a cane (I do, but I hadn't brought it with me).  They told me to use it.  So I do now, any time I leave the house, I have it.  And recently, I keep it near me in the house.  Because when I sit for a while (basically more than 10-15 minutes), I am almost unable to walk for the first few moments after I stand up.  So the cane helps then.

The good news is, I haven't hit level 7 ... yet (7 = Very Intense. Same as 6 except the pain completely dominates your senses, causing you to think unclearly about half the time. At this point you are effectively disabled and frequently cannot live alone. Comparable to an average migraine headache.) 

I sincerely want to miss out on 7, 8, 9 and 10 with this hip (10 = Unimaginable and Unspeakable. Pain so intense you will go unconscious shortly. Most people have never experienced this level of pain. Those who have suffered a severe accident, such as a crushed hand, and lost consciousness as a result of the pain and not blood loss, have experienced level 10.  I have known level 10 - that's what I felt when I shattered my wrist and dislocated my elbow slipping on black ice, and doctors at the ER had to pull on my shattered wrist in order to put my elbow back in the socket; I passed out.)

I know this has been a downer post - but it IS what I've thinking about when not getting outraged over the political situation or dealing with other family problems.  (David's sister was in the hospital in Lewiston, and forced to move out of her newly occupied subsidized apartment, but is now recovered and moved to North Carolina; David's brother had kidney failure, went to the hospital, suffered cardiac arrest, was revived, put on a respirator and unclear whether he would survive; stayed in ICU on dialysis for 8 or 9 days, but he also "recovered" to breathe on his own again, no longer requires dialysis and is now in a nursing home trying to regain enough strength to stand and walk with a walker.  I am reminded to be grateful for everything that is good!  For instance, my children and grandchildren are well, even thriving.)

In that vein, I will close with a couple of photos from a recent walk through downtown Rockland where there is a wonderful new mural painted by a local artist last fall.  Seeing it there always makes me smile.  Posting the photos here does, too.

2018, a cold beginning

Every January 1st for the past several years I've taken a "selfie" with Ella on our walk.  Above is this year's.  This next picture was also taken on New Year's Day down at the waterfront. The third picture was the weather that day.




This will be a short post, greasing the tracks to get back on line and post at least short posts regularly.

Happy New Year.  (It is supposed to reach 46 F today!)

The Pier

Muscle shells dropped by gulls lodged in the pier

January

 

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Just pics

First Boat at Floating Dock - May 2017

Floating Dock Filling Up

North End Boatyard Dry Dock - June 2017

Claws' Lobster Ride - ready for tourists June 2017

Canada Geese Heading Home June 2017

Morning June 2017

Muscle shells in floating dock - dropped by gulls - June 2017

Not sure it warrants a post... but...

I guess I lived my whole life without ever making a claim under a product warranty - until a month or so ago.  And since then, I've made 2 warranty claims!  Here's how it started:

As I described in an earlier post here, back in May I traveled from Maine to Atlanta for my younger grandson's 6th birthday.  I flew on Delta and did not plan to check my bag (for which there's a $25 fee).   In fact, some 18 months before I purchased this bag on amazon.com specifically because it fits under an airplane seat and holds an unbelievable amount given its size.

I put the bag up on the belt to go through TSA's x-ray machine along with my backpack, shoes, etc., and went through myself.  At the other side, everything came out of the x-ray except this bag.  I waited.  I saw them take the bag off the conveyor and put it aside.  I waited.  Eventually the bag was handed to a TSA agent who had just finished hand-searching through someone else's bag.  I figured it was just a random thing.

I came over and said it was my bag.  The agent said he had to go through it, it appeared there was something "metallic" in it.  The bag has metal bars running through the back that lift out for a handle and I figured it was that.  Anyway, I was fine with him hand-searching it.  He began going through it. He had to take everything out, and still found nothing.  I pointed out that the nylon liner has a zipper he could unzip to get to the actual case.  He did that.  He still found nothing inside the bag.  Then he explained that there appeared to be something wedged in the actual outside "skin" of the bag.  He showed me a slight lump that you could feel with your hand.  It was definitely there.  Then he showed me the actual x-ray.  On the x-ray it clearly appeared that there was some sort of knife - possibly like a box-cutter or exacto knife actually wedged between the 2-layers of the bag's "skin."  But unless you cut through the "skin," you couldn't actually get to the "knife."

He called over a supervisor.  They went through the whole thing again.  The supervisor said he had seen this type of thing once before, with an LL Bean bag - apparently a worker had dropped some sort of tool into the half-made bag during production and the tool had been sealed inside the bag.  I offered to let them cut it out but they didn't want to harm the bag.  In the end, the supervisor let me travel with the bag.  He said since he couldn't get to the "knife," he didn't think anyone else could either during the flight.

Once in Atlanta I considered cutting the bag "skin" to get to the "knife" but decided I wanted to be able to return it for a replacement under a warranty claim.  However, I had to fly back from Atlanta to Maine and I had no confidence that TSA in a crowded busy airport like Atlanta would take the time to see what was what and let me take the bag on the plane.  So I paid $25 to check it.

When I got back to Maine I contacted amazon.com who referred me to the manufacturer, Travelon.  I called them and explained the situation.  A knife inside of a bag specifically advertised for its ability to be carried onto airplanes!  The company rep sent me an email detailing the information they needed to process the warranty claim.  I also offered to send back the defective bag, and they sent me a label to do that.  Lo and behold - a week or so later, I received a new bag.  As far as I can tell, it doesn't include a spare "knife."

A couple of weeks later, my beloved Stanley travel mug (which I use every single day to carry coffee on my morning walks with Ella) let me down - the flip top that closes the screw-on lid broke off - and embolden by my first successful warranty claim, I contacted Stanley, sent them the information they needed, and lo and behold - a new screw on top for my mug appeared in the mail.

Who knew that there still exist companies that stand by their products?  How much longer will this be true?

Peace.

Alewives ... the photos

Do you know about Alewives?   See below from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of Maine:

I am posting this because of some beautiful photographs posted on Facebook by a neighbor and former Rockland City Councilman and Mayor, Larry Pritchett.  To me these are some of the most beautiful photographs I've ever seen.  Nature as art.  And with due credit to Larry, I share two of Larry's photos with friends here:

Peace.