Monday 3rd December 2007
A long time since the last offering. We had a week in Canada and met an old friend. Travelled through the Rockies and were awestruck. Delighted in Vancouver and fell in love with Vancouver Island, especially its little capital, Victoria, which is a beautiful collection of buildings and the sense of timeless ease surrounds the town.Second session of treatment for the aktinic keratosis began immediately upon our return. I knew what to expect, but it still caused considerable 'discomfort.' I'm waiting until March 2008 before starting the third session of treatment.
I was laid low (horizontal) by severe pain that we believed was kidney stone(s). After a week of unremitting pain I was rushed into hospital and had the surgeons delving everywhere to ascertain the cause. Any hernia, swellings, 'lumps!!' ?
X-Rays, scans, more x-rays and more scans eventually revealed "Nothing sinister." After a week the diagnosis was that the abductor tendon was inflamed with the added problem of an extra spur of bone growing just beneath a part of it. A bit like pushing a needle through a thick piece of stretched elastic. Total bedrest for 3 weeks and a long, slow, period of recovery were prescribed. "Walk slowly, walk straight, walk short distances. Rest often."
The painkillers are just strong enough to take the edge off the pain. I don't want to 'mask' the pain completely, because that fools the patient into thinking that there is no damage being done. I learnt that fact several years ago and paid the price. I'm gradually decreasing the level of the pain killer and finding a 'cold turkey' effect. I expected this to happen. It's like coming off morphine after major surgery. You're glad of the pain relief, in fact, any pain relief at the time, but you have to come down from the high level of dosage, which is not easy.
I haven't written any prose for ages and it worries me. I'm not getting the 'highs' of B.A.D., although it must be said that I'm not getting the really bad 'lows' of B.A.D., either. I want to let the words flood out of my mental gate, but I can't sense any build up of verbage behind the gate.
posted by john @ 10:40 am
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