PORCH PONDERINGS

Don't Do It!!!!!

Things are still not good for the ole left paw. Pain, stiffness, mercy me. I am now doing physical therapy with it. I told the therapist yesterday I am considering chopping it off. But she was sympathetic, perhaps a bit horrified, and talked me back off that cliff. But when pain is never-ending, and there is no hope on the horizon, you do envision wacky solutions.

Of course I would never consider taking a knife or ax or machete or chain saw or whatever to my arm or hand. Would you? The end result would be even more pain and a bigger problem than now exists.

So we are doing multiple modalities. A TENS unit - electrical stimulation. Desensitizing the hand and arm - stimulation with different textures. Because what I perceive is most likely my nerves all jumbled up and firing willy-nilly. We have to retrain these nerves or they will always have this overactive response. Hmm. I am also going to make an appointment to see my old friend, Dr. Echeverri, the neurologist. He saw me through two brain surgeries. Perhaps he can help with this minor hiccup.

Roundup has been relatively calm, except for a few weeks ago. I found out there was a random shooting just a few blocks away one night. Some yahoo fired some shots at a house or truck, no one's talking, at night. I never heard this happen. Then someone at church mentioned it. So I wandered down to the Sheriff's office to a buddy I have there. She gave me some info. But, of course, she couldn't tell me much, other than they're investigating.

The ugly messy house behind us is getting cleaned up. The people in there were evicted. There have been trailer loads of trash taken out. Appliances sit outside. Furniture sits outside. No trespassing signs all around. Mercy. I pray any new tenants are not as messy.

It's been quite a bit warmer. Temps now in the 40's and 50's. From those lows in the -40's. What a swing! But at least all the snow has melted. Makes walking much easier, since we still don't have a car of our own. And what a drag that is....