Maggsbunny

I don’t think I’ll sleep tonight. Why is this the first time I have heard about this and this? I mean, I know it’s reached epidemic proportions, but this is madness.

The last couple of years I haven’t exactly been green, but I have been developing an environmental conscience, if you will. Recently, I’ve started recycling where I can. I just feel we’re not doing enough, though. There needs to be HUGE steps taken. Recycling needs to become a massive industry. We have to stop making plastic and try and use the stuff we have already created. Plastic is man’s Frankinstein’s Monster.

When we go to the supermarket and buy fresh veg, it comes packaged on a polystyrene tray and wrapped in cling-wrap. Why this is, I don’t know. It certainly doesn’t prolong the shelf-life of the product. And as soon as we get home, the packaging is discarded, anyway. It serves no actual purpose, except to pollute the environment even more.

I’m getting myself quite worked up as I sit here typing, but it’s because I feel scared. Have we gone too far, or can we ever turn this thing around again???

Not really, no.

I don’t think my body’s taking to the new medicine that well. My feet are feeling number than they were before I started. Certainly not better, anyway. I hardly slept at all last night. My hip was aching, my legs and feet were numb and creeping me out, and worst of all, I kept twitching as I was on the verge of sleep. That’s the only way I can think to describe it. Sort of like an involuntary jerk, but not the sort you get when you start awake just as you’re dropping off. This kept happening after I woke up. Almost like when you’re shivering uncontrollably, but I was getting really hot. It’s the most horrible feeling. I’ve had this symptom before, and I hate it! The last time I had it was months ago. Like, January.

It never happens during the day, only at night to freak me out a bit.

Now I have to wonder if it’s related at all to the homeopathic drops, or is it just a coincidence? I want to give the meds at least a week’s trial to give it a chance before I completely diss it.

Knew I should have gone with the Tarentula! :-p

Just got back from town. I got my drops from the homeopath. No tarentula stock though. (Bit relieved actually Instead, he gave me, with my regular gelsemium and hypericum for the optic neuritis, a dash of secale, also said to be great for numbness, or to use its more scientific name, paresthesis.

Not only that, but secale helps for bladder issues, (yay) and, get this, (word for word off website) violent pain in back, especially around the sacral area. I tell you, I nearly passed out from glee.

Yes, so I had my first dose about a half hour ago, and I swear, my feet are already feeling less numb. It could be all in my head, I’ll concede that point, but frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn. Whatever works, hey?!

Back pain has refused to budge. I guess it will take more than one dose for that sucker to call it a day, ha ha. 

I think my homeopath must think I’m very cheeky. I actually phone up with a take-away order for any homeopathic medicine I want. But why should I pay R125 just to go and sit there and tell him what I want. I know by now what works for me. And boy, do those drops that I take for my optic neuritis work! It occurred to me to try out homeopathic remedies for some of my other symptoms. Like the numbness. My feet and legs are still disturbingly numb, but I decided that it is just not reason enough to have IV cortisone. (Esp. as I’m about to celebrate 7 months off the stuff). But there’s no reason why I can’t try out a naturopathic quick-fix. Might just work. I’m quite excited!! There’s one that is  made from actual Tarentula. As in, the spider! Creepy, but if it works I just don’t care. I’ll update on this soon and let y’all know if it is working at all.

I laughed so much this morning. Michael was busy on the computer, and I was in the bathroom, getting ready to go to the gym. We were having a conversation, as the two rooms are alongside one another. I walked out of the bathroom and into the computer room, with my pajama bottoms on, and nothing on top, except a towel hung very strategically around my neck, covering up what needed to be covered. This was purely because M has an unfortunate habit of swivelling the computer chair ’round and pulling the curtains open, so that all and sundry can see into the room. I know this, so don’t take any chances of flashing a passerby in the street.

“Why are you covering everything up?” he teased me. “Why so coy all of a sudden?”

“Because someone keeps pulling the curtains open,” I returned.

There was silence for a while as he continued typing. Then he said again (because he hadn’t been listening to me), “Why you being so coy? That ship has sailed a long time ago.” He paused for a moment, then said, “The Coy-tanic”. He looked pleased with himself at that.

So I said kindly, “Or maybe you mean the Tit-anic.” Geddit? Tit. Anic.

We fell about laughing for a while at that, because it was so silly. M told me that I can also be funny once or twice in my life. (High praise).

Then I ruined it by saying that I couldn’t believe he’d let that one go pie. I couldn’t decide between past and by, so said ‘pie’, which made us laugh even more. Such a pleasant way to start the day, with a great big endorphin-releasing laugh.

And seeing as we’re on the subject of misplaced humour, let me share this wee gem of a joke that I found this morning:

It seems an old fisherman stumbled across a talking frog while
out fishing one day.

The frog said: “I’ll turn into a ravishing beauty and fulfill
your every desire, if only you’ll kiss me.” The fisherman scooped
up the frog and put him in his pocket.

Later on, at a bar, he pulled the frog out and set the frog next
to his beer. When the bartender overheard the frog repeat the
offer, he asked the fisherman what he was waiting for.

The fisherman replied:

“At my age, I’d rather have a talking frog.”

Feels real good! End score of 15-6 in SA’s favour. Not a single try was scored by either side, and Habana was a marked man, so no record of most tries in a world cup for him

It was still a convincing win for SA. A tough game, though, because the teams were pretty well-matched.

But now the Ellis trophy is back where it belongs

The good news: The pain has moved out of my back.

The bad news: It has moved into my right hip.

That’s right. I have nomadic pain. Not weird at all. Still, it’s not too bad in the hip. Frankly, I prefer it there.

South Africa is in a Rugby Frenzy!!! Just green and gold where you look. The RWC Final is tonight at 9pm. Why that is, I don’t know. France is hosting, and their time is not so different from ours. Why would they make one of the sporting highlights of the year at such a time? Not to worry though, we will still be watching, and cheering on our boys against England. M and I will be going to watch the game at my parents’. There will be a late braai at 7pm, with the main event of the rugby at 9. With any luck, we will be driving home in a highly celebratory mood.

Good luck to the Springbokke!!!

I was toying with the idea of not going gymming today. My muscles are still pretty strained. But eventually I decided I’d better go. I got into the pool very gingerly, and swam the first 10 lengths hardly moving my legs. I was the only one in the pool and I was hardly rippling the water. I felt all stealthy, like an alligator up to no good, my nostrils just skimming the surface.

When I thought the whole works were sufficiently warmed up, I started swimming normally, and did a further 22 lengths. I’ve been walking very carefully since, and so far so good. The muscles are feeling better and the joint is officially in its socket! Yay!! Long may it stay that way.

I have learnt a thing or two from the yogalates, and one of them is that strong core muscles support one’s back. So as of today, I’m making sure my abs take some of the strain that my lower back has been taking. Also concentrating on my posture, and on not walking like a duck. That should help things along greatly…

We are having fantastic rains here. I’m feeling very guilty being online while there is lightning, though. Everytime it strikes, I cringe. It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve lost a modem like that, I’d better get off. It was on tv a while ago that SA has far and away the most strikes (as in lightning strikes) in the world. I think one even has to take out special ‘lightning’ insurance for modems/ decoders etc, as the regular insurance doesn’t cover it. Everyone has a my-modem-got-struck-by-lightning story.  

Re: previous post, let me just very speedily point out that the mystery ailment was/ is PMS. Not anything else starting with a ‘P’, which I didn’t even think of. Believe me, the day I am pregnant, I will not be announcing it that casually! And unless I want to be in trouble, I will not let family find out by randomly reading my blog. No n’ no.

Other than that, let me just say, ‘tra-la-la’. My back is feeling so much better! The pain is ‘backing’ off. Ha ha. Oh, it’s still in the ‘back’ground, (couldn’t resist), but I can handle minor pain quite well. In fact, I’d go so far as to say I’m ‘back’ to my old self. (Okay, I’ll stop now).

But, I’m really going to put my ‘back’ into making sure it doesn’t happen again. (Ha ha, I lied). Seriously though, I’m going to do what it takes. If I have to do Yoga twice a day, so be it. Stretching exercises? Consider it done. Biokinetics/ physio? Worth a try. And lots and lots of swimming.

Sjoe, but severe back-pain is completely debilitating. The only thing that wasn’t affected was my ability to whinge! As it is, I did less than nothing yesterday, but my back does feel the better for it. I just feel like a whole better person now.

I do feel mildlly sheepish about the mini-pack-out I did on my blog yesterday. I just want to point out to my blog-readers (of which there were 43 yesterday, apparently) that I am not half as whingy in real life. Genuine. Ask anyone that knows me, and they’ll tell you I’m quite sunny on a good day. It works like this: my friends and casual acquaintances know I have MS, but I don’t talk about it much to them, except maybe to mention that I’m on trial meds that are working for me, if they ask. Then there are close family members, who have to listen to my MS-capades probably a bit more than they’d actually like to, but I still don’t go into doom and gloom when I feel badly. Then there is my blog, my therapy, where it all goes to keep me sane. Much cheaper than a shrink and twice as effective, don’tcha know?

And once a month, like clockwork, there is a depro, poor-me post. Some women get bitchy and snappy, I get weepy and sorry for myself. When I was younger, it was the same, only it was free-floating and I didn’t have a tangible excuse for a pity-party. Now I do, it’s as simple as that.

I read on Tertia’s blog that her husband’s asshole-ishness coincides exactly with her menstrual cycle. Ha ha. I made the mistake of telling this to Michael, and he has adopted it as his personal excuse for irritating me when I have PMS. And btw it is him that is more irritating. It couldn’t possibly be me-eee

I am so freakin’ predictable. Also a big sissy-girl’s blouse. Okay, who can guess what’s been at the root of my “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?” act? C’mon, you’ll kick yourself when you hear it.

Lemme give you a clue. It starts with a P…

On the plus side, I have managed, in the midst of all the whinging, to stick to my guns re: diet. With the exception of one delicious piece of cake. Not strictly my fault though. Can I help it if people send me irresistable cake [thanks, guys! ] My poor back has been way too sore to negotiate the stairs all the time, so Michael is bringing me food. And he brought cake.

I am on a complete strike at the mo (note: not hunger strike). I am doing as little as possible, alternating between playing on the computer and (mostly) lying on the bed, thinking healing-back thoughts and listening to Johnny Cash.

Tomorrow I’m going for a gentle swim to try and ease out the knots. I have enormoous sympathy for people with back-ache, by the way. It is so debilitating. You can’t/ don’t want to do anything!