Showing posts with label #arthritis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #arthritis. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Rainy Days, Achy Joints, and Muses by Konnie Enos


 

Monday morning, I woke up craving pancakes. Now since I am diabetic, I don’t have pancakes very often. It had been months since the last time so I decided it would be okay to have some that day.

Now most people nowadays get their pancakes by ordering them at the nearest restaurant (fast food place) that serves them. Or they get a package of Eggos or Bisquick, whichever one they feel they have the time and energy for.

Me? I got out the recipe book and started gathering ingredients. Flour, sugar, salt, etcetera. I didn’t even get out a mixer but stirred them by hand.

When it came time to cook them my daughter and I discussed which pan we would use. Our largest frying pan is my cast iron. It’s only about ten years old so we still season it regularly. My daughter keeps it in pristine condition. It was already on the stove, so I just used that.

Once it was warmed up and prepped for cooking, I poured four nice round pancakes into the pan. While they cooked, I set about getting some eggs cooked to go with my pancakes.

Then I went to turn my four beautiful pancakes.

They stuck horribly. In the middle of trying to flip them, I realized I’d been standing too long. I had to sit down, and Melinda had to help me rescue the stuck pancakes. I found another pan to cook the rest of them in.

The pancakes turned out fine, though those first four were a mess. And if you are wondering, I only ate two, and both without syrup.

What wasn’t fine was my back.

Normally, when I stand for too long, I would sit, and rest, for roughly at least as long as I’d been standing to give my back a rest. That didn’t work on Monday.

After I’d eaten, I went to my bed where I could be more comfortable.

While I was sitting there, I was fine, but the minute I had to get up I could feel it. In my back and hips, even my knees. I didn’t just strain my back. My arthritis was acting up. Going to the bathroom, which isn’t that far from my bed, I was a stooped-over, little old lady, unable to straighten up all the way. I wasn’t in excruciating pain. Just enough to know I didn’t want to move much or far.

So, I was sitting in my bed, complaining about aching joints and being unable to walk when my husband mentioned that his arthritic shoulder was hurting. It was then I began to suspect that my issues were more than just strained my back. So, I talked to my son, who also has arthritis, how he was doing. He loves to complain so he had no problem mentioning that his feet hurt more than usual. I’m sure we weren’t the only people feeling the shift in the weather in our joints.

Once I realized I was miserable and in no mood to get out of bed, I remembered that Jerry and I had plans for the evening. Going out in the rain is one thing, but doing so when you hurt just trying to move? Yeah, not fun.

I opted to stay home and rest instead. And I did feel somewhat better on Tuesday. Not perfect. I still had some joint pain, but I could walk normally. The rain is supposed to let up after today so hopefully my remaining aches will let up soon.

On the bright side, somehow through all of this, I managed to spark my muse enough to at least work on my fantasy for a few hours. Mostly, I just read and edited the first eight chapters, but I have some ideas for fixing some things going forward now.

Though, those weren’t my only options for spending a lazy day in bed.

I could have worked on a couple of cross-stitches I have. There is also the fact I have crochet hooks, knitting needles, and knitting looms with enough skeins of yarn to keep me busy producing useful things for months.

Or I could have just picked up a good book, or two. I have piles of them including the nine new ones I got for Christmas and have yet to even crack the binding.

I didn’t do any of that. What I did was get lost down the rabbit hole. Somehow, whenever I open Facebook, I manage to think I’ve only been on for a few minutes when it’s been hours.

I don’t suppose I’m the only one who spends too much time on social media.

Smile. Make the day a brighter day.