The 3 mo dip

Hi gang, dont know if it was a coincidence or not, but last wk was bad for several days in a row.  I also had been crawling around the floor, cutting 10 yd of fabric to make cotton jersey sheets.  (My skin is hyper sensitive; i can only wear certain clothes too).  The colors are "too wild" for my button-down husband.

So ive been returning to life; it takes more & more to do too much, which results in nausea.  But i have to test the waters.

Then, last night i got bit by a baby snake.  I didnt think much about it--i was already taking oxycontin--but the pain woke me up in the middle of the night.  It must indeed be painful for the "avg person" (but not the chiarian).  No one would see me today, & i was told to go to the ER.  My first outing by myself!

I learned that if you're not seen w/in a few hr of the bite, theres nothing they can do; just keep looking at it.  Why didnt they know this at triage?!!  I was given instructions for wound care & released--my temp wasnt even taken.
I can just imagine how much this will cost.
Argh
I hope everyone is doing well.

[selmaS]

  Hey stranger.....what the heck kind of snake was it for goodness sake....yikes....seems there r Drs all over that have little knowledge of  many things...not just chiari...huh?

  I know u want to get back to a "normal" life, but lifting 10 yrds of fabric let alone crawling on the floor to cut it at 3 months post op when many of the symptoms may return is not the best of ideas....do u have a friend u can instruct on how to do this while u supervise?


try to take it easy and keep us posted on that snake bite : )

[Viva001]

I had already made 2 sheets on 2 separate occasions, so why not 2 sheets on ONE occasion?  So the mind works.

I live in the woods; i know a lot of what there is to know about nature trying to kill me or give me a rash.  It could have been a copperhead, but any snake bite will hurt.  The bite is so small that i was met w/skepticism that it even was a snake bite.
Yes it *could* be bad, but after 11 yr of living in the woods, this is my first bite.  MY fault:  i should not have been weeding, and Should have been wearing gloves!

Sadly, the woman checking me out told me how a local man w/a young family is totally disabled from west nile virus.  Even a bad copperhead bite doesn't do that.

[selmaS]

  Well I am a camper and have not had the occasion to come close to a copperhead and I know they r poisonous....keep in mind u just had surgery so ur immune system may not be up to pare....

Take it easy and  keep an eye on that bite and pay attention to symptoms.

I only want to caution u on over doing it....it can really bite u harder then that snake did....u r still on strong meds for 3 months post op and could be y u feel up to doing what u r, but once u r off those meds u may not be able to do what u r trying to do now....so slow down a little....

[tink_0427]

This past week was hard for me as well...no snake bite (Thank God!) I am petrified of snakes!
I had more pain this week then I had before...I honestly think my body is just starting to feel the surgery...it's made me take it easier which is probably what I should have been doing initially!

[Viva001]

I think crocheting or knitting is probably an ideal activity to do while recovering, but I can't do either of those.  My local fabric store will cut up pillow case size fabric, but I ordered the jersey online.

I was so bored last week that I built a cat tower out of liquor & wine boxes, lol.

I am really doing well for the most part; I do "get bit" periodically, but that point keeps getting farther away.  I'm taking meds only periodically--have to experiment with that too.  If I were younger, I would be looking forward to returning to work.

Btw, some snakes are venomous (spiders are poisonous), but copperheads use theirs only about 30% of the time.  The bad thing about them is that they give no warning.

[tink_0427]

I bet ur cat loved the tower!!!! Thy sounds like something I would do!!! Love it!!!
Like u I can't seem to NOT do anything...I've decided I am organizing my house...but here is how it goes:
Me: Babe, I think I wanna clean the top of the closet
DH:  So ur telling me to take everything from the top of the closet and put it on the bed for you?
Me: that's sounds like a good idea. Thanks!
(((time passed and I go through and refold and seperate into keeping, selling, donating, trashing etc.)))
Me: BABE!!!!!
DH: Are u done?
Me: Yep...
((everything thing gets put in its designated spot))
DH: okay now the bed is all cleared for u and the closet looks nice on top.
Me: Now it's time for a bit of a 'rest my eyes' session!!!

Bless my DHs heart because I would have killed me by now!!!

[Viva001]

Lucky you!  I always have to say something 3x, sometimes even 5 to get help.  My DH complained about the empty liquor boxes in his car, before I had enough to tape together.
One cat loves the play tower, one is scared of it, & one is too big (he weighs 20 lb!)

I think you have to test the waters--well, at least I do.  I try to mix it up, so that I dont hit a wall.  Or lose interest partway through something.   Even when I overdo, the consequences dont last (even though I hate, hate hate nausea).  I just dont get any satisfaction from having a spotless house.  I have to be creative and/or play.  Thats why I have 4 pets!  I just dont know what happens to adults--even my 13 yr old cat still goes crazy playing with a piece of string.

I hope you continue to improve!

[selmaS]

  U can go to utube and get step by step instructions and u can stop and re watch what u do not understand as many times as u need, that is how I made the infinity scarf on my profile pics.....I go there for instructions....this is crochet....they have beginners to more advanced....so, there r free lessons on line : )

And when it come to poison or venom to me it is the same it is not good for u so....to me that is scary...lol...

  

[Viva001]

I would like to learn.  I went to the thrift store last week & bought a skein of yarn(for $.50) to practice on.  My grandmother used to crochet blankets out of granny squares; that's a great pattern to do a little at a time.

Sewing is good, a little at a time; pillow cases are easy & really brighten up a bed.  Make nice gifts too.  I have to do something--nature is trying to kill me!

[Viva001]

I stand corrected:  spiders can be poisonous as well as venomous, so don't eat any!  :)

[selmaS]

  LMAO on the spider comment....u can rest assured I would never attempt it.

  I love to do both, my sewing machine is broken right now...not sure the problem but I can only do a straight stitch with it,..so it needs to go to the shop....in the meantime I am waiting on a loaner to be picked up and dropped off.....

Crochet is pretty easy...granny squares r easy...but it is connecting them that can drive u nuts....

I like making scarfs as they can be several patterns in one and it does not take long to do.....

I also do felting....I need new needles for that,...and new roving...some nice new colors would be fun....

And I have the Christmas stockings I made last yr, I want to add the names on them...last yr I ran out of time....lol...

[tink_0427]

I can crochet, my grandma taught me before she passed. But since surgery I have a huge problem with my hands shaking...not sure why but it does make it hard to do things. I used to love to read but my eyes aren't so great anymore since surgery. I see the Optometrist 10/9 so hopefully that too will be fixed shortly! I need it back to good before I return to work as I work on a computer all day...

[selmaS]

  It took a while after surgery b4 I was able to get back to crochet too.....I had tremors in my hands too...finding it has more to do with the EDS then Chiari....but it is better post op....and I can do it again. It just takes time till u can get back to some things...mayb u can do a little and set aside and do something else until ur hands calm down....

[Viva001]

So...... How long does this last?
(Granted Ive had some bad luck.)

[selmaS]

  At 3 months post op when u over do it , it may take time to feel better as this is when a lot of nerves tend to come back to life......we have to have patience at this point....and it depends on what u do or don't that will depend on how long a flare may last...just as b4 surgery.

I know it is not easy....BTDT.....but u will get thru this...do little things....and rest, rest, rest.....u will get past this.

[Viva001]

Thanks Selma.  Even forewarned, I didn't expect to regress so much.
I don't think the snakebite, & now having a cold, helped!  
In some ways, the cold is worse.

Careful out there, with the changing season!

[selmaS]

  No worries...and I think I need to go to this game and plan to dress in layers...it is much needed as I encouraged my nephew to change college's as it was what he felt he needed to do and he is doing well and I have yet to get to the campus....I know he will be glad I got to one game.

U just rest up....and be patient. ((hugs))