Today’s Lunch – 3rd July 2019

Published July 3, 2019 by helentastic67

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

Why oh, why oh, why……must my brain hurt so very much? I seem to have two weeks of migraine-free before it returns for the other two weeks every month. I’m thinking it’s completely crazy-lady hormone related. Also have had a few way too busy weeks lately.

Thankfully, had a day at home yesterday and to come planning since it’s a bit on the nippy side in Melbourne.

Oh, here’s some good news, I received the results for a test. Negative, which is what you want in this case although I’ve never had a problem with my 2-yearly test and while at one point, my female GP who I see for this test only at one point used the words “I’ve lost my thing!” I informed her they were the words no-one wanted to hear and even better, this test is now only every 5 years. If anyone missed what I’m talking about? I’m talking about woman’s health. Friendly reminder, go get your pap smear.

Now back to normal programming. Today’s offering, it’s the breakfast of champions. A custard donut with medicine.

I had a rough start with my migraine. Breakfast was postponed. But here’s a little street art/graffiti close to where I get stabbed.

Cheers,
H

Sleep

Published July 1, 2019 by helentastic67

Sleep

I feel I’ve had a lifetime of sleep deficit, because I’m always trying to catch up. Sleep! Sleep! Sleep! Never enough, but it’s also somewhere (bed, anyway) where you think it’s the most comfortable place to be. Except if your only disability is depression. (Not discrediting the darkness is depression, however) Get up, move around.

So, for me going to bed to sleep is pure heaven, until, but wait.

For those older (I didn’t say old) I said older and more traditional stroke, it might require two people (cheers) to roll them over partway through the night. I can’t comment too much about that, as thankfully it hasn’t been my experience.

Early day’s I gave up my flannelette sheets, I think the first winter. HARSH. But necessary as I refused to give up my flannel PJ’s because when I rollover it’s like Velcro. The top sheet would get stuck to my PJ’s and covers would just go with me and a cool breeze would go down my back.

There was a lesson I learned pretty early on and I have only had to be reminded another two times. Try this, lie on your back and roll over to one side, as you do it, try to single out and remember all the parts of your body you utilize to roll over.

Now, what happens with your arms?

Allow me to tell you what happens with my left arm when I roll over, say to my right side, my left arm will fall behind my back, which is more than a little unpleasant. Because I can’t reach behind me to grab my left arm to pull it to the front. I literally have to roll back over onto my back, onto my arm even and I almost have to keep rolling to sit up over the edge of the bed to get my arm back in front of me.

Are you feeling my pain yet? No? Ok, let me next level it for you. In the early days of my disability, I fell over at the front of my house. My left foot got caught behind a post (a supporting post) of my front fence at the terrace house I was renting. I went down like a sack of (shit) potatoes and I smashed my head against the side of the wall and my left shoulder.

Behind me the screen door was closed, the front door open and down the hallway in the lounge was my mum. She heard the meowing I let out and came down, by the time she got to me, I had levered myself up onto the fence and noticed across the street, the creepy-but nice dude in the public housing flats on his balcony. He had seen me fall and I could tell he was concerned and was contemplating coming to help me. I gave him a wave to tell him I was OK. Mum appeared at the door “what have you done?” she demanded.

Have I mentioned my mum is NOT my Italian parent, yet this is how she responded, I know she cares and the noise I let out was just awful, pain and surprise, all rolled into one.

Now, in short, my left shoulder (to this day) mum is angry that it’s dislocated and no one wants to put it back in. Officially it’s not dislocated, but it kinda is. If I’d hit my right shoulder, it would be dislocated, but my left one has the muscle tone of an old worn elastic band. So, when I hit the wall it all just move and stretched.

Again, it’s not in its kind ‘out’ but can’t be put back ‘in’ because there is no muscle tone to hold it back in place. I’ve seen a private shoulder specialist who said he could ‘fix it’ (I imagine Frankenstein and bolts) but, he said I would have ‘other’ issues across my back.

So, when I ‘forget’ my arm, when I roll over and end up lying on it even briefly, it twists just a little in my shoulder, making it a little extra ‘special’.

Every single time I go to roll over to my right side, I grab my left arm at the wrist and bring that arm with me taking it in comfortably in front on me for safe-keeping.

Generally, every morning I’ll get a little bit of sleep on my left side and it’s very comfortable, well from the belly button down, my left arm I have to straight-jacket down my other arm so it doesn’t creep up every time I yawn.

Oh yeah that, when I yawn, it’s an involuntary thing, all the muscles in my face (cheek) neck, shoulder all tighten up and my left arm comes up, my hand flares open and it is kinda weird, but I digress, when I even briefly sleep on my left shoulder when I get up and sit on the edge of the bad, I have my left shoulder click back into place.

So sleep Blessed sleep Yeah.

And don’t forget the T.O.S. (Thorasic Outlet Syndrome)

I generally wake up several times each night with a numb right hand or pins and needles, which is part of Carpel Tunnel Syndrome and it takes a bit of upright and moving around to have these symptoms to disappear. But it’s just another thing to add to the list.

Please like and share

Apartment Living Past

Published June 28, 2019 by helentastic67

Apartment Living Past

Definitely time to throw in a post about apartment living. Late 2017 I moved into an apartment. It’s my fourth move since my diagnosis back in 2007. While I’ve not done any big distances between each place I’ve lived, this is the most ‘new-build’ I’ve ever been in. The last place was a unit, my address was Unit 1 at 111. No really, it was a great number to live in. It was only two minutes drive from where I now reside. That move was prompted by ‘sleazy’ landlord concerns. Because he just didn’t get it, he could not put his hands ‘ON’ me and tell me he loved me and wanted to have sex with me.

Did you, just throw up a little in your mouth? Exactly! So, I digress, apologies.

Apartment Living.

I have a carer every morning, maybe only for an hour, to an hour and a half and I keep them busy with tasks while I’m in the shower, doing a few dishes, putting buckets of water out on the balcony for my plants or taking down my rubbish and recycling. On Sunday morning my carer came into the bathroom and I polished a circle near my face on the shower screen door, so she could see my face.

This is what I said to her; “While you were out, I TOOK a call from S blocks that way. Stop slamming the door” She asked if I’d really received a call?

The apartment doors are rather heavy, I guess it’s for good security and sound proofing. I can’t hear what’s happening next door. Well, they might hear me, but my surround sound died, so it may no longer be an issue for them. But I often hear laughing and people running past my door to the lift and I really wish they would stop.

Today’s Lunch – 26th June 2019

Published June 26, 2019 by helentastic67

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

Well, this week has been so crazy! Let me tell you in photo form.
Monday! Osteo….

If we didn’t have churches great architectural features would be lost. Hope I get to the Notre-Dame one day! What? I might get there one day? I didn’t see the Sistine Chapel when I was in Rome back in 1994. It’s not even funny, but I always figured it meant I would go again. Right?

I digress, Tuesday, I provided the catering for an event for BIM the self-advocacy group I’m a part of. Basically, did the hunter/gathering, bought the cards, got everyone to write in them. Might get a little career being the buyer for people seeking cool birthday cards. Got an amazing cake for our lovely admin’s birthday! Here is a photo I got before it was almost gone! (#: Another reason Hellonwheels cannot do Insta)

Then, with many steps on my smart phone and minus any medicine. I was home, changed, make-up on and ready to be scooped up Foran event at the (wait for it) Government House Melbourne. It really is spectacular! The invite stated dinner and an upcoming post with better detail the issues with a dress code. But, in short, it’s a challenge for me to find something deemed ‘Appropriate You will see some pictures with me doing ‘Appropriate if you look closely.

Wednesday is looming as I write this. Another crazy day ahead and no sign I’ll get to Clifton Hill to my favourite cafe. No sign I’ll have lunch before this post goes live.

To be continued………………OK, I had lunch but it wasn’t photo-worthy.

Cheers,
H

Retirement

Published June 24, 2019 by helentastic67

Retirement

I have a term for my form of retirement. It’s bullshit retirement where I’m poor, I’m underpaid, I have no holidays, no grandchildren to tend or husband (Yes, I’ve always wanted one, but it just hasn’t happened) and despite being retired, my week is pretty full.

In a perfect week, this is what my diary looks like:

Monday- Shrink, Medicare (the other bank) Osteo, admin, emails, blogging, brain training, bed.

Tuesday – Remedial, GP, admin, emails, blogging, sleep.

Wednesday – Chiropractor, acupuncture, blogging, admin, emails, some self-advocacy, sleep.

Thursday – Cleaning at home, data entry, admin, emails, sleep. At this point you might be thinking ‘What’s with all the sleep?’ You need sleep every night. I seem to these days and I get to bed so late and it’s noisy and I get woken up over and over again. I’m just impressed I’ve banished the afternoon kip during the week.

Friday – a carer for shopping where we get all the hunter/gathering done, any extra shopping I need, any serious cooking as a one-off for the week. Admin, brain training and emails.

Saturday and Sunday – I try to go off-grid on the weekend. No emails, no social media, no mobile phone. Note, I used the word ‘try’ I can’t let it slide completely or else Monday, I would have too much to catch up on.

Over the whole week with phone calls to keep all the balls in the air (euphemism for juggling) emails/calls to keep my home in working order.

Start everyday with a personal carer for one – one and half hours, so I can leave the house fresh and presentable to be seen in public. End most days taking washing off the racks on my balcony and then often having to hang the washing on other racks inside to complete drying, unpack/repack dishwasher process the mail and bills that come in, pay the bills or schedule when I can afford to pay them, order products to keep my independence needs next. This is why I try (there’s that word again) to go off-grid on the weekends.

Weekends are for sleeping, eating, watching TV, sleeping some more, then on a Saturday night forcing myself to do absolutely nothing by putting on a film where all of my attention is taken up by single tasking. Do you get ‘Single tasking’ is a dirty word to me?

All the balls don’t stay in the air by single tasking and if some of these things seem a bit of a luxury and that I’m super lucky. They are not. All of these things need to happen like clockwork, so I maintain at least the level of independence I have now and preferably no less.

Oh, there are also the once a month committee meetings or the ‘other’ bi-monthly committee meetings I participate in to give life meaning. It’s getting monotonous, there aren’t many exciting things to look forward to.

Oh, did we notice an absence of three regular meals a day? Yeah, I prepare in advance back-up breakfasts I can pack and have on the go, on trams, trains or have lunch at 5pm, when I get home. It’s not a great plan, but it’s what it is.

I would have been happy to work until 70 because it would have meant I would have been able to and I would have a decent comfortable standard of living and life.

Hence, my term a ‘Bullshit form of retirement’.

Daisy

Published June 21, 2019 by helentastic67

Daisy

Because I can’t help but mix it up a little, I’m not suffering OCD however, I am likely to circle back to other topics. Today’s post is about when people are in our lives for a reason, season or a lifetime.

So, once upon a time I worked at a large environmental company as an admin. Don’t get excited, I wasn’t an OH&S officer (that’s short for Occupational Health and Safety) let’s call her Daisy.

Whenever someone had an injury in the office, even so much as a paper cut and someone called out that they had hurt themselves, someone would call out “Daisy!” even though she was not located anywhere near us.

Rumour was, if you got a paper cut, she would bring you a tube of cream and I suspect she did a regular stocktake of the bandaids in the tearoom first aid. Paper cuts, big problem in admin, should qualify for hazard pay or just BYO bandaids.

However, at the time my boyfriend who lived with me, also worked at the same place as an Environmental Scientist. He was far more qualified in his work. But at home, Daisy followed us everywhere. If in the backyard I would be hanging my washing on the line, the garden hose curled out across the concrete, creating a delightful tripping hazard. One of us would generally call out “Daisy” and then we would share a little chuckle.

Daisy was a bit of a joke in the office. You all get her name was not Daisy, don’t you? Because one day on ‘site’ there was a gate to enter a site and Daisy had gone out to check on the ‘safety’ of the job. I suspect it was a disused petrol station or some such, which is what my ex worked on or ‘whatever’. Daisy should have parked outside the gate and entered carefully on foot or better yet parked and called out for the guys to escort her on to the site. But NO, apparently, she drove in and proceeded to drive all over the site.

But with the absence of the ex or the other people that were in my life at that time, the “OH&S chant “Daisy” has gone. Sadly….

I’ll share some more soon.

Today’s Lunch – 19th June 2019

Published June 19, 2019 by helentastic67

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

Happily back at my familiar lunch spot this week. The roadworks on tram route is over for now, I rang the PTV to learn they have started the accessible tram stops. Thank Fuck! As last week I almost managed to get myself killed. Or at least dragged along beside a bus! You can stay tuned for the long version of that one, sorry.

I’ve just sent my next 40 posts to Noelle. Still so much to catch up on.

Another hectic week so far. Throw in a massage, a migraine by 2, a pre-dinner kip, midnight dinner. A quick half day in the city for admin and chores. This little duck I gave Caroline and how she has used it?

I thought it would remind her of a great You tube clip of a comedian talking about…….maybe just watch.

Also went out for din dins with a friend previously mentioned as my Gay Silver Fox and his husband! Cos that isn’t rubbing it in. Finally got to Giro D’Italia where I had this amazing Gnocchi with beef ragout and Tiramisu. They would not help me eat and again reasons why Hellonwheels cannot do Insta, I forgot to get a photo!

And finally, today’s lunch, Pancetta quiche with side salad and my medicine.

My Kitchen, My Way

Published June 17, 2019 by helentastic67

My Kitchen, My Way

One thing that is a particular challenge being one handed, is how my kitchen is set up. I think I’ve moved four times since my diagnosis and every time I’ve moved since my disability, my mum has been there for at least a week after helping me set up. It’s very important for my kitchen to be unpacked before she goes, she makes that a goal before she will depart, knowing I will get the rest sorted in time.

It’s equally important for me to be part of the sorting of the kitchen. Mum will shove all my oven trays in a cupboard to get them put away, but it’s some time before I get back to it, so I can see/feel/manage what’s in there. What I need to use regularly and put the items I rarely use somewhere else.

Last week I tasked one of my carers to get out a muffin tray and after she swore and carried on, I got up to help. As long as the carers aren’t swearing at me and I’m not swearing at them, it’s fine.

Crazy People

Published June 14, 2019 by helentastic67

Crazy People

Now before anyone jumps up and down about the heading, just wait. I have again completed another Neuropsych test and I like to say ‘Neuropsych test’ not just for crazy people. The term ‘Crazy People’ predates the whole politically correctness, this and it often referred to people who were schizophrenic or other equally awful serious infliction’s.

However, I digress a neuropsych test is literally a series of tests, verbal, that help work out how well your brain works. If you think of your brain like a filing cabinet, different parts manage different tasks, artistic, creative, problem solving, decision making, etc, etc.

One of the first tests (without giving too much away) is with numbers and you need to keep in mind the woman doing the test speaks in a calm, quiet, monotone, unemotional tone.

She gives me two figures, let me give you an example: 1, 4
I repeat back to her 1, 4.
Sounds easy, right?
Then the number of digits increases to three, then four, then five, etc.
Still OK, right?
Then she gives you numbers and you have to reverse them. The first example, again 1,4.
Answer 4, 1.
Then she increases the amount again.
Note: I’m not giving you a cheat sheet here, if you are ever required to do one, however.
Then she gives you a random collection of digits and you have to put them in order of value.
For example: 2, 5, 7, 8, 1, 6.
Answer: 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8.
Don’t try this at home!

The woman who delivers the test and comes to her findings, has qualifications. I say woman, because I’ve never had a man deliver this test, finally a test that doesn’t include needles and feeling like I’m being punched in the head from the inside.

It is a test, however that is rather mentally fatiguing. If I don’t finish with a migraine, I usually need a kip afterwards.

Diagnosis – Not Crazy

Today’s Lunch – 12th June 2019

Published June 12, 2019 by helentastic67

Today’s Lunch

Good Mental Health Day

Firstly an apology to anyone that may have been looking forward to my Monday post. We had a public holiday and it makes me smile a little that Noelle forgot to do a post. She said that it felt like Sunday and I confess to say Tuesday was a harsh return to the norm. Off to the city for the monthly committee meeting, a meeting that always leaves me with a migraine. Spent an extra few hours there with some help from Amy at VATT. (my bad. Voice at The Table) I am applying to sit on another committee board. To be continued.

Left after 4pm, realised how tired I was on the way to the train station at Flinders Street. Caught a train to Clifton hill where I normally change to a tram. There where roadworks everywhere! Eventually, a younger guy directed me to a replacement bus stop as there was no one else around and my eyesight did not help me. It was getting cooler and getting towards dusk. (Have I mentioned I can’t see in the dark?) Also lost two of my regular carers today. Sad. I just lost two friends. Eventually, after a bus ride home in peak hour traffic I arrived at my destination safely.
No migraine but can’t really feel my left leg.

Despite my day not going as I had planned, and things being more challenging than I had expected, I still had a better day than a few others.

Today, sending love and respect to a friend Christie who is grieving. You are in my thoughts and to my lovely administrator Noelle. To whom is responsible for the memes we all love, whose day was well above mine on the level of shitty not that I was complaining. On the upside(barely) a parcel is on its way to Noelle today! It’s got a little of this in it.

So, to Christie and Noelle. You both win! Your days sucked more than mine!

Not prepared to navigate the no tram bus after my favourite lunch location to get to acupuncture on the way home my Girl Wednesday and I found a more local place. So, today’s offering, fish and chips. Or as I prefer fush n chups! We had lunch in Fairfield today for convenience.