Tag: Tylenol

Back to Crocheting (hopefully)

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting

I’ve not crocheted since Saturday.  I’m antsy to finish my project but my arm has been bad.  I woke up Sunday unable to move it without pain.  My hand was swollen and I couldn’t close it.  I spent the day reading a book with a heating pad on my arm.

At this point I am taking Tylenol regularly and I can tell when I am past the time to take it.  I’ve been reading and writing rather than crocheting.  I can almost straighten my arm.  It is much less painful.

Tonight I’m going to try crocheting again.  I’m hoping I can get a full section done so when I get to Georgia to visit my daughter (who the afghan is for) she can tell me if she wants another round or not.

I’m packing it up tomorrow right before we leave because I might have time to work on it before Ken gets home from work.  My arm still  hurts but I will make an effort to finish it while I’m down with her.  Then I will stop crocheting for a week or two to give my arm a chance to heal.

I can’t decide if it is the yarn or the amount of crocheting time but I’ve never had my arm hurt like this just from crocheting.  I guess I’ll have to be more careful about the time I spend crocheting.

I still have a long list of things I want to get made.  I have three lists of things other people want.  It will be fun to work on them but not while my arm is so cranky.

Bent Arm Crocheter

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting

Up early this morning with the intention of going to Sorg’s to get meat and cheese.  Hardly any of it is for Ken and I, most of it is for the girls or the trip.

This weekend will be prep time for the trip.  We’ll gather the things we want to take to the girls, start packing, change the oil in the car (that’s really Ken and not a we thing), and I’m sure there are more things.  I’m trying to make a list and do as I think of them.  I need to find my car charger so I can get that in the car (new one that we got with the new phones).

On top of that I’m still struggling with a sore arm and a long crochet list.  I’ve rested my arm for two days and it has helped slightly – at least until I start moving my arm and trying to function.  The thing is – it doesn’t hurt when I crochet.  Solution – at least for me at this time – finish the two projects that are time sensitive – i.e. Virginia’s afghan and the bibs for Vicki’s co-worker.  I’ll keep taking Tylenol, massaging the arm, and use the heating pad.  I’ll stretch more as I work but I need to finish these so I’m going to work on them this weekend.

I’ll have a week of traveling so hopefully my muscles in my arm will mellow out and relax during that time.  If not, when I get back, I’ll go to the doc to see what should be done.

Meanwhile, I’ll be a bent arm person who can’t reach to the right.  I’m okay with that.

Keeping the Boredom at Bay

by eileentroemel, posted in Life, Writing

My arthritis is bothering me, making me cranky and ornery.  Pity Ken – he has to put up with me when this happens.

Yesterday he ran out to get me a variety of things to attempt to make me feel better.  I can cross Aleve off my list, it didn’t touch the pain I felt at all.  The Tiger Balm patches, however, seemed to help.  I have one on both ankles and knees.  I’ll see if they help today.  I’ve also tried Tylenol Arthritis.  I’m hoping these will help more as Tylenol helps a small amount.  I have one more over the counter med to try to see if it helps after this one.

It’s bad when heat and rest don’t help.  It’s bad when I can’t crochet or write because my hands hurt too much.  I’m determined today to get something done – crocheting I hope.

One of my student workers who is graduating came over yesterday and sat while I fitted her gift to her as I made it.  There are some things that are just better when I can make it with the person sitting there.  She wanted wristers that went from elbow to hand.  I have one more to make for her and I’m hoping to get it done today.  Then I will be back at Virginia’s afghan.  Every time I pick up her afghan it amazes me and I’m excited to see the finished project.  It is GORGEOUS.

I have two or three crochet patterns to type up.  I got pictures of the final project so I can add that to the file and then publish it.

This morning I’m working on getting the print copy of Wayfarer Destruction prepped and ready for publication.  The ebook has been available for pre-order and will come out on the 15th.  I’m trying to coordinate the two releases.

As long as I can still be productive, the pain from the arthritis is tolerable, I guess.  I hate sitting and doing nothing.  I want to listen to a book and crochet or I want to write.  I hate sitting and just watching tv.  It is not engaging at all for me.  It’s okay for an hour or two to unwind but after that I’m bored and want something productive to do.  So in answer to the people who ask – do I ever just sit and do nothing?  Yes but it bores the hell out of me.  Ken and everyone prefers me to be occupied and not bored because I’m less cranky that way.

Post Migraine – I hope

by eileentroemel, posted in Life

Yesterday a migraine ripped through my head making me useless for the day.  By evening my head was less miserable but still not great.  I opted to watch movies while laying in the dark.  It didn’t bother my head like trying to crochet or writing. 

I watched Hitch and She’s the One.  I haven’t seen Hitch in a while and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Will Smith is always pleasant to look at and watch his skill at being silly and romantic.  It made me laugh and relax.  I thoroughly enjoyed. 

Interestingly, I’ve not written anything in almost three days now.  However, in my head one story keeps popping up and ideas fill my head when I wake up so I’m hoping when I reach a point where I am able to write without my head wanting to explode, I’ll be able to move forward quickly on the story.

At one point last night I woke up headache free but when I woke this morning, my head was slamming me again.  Tylenol and caffeine will be my friends today.

The Death of an Orange Pen

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life, Writing

Yesterday I spent the day with my mother and going through some genealogy stuff.  It was good to look through family memories and mysteries.  We discovered invitations and thank you cards sent to my grandmother that we think come from some cousins but we can’t quite place them.  It will be fun to see how it all shakes out.

My sister and uncle came to pick up my mother and stayed to chat.  It was a good time.  Ken and I watched some tv, ate supper, and chatted with the Georgia girls.

I got alone time.  Ken went off to bed.  I tackled a manuscript that needed editing.  My orange pen got put to work as I read through a two hundred page manuscript.  My intention was to go to bed early.  That didn’t happen.  I was up until after 12:30 editing.  I looked at my pen and realized it was nearly half gone for ink.  I just got it out in the last month.

Even after I was done editing, I crashed but woke up at 1:30 with a headache.  Yes, the headache woke me up.  I shifted position, took Tylenol and tried to go back to sleep.  I must have slept because I woke up around 6:30 when Ken went out to gas up the two vehicles.

Today I’m not sure what I’m going to do.  I may work on writing, crocheting, or sleeping.  It’s Sunday so it is supposed to be a relaxing day.  I’ve already got a headache with my ears ringing.  It might be a good day to just shut down and do nothing.

Those who know me – stop laughing – I can to do nothing.  It just takes a lot for me to do it.  Doing nothing is hard work.

Risk Management

by eileentroemel, posted in Uncategorized
I’ve been taking Darvacet / Darvon for 19 years.  It is the only pain killer that has given me relief from the arthritis, gout, bent bone etc pain that I suffer.  Now Darvacet has been taken off the market.  Apparently it causes heart issues. 
So far the docs have tried one other pain med, Tramaldol, which I of course had a reaction to.  I’m also allergic to codeine so can’t take Tylenol with codeine.  I have an appointment with the docs in two weeks to try to find a different med. 
In the meanwhile what the heck am I supposed to do?  I have two prescriptions at home I can’t take for pain.  One could cause heart issues and the other could cause seizures.  Which risk do I want to take?  On my bad days, Tylenol/Advil etc doesn’t touch my arthritis pain.  Being immersed in hot water helps, however, I’m pretty sure that I can’t work while sitting in a hot tub.  It might be awkward to say the least…
Anyone got any home remedies?  I already drink cranberry / cherry juice to help with my gout.  I will increase that intake.  I’m trying to lose weight by going to the pool to work out.  Love the pool time but with the cold / inclement weather it is harder to go to the pool. 
When we have a week of weather – lots of snow – then I hurt.  Today I sit at my desk and every joint in my body hurts.  I can’t close my hands into fists because my hands hurt so much.  Sitting up straight is too painful. 
In all of this I try to remember that it is just pain and will pass.  Eventually the weather will change, the pain meds will help, or my joints will be warm enough that they will stop hurting.  I now there are people out there with much worse situations than I have.  This will get better.  For now all I can do is curl up under the quilt my daughter made with love and hope the pain eases sooner rather than later.