A Question of Focus in Everyday Ramblings

Here is the lilac garden midday today. This picture does not do it justice at all as it was so beautiful and gently fragrant and there was no one around. This being out an about and all you can hear are birds is both blissful and completely disconcerting. For the first time in 10 years I don’t need to worry about crazy stressed out drivers so distracted they are blind to a pedestrian in their midst.

This morning I had my first ever telemedicine appointment with my doctor. It all went off without a hitch after I got the orientation on my iPad properly situated.

She thinks I have, based on my history and the x-rays they took after my fall…lumbar radiculopathy, or sciatica and that I was doing all the right things. It is better and I am way more functional than I was earlier in the week so no concern about shingles, which is a relief.

When I can get back to the lab safely I need to get the first of the new shingles vaccine. They have only had it in stock periodically. I can ask about it when I get my flu shot in the fall.

She is going to see about a newer statin that is advertised as not generating muscle cramps but that requires prior authorization. And the whole physical therapy complex is in a state of chaos right now because of the virus. And she is willing to give me a drug to help with the nerve pain if it gets worse and hinders my ability to teach or get out and about to say…check in on the lilac garden.

Right now though I am going to do targeted yoga, elevate my leg when resting and modestly increase my activity level and see how it goes and then email her. Mrs. Sherlock encouraged me to go for the drugs right away and not to rely on self-care but I don’t want to take on any more side effects than I have already with the heart medications.

Now that we are pretty sure what it is in general I feel modestly confident I can manage it with a regular targeted movement practice.

I am so grateful that I am doing that sort of thing anyway; now it means that I need to do specific things consistently. I am hopeful I can find a rhythm that becomes a habit and this self-care becomes what I do.

My back was just a little achy after I walked earlier and I came home and stretched out and then elevated the leg.

Mrs. Sherlock and I are going to try for our first in person social distanced walk in six weeks on Sunday. I told her there was no way I was going to be able to not touch Frida. Not a chance. I’ll wear a mask and I now have these great alcohol wipes from China I can carry and I will keep my hands off my face.

She says it has been a long time since anyone but her and her husband touched Frida. No one pets her now when they are out.

Oh and in case I didn’t leave you a note there was a small carton of old-fashioned oatmeal suitable for cookie making in my grocery delivery yesterday! There still wasn’t any on the store shelves. These shoppers that do delivery clearly have access to items that haven’t been stocked yet.

Seeing the oatmeal was like getting an early birthday present. I am so privileged, and I think of all those people who are walking to work, or working long hours…did you hear about the crew of workers who moved into their factory in Pennsylvania for four weeks to make the raw material for PPE? Sure they were well compensated but what a great great thing to do.

Kes gave blood today.

You know, we hear the hard difficult crazy stuff on the news but out there right now, right this very minute, there are good people doing useful and kind things to make all of our lives better.

So besides attempting to create a little space in my spine for proper functioning this is where I will be focusing my attention.

Last updated April 23, 2020