6 March in like a Lion

"March comes in like a Lion,
and goes out like a Lamb"
    an old adage

Roaring, scratching, screaming...
wicked, wet, blizzards and whiteouts...

That is the lion that has sprung forth as March!

Hang on everybody,

I feel like it is going to be a wicked ride!

  If you have been anywhere near a television or radio lately, or live anywhere in the mid-west to the east coast, you know all about the terrible, violent storms that have been wrecking havoc across the country. The images have been heart-breaking. Hopefully recovery is quick in response.

My thoughts and prayers are with anyone involved or affected.

We (well, not me, I hate it) are used to winds, snows and freezing weather in our little corner of Wisconsin. And truth be told, I even feel we have been blessed with a rather mild winter. We received our part of the lions roar late last week with a whiteout of wet and heavy ice and blizzard condition snow.

It maybe hard to see, but there is snow falling at about 1-2 inches an hour. Wild winds and the occasional thundersnow added for extra weather excitement (not!).
  These are photos from the evening.

click on any photo to enlarge,

please ask to copy

evening whiteout, looking up our backyard

heavy evening snows take pine tree 

boughs almost to the breaking point, lining our driveway

Snow had lessened by late next morning and by mid-afternoon the sun broke through the gray skies. The wild birds that frequent our feeders were all in a frenzy. Hubby scurried out to replenish some nourishment during the intermission.

mourning doves resting between meals,

wearing big puffy vests

  I will admit that we have been lucky with a mild winter so far. I wonder what my garden areas will look like with not much of any snow cover to protect them from the harsh temperatures. I have not been able to do any real work in my garden and yard areas the last 2-3 years, I know I will have a mess. Hopefully by summer my post-op physical therapy will allow me once again to enjoy nature outside. Last summer we noticed a loss and lack of many familiar flowers from the previous winters freezing temperatures and many snowfalls.

In reality, I can not complain if all we lose is plants and flowers, as too many have lost complete homes, towns and family members.

    Healing hugs,
     until next time ...

How have you and your family fared this winter?

26 Checking in post-op

Hello dear friends and loyal readers!

I am still around and at this time working hard in physical therapy.

My cervical surgery and hospital stay were a tad longer than expected, but not surprisingly (to me) they found some strange events than expected in my spinal column itself. Surgery story to come later...

I am home and was told recovery could take from as little as a year and up to two years, with post-op cervical/neck laminoplasty surgery. So it is one step forward two steps back at this point ( dancing and smiling the whole time ... nope, they did not remove my sarcastic chip, Hahaha)

my physical therapist and I during a session ☺

  I am so grateful for all of you that have kept in touch either by constant posts on my old blog posts ( I appreciate that, muahhh) by email contact and by positive thoughts and prayers. I will try to get to each and everyone of you ASAP!, when my neck and hands cooperate long enough for a sit down here at my PC. Those of you that have newsletters sent via email on your own blog, I have been lurking and enjoying your posts. I still feel so out of the friendly loop of our give and take comments. I promise as I get better I will be back to bothering you all, commenting and leaving sassy or silly posts more often here as well.

I am leaving you with some positive 
  thoughts for the day ...

Thank you again for being patient with my absence.
I am working hard to be back in playing form soon!

                  until next time...

56 back, neck, arm and leg pain

add an eclectic assortment of headaches and migraines to the Nth degree and it gives you a tiny bit of what my life has been for over 20 years. Ack!!

Nope not fun, and I have mentioned on a few posts of a creak here and a squeak there, but that is not very entertaining. I do try to make it educational when I grumble on about it. 

I will try to make this short but bitter sweet.

  I had cervical disketomy and fusion done in 3 consecutive levels of my neck 15 years ago. I have been trying to avoid it ever since! 

  For the last 16 months I have gone through lots of physical therapy, seen too many doctors to spit at and a number of medications to try (I hate pills!)... many which have been added to my long list of medications I am allergic too. ( good thing I never aspired to find an unnatural high ~ hahaha) Add an assortment of shots and injections up the wazoo, OUCH. I am surprised I haven't sprung a leak from all the new holes I've been presented with!

I have failed in my blind avoidance. My sneaky body has continued it's attack. My spine has kept crumbling and my nerves are wailing.

  I am grumpy! 
I am tired of pain and never knowing if I can plan anything and actually get to go or do anything!

  Boo ~ Hiss!! 

Grumbly~mumbly.

feels like to sit on this!

So this leads me up to the fun adventure 
    I have awaiting this Friday.

Since none of the above mentioned measures I have had tried (they sound like a party with Dr. Frankenstein) lately has given any measure of relief in back, neck, head, heck ANYWHERE, I am left with the inevitable... more cervical surgery. Ack! Not a complete fusion this time, trying something a bit more easy on the anatomical spine. I hope to keep mobility, I'd hate to give up driving and many other things. I am too young to loose independence ( yes young, I have many things I want to do!!)

So my anything but wordless Wednesday photo this week describes sort of what I am feeling at the moment...

swollen blood red barberries,

surrounded with thorns of pain

Click to enlarge, please ask for a copy

So this is a early excuse that I may not be on for a few weeks. As soon as I can comfortably sit at my computer ( I only have a desk top) I will try to post and return comments if possible. I appreciate my regular readers more than you realize and look forward to our visits. So I hope I don't get lost in my absence.

Some of you have my email address and I will do my best to answer when I can. And I plan on giving hubby a lesson on how to post on my facebook page for those that know me there. It took me forever to learn email, blogging and FB. Now, hubby (Al) can do simple email, but he is an excellent online shopper (add another Ackk to this week! yes He is the shopper not I!)

  I thank you for visiting and reading my way to wordy post this week. I thank you again for all the encouragement I have already received, and hope to be back soon with silly/sassy stories and photos to share. I humbly ask for any positive thoughts to guide the neurosurgeons hands on Friday. I trust him and he has tried every other avenue we could. 

I should mention we finally got our first measurable
 snow fall on New Years day!

Very late in the season for south eat WI. It was a crunchy sandwich type of snow... ice, snow with more ice on top! Not very deep and not the nicest to walk or drive on. So Snow-man winter is here for the season!

Until next time...

Stay warm or cool
(depending which part of the world you are)
 Keep those bodies healthy!
I look forward to tapping at you soon!

Have any one who visits ever gone through back or neck spinal surgery? How about things to stop migraines and chronic pain?
 What can you share?