Friday, October 2, 2009

Ouchy body parts

Maybe I'm just getting old...

The past two mornings I have woken up with really bad pain under my left arm, up around my breast and radiating down my arm. Yesterday, the pain went away by afternoon. This morning it woke me up early and hurt so much I couldn't go back to sleep. I've promised DB that I will go see a doctor (but which doctor?!) early next week if it's not better. It's probably hormonal (started the day after I stopped progesterone for the month), but it is worrying...even though I just had a clean mammogram two weeks ago, I worry about lymph nodes, heart, etc. I am a great hypochondriac.

It also may be caffeine...I've been having a little more lately than usual...but usually only on Saturday and Sunday.

This is in addition to kind of ouchy swollen knees for the past couple of days. I can't figure out what made this happen because (unfortunately) I haven't done any odd exercise that would have caused this. I did eat some bad salty nuts on Tuesday night while I waited for the tsunami (oh yeah, we had a tsunami advisory...ended up being nothing) and that probably contributed. I also am having trouble with a bunion...

Sunday I walked almost literally all day. Half the day was in my good Tevas (the only shoe that is REALLY comfy on me with my foot issues) and half the day was in my Converse (which I love, but which definitely are not made for walking...at least for me). Monday, my right foot (where I have a bunion) was incredibly painful. I got some spacers at the drugstore and also some toe spreaders to wear each night for 10 minutes. These seem to help, but I wonder if this foot stuff didn't also contribute to the knee stuff...

I have to find some more brands of shoes that I can wear...my mom has/had horrible bunions and I have her feet. I don't want to have surgery so I'm trying all these other things. And I need to find a brand of shoes that works on my feet (Clarks and Birkenstocks and Crocs, for example, which work for a lot of people do NOT work on my feet). I also need to find a brand that makes nice "work" pumps that I can wear with dresses that don't look like old lady shoes. So far, I have been unsuccessful in finding such so if anyone has any hot tips, please chime in!

Tonight we have Princess staying with us before we take her to the airport tomorrow to go visit her daddy in the South. I'm really looking forward to this because we rarely get just Papa/Helen/Princess time alone anymore now that she has three siblings!!

My mom moved into her assisted living today and I went over at lunchtime to see her progress. It's a really nice place and she's excited to be moved (even though there's a LOT of unpacking to do!).

And, oh yeah, the beer took its toll -- I'm up 2 pounds from last Friday. But I seem to stay in ranges until my body adjusts to new lows -- now the range I'm in is about 4-5 pounds less than it was a month ago. And that's a good thing.

11 comments:

Vickie said...

you are sort of falling apart - good thing you have a sense of humor about it!

Have you ever seen a ortho shoe guy? If we have GREAT ones here - you must have them there too.

I am so glad that your mom is happy about her move and moving while she is in good spirits and health so that she can settle in and then have (any level of??? does it have full care if she breaks something or gets sick) support that she needs later.

Have fun with the kiddo!

we have 7 girls going to a haunting tomorrow night - husband will have his fill of screaming for the year. . .

Vickie said...

and YES - feet impact the knees, hips, back and neck. the more severe the problem - the higher up it goes.

Helen said...

I have seen a couple of podiatrists. One gave me custom orthotics (expensive) which I don't think helped even though I wore them for quite a while (I have pronation...have since I was a kid). Other one told me my pronation wasn't that bad and that I don't need orthotics at all! I'm going back to him soon because he's going to help me get my ski boots fitted properly so I don't get numb feet like I did last year (he's a ski specialist). I'll talk with him about shoes and bunions then. (The surgeon who did my toe surgery when I broke it a couple of years ago -- remember Frankentoe?! -- put that toe back so the bunion over there is not as bad. Of course, I can't BEND that toe ever again, but...)

My mom's new place does have some escalated care if she has a short term problem -- there are nurses on staff 24 hours, they have doctors who come by and they will bring her meals up to her if she is too sick to go down for them. They also take you to doctors' appointments, store, etc. It's really a great deal. If she runs into Alzheimers/dementia later (probably won't because it doesn't run in our family), there's a more assisted facility across the street. The rooms where she is now are like a really nice hotel room -- she has a private balcony even. Plus all the common rooms -- living room, game room, media room, patio, dining room. In reality, it's a lot more room for her to use than where she's been (senior apartment). She hasn't expressed it, but I think it will be a little scary the first time she goes downstairs to eat (not tonight, they're bringing her food up)...making new friends at any age is kinda scary...at 80, I can only imagine more so! But she's spunky and she'll be fine. :-)

Cindy said...

Congrats on reaching new territory!! The beer pounds will go away, too. Hope your aches and pains are not serious and melt away..

Holly said...

Hi there - I read your blog regularly. Coming out of the shadows now because I have a killer bunion and have found I cannot wear Birks or Clarks either (though I do wear Crocs from time to time) and Keen works better for me than Teva, but that could just be one shoe. For running I find Mizunos have a boxier toe.

But really, for work with suits or dresses, I usually end up with LifeStride - http://www.lifestride.com/Shopping/Results.aspx?c=Womens|Dress

They may work for you too.

Oh, and I lose weight in spurts - down 3 lbs. and then float in a 2-3 lb. range for a few weeks. Like you, as long as that range is less than it was 3-4 weeks ago I am good with that!

Helen said...

Holly! Thank you SO MUCH. I'm looking on ebay for the brands you recommend -- want to try them cheaper/used before committing. ;-) I've also hear Merrells are good and I'm going to try them. I have Keen water shoes and they're great. Finding "nice", not atheletic or grandma looking shoes that are comfy is HARD. I also have a bad "dangling" toe on the foot opposite my bad bunion...I tore the ligaments there when I badly broke that big toe a couple of years ago and it's irreparable...and it is the thing, other than the bunion, that really hurts a lot! ;-)

Lori G. said...

How about Merrill? I'm just catching up here (out for the weekend). This is probably a bit wild but maybe you can call Zappos and talk to a customer rep for some ideas for good shoes. I'm sure they've heard this before (and wouldn't an interview with the customer reps be a hoot?).

I'm a little concerned about the pain -- I hope that's gone because I wasn't thinking hormones. I was thinking of something else.

I'm really glad that your mom is doing so well and enjoying her new place. I know you feel better about her security and safety.

Helen said...

Lori, thanks for the idea of Merrell...I actually bought a pair of those on ebay this weekend...we'll see.

Breast pain is pretty gone, but had a bad back pain day yesterday. Better today...

Bea said...

Hi I am not dead. Anyone in your family have rheumatoid arthritis? If the inflammation does not go away in the arm and knees I would definitely go to the doctor.

There, that should have scared you to death so I feel my job is done. Cheers

Vickie said...

how are you doing? still in pain? been to doctor?

Anne M. said...

Please let us know how the pain is and if you saw a doctor (I hope so!). You know we all love you and want you to be pain-free and charging through life as usual.

(( hugs ))