TO CANE OR NOT TO CANE?

First:  I can kneel to say my prayers and then get up with almost no help.  In other words, almost as well as when I had the physio therapist here.

When I go somewhere with my daughter, I don't use the cane (even forgot it once or twice.)  I know she could pick me up or at least call the fire dpt or someone if the fall caused damage or pain.

But lately...Well, we had a fire drill yesterday.  I knew I could just carry the cane going down, but for some reason I was uneasy about the possibility of climbing back up.

And a day or two ago, stepping off a curb by my car, the sole of my clog scraped on top of the curb.

Looking back to the week before the knee buckled, I know my balance now is not as good as it was then.  I sort of test myself taking the garbage to the drop at the end of the hall.  I'm 90 per cent sure the phys therapist would want the cane put away.

When is enough enough?

KNEE PROBLEMS and GOOD NEWS

 My knee problems are getting better!  I can kneel on the bedroom carpet to say my prayers, although getting up as I used to will need more practice.
Also, the skin on the knee joints seems to be adapting somehow.

I am so glad I didn't have "the shot."


What did work:

Lost a few pounds
Bed-cersizes
Stopped carrying heavy water bottles
Wear my clogs a lot...they have plenty of padding in the soles

The toughest care:  my grocery store is gigantic, so too much walking on a hard surface.  (But I do walk on the sidewalk in my neighborhood for exercise.  Just not an hour at a time.

Those two big hospital web sites I mentioned did help keep me calm and avoid over-testing.

I wish you health.

AFTER TAMOXIFEN quickie

Saw my oncologist this week.  We didn't talk about cancer med, but about the cane, the knee,my response to falling at my age... (more about that later).

And of course appointments like the old favorite mammogram His order as usual says with ultra sound "if required." It's typed a little funny.  I need to insist when I get there that he means :if required.  Or am I more nervous this year?  It's dangerous when they say before next appointment.  So many reasons to delay.

With all that, I completely forgot to mention that I haven't had any of those bloody marks under my skin for some time!  If they were responding to Tamox all those years, that part may be over.   

For now, I'm content not to worry about after effects.

I wish you health.