Chapter 145 - Some Good, Some Just Puzzling

Comfortable train trips each way to Home Town for me to attend the school re-union. Our first night in the motel was uncomfortable on a very firm queen size bed (is it PC to say that these days?) and a shower over the bath. She of course did not shower until we were moved into the only disabled room, with a wheel chair accessible shower, the next morning. There had been a delay for the room being made available to us because someone in the disabled room had been delayed in departing because of a partner in hospital. Even though the mattress in the disabled room may have been a little softer, she folded and laid upon the bed's cover thing to avoid some hip & back pain. She bought a soft mattress overlay on Sunday which helped for the last night, so in future that will be another travelling companion. I am quite surprised at how well she is walking now, very rarely needing a supporting arm or assistance to rise from a seated position. (We didn't take her new walker on the trip) The main street in Home Town is very long; yet on Sunday we walked the length of it, popping in and out of shops, occasionally holding hands yet not for support. The street is well provided with bench seats at regular intervals and she made frequent use of them.

For ages she has flared the fingers on her right hand as she walks. A few weeks ago she mentioned that the fingers on that hand felt tight and swollen. Then during the last week or two she began mentioning that her right arm developed numbness and tingling while she was in bed. Never the left. We assumed that it was due to laying on the arm and restricting circulation while asleep. Then she noticed that the effect happened quite quickly after laying down, whether on that arm or not, and disappears on standing. She says the sensation is different to that of restricted circulation, more a burning sensation in the upper arm followed by tingling pain in her middle finger that spreads to the adjacent fingers. This morning I had her lay on her back on one of our reclining lounge chairs for some 15 minutes without the symptoms happening. She researched the Big Library in the Sky to find a suggestion that the cause could be Carpel Tunnel. She has an appointment with the GP next Wednesday so perhaps this problem can wait until then.

She received notification from the hospital to attend a pre-op session next Tuesday and on the following Tuesday more will be taken from her left leg.

Today she celebrates her "Mark of the Beast" birthday. Yesterday we celebrated with a pleasant lunch with friends and also the day before with the Ugly Sisters at that club in the Southern Highlands. They accused me of using her disability as an excuse for not attending church any more! But my feelings are much deeper than simply needing an excuse. Firstly, for me to attend any "social" function that we would normally attend together is a subtle way of isolating her and perhaps inserting a small wedge into our relationship. As it is, I know that my lack of a desire to seek companionship and social contact away from home is actually beneficial for our relationship. We need to share more activities, not less. The technical aspects of Christian religious observance are another matter; I no longer accept that the oral history of a nomadic, blood thirsty group of mid-eastern tribes is the inerrant and literal word of God (actually, I don't think I ever did); rather their version of their history is a pathetic attempt to explain their search for God, and justification of their behaviour in their attempt. That "history" was then used to place into context the revolutionary teachings of one Man and in later times creeds and dogma have been added to constrain thoughts and beliefs. There is little difference between the pomp and circumstance of Rome and the rock concert expressions of worship in that land reportedly blessed by god. All, including the degrees between these extremes, is the clanging of cymbals to keep the masses entertained and controlled. So, no, I don't need an excuse to attend church; I need an excuse to attend. I am not without spiritual input; I listen to talks and receive written commentary on line; stuff called by others "liberal". Spiritual output? Well, I am where I am.

Others have noticed that she is walking more freely. She very rarely holds my arm. She tends to get out of breath because I walk too quickly for her. She says her balance is much better. And has not needed the MP3 player to aid in sleeping for some weeks. And has not needed the TENS machine. She is taking 3 x 250ug Sifrol each day.