I had an entire month to pack and it was going so smooth. I would pack a few boxes or throw clothes and bedding into plastic bags. I was calm was tapering just 1 mg of prednisone due to move and feeling great THEN it happened.
Picture this.... I decided to take my down from the top up from the bottom honeycomb shade with me. I had a very solid old vanity high back solid wood chair. I was amazed at how sturdy the chair felt.
I unsnapped the right side off hook and proceeded to step over the high back of the sturdy chair .....wait for it...... and stepped onto my overstuffed side chair. The next thing I know is my left foot is touching the floor it had gone thru the side between arm and seat cushion all the while it had pulled the rest of me into the chair... no problem you might think but my right knee is down the right side and it is wedged tight as my foot is cozied up to my butt. My foot has not touched my butt in at least 15 years. So needless to say at this point I am panicking thinking I am going to tear some muscles or tendons or some other not so fun thing.
So, I reached up and was going to pull myself out using the high back chair ... have you ever had a dislocated shoulder?? I dislocated my own shoulder and am still stuck in the chair. The next minute was a blur and I honestly don’t know how I got onto my recliner 4 feet away. At this point I can’t breath and the panic is rising. Thought of please don’t let any of my parts be broken or need surgery.
I am screaming at the top of my lungs and 2 neighbors out front don’t hear me. I took a deep breath and reached for the phone. My neighbors then saw the emergency gals come in.
Off to Emergency room.... they sedated me and put my shoulder back in place. I had told the anesthesiologists that yes I am a big gal but only need a tiny bit to knock me out. He didn’t listen as it took me days to get over it.
Now it gets even better. I had rented a 15’ truck that I had hired 2 teens big kids to load....well I got to U-Haul and I am told I will have to use the 26’ . No problem normally but I can only use one hand. I had taken off the shoulder brace so they would not know I only had one good arm.
After loading up the truck my neighbor had come over to help and she put the last minute bag with my car keys into truck. I am so frazzled,tired, feeling nauseous you name it and it was mine. 20 min later keys in hand I go back to U-Haul to have my car put on tow dolly.
The guys say I have to drive it onto dolly and cinch it myself. Again two hands are needed. I played a most unusual part of helpless damsel tried to bribe the guy and he finally did it for me.
Oh how could I forget as I pulled in to get dolly I pulled up to the coffee window. I figured I had a 3 hr drive so got a cold coffee and muffin. As I pulled away I hit the corner of their building. Everyone comes running out to see how much they could clip me for turning back one tiny corner of metal roof.. get a hammer it will be fine. 26’ trucks are also taller..... oh haha I bought insurance this time.
I finally get my brace back on and got out of there. Then my cat goes nberserk I had put her in a rather large playpen. So for 1 hr we drive with a cat thrashing and rolling the playpen etc. I knew where my pit stop was I am driving thru mountains on two lane only roads.....so we pulled off I put the playpen in back and put a blanket down for her under the seat and that was the last of her. when we finally got to our destination I thought she was dead as I was tugging on her and not a peep. She was stuck.. did I mention my new cat is twenty pounds Manx cat with stumpy tail.
The guys my sister had arranged were magnificent.. they took the keys unhooked the car and in less then 2 hours I am in bed.
The next day I felt rotten but I needed a shower and could not dig around for shower curtain. I went to the dollar store and had put my rolling cart inside a cart and turned it around and hit the fire alarm. I just want a shower. So they make all of us leave the store and here I am begging for the thunder to just hit me as I stand out front crying. A woman gave me her number and told me to call....she was so sweet.
I realized quickly that loading was a lot easier than unpacking so I hired the pizza delivery gal. Best $50 I ever spent.
Last thing I thought I had lost my cat. Found her finally on 4 th look under bed 👀 all innocent she apparently like the bathroom cupboard.
I now have been having muscle spasms everywhere including my thumbs my back is the worst. The swelling on my left outer calf has finally gone down after a week ... saw my eye doctor then new clinic doc who readily admitted she knows nothing about Pmr GCA..
Oh my god what a horrible load of events!! I think i may have given up half way through. Are you starting to feel any better now? Just slowly unpack. You will need to educate your new doctors but hopefully as they admit not knowing much they wont come with too many bad habits!! I arranged packers a few months ago for our move and thought i had covered the stress angle!! It still stressed me out!!
Our cat did the disappearing act and escaped the house on our first move with her. We spent hours looking for her and finally saw her just up the road we grabbed her and went home!! Then the oldest daughter said shes not our cat!!! Sent youngest to vets to have her scanned for micro chip and no its not our cat. I returned said cat to its home apologising for cat napping the damn thing!! Our delinquent found her own way home at about 10pm!! On our last move the pesky cat was sent to the cattery before!!
Good luck in your new home and a quick return to normal(whatever that is with pmr/gca).xx
Now that is funny. Today I looked out my back patio and thought I was seeing my cat only to have her walk into the room.
My eye physician told me to go back to 20mgs and stay there until we get new labs in 3 weeks... said it was a waste of time as I am all banged up to do it now.
My first week here was last Thursday and I had to keep the Adrenalin pumped to get to both doctors that day.
Then I hit the wall and the dam thing fell on me. I have done nothing my helper has put everything away that I would need. I actually only have about 5 boxes left and most of it is my arts and crafts.
My good shoulder hurts worse than my right I dislocated. The back spasms seem to know when to hit me with fury.
I don’t have the view in this apt as my last but I have peace and quiet. Everyone appears normal so they must not be skipping any meds.
Hopefully they wont be like your old ones especially the one with the dodgy boyfriend. You are nearer to your sister and BIL now so things should calm down for a bit although i remember you BIL isnt well is he? I wouldn't try any tapering until you are well and truly settled in. I hope uou sre happy now you are closer to your sister. Xx
Yes I am 5 blocks away from my sister. Can’t walk that far yet but in emergency it is doable.
My brother in law is actually in better shape than me. They just got back from a week long camp out with his brother and sister n their spouses.
He has gone thru. 4 chemo visits his son begged him to try and we all thank the good Lord he has only gotten tired and looks a bit gray.
I told my sister today to pretend I am not here yet.. she brought me all kinds f yummy food left over from camping. I want to go camping with them. My twin got the cooking gene I am happy to do clean up.
Hopefully next week I will get WiFi. Bigger town of 6000 last one was1700 .... so should have enough broadband.
I give you tremendous credit for what you have accomplished; I have always had a cat; love them. Lost my last cat last August; careless visitor left a door open. I think he (the cat that is) was the true love of my life, but apparently he didn't feel the same, and took his freedom like a man. I would love another, but do not feel I could manage one; unless it was a very geriatric cat who could clean his own litter box, and carry the litter in those heavy sacs. My expectations are high, too high. Now my pets are the birds that flock to my bird feeder in front of my windows.
There is Chewy. com, I suppose. But the thought of moving is absolutely overwhelming under the circumstances.
My dryer and dishwasher both broke down this weekend ; tomorrow I was going to start doing Tai Chi, but now have to search for a repairman or repairmen. I suspect these modern conveniences will have to be replaced in which case, I might as well buy a new washing machine as it is aging along with me. I could use a few grab bars so I could take a nice bath too.
I have had difficulty getting out of the tub, but have always managed. There will likely come a time when I might not be able to. I have always exercised and been fit until PMR. But I think the exercising caused my large hernia as I have no reflux or digestive issues. Exercise has its virtues, but also its risks.
So I truly admire you for taking on the task of moving with PMR notwithstanding all your funny , but very real hardships. You deserve a 🏅 of honor for your good humor and great storytelling skills. I hope you enjoy your new digs.
My sister thinks it is tacky to have the kitty box right in front of you in the bathroom. I promise if the queen stops by I will move it. But it is so easy to clean. I am too tall to bend over to clean it I would fall in.
My new owners here are fantastic they got me a grab bar by the toilet and I already had one by the shower n they gave me a shower head on a hose. Now I would never attempt getting into a tub anymore. I can get in fine but getting out would be a big NO... it would be awful to have firemen trying to pull me out.
Grab bars are pretty easy to put up ...you just have to make sure you hit the studs.
I love birds and they are quite entertaining if anything happens to my little honey well it would be outside birds for me. In my new apt I have an outside sliding door to a small but big enough to care for little yard. I plan to put out some feeders and water fountains.
Remember I just pulled myself up rather fast I admit but dislocated my own shoulder so if you grab a bar it is more for stability than actually pulling yourself up. Put the phone close if you do with a large towel so you won’t have to worry about fireman seeing how lovely we get as we age.
Aren't we lucky? I don't think my shoulder is dislocated, but it sure does hurt; I have had it in this condition since Labor Day weekend; I think I'll start with an Urgi Care Center for an x-ray and ultrasound and see where that leaves me tomorrow. I should have gone sooner.
There was a true story on "Untold Stories" of the ER. A very dignified middle-aged Japanese-American woman sat on what she thought was a toilet seat left down. Her husband left the seat up before leaving for a fishing trip the night before. She was slender, but diabetic. She could not get out, try as she might. Her daughter came by to check on her on her way to work, found her like that, gave her insulin, and called 911.
Paramedics arrived without sufficient equipment to extricate her. They had no choice but to dismantle the toilet from the wall and take her to the ER on the toilet. She was mortified when a crowd of staff and onlookers gathered round to watch the "circus". Imagine sitting on a toilet on top of a hospital guerney. The ER staff had no idea what to do, but called hospital maintenance workers who thought they could smash the toilet with some heavy duty tools. That is what they did. She said "Just do it." They put workmen goggles on her to protect her eyes.
They put Vaseline around her bottom to protect her skin. One maintenance worker fainted at the thought of participating. The other 2 were brave. Two ER staff personnel held onto each side of her. SMASH; they lifted her out to the applause of everyone watching. Her husband showed up to the dirty looks of everyone. A vacuum had been created between her bottom and the toilet.
She was exhausted, hungry and ironically had to pee. But a very happy lady when it was over. So these things can happen. I never will forget that story because it is so possible. They kept her overnight for observation. Imagine the mortification and the embarrassment!
So I very much understand your decision not to use the tub. Poor thing.
That would be well deserved and needed after what you went through, including the chair seat. ( Too soon...) Lol!
Honestly... you could have really been terribly injured. I’m so glad you did not require surgery for a broken spine, or worse. It sounds grim enough as it is.
Thank goodness you’ve increased the pred.
How do you find your new doctor in the new larger town you are in? 7,000 is still quite small. Is there a Rheumatoligist there, or can a GP handle your PMR- GCA? Is there a larger city nearby? If so, how far of a drive would that be from you?
And good luck getting a your favorite restaurant to deliver! 🤞
I found my new doctor by walking into health clinic got an appt and met my new doc two days later.
She is not up on pmr or GCA but felt confident she could meet my needs. I don't want another rhuematologist. I have a dermatologist for my melanoma and an excellent eye physician who takes care of my GCA and is the one tapering my dose. He is my opthomologist both of them 30 to 40 min away my gp is only 5 min.
It will be fine. My biggest choice is do I sit in my recliner n play more games or go lie down and watch my floaters. It is nice n I beat the rains. It is fun having afternoon showers.
So good to hear from you !!! Moving is stressful any way you look at it. You earned a rest and have family nearby now so take a “chill pill” and relax a bit. And poor old cat needs some extra “lovin” this week💕💕
My cat was semi feral living with 5 cats. She would beckon me rather than respond to my call. This move has her totally changed. Has to have me in her sight and now sleeps under the covers touching me. She is becoming a cuddle bug and I like it.
Oh n she is a big cat and yes overweight...but it has its advantages. She has to have a chair to get up onto the bed and can’t jump on counters she is the perfect cat.
Now I never thought about that advantage of having a big cat. I shouldn't have put our Max on strict rations when we adopted him! He gets into and onto everything, all 15, used to be 20+ lbs of him!
Your story is awful, and I do feel for you. Hope your bruises and scrapes and everything else heal up quickly. But it would be a perfect sitcom episode! Maybe a bit unrealistic, I mean, how many people have so many calamities pile on them at one time? but hilarious. You must polish up your account and send it off to the people who make these shows! Or are you keeping it for a chapter in a book about your moving adventures?
Sounds like our cat(s), both of which weigh more than twice what our little old one did, who was really always just like a large kitten in size. Oddly enough she shed far more fur than these two do combined! When we went to help the person bringing us her cats for us to adopt I tried to pick up one of the pet taxis and it didn't budge - big difference between 5 or 6 pounds and over 20.
Anyway I'm glad you're settled and hope that you will have many happy years in your new home.
And amusing as your account was of your mishaps I hope I never hear of any more. Be careful!
What a terrible saga- made me stressed out reading about it!! Do hope now things will settle down and you will start to feel better on all fronts. As you say - no more moving!! Xx
Goodness Me Lin! What a Story but what a Game Gal you are to Carry On despite everything!
Rest, Relax & Recuperate is the order of the day now.
I am now in central Oregon Madras is the town. I am 30 to 40 minutes to Bend where my doctors are.. my GP is here.
I went into the grocery store here and felt like I hit the lottery . The town where I was had a grocery but on a smaller and more expensive scale.
There are 3 times the restaurants and a huge Saturday market.
The last place was in the mountains and the scenery was to die for.
I was laughing at myself when I was looking at the hills around here. I am now living in high desert country scrub brush etc. it is very calming to me and then I saw the volcanoes.. one to the north and one to the west.
I have been here over a week and everyone I have met is very nice and may I say appear normal.
I am almost unpacked just 5 boxes left all craft n arts .. 🐈
This week I will be trying to get WiFi . What I have now is a hot spot on my phone and I use up that data pretty fast. I would love to respond more. I have mostly just lurking in the background.
Do you have any other portable device where you aren't reliant on a data plan? I can access wifi all over the place now, the library, numerous coffee shops, even along the waterfront.... Not that I need to as we have it both in our unit in our bundle, but also in the lobby of my building. Seems like wifi is being considered a more important need than water!
Yes I am sure there are some places like that coffee shops library etc. But here's my dilemma..... I would have to get out of my jammies or even worse put on a bra.
Nope I will pay to have my Wi-Fi n enjoy it from the comfort of my recliner. Good suggestion for those early birds who are dressed and ready for company by 8am.
I brought this great rock my brother in law gave me. It is rectangular and I planted it outside my front door. I am going to paint on it... My day starts at noon.
It is funny how absolutely wonderful it is to go to bed and awww this is so nice only to wake up stiff n sore. Well at least it felt good when first lying down.
Think we knew it would be eventful. It wouldn’t be you otherwise!
....but so pleased you’re actually where you want to be. Enjoy being near your sister and truly chill now - you deserve it. No more moving - says the cat!
It is so peaceful here. I have rowdy neighbors who are not part of our complex behind my fence but they have a huge back yard so close the window and let them do what they want. None of my business The good Lord says not to be a busybody and I can understand why. It makes life stressful joining in on all the drama.
My neighbor went grocery shopping for me. What a blessing I did pay her I would give her my son for going to grocery.. I dislike anything to do with food except for eating it. I might start to learn to cook my twin makes it look so easy. The brat...
Oh oh oh it says we are getting snow this weekend I love the snow. I have food no appts n ready to chill.
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Day 17 of eating salads etc.
Saecond time round with PMR & ?GCA
Advice on what to do next
conflicted!
Struggling to Get Diagnosed - GCA
