Just a few years ago I would have worked 10 hours everyday on a project like this until finished, and never would have considered hiring help for any part of it. Ahhhh, the joys of getting older and smarter.
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GeorgeLesley
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We are finishing the basement now, and I am doing most of the work. Lesley, bless her, has insisted that I sub out some work, like the electrical, plumbing, and hiring help to carry the plywood panels and bathroom fixtures from the garage to the basement. I am still doing all of the construction work, and some of the wiring (the simple stuff, I am a simple guy). Saturday I worked all day and am paying for it today (super bowl sunday), a bit sore. Today I am relaxing, reading the paper, playing with Tippy, and generally goofing off.
Just a few years ago I would have worked 10 hours everyday on a project like this until finished, and never would have considered hiring help for any part of it. Ahhhh, the joys of getting older and smarter.
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Just a short true story I must share with you all. I had the SUV parked outside for a week or so, and the doors froze shut. Fortunately, the drivers side door opened with difficulty. Yesterday it warmed near freezing, so I drove the car awhile and really warmed it up. I then tried all the doors, no luck. I then clicked the door lock button, and the "frozen" doors instantly opened. Sometimes the simple things are too obvious......
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Another lesson on wishing for things. Around here we all were praying for snow and a normal cold winter. Well.... we got it. What was predicted to be 1 to 3 inches of snow Friday turned into 2 feet! It started snowing lightly Friday, and just didn't stop until Sunday noon. Fortunately our young neighbor (new father 2 weeks ago) returned my favor of clearing their driveway while they were in Duluth having the baby. With his snow blower and mine going at the same time, then me and the ATV plowing, we made short work of it. All 800' and the 50' turnaround were clear in only 4 hours. I am glad we kept the snow blower, the ATV can only handle a foot or so by itself at one time. I came in soaked in sweat, snow and ice. Tippy enjoyed licking the ice off of my beard. Then a shower, put all the clothes in the dryer, and watched football the rest of the afternoon, happy with a job well done.
Lesley had to stay at the hospital, travel was impossible for a day, and is finally on the way home as I write this. She called and said she would be late, it was going to take awhile to shovel out the car. Another nurse came over and shoveled to the car door so she could get the shovel out of ours to finish the job. She told me she will take the shovel and windshield scraper inside the hospital with her from now on.
Now the forecast is for below zero temps for the next week, maybe a bit more snow, winter is really here.
Unfortunately there probably will not be any ice fishing this year (by me anyway). Before this big snow we had lake ice with several inches of watery slush on top of it. With all of this new snow on it, it will not freeze solid now. Walking thru two feet of snow on top of several inches of slush does not sound like fun, even to me.
Lesley is home now, taking a warm whirlpool bath. She said something about being tired.
People up here tend to be "loners", not particularly sociable. I have always told Lesley that if they wanted to be around people they would live in the big city, not here. The other side of that is that when you really need help, you don't even have to ask, help just shows up.
Well, Lesley has finished her bath, now breakfast, then some shoveling (still 2 feet on the deck).
My coffee cup is empty again, must fill it.
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I have been reading with interest the 100 things lists some are doing, and have decided to do one with a bit different focus. Looking back on my first "survivor" year, the negatives are obvious and don't need repeating here. I have decided to start the new year concentrating on the things I am thankful for, so here goes. I am not going to set any particular number to it, we'll just see where it goes. Rather than retyping "I am thankful for" each entry, I will use " as ditto marks, please be sure to read it as such. Thanks for reading!
I am thankful for my Lord and God and how he helps me everyday
" the fresh, crisp, Northern Minnesota air I breath everyday
" having a wife that makes sure I have a good meal in the refrig to eat while she is sleeping after a night shift
" having had two good marriages in this life
" having had 28 great years with my late wife
" having had 6 years with Lesley so far, looking forward to many more
" the snow that is gently falling as I write this
" having a new ATV to plow aforementioned snow
" mosquito nets and repellant
" two great dogs and companions
" a great family in New Zealand, mum, son, two lovely grand daughters
" the ability to usually put back together what I take apart just to see how it works
" 4 wheel drive vehicles
" 62 trips around the sun
" homemade bread anytime I want it
" a brain. The stroke proved I have one, abeit a bit less than I had
" Saeboflex
" Active Release therapy
" Dr Shane McCormick in Thunder Bay, Canada
" this forum to express myself
" the ability to do so
" friends that showed up unexpectedly before Christmas with pizza and a real Christmas tree for us
" the same friends that then proceeded to decorate said tree
" the local Dr that lives nearby and unexpectedly showed up Christmas Eve night with his John Deere tractor and cleared our driveway of fresh fallen snow
" sudoku
" football
" netflix movies
" airplanes
" the opportunity to serve my country for 20 years in war and peace
" the miracle of three babies born in the past three months on our short road here in the country. Only 8 families live on this road. Must be the well water
" growing up in the country as a boy with my springer spaniel companion helping deliver the newspapers
" going to a small country school without all the programs and "advantages" of a big city school
" my next cup of coffee
" my life getting better as I make it simpler
" telephones
" I can still carry my canoe
" I can still fish alone
" there will probably not be anyone else in sight on the lake
" the lakes are frozen and I will be ice fishing soon
" there are fish in the lakes foolish enough to bite on my feeble lure presentations
" I have a wife that likes to fish, still working on the football
" there are less than 5,000 people living in our county, which is the size of the state of Rhode Island
" we are too remote for more people to come here to live
" we have one stoplite in the entire county
" the days are getting longer
" I can watch the Northern Lights
" I graduated from high school
" the teachers were kind
" I have been in 30 countries
" I have been in 49 states
" I am living exactly where I want to be
" I have everything I need, almost everything I want (still want a snowmobile)
" a wife that has stuck by me thru thick and thin
" a three month old baby boy to babysit for our neighbor
" if I play my cards right, he will be able to carry my canoe for me when I no longer can do it myself
" on the 5 mile trip to town I am more likely to see wildlife than another car
" snow sticks to pine trees
" I know a God that loves me
" I sleep well at night
" our dog "Tippy" has grown from a tiny puppy to a 40lb companion in just 10 months
" Dickons for naming our dog "Tippy"
" that Tippy is housebroken
" I see miracles around me everyday
" our freezer and cubbords are full
" I am still eating the Christmas ham
" there was a Christmas ham to eat
" the sun will rise in the East tomorrow morning and I have good reason to believe I will be able to watch it
" the bills are paid
" I wouldn't trade my life experiences for anything on this earth
" I have to opportunity to hopefully give some others a bit of joy and something to think about reading this
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Am pleased to say I have survived one year from my stroke as of yesterday. Looking back on it, an experience I don't want to repeat, but I did learn some things about myself and Lesley. I am thankful that a few more neurons did not die, it could have been much worse, as many of you surely know. I still have deficits I would prefer not to have, but have learned to adapt and appreciate every day of life to the fullest. Had I been told a year ago that I would be where I am now as far as being able to do the things I want to do, I probably would not have believed it.
No more snow as of yet, but cold! We have not been above 15 degrees in over a week, most days (including today) we have not gotten to 10 degrees, saw -21 last night. Normal temps for late January, but early this year.
We did order an new ATV for snow plowing the driveway, it should be here next week. Lesley and I decided we needed one, the last snow took me 10 hours and two days of work to clear, a twisted left knee, sore arms and shoulders, dr says I will be OK. but time to ease off the heavy work a bit. He said the good (right) knee is loose, and at risk of easy damage. I have also noticed the bad hand and foot (left side) get cold fairly easily. We wanted an ATV anyway, this gives us a great excuse to get it. We got a two rider model so we can ride together. Hope it comes in soon, more snow is coming.
We will likely make bread next week sometime, Lesley spent two hours shoveling snow around the oven and made paths around the house while I was clearing the driveway. She also raked the snow off the roof of the house and shoveled the deck. A worker she is indeed.
Time to go now, y'all come on up (in the summer!) for some fresh bread!
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Well winter has arrived. We had -20 below zero two nights ago, it warmed up the next day to 20 above, but with that came 18" of snow. I have been clearing the driveway ever since. 800' driveway is a long drive to clear with a snow thrower. Lesley and I are going to look for an ATV with a plow today. More snow is forecast today and this week. Fun is fun, but enough is enough. We have been wanting an ATV for ice fishing anyway, so a great excuse to get one now.
Lesley had to stay at the hospital yesterday, I had taken her to work for the night shift supposed to pick her up the next morning. Ha! Travel was impossible, and she had to work the next night anyway, so she just stayed, yesterday I was clearing the driveway all day. More still to do today, but mostly done.
The dogs love the snow, run and play with their coats and booties on, dig in the snow, and just have fun. When Jasmine (a white Bichon) jumps from a cleared area into the snow she completely disappears. I told Lesley we need to tie an orange flag on her tail so we can see her. All we can see now is the black nose. Tippy is bigger and a Springer Spaniel, and has never seen snow until now. She lives up to her breed and "springs" right thru it. Until I cleared a spot for them, potty was interesting to watch!
The left knee and right shoulder seem to be protesting all the work, the ATV sounds like a great idea at the moment!
Well, time to go get Lesley, then go look at ATVs!
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Ah, snow! Just a few inches so far, but more forecast. Cool and windy also, 1 degree this AM, wind up to 30MPH today. Winter is here!
The main purpose of writing today is exercise and recovery. I am firmly convinced that muscle stretching is vital, especially early on. After my stroke spacisity in the left arm and shoulder was a real problem. I asked my stroke rehab Dr. what to do about it. His answer was "if I knew what to do about spacisity I would be retired in the Bahamas". He prescribed more pills which I took for a few weeks and then quit. His attempt at humor was not well received here. I then asked my PT when we were going to work on left arm strength. His reply was "shoulder first, then we'll see about the arm". My arm continued to curl up and become more useless as did the hand. I told Lesley that I was losing my left arm day by day. Then came Saeboflex. Regular readers here know the result. After much other PT/OT, then came active release. Eureka! I found it!. The arm straightened out and became functional again. Cortisone shots in both shoulders at the same time took away most shoulder pain, making aggressive exercise possible. I still get shots every 3-4 months. Before the active release, Lesley helped me stretch the arm. Stretching muscles that want to curl up is vital! I do a shoulder stretching exercise everyday still, along with a few others. Nothing exotic, just the shoulder back pinch, then a roll forward as far as possible, pulling the left shoulder forward with the right hand and bending to the right pulling the left side tight.
I was scheduled for Botox treatment at one time, but canceled it at the last moment as I seemed to be improving thru other efforts. I no longer take muscle relaxers at all. It seems to be a cascading effect, as one thing improves, it allows me to work on the remaining problems, and all continues to get better.
The Saeboflex got the hand moving and helped the arm, the Cortisone shots allowed the active release to work, etc.
The best I can tell others is that early efforts are tough and painful, but the results can be dramatic. Unfortunately, without work early on and a variety of treatments, the results are predictable. I am firmly convinced that my left arm and hand would be curled up against my chest today, useless, without the muscle stretching Lesley and I did early on.
Every stroke and situation is different. Some may need Botox to get past severe spacisity and make exercise possible. I understand that. But once the Botox is done, don't sit around and let things return to where they were! Do whatever you can to work what you have left as much as possible!
The one area I have not been able to solve is the wrist. It still feels like a steel band is around it. Less now than before, but still there. The good news is that finger and hand dexterity are nearly back to normal. Swelling has gone away, I recently was able to put my wedding ring back on, much to Lesley's relief.
Activity is the vital key to all of this, Doctors, PT/OT's, pills, etc, all play a useful part in recovery, but the real and final key is inside you. I have gone on long enough, don't give up!!!!
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Feels like Christmas in November. This old body is coming around more everyday. I have started my winter exercise program now, and am amazed how much better things are. I am now trying to remember just how I "used" to do things so I can do them that way again. Still have a tiny bit of spacisity in the scapula area, but a quick call to my active release therapist resulted in some great advice and now it is less everyday. I am zooming in on the areas that still need improvement, and the results are gratifying. Too bad there is nothing for the hair I used to have! Sorta stuck with what I see in the mirror also, but at least the image is standing up straight and smiling more now.
I could still gripe about a cold hand & foot, hand dexterity, arm strength, endurance, occasional speech slip-up, etc, but why? I can now do most of what I want to, so life is good!
Mum is gone now sadly.
Bread. Have I mentioned bread? We have it everywhere. The outdoor brick oven is working fine. Lesley and I made about 15 loaves yesterday and a few dozen dinner rolls for Thanksgiving. Yum!! I am the "fire-maker". It takes about 5 to 6 hours of constant attention to get the oven to the proper temperature. While I was doing that, Lesley was making the actual bread, all from scratch. I helped her put it into and get it out of the oven, and have certainly given it a taste test. We made a basic white, a 7 grain, a whole wheat, and a "rustic" which is a white with buckwheat in it. My personal favorite. We also experimented with baking it in clay flower pots, tin cans, and other shapes. Neat stuff. We are practicing for the farmers market next year, and on friends. By the way, kneading bread is great therapy for the fingers! We have always wanted something we could do together at home and I believe we have found it.
Big thanks for the comments on the last blog. I have gotten a bit discouraged and gun shy about trying to help others. A few such efforts around here were not well received. Seems to me like some don't really want to get better, nor do they want any advice or help. Probably my fault, I can get evangelistic in my fervor about something I find that works (like active release and Saeboflex). I would be happy to speak in front of any group should the opportunity arise, public speaking does not bother me. I was asked by a stroke PA specialist several months ago if I would speak at an annual stroke survivors conference in October. Never heard from her again, although I said yes. Still have a real hard time with people that won't be all they can be. Life can be hard, but it does not have a rewind button, only a play it forward button. What is, is. Get on with it.
Just a word on exercise. I am finding now that I am focusing purely on those areas that need improvement to do the exact things I want to do. I call it "laser beaming exercise". I don't waste time or energy on things I don't really need to improve. You have to decide what is really important to you, forget the rest. I can't run yet, so what. I don't spend time working on that. I never was a runner anyway. I can carry my canoe and fish. All that matters. Keeps it simple!
Snow is supposed to be coming next week. Yippee!
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Several things to talk about, first back to what this blog started out to be about. Two new gizmo's to talk about. We found a battery operated can opener and a battery operated jar opener. Both were in a Dr. Leonard's junk catalog, cost $30 each, use two AA batteries and really work well. We got them both for mum (she is 85) for her use in New Zealand. We opened everything from a coffee can to a bottle of salad dressing, both worked as advertised. I couldn't help but think about those that may only have one hand to work with. I would love to post pic's, but am currently relegated to the old computer, the "new" one is in the shop.
We finally got about six inches of snow a few days ago, most welcome here. We are ready for winter.
Mum will be leaving us at the end of the week unfortunately.
A bit on stroke rehab. I don't talk about it much anymore, it has been almost a year now, but in the past month or so, it seems I have hit another gear. It is a real joy to put on a shirt or coat with either arm in first, walk walk up or down stairs without using the hand rail, and wash my back easily. Foot drop is a thing of the past, I even can run a bit, not a thing of beauty but getting better all the time. As you can see I am a simple guy, easily pleased. Simple things are exciting to me!
A tip on arm rehab, at least it has worked for me, my active release therapist in Canada said for me to stop heavy weight lifting with my affected arm. He felt it was causing my scapula and upper back to be spastic and tighten up because other muscles were helping lift. He was right. Now I am concentrating on strengthening my bicep only with small weights. The rest is getting stronger with normal activity. I am also doing some ankle strengthening, really has cleared up the foot drop.
I hope this does not sound like bragging, it is not intended as such. I tell it only to hopefully inspire anyone else that may need it. Don't ever give up. The body seems to keep improving as long as the mind continues to challenge it.
I got a call from our family doctor a few days ago. She asked my if she could give our number to to a 54 year old male patient in her office that just completed the stroke rehab program I went thru. I assured her I would help anyway I could.
Some good friends of ours visited last evening. A joint camping/canoeing trip was dicussed for next summer. We have camped with them before, hope it comes to pass.
Anyway, enough for now, keep on keepin' on, I feel very blessed, the glass is getting more than half full.
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Been our usual busy people around here lately. Lesley and her mum have been busy using the new oven and doing their best to make me fatter. I have finished the greenhouse, it was a kit, not terribly difficult. I am going to have to reinforce some of the panels because of wind, but not a big issue. All other outside projects are done for the year.
Fishing is unfortunately done for the year, (until ice fishing anyway) got chased off the lake the last time out by wind and lightening. Put the canoe and boat away for the year. A few days ago Lesley and I got in a bit of late season fishing in the canoe. Not much was happening, so we decided to come home. Then it happened. She was reeling in what was obviously a very small fish, when suddenly a very large walleye came along, grabbed the small fish, nearly took the rod out of Lesley's hand, under the canoe, doubling the rod over, then gone. Only the small fish left. We looked at each other in disbelief. It gave us something to talk about on the way home.
Sadly mum's time with us is on the last half. She will leave us Nov 16th. We have finally completed all the paperwork for her. She has her permanent green card, social security card, etc. Her next return is not planned as of now, time will tell.
I am lining up winter projects to pass the time. One will be a very focused, aggressive exercise program. Now that I have improved some, I can really tune in on the areas that need improvement, mainly muscle strengthening. My range of motion is to the point I can do what I want and live with it. Thanks Active Release therapy! I will start off late this month. Next week I am off to Duluth for cortisone shots in both shoulders again, they seem to really help for about four months at a time. It takes a week or so to sink in. I will start exercising after that. I intend to get to some of the lakes next year that I was not able to this year. My endurance and canoe carrying ability was not what I wanted. I must work harder and do better. Another project will be some finishing in the basement. First up: my workshop. Then some improvements in Lesley's baking area. I have to stay busy, the winters are long and dark up here. Channel surfing all day every day is not my style. However, I do a good bit of that now watching football.
Enough for now, BTW, the drought seems to be over. Sept rains set a record for that month, and lakes and streams are at springtime levels. Everything brown has greened up. I will never complain about rain again. It is most welcome here. Hopefully this will be followed by much snow this winter. The caterpillars are extra furry this fall, the deer extra fat, and my instincts tell me this will be a snowy winter. Hurray!
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The oven is finally finished! Hopefully attached to this entry is a photo of Lesley in action and a bonus pic of Tippy a few days ago. Putting on the metal roof was a challenge, but between Lesley and I we got it done. Even with leather gloves, a few nicks and cuts, but nothing serious. The mason was kind enough to leave the scaffolding for us to use putting on the roof, a real help. The bread and assorted goodies have been coming out fine so far, no disasters yet. We are still learning how hot to get the oven, how long it takes to heat, how much wood on the fire, etc. Lesley has spoken to the manager of the local farmers market, and she has a stall open to her when the market opens back up next spring. It will be closing for the season soon. She has already had a fellow worker ask for bread for an upcoming family do.
Now that the oven is finished, we can get the greenhouse kit assembled soon. Hopefully we can do it next week before the weather turns too cold, it would be nice to have it ready next spring for early plantings. The garden is done for, we have had frost the past few nights.
My fishing has been limited because of trying to finish all the work to be done before winter sets in and also it has been cool and quite windy. I did go out a few days ago and brought home some bass, but I now remember why last September I did not fish much. Sitting in an aluminum canoe alone on a cold, windy day is not for the faint of heart. I still have problems with a left hand and foot that get cold easily, and with the water cooling off, and the necessity of wearing lots of warm clothing, a canoe alone is not the greatest idea now. A life jacket is of little use now, it would only make it easier to find my body. So fishing very small lakes close to shore is the order of the day. Soon the water will be too hard (ice) to paddle in anyway.
Time to start the winter preparation, put away garden hoses, boat motor, all freezable liquids in the garage and shed go downstairs, bird feeders go up now the bears are sleeping, snow blower is tuned up and ready, etc.
I did my "fall tuneup" with the active release therapist in Canada last week. He said all seems to be going well, no further sessions immediately planned. We also visited the mason/baker that built our oven. He has quite an operation going. He bakes 400+ loaves on Fridays, and sells them quickly at the farmers market in Thunder Bay, Canada on Saturday, a year around inside operation. Lesley and mum learned much from him.
I am starting my exercise program again, still dissapointed at my lack of strength in the left arm. Loading the canoe was more difficult than I liked, hopefully after a winter of strengthening exercises next spring it will be easier.
Anyway, enough for now, the bread is great, come on up and have some!
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The last few weeks since mum has arrived have been busy! Where to start... well let's see, the chimney on the bread oven is done, only the metal roof remains to be installed. Hopefully will be done sometime next week. Now that the chimney is done, the oven can be safely used. Lesley and mum are busy brainstorming baking plans for next week, after the masonry dries. Many bread books, flours, supplies, etc, have appeared at our house the past few weeks.
My friend "Mike" visited us the past few days. The four hour drive from his house to ours went OK for him. We decided to forego the "race" down our driveway we talked about while in therapy. we decided that the risk of one of us falling was too great. A bit of common sense prevailed. I showed him most of my fishing lakes and spots, he is now planning a return trip here in the spring for a few weeks of serious fishing. Comparing our past eight months of rehab and experiences we had ourselves in stitches laughing. It was a real joy to see him again. We shared things that only stroke survivors can know. It appears our recoveries, pains, flustrations, setbacks, etc, have been similar. We still talk on the phone every few days.
Mum now has her immigration papers complete and even got her social security card yesterday. The process is finally complete. Only took nine months.
Mum and Lesley went with a neighbor to a play put on by the local theater group last night. They came home full of the local news and gossip. I came home with some fish about the same time. I had planned to fish well into the dark since the moon was supposed to be nearly full, but a large cloud hid the moon, and the fish stopped biting, so home I came. The lake was a new one to me, one I had on my "must fish someday" list for several years now. The fishing was such that I will go back to it. It is also very easy to get to, can drive to the shore, and launching the canoe is easy, plus it is close to home, and I have only seen one other person fish it in several years.
Speaking of fishing, my main fishing buddy and I were out a few days ago, when he hooked something that was obviously large. As he got it to the canoe, he said it is a pike. Then it came near my end of the canoe as we tried to net it, and I said "it's a walleye" after seeing it's golden side. After we netted it, he said "we're both wrong, its a muskie"! Sure enough, it was. A very rare fish in this area, and quite a thrill for both of us. First time either of us had ever seen one in the flesh live. It was about 30" long and probably 6lb or so, not of legal keeping size, so back into the lake it went. Naturally, neither of us had a camera, so all we have is a great memory.
Today is a slow day of rest, Lesley works tonight, I plan little. After monday's holiday the tourists will be gone and most of the lakes I go to will be even less busy. I rarely see anyone while fishing now, next week will be even better. Even the locals will not be fishing, most will be getting ready for various hunting seasons, deer, grouse, bear, moose. Ahhhh, the lakes totally to myself again!
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The latest great news is that mum from New Zealand has arrived! Her trip was uneventful and all is well. Her permanent immigration papers went thru fine and she is now a permanent US resident if she chooses to be so. It took 9 months and about $1,000, but it is done. At the moment we have her here for three months, then back to New Zealand, we'll see from there. She is learning to love Tippy as we do.
Speaking of Tippy, I have to just stand back and admire in awe the miracle of life. Watching her grow from a wee puppy that you could hold in a hand to a fine, big strapping dog of about thirty pounds in just four months is indeed amazing. How you put ordinary dog food in and get such a beautiful animal out is amazing to me. She gets more active everyday. Watching her grow has truely been inspiring to me. After my stroke I had a new appreciation of life, watching her grow has given me even more. We worry and fuss about such small stuff while miracles grow all around us every day.
I don't wish to start a discussion on how all of this happens, we all have our own opinions on that, just be amazed that it does.
Big do'ins at our house tonight. A neighbor lady has all of her family here this week. Lesley and mum are firing up the oven for the first major pizza making do. The BBQ will also be going. I suspect some bread may come out of the oven as well. Yum!
Went fishing alone yesterday. The wind finally blew me and my canoe off the water. Fishing was poor, nearly impossible due to the wind. Only one bass and one walleye to show for a lot of effort and a few bumps and bruises for the effort. Coming out at night a rock jumped out in front of me and down I went. Ice on the hip when I got home stopped the swelling, much better today. Oh well, not every trip will be like last week.
Lesley and mum are busy getting ready for tonight, I am resting, licking my wounds from yesterday. A nap is likely in order soon, not much else.
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Ahhhhhh, a day of rest. Working where I can on the oven has indeed been a lot of work. The mason is to come back this week to finish the chimney now that the roof is on. It is not complete, but is now covered with tar paper. Should have it completed in a few weeks. I built a wooden platform in front so we will not have to stand on the gravel and dirt (or snow soon). The thermometer is installed and working. The first bread, scones, and pizza have come out of it and all were yummy. Lesley has started a bread mixture, and we have jars fermenting all over the kitchen. Hopefully we will have the plumbing done downstairs soon, and all of this can move downstairs. Putting in the heat sensors and thermometer with associated wiring was a challenge, but great therapy. Eleven bags of insulation went into the top and sides before the roof was put on. Whew! Glad that is done! The oven really holds it's heat though, so the insulation was worth it. More wiring to be done so we can eliminate the extension cord, all in due time. I have installed outdoor lights for night use, they will be needed soon as our days are shortening here with fall rapidly approaching. I get tired after a few hours of work, so my work days are short, but little by little it is getting done.
I have just had probably my best day of fishing ever this past week. My main fishing buddy and I were planning to fish Lake Superior for Salmon, but decided it was too windy. Neither of us have a death wish, so we went elsewhere less windy. I have caught bigger bass, but just barely. The size of these was exceptional for this area, and the quantity as well. What really topped off the day was after we both had our legal limit of bass, we then started catching walleyes, a prized fish up here. I had just reached the limit on bass when I got another good bite. I told my friend "this must be a walleye since I can't catch anymore bass". It was! We continued fishing and the walleye continued biting. They also were of good size. All in all, a great day of fishing, even though some much needed rain poured down on us. we didn't mind a bit.
I don't think or talk much about my having a stroke anymore. I just live my life as best I can. Within my limitations, I have learned to do most of what I want to do. My workdays are shorter, as are the fishing days, I still don't do well on ladders, strength is not what it used to be, left hand dexterity still leaves a bit to be desired, and the left foot still drags when I get tired or don't think about it. I fell in the woods the other day walking Tippy, a rock jumped out and tripped me. No damage done, Tippy and I resumed our walk as soon as I was able to get up.
Speaking of Tippy, the little devil has discovered our red raspberries. I usually go out in the morning and pick some. We have large patches growing wild all over our property. There are few low hanging ones left. Tippy just marches in and helps herself. The other day we both saw a nice one, she beat me to it. She is pretty fussy, and only eats the really ripe ones.
I have rather gotten away from writing all my positive thinking stuff and now am just trying to demonstrate it by living it, rather than just talking about it. Life is short, live it to the fullest! Time for a rest now, more another time.
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Just a short note to congratulate Dickons on impending marriage. The wedding will be almost due east of us several hundred miles. That is a beautiful part of Ontario, the wife and I passed thru there a few years ago. Dickons, if you and new hubby are looking for a neat place to spend a few days, come on over and meet Tippy. We are due west of where you will be, just past Thunder Bay.
The oven for Lesley is nearly done. The mason has finished the outside bricking, now we must wait a week or so, then I will put on the roof and install the thermometers. I have assembled all the materials I need, just waiting for the mortar to set on the bricks, and a few days rest. Mixing mortar by hand for the mason was hard work! I am pooped! Lesley mixed her share and even layed one brick, just to make her mark. Pictures will follow when all is complete.
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Haven't blogged for awhile, so a quick update on life up north. I left you last entry with my friend and I heading to our secret lake full of anticpation of a great day of fishing. Not to be. We got there OK, my friend caught two nice walleyes right away, and we licked our chops looking forward to a day of fast fishing. Then a thunderstorm popped up, lightening chased us off the lake. We went ashore, got away from the aluminum canoe, and waited it out. Storm ended, we went back to the hot spot, and nothing! The depth finder still showed many fish there, but guess the storm gave them lockjaw, no interest in feeding. We had an electric motor on the canoe, so searching for them was easy, but also fruitless. We did catch many small pike, but no more walleyes to be had. Several more storms came and went, but the fish never regained their appitite. Oh well, that's fishing.
Went to another lake on my own a few days ago and sprained my ankle carrying gear on the rough trail. Been wearing my AFO the last few days since. I must admit it helps. I will probably wear it in the woods from now on, and will likely not go too far alone again. My favorite lake is just a bit too much of a trip for me alone, so probably won't make it there this year.
Have started exercising with the Bowflex again, I need to regain more upper body strength to properly carry the canoe. Because of the sprained ankle, the leg exercises are on hold.
Lesley is sleeping, just got off a night shift, two more to go, then a break. The dogs are sleeping with her for now. She is anxiously awaiting the completion of her brick oven and the arrival of her mom next month. I finished making the door for the oven last week. She does not know it, but I ordered a new hard sided greenhouse for her yesterday. She loves her gardening, and with the short summers and cool nights we have here, a good greenhouse is a must. The old, cheap, vinyl one we have probably will not make it thru the winter.
An observation I hesitate to make too much of, but here goes. My main fishing buddy has a nerve problem in his leg and lives with nearly constant pain. Weeks ago, I gave him an article from the Duluth newspaper about an orthopedic surgeon in a hospital there, one of 19 in the country that performs this particular non-invasive pain management treatment. He claims nearly 100% success for those he treats. He is a surgeon in the hospital I spent a week in. If I were still in constant pain I would go to him. Yesterday we were fishing with another guy who is also in constant pain (lower back, siatica). I told him about this dr in Duluth, and asked my friend if he had followed up with him. To my amazement, he answered he just had to start walking more. The message was clear. He is not interested in trying anything else.He has done nothing with the info I gave him, choosing to live with the pain rather than trying another approach. I got the message and will keep my mouth shut from now on. Sorry, but I just have a real hard time understanding why people choose to stay in the rut they are in rather than trying something else when they have the choice. I understand not all have the means or insurance to do everything, but for those that do, I just don't understand the unwillingness to try. I can't save the world, and I guess I'll just quit trying. I'll keep doing what works for me, trying new things if they might help, and get on with my life and let others do the same.
The other day my Dr. told Lesley and I that my recovery has been remarkable. Yes indeed. As I have written before it happened because of many factors, some in my control and some not. It is for sure it did not happen with me sitting on the couch channel surfing. Some of the things I tried did not work. Many did. You will never know until you give it a go.
Sorry for the venting, but I just don't understand some not taking the next step when they have the means to do so.
Anyway, today is a day of rest and watching golf. I worked out the shoulders a bit too hard yesterday, and the left one is telling me about it today. Sometimes I just want things too much and overdo. Anyone else out there guilty of that?
Today is a glorious day outside and I hate to let it get away from me, but guess I will. I need the rest. We are having a cool, sunny summer. Rain has come finally, not as much as we would like, but the 60-70 degree days and 40 degree nights are lovely and have really kept the bugs down this year. Next week I'll hobble thru the woods again with my AFO, seeking fish. Until next time. cheers!
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The outdoor brick bread oven has been built. The class was held the last three days and all went well. We met some really neat people, the dogs (especially Tippy) made many new friends. We made sure she was still with us as they left, a few really took to her, and she would have willingly gone with them. We had a neighbor cut a few cedar logs for us lengthwise to sit on, Lesley and I cut some short logs for the logs to rest on, and the site in general was looking good. She also got all of her stuff from the local bakery that went out of business. Things like racks, huge bread pans, a large maple table, lots of small, misc stuff. The Mason that tought the course building our oven was obviously wishing he had got there first to get some stuff. He said by the time he got there it was all gone. Then he saw it in our basement. Next another mason will be coming to finish the outer shell of the oven, and hopefully in a month or so it will be putting out bread. I have to make the wooden door for it, I am now designing it. Another challenge.
Yesterday was one of those days. You know, where lots of little things just don't go right. About noon, I asked Lesley if she minded if I went fishing. As always, she made my lunch, helped me get ready, and wished me well. I told her where I was going, and I should be back by dark, if not soon after dark, come looking. I was going to be alone, the lake is remote, and there likely would not be anyone else there.
Loading the canoe on the SUV, I lost control of it, it slipped off the top and dented. Fortunately is is aluminum, and the dent was not serious. Finished loading after repairing a tie down rachet for the canoe. Off I went. Got to the parking area, preparing to off load the canoe, and lost it off the top again, it hit the ground and the previous dent popped out on it's own. Put on my bug jacket, as they were fierce, and off I went. Got to the lake after about a 200 yard carry, went back for the rest of my gear, and then the fun began. The canoe launch site is very mucky and muddy. Years ago someone had put a couple of logs over the muck into the water so as to make launching possible. I put the canoe alongside the logs, and was carrying a rock to put into the front of the canoe for ballast. I do that when alone to help stabilize the canoe. Hopefully next year Tippy will be mature enough to perform that function. Anyway, as I went back to shore to get another rock, I lost my balance and had to step off the log into the muck. My tall rubber boot was instantly stuck. I had no choice but to step into the muck with the other foot. Now both boots were buried in the muck, my feet inside. Lifting up my feet was impossible. I sat down in the muck, finally got both feet out of the boots, and crawled out on the muck. I then went back and finally retrieved the boots.
I then got launched, and tried to use the rod and reel I had intended to use. The reel broke and was unusable. Fortunately, 20 years in the military taught me to always have a backup plan, so I used the other rig I had brought along. I padddled to my favorite spot and had the best fishing I have had in years. In about 30 minutes I had my limit of really large bass. During that time I lost nine, three broke my line, three others broke the snaps at the end of my line, but I did manage to put my limit (six) on the stringer. During the fight, one wrapped himself around the stringer attached to the canoe. What a fix! I had to net the entire stringer, lift it into the canoe with a half dozen fish flipping around, and sort it out. Finally got it done. Three of the fish still had the hook in them when they were cleaned. Removing it would have killed them immediately and I was fearful of getting a hook in my hand, so just cut the line and rebaited. I always use pliers and gloves unhooking fish now, a change from my pre-stroke days.
I then realized I had to come home, I had my limit of fish. After all that difficulty getting there, the fishing was so good I had to leave after only an hour or so of fishing! About that time, a light sprinkle started, increasing my motivation to go home. I got unloaded and reloaded the canoe on the SUV without incident, just exhausted. I got home and the first thing Lesley said was "you're home early" I said to Lesley "get the camera". You know you have had a good day when that is the first thing you say when you get home. Lesley was helping unload my gear, the tackle box fell open and lures went everywhere. Just one of those days. I cleaned the fish, Lesley froze them and washed my smelly, muddy, fish blood stained clothes, I had a badly needed shower, finally had something to eat, and rested the evening away.
I saw no one else that day, had the lake to myself.I also had to extricate myself from the muck alone or wait for Lesley to arrive with help many hours later if I didn't come home. Funny how you do what you have to do when the time comes. The fact that my foot and leg have not been particularly cooperative lately suddenly didn't matter. Fatigue was no longer an issue.
Doing these things is why we live here, even when we are having one of those days.
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Reading Spacie 1's blog I couldn't help but chuckle. A few days ago I took Tippy and our boat to a nearby lake I know pretty well. Fortunately my stroke affected my left side and I am right handed, so I can still cast fairly well. A few times fish have knocked the rod out of my hand and I nearly lost it, but I am getting better. Anyway to the story. I was casting near a shoreline I have not fished before when a nice sized bass took my lure. The fight was on but he went into some underwater brush, and I lost him and my lure. Oh well, just part of fishing I thought. So I rebaited, cast into a nearby area, and wham, another nice bass took my lure, back into the same brush, and another fish and lure lost. Two casts, two fish and lures lost. After talking it over, Tippy and I decided I couldn't afford to stay there any longer, so we left! I now seem to be a slower learner, in the past I would have left after one lost lure, this time it took two. Whats that old saying, "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me".
On the way out, I was using my electric motor and going slowly, because the lake is quite rocky. I waited until I was in 10 feet of water, then started the larger gas motor. Cruising along, all is well, 10 feet of water, then pow, a rock jumped into my way and the motor stopped. Tippy and I decided it was time enough to go home, only two bass on the stringer and we used the electric motor to slowly get back.
Putting the boat back onto the trailer was a challenge, and I have the bruises to prove it. Had to finally wade out and get wet, try not to fall over, Tippy being a Springer Spaniel was loving the water, and we finally got out of there after a conversation with the local game warden who checked all my papers, counted my fish, and wished me well.
I got home, fixed the motor (simple repair, only a shear pin), cleaned the fish, gave them to an elderly neighbor, ordered two new lures to replace the lost ones, showered and napped.
Tippy was so funny. She needed to go potty while we were out in the boat. I went ashore, but it was very rocky and lots of trees and brush. No place for her to run and find a suitable place. Standing on a large rock she cocked her head as if to say, OK daddy, what do I do now? I told her pee pee, and so she just squatted on the rock and did her business. Most of the rest of the time she just slept at my feet. Barked at a few eagles that buzzed us, licked a few fish for the first time, licked some water up that found it's way into the boat, helped daddy eat his snacks, and just generally enjoyed her first fishing adventure with daddy. She also got to see her first deer. As we left our house, a doe and two fawns walked in front of us in the driveway. I stopped, Tippy looked, so did the deer, then we all went our ways.
All in all, a great day, and a reminder of why I work so hard at my exercises and live the life we do.
BTW, we saw no other boats or people on the lake, save a lone kayaker passing by. Coffee cup is empty, must refill it now.
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Heartfelt thanks for all the encouragement to continue blogging. It won't be particularly stroke survivor oriented now, but rather just our daily living and overcoming challenges. The big news here is Lesley is getting her outside brick bread oven built next week. The mason showed up today and evaluated the site, all OK there.
She also had a bit of luck. The local whole foods coop is closing it's bread bakery. They are selling all the equipment at bargain prices. She bid on what she wanted equipment wise, and got it. Stuff like bread cooling pans, racks, flour bins, scales, etc. We pick up the stuff Saturday with some friends to help. Our basement gets ever fuller with stuff.
I couldn't really deny her after just buying the boat, fair is fair. She has her toys, I have mine. Speaking of the boat, a friend is welding a bit on it now, in times past I would have done that myself, but not now, should get it back tomorrow. We hope to take it out again as a family in the next few days, see if everything works. Lesley also got a yoghurt maker today and the depth finder I ordered for the boat came in also today. UPS knows our driveway well indeed.
The effects of the stroke are still with me some, but we are just getting on with life. Now that Tippy is sleeeping thr night thru, I am sleeping better as well. I still have many days where a nap is needed, hate to waste the short summer here sleeping during the day, but have to some days.
Tippy continues to grow and play with our other dog endlessly. She gets prettier every day. I do what I can outside for an hour or so, then rest. Lesley has our yard looking lovely. The hard work over the winter post stroke has indeed been worth it, am now doing more of what I want to do, feeling better all the time. Don't give up, no one but you can do for yourself what needs to be done, but then you get to reap the rewards of your hard work. Achieving goals is really neat stuff, make yours short term and realistic, then revel in the satisfaction for a few days of having reached them, then set more!
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Lesley, the two dogs, and I all fit into the boat the other day, fished a bit, but mostly ran around just to get the feel of how to do things. The motor needs some work and the trailer must get rollers put on it to make the boat easier to launch and recover. Otherwise, all went well. Caught a few fish, Lesley caught the biggest, and the dogs were perfect. Just laid in the bottom and slept. Both got excited when a fish was caught. Cleaning the fish is now much more difficult and dangerous. I wear metal mesh gloves to prevent knife cuts. Much slower, and the fillets don't look as neat as they used to, but still taste good.
As earlier stated, I have finished therapies for now, have cut out the muscle relaxers and other meds where I can. I have come to the conclusion that my stroke was nowhere as severe as some on this board have experienced. Severe enough, mind you, quite disruptive of our lives, but I have regained enough to live somewhat the life I used to live.
I have worked hard to get where I am, but no harder and maybe even not as hard as many of you have. Fortunately, my results have been rewarding, some of you have worked harder than I and may have little to show for it. Words cannot express my sorrow for you. But for the Grace of God, and a few neurons more not dying, I could not write this.
I have done what I can to help on this blog, reported on therapies that I tried, even if they didn't help. I have offered encouragement and direction where I could. This blog has given me the opportunity to write some of the book I always wanted to write but never did. For this I am grateful. Some of the chapters inappropriate to this forum will probably never be written.
I fear now that some might think I am bragging, some might be envious or jealous, discouraged that their progress has not mirrored mine. I would never forgive myself if I found out that I have caused some to have those thoughts, or discouragement in any way because of something I wrote.
I have contributed what I feel I have to contribute. My blog would now just become a reporting on my daily life, probably not particularly interesting or useful to anyone else. Hopefully I have no more therapies, gadgets, or gizmo's to report on.
I will likely have very infrequent entries from now on. Thanks for reading.
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Hopefully attached are pictures of a new gadget we are using around the house these days. We have several and they are really neat. Make opening and closing frozen veggies, bread, etc, very easy. They have a strong grip, yet are easy to remove. Lesley got them thru one of her junk catalogs.
I have held off blogging for awhile until I completed a few things so I could report on them. I finished the Active Release therapy in Canada this week. The therapist said that I was a personal success for him and he would like to do a follow up in a month or so. He said not only did I have a severely frozen shoulder, but all the complications of a stroke as well. He was most pleased with my progress as am I. I told him that summers up here are short, and I really want to get on with living my life for now. How about a follow up in the fall after fishing season is over. He agreed. I had a total of ten treatments with him. The results have been gratifying, to say the least. The exercises he has given me to do are very focused on the muscle groups we are still working on. I still do them everyday and will continue to do so. I would advise anyone able to do so look into this treatment.
I also had both shoulders injected with cortisone today. Hopefully this will get the inflammation under control and I will be able to start weight training again with the arms in a few weeks. The legs/hips/ankles continue to do well, getting much stronger.
I now have had another doctor tell me that he agrees that we must continue to seek out what is best for us, and the knowledge of many therapists and doctors plateaus, not necessarily the patient. Don't be afraid to look into something else, I am doing my best to report all my results here for all to see. At the moment I have no further therapies or treatments planned of any type, just a few follow ups mentioned earlier.
I have reduced the baclofen from 80mg daily to 20mg this week, if the weekend goes OK, I will completely eliminate it next week. Another muscle relaxer was stopped two months ago. I am in the middle of a two month test to see if we can keep the Lipitor cut in half. Cholesterol is 106 now, if it stays near there, I'll keep it cut in half. After these two tests are completed, the happy pills are next. I'll taper them off and see what happens. Also cut the BP med in half today, doctors orders. I have been getting woozy in the mornings, I think my body is returning to somewhat normal, hopefully won't need all these meds forever. Still some bad news, still have leg twiches at night, especially on days I exercise hard. Still a tight wrist, some hand and finger discomfort, sleepy a lot, endurance and focus issues, other things readers of this blog know all too well.
However, all in all, I am pleased with the progress. Still a work in progress, but definitely much better than six months ago. My boat is nearly ready for the water, myself, Lesley, and the two dogs will be using it next week.
Welcome rains have swollen the lakes and rivers and made the forests safe again. Fishing so far has been good, and hopefully will be next week. That completes the latest report, see ya after fishing!
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Had a minor setback the other day. Picked Lesley up from work in the morning, we went out for a breakfast after her three night shifts. As we were leaving I got my wallet out to pay the waitress, my credit card fell onto the floor. I reached down to get it, and over I went onto the floor on my left (bad) side. Most seriously damaged part was my ego. A sprained left wrist and a hip bruise, all else OK. Reminded me not to get too rambunctious, I did have a stroke six months ago. I guess these things will happen as I attempt to live life normally. Working on my new (to me anyway) boat, I am reminded that I now bruise and bleed quite easily. Have come up with the idea to wear tight fitting leather gloves like a golf glove and cut the finger tips off. Hopefully this will protect my hands a bit from all the nicks and band aids they are getting now. I do carry band aids in my fishing gear now.
I have finally listened to the many therapists that told me so and have temporarily stopped all my Bowflex exercises for my upper body, arms and shoulders. Only working the legs now. They have both gotten quite strong, I think stronger than pre stroke. I have to give the shoulders a chance to heal. I still do the range of motion exercises I got from the Active Release therapist. I don't want to lose what I have gained there. The arms seem to be getting enough exercise just living life normally, shoveling gravel, working on my boat and trailer, fishing, etc. This winter coming inbetween ice fishing and snowshoeing Lesley has finishing the basement planned, time enough for arm exercise then.
Muscle tone seems to be lessening, considering cutting back the baclofen further, already cut it in half. Currently doing a two month cholesterol test to see if I can cut back the Lipitor permanently. Then the happy pills are next on the list. One at a time.
Tippy continues to grow and learn her various commands. She now knows the "sit" command well. I take her out every morning and train her on the "come" command. She genrally does, but still some work to do on that one. Potty training is still a work in progress, but getting better every day. She now routinely goes all night without a pit stop. The bonus has been that our other dog Jasmine, not to be outdone is learning all of this as well. They play together all day when they are not sleeping. Tippy's first visit to the vet yesterday went very well. all OK, got shots, etc. She sat still on the scales just like she should, weighs 12 lbs now. (three months old)
Some much needed rain has come our way recently. Everything is green now, Lesley is spending her break planting flowers everywhere. I am writing this and enjoying an adult beverage. Next entry I will return to the original theme of this blog, a new gadget to show. Time to go now.
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Went fishing with a friend yesterday for the first time post stroke. W used his boat and plan to do so for the next few weeks. The canoe will come later. He was patient with me as I helped him launch the boat. He could have done it faster, but let me do it. I just bought some new boots that drain water out when you step into water. I also wore Goretex socks that keep my feet dry inside the sock. Worked wonderfully. I was able to wade out and help launch the boat and my feet stayed dry.
The best news is that we caught lots of fish, he took a picture of my catch, will post when my friend gets it to me. All the hard work over the winter paid off. We had the lake to ourselves, no one else in sight. Weather was good, saw lots of wildlife, just had a great time of it.
Tippy and Jassie spent the day outside with Lesley. She took them down to the shore of Lake Superior, and they both had a drink and swim. The rest of the day she walked them down our country roads, all of us were tired and slept like babies. Tippy went 9 hours in her crate without a wimper or pee pee. Her legs are getting longer and feet huge in relationship to the rest of her body. I think she is going to get fairly large. She is such a great dog, I can hardly wait until she is big enough to go with me in our canoe. Probably not this year, but next. She and Jassie continue to bond, getting along better every day.
The big fire is getting under control now, the threat of evacuation seems past for now anyway. Two more sessions of Active Release therapy scheduled in Canada over the next few weeks, then hopefully not much more therapy for awhile. All in all, a great few days.
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The news of the day is very bad indeed. We have a raging forest fire north of us. Over 55,000 acres have burnt so far, many homes, cabins. and resorts gone. We have friends that have had to evacuate and may not have a house to return to. The fire is about 20 miles from us at present. We have packed both cars for quick evacuation if needed. Last night I video'ed the entire house and contents. We had ash all over the property. Thankfully the winds died down, and the immediate threat seems to have subsided.
The fire has been overshadowing everything else around here. Our little county will not be the same in my lifetime. Some outfitters and resorts will not survive. Even when the fire is out, customers will not come to cabins surrounded by burned forest. We are a tourist town that will be very hard hit by this. Very, very sad. All started apparently by an unattended campfire.
On a brighter topic, Tippy is becoming more settled everyday. She now sleeps most of the night without crying or needing to go out. She will be a great dog for us. We are learning the signs and times for a quick trip outdoors. She and our Bichon Jasmine now play together without problems.
In the next week I will report on my progress, much to report, but today just isn't the day for it.
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Training Tippy is my new fulltime job. When she is not sleeping, I am busy. She and Jasmine are learning to get along, hopefully pictures attached. Night time is a real challenge. She goes into the crate, protests vigorously for 10 minutes or so, then quiet. Last night I tried to put down pads with attractant scent on them in our bathroom to avoid taking her outside. She woke me up about three hours into my sleep. Into the bathroom we went. She licked my feet and laid down on the pads. Twenty minutes later, I gave up, back into the crate, 10 more minutes of protest, then quiet. No potty. Had I put her on the carpet there would have been a potty for sure. Repeated process at 2AM. Same result. Finally at 530AM I took her out after 7 1/2 hours, potty. So much for her having to go every two hours. Except for night time she does not go into the crate. Our breeder was really against it, and I fear if I tried to force her into the crate all the time, she will come to hate it. Plus, her and Jassie need to learn to get along, so I just watch her very closely all day. Any triggering event ( awakening after sleep, after play time, eating, drinking, etc) we go outside immediately. After two days she now knows her name and the word "come". I know the way to the potty area well. I can only type this because both dogs are asleep at my feet. If they were awake, I would be busy. My stroke rehab has now taken a back seat to Tippy training. I will exercise on the days when Lesley is home. Otherwise, Tippy is my exercise. She is a sweetheart, and lots of fun to have around. More later, time for Tippy to pee pee.
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