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| Irrelevant image - Tashi vanquishes the Mu (that black shape upper left) |
Grandma's health update. The shingles rash is now mostly healed, and what they call post-herpetic pain has set in. It is more than twice as bad. At the beginning, 5 mg of Oxycodone was enough, maybe 3xday. Now it's 20 mg every 4 hours, if I can wait that long, and that doesn't do it. The only worse pain I've had was labor and the sharp pain of a bone in my foot breaking. The pain wakes me up at night and I have to take a dose.
How long? Nobody knows. I did get my wits together today and had an acupuncture treatment. They are best with pain. He actually put needles at spots in the rash, and I gasped. And a low, easy electric feed through them. It was okay.
Got a mailing from Lew Richmond, a Zen teacher I like who had a horrific health event he wrote about in Healing Lazarus. He had this to say about the koan that troubles me most -
Each of us is Phil the groundhog . . . each of us
is a monk in Ummon's assembly, facing the mystery of our human life as
it unfolds day by day. "Every day is a good day" means every day is
incomparable, every day stands on its own. It's our responsibility to
make of each day the best we can, knowing this.
Sometimes it's oh, getting my warm bathrobe washed. Doing a big grocery shopping, being patient with the carry-out guy. Being patient with the pharmacy not having enough oxycodone and seeming dumb as an ox about what we could do about it. Being patient with the multiple phone calls from my doctor's office about lidocaine patches, and how I had to keep telling different people why I. Don't. Want. To. Use. Them. (And why would anyone think you could stand to peel adhesive off this tender skin that feels like a third-degree burn. Or first-degree. Whichever is worse.)
And as for making the best of the day, rather ardently focusing on gratitude for such things as a pain manual from a friend - and beating Tom at Words with Friends by one point.
Oh yes, if anybody takes it one day at a time, by god, it's you Jeanne, so just yell out; YEAH, I'M DOING THAT.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry about the pain! The pain as it heals is a kick in the arse if you ask me. I hope it speeds up the process and leaves you alone!!!!!
Oh, those damn lidocaine patches don't work...with everyone I talk to(too weak, and short time span). I used them( at a high cost) and Tropricin cream works better on muscle and joint pain.
ReplyDeleteThe pharmaceutical industry is hell bent on pushing them...is the only reason why they have exploded in Dr. recommendations.
That image is not irrelevant to me, Jeanne. I think I am getting a glimpse of an Adena Brook view. Right?
ReplyDeleteYour shingles story is frightening. I admire your willingness to post that koan. A snuggly soft, clean robe is a familiar way to make a day : ).