Thursday 22 May 2014

Small World

Turkey mom is down to one chick. And of course anything else she chooses to tuck under her enormous bulk. Being a big fan of the game "What Will This Cow Eat?" (pat pending), I devised a variation: "What Will This Turkey Incubate?" I removed the food pot and left my pocketknife in its place and waited.

No dice.

My deeply flawed experiment (but fun game!) has proved that the turkey will sit on a) chicks b) fake eggs and c) chinese takeaway containers filled with bird food. The pocket knife elicited no maternal feelings whatsoever.

That answers that burning question.

Speaking of burning, my tennis elbow hasn't been improving on a regime of no treatment and never resting it, but wearing a ulnar strap like it was some kind of superhero exoskeleton that would fix everything. I went back to the doctor this morning. Living in the country means that your mini-hospital is situated between the village hall and a fish and chip shop ( n.b. the shop holds a Guinness World Record for making the largest bag of chips). It also means you see this at reception-


A dog tied to the railing while its owner pops in for a consultation.


How sweet is that? I would also hazard that this dog looks like it's no stranger to a fish and chips dinner now and then (Well, someone had to eat that record bag of chips, right?)

I saw a new doctor, and it turns out that besides the elbow stuff, I've torn something in my shoulder and there's a capsule of blood, yadayada, limited range of movement etc etc. So I've been bumped up to steroid shots and painkillers. He told me to rest it, so I immediately came home and butchered a lamb for our neighbour.

I really don't understand why it's not healing.

None of that is interesting, I know. It was the conversation with my doctor that was interesting. My doctor was also severely burned in an accident ( an ill-conceived plan to start a bonfire with petrol) and was treated in the same specialist ward where Mike was treated. Since his accident, my doctor has specialised in chronic pain management, something that is still a huge problem for Mike too. In our move, we may have found just the right person to help Mike regain more of his quality of life.

If not, well, at least there's a nice doggie he can pat on his way out.

10 comments:

MrsCow said...

Long time reader, first time commenter. Have started reading all your posts from the start. Glad to see you are settling well into your new home! Hope your elbow/shoulder combo heals soon, but since it is summer, I hope are able to keep it manageable until late fall, when you may have a bit less work. Wait, nevermind, you are a farmer. :)

Maria said...

Here's hoping your doc can help you and Mike out. You always sound so accepting of your pain/injury, but I can't help but worry (even though we've never met, and I'm trying not to come across too weird!). I hope the steroid injections will help. Would physiotherapy be an option worth together with those? I had two steroid injections plus physiotherapy for my golfer's elbow years ago (not golfer's elbow at all - it was from computer use. I was very amused to learn the name - apparently it's like tennis elbow but on a different nerve).

SavvyChristine said...

Wow, what a stroke of luck. It's hard to find someone in chronic pain management who has personal experience in chronic pain -- let alone has the same sort of injury and pain that you have. (Speaking from a different kind of chronic pain here on my end. See also: migraines). I hope you and Mike both get the care you need, and care that works!

Seester said...

I'm going to assume your pocket knife was closed when you gave it to your turkey. If not, I have a hunch why she didn't sit on it.

Jennifer Montero said...

MrsCow - Nice to meet you and thanks for the comment and good wishes.

Jennifer Montero said...

Maria - It's very kind, not weird, to hear that someone worries about you. I worry about people whose blogs I read and have even sent them emails if they haven't posted for awhile to make sure they're ok. Community is community after all!

How did your golfer's elbow respond to the injections/physio? Did it stop the pain?

Jennifer Montero said...

SC - As I meet people (in life and through the blog) I'm amazed at what people have been through and continue to live with. Chronic pain is all too common and difficult to manage. I hope you have some support for your migraines.

Jennifer Montero said...

Seester - I would have bet money that she'd have sat on that (closed) knife. I can't tell you how disappointed I am that a turkey disproved my hypothesis. I bet that never happens to Stephen Hawking.

Pam said...

That is the fattest spaniel I've ever seen!! If I lived that close to fish and chips, I'd venture to say I'd look the same. Maybe a little less hairy.

Maria said...

Hi Jennifer. Well, I'm glad we agree then :-) and I didn't freak you out. I do like online communities, though I'm a commenter only, rather than a blogger.

My elbow... injections helped with the pain, short term, but my physio had some theory about how they 'froze you up' (I know, very scientific) in terms of ligament mobility. But what really saved me longer term was physio. My physio was amazing - he was a sports physiotherapist, not even remotely specialising in RSI-type injuries, but he was brilliant (many years experience). I can't recommend finding a good physio enough.
I still have to watch it (my elbow/general upper limb joints), and I think I always will, but I'm working full time and pain is only intermittent/occasional. Hey, how's that for lowered expectations? But I think you know what I mean - chronic, all-the-time pain is hideous, exhausting and demoralising. If we can turn that into something just intermittent/occasional, it is entirely different and so much more bearable.