Now a week later!

June 10, 2008: 10:45pm

Hi gang and my faithful Evan who reads....

I give advice but the best at following 'good' advice? I have (had) a nagging painful condition that keeps popping up it's ugly head from time to time. Not a life threatehing condition, but just one of those many delemias we face IF we live long enough.

My biggest failure is not taking pain medication after I get to feeling a little better. Whereas many people enjoy the buzz it may give you, I don't like this unreal feeling and have an aversion to any drugs that alter the way I feel. That said, I take the Rx in the am, skip the mid-day or early afternoon does some 6 or 7 hours and by 4 or 5:00pm, I find myself climbing the walls.

The inflammation is not predictable as to time expected, some sooner, others later, take your pick. And...I am a type A personality and goal oriented and asking for help or backing off from work or obligations, I find hard to choke down. But, I have found on this one, I have had to do just that.

Let's say one thing up front! I had a great day today! I drove about 70 miles, called on my warehouse and worked in my office in Homewood until almost 6:00pm. But..I remembered after lunch to take my Rx! Big, big difference. I remained comfortable and was careful all day to not lift anything with my left arm or shoulder using my left chest muscles, letting my right arm and hand do it ALL!

Karen was staking our tomato plants when I got home and she would not let me touch anything! Good girl! She let me cut some stock right handed with my new Swiss Army knife but that was it. She carried my briefcase in the house and upstairs and I carried in mail and a glass of water. I do it, but I don't like it. We have a trip this weekend and she wants me feeling good Friday thru Sunday in Mobile.

So Jeff is still not 100% and I am calling Dr. Portante and see if he will give me another steriod shot which he did some weeks ago. I need to drive out to Bessemer to mom's old house and pay the guy the last $500.00 I owe him for installing 5 new windows, sheet rocking the ceiling in the breakfast room and one new light fixture. I have given all this up to my brother Jack for the time being but said I was good for the money but Jeff was out of the carpenter and painting business for now. Thanks Bro Jack. Nicest brother a guy could have!

OK, OK, i've chatted on and on tonight. Thanks Ev for your comments. You too are in our prayers. Let us know how you are doing. Enjoy your site and the stories a few days back. Can we talk? News at 11:00.

Jeff the Knutt in the Ham

3rd day

June 3, 2008

Dear friend and family,

3rd day w/o a whole lot of pain from costochondritis? Don't ask me, Google it and find out for your self.

Not a pleasant experience but hopefully without any setbacks, I am on the down side of a painful delimea. They don't know what causes it, possibly strains that you may experience and don't seem important at the time, but later, it comes on dealing you fits.

Looking forward to working all day today and getting back into the swing of things. I have tomato plants to put out and some to stake and tie up for some home grown tomatoes next month, maybe. A neighbor was thinning some red flowering plants that I admired and she came yesterday and shared a bucket of them. I have them in a basket on the deck and will get them out tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Have a blessed and wonderful day and feel free to post on this site as you please. I welcome all comments and help or advice of maybe someone who has gone through this before where the pain is concern.

I took a Rx pain pill at 5:30am this morning and that will be it for the day. Wish me luck. News at 11:00! Jeff the Knutt in Birmingham, Al USA

2nd Day

June 2, 2008

After some weeks of dealing with under-diagnosed pain source, I am literally afraid to say anything positive or change for the better. I had been on a regimen of pain tablets and muscle relaxants and anti-inflamatory drugs that were only keeping me from screaming.

A trip to the ER, 30 hours in the hospital, and a true exercise of my Medicare and Blue Cross benefits. I really believe accidentally they found I had an inflamation in the rib cage, the bones where they met in your sternum. This feels and acts like a heart attack, as the pain radiates down the bundle of nerves nearest your heart and that is down your left arm. Ouch!

Friday and Saturday the pain seemed to ease off just a bit, and I could only hope. Then Saturday night I slept 8-1/2 hours and Sunday it was only pain meds as needed, about 1/2 what I had been taking. Today was pain med when I got up and now 12 hours later, no hard pain, oh, it still aches a little but a little I can take.

I am really looking forward to going to work tomorrow, another first. I have looked for ways around doing things for weeks maybe months, and now, well, things could be looking up. Let's continue to hope this trend works and if so, you definitely will see more posts from this casual writer from the Ham....Jeff the Knutt