Feeling a little sick lately, I think from lack of sleep and discomfort stress, not a bug.
Sometimes I have trouble sleeping because my crazy brain is running around and doing a lot of nothing, but doing it too loudly for me to sleep. But that's not what's getting me right now.
This week it has been pain in my knee and sometimes my hip and leg that drives sleep away. It is not really agonizing, but it is uncomfortable enough to be decidedly unpleasant and to keep me from being able to sleep. Such a pain! Sunday night it was long after 3 before I got any sleep. I kept changing positions, put heat on it, took ibuprofen, tried moving to the couch (I don’t know why I thought that might help) – all to no avail. Sometimes for a brief moment, I would think I had found the magic position, but then the pain would be back in full force.
By the time I got home from work Monday, I was miserable. Joseph and Benjamin were very solicitous, especially Benjamin. Heat seemed to relieve the pain. I put my towel in the microwave for a couple of minutes to warm it up. That seemed to work pretty well, but it cooled quickly. I decided to rotate towels. I got a fresh towel and put it in the microwave for 3 minutes. Benjamin took it out. It was burned on the bottom. Then we unfolded it and the burn was bigger on the inside – AND GROWING! We quickly dumped it in the dishpan. I think it was about to burst into flames. Wow! I think the 2 minute towel didn’t act like that because it had some moisture in it from my last shower. The 3 minute towel was off the shelf. Do not try that!
Benjamin found some extra pillows to put under my knee and a heating pad. I slept much better. I would heat up the heating pad, then turn it off and sleep for a couple of hours. Wake up, turn on the heating pad for a bit, then turn it off and sleep again.
That helped a lot for a couple of nights, but the last couple of nights have been somewhat rugged. The heating pad seems to have lost some of its magic.
The lack of sleep has me feeling nauseous and generally unwell. grrr. When I am doing something, especially something interesting, I am usually only aware of my knee in the background. (Although it seems to be bothering me more and more.) But try to sleep!
Surprisingly, my knee bothers me very little on the bike commute. I take it very easy, though, even more so than usual. It is actually a very pleasant ride – most of the way, most of the time.
It also doesn’t usually bother me very much when I am sitting at my desk working. Usually. Does that mean my work is actually interesting??? Walking is a little more uncomfortable and standing very.
When I start out in the morning, it feels bad and untrustworthy. Biking to work after the first little bit is pretty good. At work is ok, as long as I can sit and not stand. Biking home I am tired and starting to feel the strain, so I am a good bit worthless when I get there. My poor boys.
I have an appointment to see my doctor Monday.
For awhile I thought it was getting better and felt a little foolish about my upcoming doctor appointment. Although I do have other matters to discuss – trouble sleeping, and tooth problems related to diabetes. : (
But it seems more recently to be getting worse again. I hope we can figure something out when I see the doctor!
I know many have said this, but it is true nonetheless. It's too bad we can't have 20 year old bodies and our __ (I won't put the number in here, but I know what it should be ;) ) year old minds and experiences. I hope you get feeling better soon. Knee problems are so painful, I've had two wives with them.
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