This Time I'm Really Going To Do It

daisy_1571

badmemory said:

Wow Watty, Daisy has just described my body over the last couple of years.  I had a hip replacement a couple of months ago & hadn't realised how much I had lost before.  Once I got going again I haven't had swollen ankles again & I am steadily getting most of the old movement back again.  I have actually found myself massaging around the op without thinking  as it does make it easier.

Sorry badmemory, I was intending to respond then got distracted.   I hope you found it interesting and it gives me hope that I was able to write it and it made sense.

Definitely keep massaging round it.  Best thing to work on a body is another body!  The hand will flex and find areas.  You can try rubbing with flat of hand, knuckles for more depth, heel of hand can help stretch out like a baker does with dough.  Just watch not to do too much with your thumb,  its quite an unstable joint as joints go.  As far as other implements, a tennis ball or rubber ball can sometimes be helpful, hot water bottles and/or cold packs. 

We subconsciously find the right things to do so go with your feeling.  We rub children's bumps better - that's scientific- all to do with the pain gate.  I used to ask owners if the dog seeks out cold like tiled floors, draughts under doors etc or if they want warmth, near radiator etc.  That could give me clues (when taken into consideration of course, sometimes a husky seeking cool is just cos its too hot indoors).  Sometimes a dog rolling in the grass is just expressing joy as the owners smiles at them, sometimes they are self massaging.  Ive heard of and seen dogs throwing down their ball and rolling on it to give extra oomph to loosening their own tight back muscles.    Humans sometimes ignore their instincts  so I'm always glad when folks spot what they are doing and build on it.

Take care of yourself, glad to hear  you are moving about better now

Daisy xx

daisy_1571

watty, sounds like your doing brilliant just now 

Daisy xx

LadyWithAPlan

Glad I was of help and loving Daisy's body  wisdom on here as well!

I am joining you on donating more stuff  rather than selling .. my pile of vinted to sell is going up but this is about me releasing unworn shoes into the world rather than feeling I need to hang on to all

Watty1

I had a wobble when I found a shop 50 mins away has a second hand department and sells on commission.  Browsing through their facebook feed I saw a super pair of country boots which will probably not be my size (I have small feet) and a matching bag that I had liked I thought rather than sell I'll take some of my horse and country stuff over and get them to sell it.       

They are not accepting anything else until January so 3 hours saved, and probably a lot of cash too.  And the clothing  remains in the boot of the car to be dropped off at the charity shop when I return a library book.  

So much more relaxing just to be donating and clearing that way at the moment.  It feels as if the static in my brain has cleared.

Weekend shopping trip to Ald!  I am not ever ever going there at the weekend again.  So busy!  However I bought some bargain bottles of Prosecco.  i have a couple of friends visiting over the next four weeks and this will be drunk and so much cheaper than popping to the local shops for a bottle. I've put the 4 bottles in the yard storage room as I think in the cold weather that will chill them.

Watty1

And in other news I haggled my AA membership to 1/3rd of what they wanted.  Felt pleased with myself - until - I tackled the car insurance. Realised I could probably have got for less with car insurance. However I'm going to take it as a win as it was a big saving and I added the Very Nice Man to my coverage for the AA (he does so much to help that it seemed a nice gesture) and I saved £60 on the car insurance shopping around.

Humdinger1

Ooh @Watty1, are we back to boots and bag combos? Are the black patent thigh-high boots and matching bag (£800) that I walked away from all those years ago coming back to haunt me?!  Well done for allowing sanity to prevail.  Onwards and upwards love Humdinger xx 

Watty1

Exactly @Humdinger1  I need neither but nearly justified as were second hand (rolls eyes).  Stepped back from the brink in time.   The only boots I can justify buying are a pair of riding boots as mine have cracks in the leather and leak.  I do have a pair of "competition boots" that I thought I might start wearing but they no longer do up as I've gained weight and my calves are thicker.   (a good reason for never keeping things for "best")  I've stashed those in a wardrobe for now to see what happens.   Am off to the London Horse Show with friends next month so I've written myself a permitted shopping list which does include looking for a pair of boots, a long waterproof coat for the yard (I've two makes earmarked) and an LED collar and lead for WattyDog for night time walks. He has a very cheap LED collar but I think we could do better for these dark nights.

Feeling so much better since I give up on the "lets do this" or "lets try this".  Final bag of donations to charity shop in car along with a few donations from the cupboard for the food bank.   The "no buying unnecessary toiletries" thread has kept me on target with those and I've a couple of donations to drop off from the bathroom too.

The only thing I am doing is being a bit more ruthless on the clothes front. These days I pretty much live in thermals and the yard clothes so if I find my underwear or even outerwear has holes in I am throwing them away.  Next year I might address the clothes issue.  For now keeping static free in brain by just binning anything exhausted.

Watty1

Water Treadmill update:  Charming Cob went to the water treadmill yesterday evening.  As always he was a superstar at just doing what he was asked.    The session took about half an hour with him getting used to it and all the chat and so on and then he was on it for 10 mins.  At 8 mins I said he is tired, at 9 mins I said he is really tired and she started to let the water back out.  Really interesting to watch his back once he got the hang of it .  The treadmill keeps moving so he has to keep walking and walking properly rather than the dawdle I permit out hacking.  I could really see how his right side hind does not step under properly and how he evened up as he walked properly and probably used muscles that have not been used for a while.  No wonder he was so tired.   I'm giving him today off to just wander around the field.    £30 well spent and really interesting.  I'd like to sign him up for a course of sessions, but, I'm going to chat with the physio first although my gut feeling for some months has been that this will help him more than me just riding him to get fit, and seeing how he used himself properly I could really see the benefit.

My reservation is that it took 3 hours in all, although now I know where it is maybe less time but I don't like being out in the lorry in the dark.  The VNM drove and was rewarded with leftover artichoke and blue cheese tart (made the day before)  and salad for dinner.  I could go during the daytime but I need someone to come with me which is also a drawback.    The VNM has offered to drive for the next few weeks so I can just focus on being there with the Charming Cob.    

Slinky

I think VNM is actually a VVNM.

badmemory

Slinky said:

I think VNM is actually a VVNM.

Me too!  which isn't long enough but long enough to say what it means.