beyondwords

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Health notes 2023-2025 Summary (most recent on top)
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Many thanks to all for your good wishes and encouragement. They mean a lot to me. YOU mean a lot to me.
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It’s been quite a couple of years! I've had 2 knee replacements, deep vein thrombosis (blood clots (improved so now off blood thinner), painful infected toe, tenotomies on two painful hammer toes, major pelvic surgery (no cancer!), a month of pneumonia during which I lost a lot of weight (mostly muscle), a brief spell of COVID, and more I can't remember.
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June 2025
In much need of an update!. Now my priority is gardening. I'm VERY slow thanks to issues with mobility, balance, pain, limitations on lifting & carrying, & more.
Partner has been a big help digging holes for tomato plants and doing some carrying. But he loses patience and I can't always count on him.
Weather has been a challenge--a brief heat wave, showers, wind. But slowly I'm getting things done.
In all areas of my life I'm adapting, finding creative ways to do things, and sometimes admitting I can't do what I want to. But I am doing what's important to my soul right now, including contact with plants, soil, the ground.
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March 2025

Biggest issues now:
- Have regained most of weight as flab, not much muscle, so still very weak
- Diabetic (A1C 6.7) but family doctor isn’t concerned at my age
- Urinary (urge) incontinence (not new, but worse)
- Pain (esp right lower back/SI/glute/hip; left rib) (no real relief this time from nerve ablations & vertebroplasty; some relief from cortisone)
- Posture (very bent over)
- Left knee weak & sometimes painful (not rehabbed)
- Mobility poor (more below)
- Balance (inner ears, muscles, brain)
- Dizziness (occasional, nothing new)
- Osteopenia (moderate risk of bone fracture)
- Carrying more than ~2 litres/5 lb
- Reaching up high
- Lungs (more below)
- Weak left wrist & hand (more below)
- Vision (more below)

I have 3-6 appointments/week—chiropractor weekly, physiotherapist biweekly, massage now monthly. Others less often: family doctor, respirologist, internist, radiologist (pain management), optometrist, ophthalmologist, orthoptist, pharmacist, podiatrist, dental hygienist, dentist, neurologist (soon), immunizations, pedicures/manicures, haircuts, … And tests: blood tests, lung function tests, imaging (ultrasound, x-rays, CT scans, bone density scan), variety of eye tests.
I have a wonderful health care team!

Partner is doing most of driving. I drive only nearby in daytime. He also does most of cooking (I deal with leftovers & dishes), floor cleaning, most cat care. And much of food shopping. It’s hard to accept my loss of independence!

I did limited gardening last year. Not sure how much I’ll be able to do this year. Large houseplants showing signs of neglect, desperately need dividing & repotting (which I can no longer do by myself).
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March 2025

Mobility: Can barely walk all bent over—hanging on to things in our multilevel house, using cane elsewhere, better with shopping cart as walker, still better with 4-wheel walker for longer distances when no shopping cart available. 2-wheel walker lives upstairs, where it's a clothes rack (because I can't reach rods or hooks) when I'm not using it for a little exercise.
Only right leg can handle stairs or curbs. I look like I need help with doors, curbs, hallways, etc., and I accept it from many people who offer assistance, including strangers.
Not sure how I’ll garden.

Lungs: Incurable interstitial lung disease/pulmonary fibrosis was minor & stable till pneumonia made it much worse. Symptoms still mild, but CT scan tells story. Will soon start on med that can slow it down and give me more years of life. But med has side effects I dread: diarrhea/nausea/vomiting.

Wrist/fingers: Discovered left wrist was weak when it suddenly bent and slammed a plate on the counter, breaking it. Now know I have entrapment of ulnar & median nerves, but no pain. Improved with exercises, but I must be very careful when holding/lifting/carrying objects with left hand. Being referred to neurologist.

Vision: Getting worse, especially for reading. Previously had cataract surgery. Glaucoma stable. But macular degeneration progressing. New glasses with prisms take care of double vision, but not near vision. Ophthalmologist says this is probably my last year of driving. Optometrist says nothing else can be done. I'm finally beginning to accept it. Can still see computer screen well, so Jigidi is still a great pleasure.
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My name is Patsy. I'm addicted to jigsaws, and now Jigidi. I'm amazed at the huge collection of puzzles here to choose from. And the way the whole site works. I enjoy being part of wonderful communities here. And Jigidi University, where I learn so much. Thank you everybody.

My avatar is Mango, our cute bully, bonded only with his twin Papaya and with humans in the household.

I joined Jigidi on 22 October 2017 and was last seen on 15 June 2025. I've solved 28860 puzzles (10.3 daily) and put together 1963106 pieces (703 daily)