Thanksgiving...

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my readers and thanks for your patience with my infrequent posts. In the past few weeks, an elderly friend passed away and another friend and I went to clear out her half of a small room in her ALF. I spoke, along with others, at her memorial service and together with them, shared some of her poems in tribute.

Her life, though marked with tragedy, was lived very much to her own drumbeat but by 77, with a history of both Parkinson's and stroke as well as mental illness, the early morning fall which left her unresponsive due to a massive brain bleed, saddened those of us who remained in her shrinking circle. I hope she did not suffer. I will remember the funny, smart, creative woman I met accidentally one day during my freshman year long ago and the equally acerbically comedic old lady she became.

There is no more news on the condo front, though I've done some reading about the dissolution of condominium associations in Florida. This is apparently complicated and a multi-stage process. Under current law eighty percent of the owners must agree for the process to go forward. Lawyers also need to ask a judge for the dissolution and may also make recommendations. An independent appraiser or trustee can then be appointed to see to the valuation of the real property and common areas and the disbursement of funds. Owners have a defined timeframe in which to respond. The fact that I'll be signing away not an investment property but my primary residence has little bearing on the situation and without knowing what the fair market value is for the land we sit on, it will be difficult to look but I must, so that will commence in the new year.

In the meantime, I'm awaiting a natural pest control company to deal with a bug infestation and looking forward to a massage for my back and tired muscles. The Thursday of Thanksgiving will be spent among favorite friends, one of whom is celebrating her birthday this weekend with me and another friend. Has anyone seen Bohemian Rhapsody, the biopic about Freddy Mercury and Queen?

Wishing all of you who celebrate a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Until Next Time...

Still Alive...

The last few months have been challenging but I finally have new eyes on my chronic back problems in the form of a new physiotherapist and a wonderful, experienced and skilled massage therapist who is not afraid to work with me and understands everything. She also asks intelligent questions and listens to what I tell her. I've managed to find an SI belt to which I'm not allergic which was great because most of them are either neoprene or latex and at this point, anything made of either material is not suitable. My pain has diminished and my misalignment appears to be occurring slightly less frequently. I continue my strengthening and stretching regime and have been taught how to correct my SI misalignment on my own. While it is not as thorough as when done by the physiotherapist, it rapidly reduces pain and helps prevent the spasming that can occur. There is no perfect solution to this problem but this help is important to resuming everyday activities.

The ligaments around my left SI joint were damaged in a long-ago auto crash in which I was rear-ended and will remain so. The belt compresses the joint and keeps things in place for longer than might otherwise be the case. Sitting can aggravate this particular situation but I've no choice in that due to a damaged leg that has nothing to do with the auto accident. Everything is exacerbated by my original disability and the fact that I am aging.

Thanks to those of you who left supportive messages of concern. My feline friend and I bid you all a good night. Regular blogging will resume as I am able.