LOTS! Going on - Yet "Spring" hits with "Winter" Weather, floods, Mudslides, Tornado Season - &?? CHRONIC PAIN!

Most of us have been looking forward to the sun, the warmer days, more light rather than darkness by 5PM, time for kids to be out for the summer soon, college students also, & those of us with chronic pain, hoping the "warmer" days will bring much needed relief.

Although most with different types of joint and muscle pain, such as "arthritic illnesses and diseases", muscle pain, spasms, even some of us that have had a hip repaired, or any type of joint replaced; often the ""cold, dreary, wet" time of winter, can make that pain even worse.

When I first began having migraines at 17 years old, I recall telling my doctors that the "weather" especially storms, or a drastic change between hot and cold, would make my migraines worse. I was told back then that the "weather" had little to do with it. In other words I was "full of bull".... YET... 20 plus YEARS later, and most doctors agree, that changes in the pressures, in the humidity, from cold to hot, or hot to cold, storms, any type of change in our weather, CAN and often DOES effect "pain, swelling, and our general health". 

I even told my Orthopedic Surgeon that operated and replaced both knees, that I had the same "feeling" of "phantom leg pain" at times, as if I had actually had an "amputated leg". Even though my knee was totally repaired, it was a pain as if the knee had not been "replaced" yet. Of course we still have ligaments, tendons, and those types of things that help to hold new "replacement" parts in have "nerve" memory. 

There are day I think back to telling the doctors what I did, and them dismissing me as if I were half nuts! Yet, not that many years later, research proves that it is very true and very possible. 

I've struggled (as many with the flu season as bad as it was and still is bad in some areas) the entire fall and winter, with being disgusted. The weather was so cool, rainy, many of us with "autoimmune issues", the flu being several strains, and many people even people in their 30's passed away from it. So, trying to stay away form the market, from going to Wally World, even from our physicians offices. People were so ill, and it was everywhere. I felt like a "caged animal" at times. It was myself and the fur-babies; we had our own "mini-Thanksgiving", "mini Christmas" and rang in the New Year ourselves at home... alone. 

Now it seems we are being "fooled" at the moment. Like today, it is "beautiful", sunny, not a cloud in the sky, yet the "wind" is either blowing from the North or South, and it's COOL! The mornings are still so cool, going out without a jacket on will be miserable. 

Then by noon, it's warm enough to shed the jacket, and almost warm enough for shorts and short sleeves. Yet, come about 5M, and it begins to cool down. Once again, I am hunting my longer pants and my jacket. 

I spent almost the entire holiday season trying to "nurse" a sinus infection. After weeks and weeks, I tried to "pick" a time when I thought not many would be in Urgent Care, right at the time, that hopefully not all with the flu would be there. The first visit, I got there and no one else was there. By the time, I was leaving, ALL of the staff, and ALL of the patients had masks on! They even gave me one although I was headed out the door, so I would not possibly be able to get contaminated. I would not go into the pharmacy. I drove through for several times, just so I would not get exposed, if I could help it. 

"So far".... I have been able to avoid the flu, BUT NEVER say NEVER... as it goes. For the most part, I feel it has "left the building" but I am still cautious in the market, and in the stores. Washing hands, using the wipes on the baskets, spraying down my reusable bags with Lysol, wiping down my purse, using the hand sanitizer... anything to "knock" down the issue of accidentally being contaminated. 

Yet, I am SO BEHIND! Behind on everything. One of my huge trees, almost has "passed" on me. I have 3 HUGE, HUGE CREPE MYRTLE trees