I'm Not Quite Ready To Return

Last Friday I had spinal x-rays to try and determine why I'm having all the pain I am.

Doctor called it Spinal Arthritis. Not a lot that an be done at this time. Heat, cold, drugs. 

With that said, walking the river is definitely out. Walking around the lake is definitely out.

Looks like all I have left is parking at the lake.

Don't know if I'll be able to float tube, but I will certainly give it a shot.

With the help of drugs, I'll be back.

Oh, I was also informed that I'm no longer bulletproof or indestructible.

This getting old is for the birds.



 

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Might as well start off with Shamrocks.

Shamrocks

One of the findings of my Genealogy search is that I'm part Irish although I've know this for most of my life. It was always my understanding that my Great-Grandmother (McGovern) was the Irish connection. But after researching the family I found that McGovern, although it is an Irish name, is not the family name. My Great-Grandfather, Frank P McGovern was born in Ohio. My Great-Grandmothers maiden name was Duffin and her father, Michael Duffin (mother was Sarah McNeill) was from Glenarm, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. My Great-Grandmother was born in Garron Point, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Looks a lot like this:

Garron Point

There are also several family crests.This is one of many.  

Duffin

On the third Saturday of March the town of Murphy's California celebrates our Irish Heritage. I planned to go today, it's just down the highway a bit, but with the storms we've had last week the town is probably butt deep in snow. Guess I'll wait until next year. 

Ironically, the Kautz family winery is also in Murphy's. You've probably not heard of the Kautz winery unless you've followed this blog for some time, but you might have heard of Ironstone Winery. Even though this Kautz family is not related (at least I've not found a connection, yet) I urge you to support them. Buy Ironstone wine, be happy. 

OK, enough selling wine. 

Going back to genealogy, that one connection (my Great-Grandmother) added 46 people to my family tree. Two of which I found out were witnesses when I was baptized so many years ago. 

So, eat Corned Beef and cabbage, drink some green beer, and celebrate with those of us of Irish Heritage. 

Just in case you missed this:

The Chicago River

One last memory is that my Great-Grandmother believed in the "little People". Leprechaun's. 

Want to see Leprechaun's? The Sci-Fi Channel all day Leprechaun movies. 

Erin go Bragh.................... 

Down For The Count

I'm still here, but not completely.

Three weeks ago I pulled a muscle in my left shoulder. I had absolutely no use of my left arm or hand. I couldn't even turn a spinning reel if my life depended on it. I couldn't pick up a cup of coffee with that arm.

I now have use (mostly) of that arm, but another problem has cropped up.

Last Summer when I was replacing the fence in the back of the house, I started to have more back problems than I normally have. Went to the doctor and had him prescribe Meloxicam which is a anti-inflammatory. I had used it previously when I had tendentious back when I had a real job. Cleared it up in about 6 months.

Early in January I changed Cardiologists and he took me off Plavix and put me on Eliquis. Both are blood thinners for those of us Geezers with heart problems.

I went to my primary care physician because the above mentioned pulled muscle was getting better, but the pain caused by it was still pretty bad. Hoped I could get something a bit stronger than Meloxicam. That coupled with the back pain and the extension of that pain through my butt and down my legs, I have to say I was in pretty bad shape. Fishing as the last thing on my mind.

The first thing my primary physician did was take me off Meloxicam because Meloxicam is Ibuprofen and researchers say that Ibuprofen and Eliquis don't mix. His response was, and this is a quote "Ibuprofen will cause stomach ulcers and you'll bleed to death". Did I believe him? Yes, my life long best friend back in Missouri died of just that.

So what about the pain? He prescribed Celebrex. You go down the list of Ibuprofens and just below Meloxicam is Celebrex. What the hell? Obviously I didn't go any further with that one.

So, I have an appointment with another doctor in the same group as my new cardiologist and we'll see if she can fix the back/leg problem, but it's not until the 21st.

Needless to say, I won't be doing any fishing because I can barely walk. I'll update after that appointment.

Stay tuned.