July 16, 2022

I am losing track of time here. already July is rushing to its conclusion.

I have Sia It already many times that when someone says how are you doing, they don’t really want to know but it is just a sign that they love and recognize you. You are nor just a lump or dried cement on the ground.

But, on the other hand if they know you are having serious challenges to your health, they really want to hear if you are making any progress or what else is going on so here it is

 

These spasms are really interfering with my quality of life.. ai had to give up driving because I can’t trust what my left leg is going to do. If I had an automatic transmission I could still continue because all other things are working all well. But

 

I have been taking some gabapentin….tablets in the morning and afternoon, which seem to ease up the spasms but they stilll come more or less every every 20 seconds . And at night  I take half a rivotril pill (.5 mg in half) but powerful. It even makes you sleep. Than I tried, twice the whole pill and at 3am I found myself spasming not just in my left leg but my whole body was tensed up tight so I stopped and went back to the half tablet. But last night I woke up at 3am and the spasms started immediately.  It was painful and I had just had a wee and really didn’t want to get out of bed. It was 17C. in the house and 9C outside my window. But eventually I had to get up and take something called tramolta, to calm down the pain but because the spasms kept on, I couldn’t fall asleep and eventually got up and took a gabapentine tablet which seems to calm down the spasm and eventually I fell asleep again.

 

Since we have been having serious electricity shortages with so-called load shedding, Br. Albert has had his hands full with generator which was repaired after a long time and is supposed to kick in when the power from the mains goes off that he had to top the physiotherapy, so I haven’t had physio (except the exercises that I do myself every day) for about 6 months now and I felt that the hamstring muscle was going back , slowly, to it original short position which  would pull the leg up into a 90% position. So I booked a session witih a physiotherapist to find out if  that was true and while she was having a look at my knee  it showed her how it works by starting its every 20 second rhythm. Fr. Ernests was also there so he also saw what I have been trying to explain.

 

Her advice was to get a bean bag that you could heat up in the microwave and place it under the knee and get someone from the monastery to come and press down on the knee 3 times a week and it would not get the leg straight again but would stop it from getting worse.

 

I don’t remember if I told you this already, but, kind of the last resort was something called a Baclofen Pump. What they do is put a needle in your spinal cord and shoot this baclofen in where it goes straight to your nerves and is supposed to stop the spasms at the source, where the signal comes from to go into spasm. They put a small pump inside you somewhere that squirts this stuff in you 24/7SO YOU GET REIEF FROM THE SPASMS. I hope. Anyway, it is too expensive and op for us to pay for so the hope is that I can get a referral to Albert Luthuli hospital (where all the experts are)and then the govn’’t pays. I that can happen (fingers crossed and lots of prayers) I can go ahead and have this op there. If not, I don’t know what..

 

It is more that 3 yrs. since it started after the knee replacement and the spasms seem to be getting more aggressive especially when I get up in the morning and before I go to bed at night. Even with the walker, I can hardly walk. I refuse to think of a wheel chair because I think that for me it would be going backwards. Then my legs would alwarys be in the 90% position and my hamstring would be happy and would get shorter again which is what we are trying to avoid. I use my elbow crutches mostly outside the room and the walker inside the room. I can still take a shower, wow), I can make my bed,, etc. etc. But I wonder how long. And then what??? God will have to provide.

 

I see the neurologist on Aug.1^st and he will talk to his friend about getting me into A. L. hospital for a free op.

It seems that they have a trial run before they go for the whole op by injecting a little baclofen into the spinal cord an checking how it is working . If it is working then they go for the whole op, So now you know you know ‘how are you”  Otherwise I am fine and healthy. My mouth works well at the dinner table.

 

I know that some of you have  even worse or more challenging ;problems and I really have n right to complain or moan, so I just join with you and pray that God brings you some comfort and healing, even if it is only inner healing. (as I am sitting here typing, I can feel the spasms and as soon as I get up they will grab me and try to show me who is in charge. Ha. Don’’t I know.

 

I think that this is enough for now., so I will say till next ystime (auf wiedersehen). I pray that you all stay well and in God’s good graces and S/He doesn’t mind being reminded that you need help and support from God, even if it is every day,

 

As always, lots of love. I am richly blessed having you as loving family and friends. Peace.    Cas