Now an ear

I'm sitting here in my CTO brace (feels good) because I have another new symptom now. I had this last night pretty badly, too.

As I said before, something started when a few weeks ago, I turned my head right and looked slightly up. I started getting different and more acute pain in the occipital area. Well, now it's affecting my right ear ... my right eye.... even the sole of my right foot.

That's right, early this morning, I had it for the second time (it's premier appearance was yesterday). And not only was it burning pain in my right ear, the pain went into my eyes again, and I noticed my right arm and hand were also hurting, as well as my right foot.

Tonight, while eating supper, the chewing action set off the pain in my ear. And it didn't go away. So, as I usually do, I put my CTO on for awhile, and it "helps." Quotation marks around "helps" because I can still feel the stabs from time to time in that ear while sitting here, writing. Swallowing makes it hurt worse. Chewing, too. Talking, too. Something has gotten "loosey goosey" in my skull base area that wasn't before.

Last night before bed, I felt like every muscle in my body was tight, "wound up like an 8 day clock," my Dad would say. I took a small tablet of Flexeril, and that caused me to sleep in the same bed all the way through the time I woke up at 5:45.

After getting up and having 2 cups of coffee and watching TV, I fell asleep in the recliner and woke up 90 minutes later! I started to move around, cleaning up dishes in the sink, making the bed, answering a couple of emails, and my hands started tremoring and I felt like all the stuffing was knocked out of me. I laid down on the guest bed with the dogs, and slept another 90 minutes.

It's all due to the Flexeril. On the one hand, I feel it is good to catch up with sleep, since I operate on only about 4 hours of sleep every night. My brain has felt quite clear today, on the times I've been awake, ha!

But I do not think I'll take Flexeril again, unless I'm post surgery and really need it. I hear the neck spasms mercilessly after the fusion surgery, when muscles and skin and such are pulled up into a position they've not been in for oh, so many years.

I'll take Ativan instead. That never puts me out...and should help to relax muscles.

What a lovely day outside today. I'd have liked to have been out in it, the sun was trying to warm up the air but it being almost Thanksgiving, there was still a lot of coolness to the air. I barely stepped out to take a warm, big, chocolate chip cookie to my husband who was waxing our new car in the shop.

Yes, a new car! I can't recall if I mentioned this here or not, but I'll write it out anyway. When my son and daughter in law were here last July, we drove around a lot, and my DIL said to me, "You need to have a bigger, more luxurious car! And an automatic. All that shifting done by your husband is rocking the vehicle, the truck is too rough riding."

That got me to thinking for six months, and I really noticed how rough our little truck is. And going around corners, I'm all the time tense and holding onto handles to keep myself upright while in the CTO. So, I broached the subject with my husband, and we found, our first day out looking, a nice 2000 Buick Regal LS. It is a regal car indeed! We are not ones to have had a luxury car in the past. But to have all the bells and whistles, and a Monsoon Concert sound system, too!! And the leather seats wrap around me to where they hold me in place around corners, factoring in the suspension made for cornering.

We only paid $2500, a true gift from God when the Kelly Blue Book says the car is worth $5200.
And from a very nice, farming family. I plan to ride in the old truck as little as possible!