Pain management, Campobello Island

I viewed a webinar on arthritis and medical marijuana. There were some takeaways for general health issues. There are major three issues that affect we seniors:

pain, mood, sleep.

There were two physicians present information, there was nothing new, truthfully. They are things we should remember, however. Dr. David Conn, and Indigenous physician, Dr. Shelley Turner, did an overview of seniors, and pain management. Dr. Turner is doing research on medical marijuana and pain, getting her patients off opioids.

Exercise (your body and brain), eat well (mostly veggie rainbows), socialize, do everything in moderation (eating, alcohol), stop smoking, get a good amount of sleep. Also, get flu shots, as well as pneumonia and the shingles shots.

We can potentially watch for, or ameliorate some issues...

Arthritis is part of the issue...and very common in seniors. I have that, plus bursitis in my hip. JB has arthritis in his back, and has had some pain meds, too.

Typically, this is the opioid crisis, resolving pain can lead to more issues.

Having pain can lead to a horrid cycle

We know that body, mind and spirit and inextricably entwined.

arthritis.ca

The solution is complex. Our GPs don't know too much about many issues and some have a bias against medical marijuana, relying more heavily on addictive opioids.

We've been using marijuana for 6000 years!

Those of us who use medical marijuana order it by mail in Ontario, after getting a prescription from a doctor. I get mine through Canada Post. BTW: Recreational marijuana is legal for casual use in Canada. You cannot take it across the border, though.

This is an interesting problem

Campobello Island, which belongs to Canada, is only accessible by a US bridge year round. It is in New Brunswick, a maritime province, on the Bay of Fundy, right beside the state of Maine.




Canada Post trucks its mail to this island, via the USA. The US has been opening up Canada Post mail packages, prior to allowing it to cross back into Canada. It began with them confiscating marijuana, and then they began holding and opening all sorts of mail. What a pain in the butt!!

The island is home to 900 people, and they are getting ticked off. The solution, of course, is a ferry, but that will cost money.

 

Canada Post asks cannabis producers to stop shipping to ...

CTV News-Feb. 3, 2020

OTTAWA -- Canada Post has asked cannabis producers to stop shipping marijuana to a small island in eastern Canada.

This lady is so much fun!

Her arthritis was so bad she was ready to give away her piano — then her grandson suggested marijuana. https://t.co/bTrT48Qo4B pic.twitter.com/tNu6sOFrqz

— CBC News: The National (@CBCTheNational) February 17, 2020

A word of caution: do not ignore pain. Pain is a signal from the body to the brain meant to protect you. Sometimes it goes overboard, and it doesn’t necessarily reflect actual damage, but its purpose is to remind us to protect a diseased or damaged joint or strained muscle or tendon. Pain can be caused by something that we do (i.e. too much activity or the wrong activity) or don’t do (i.e. if we sit for long periods of time and don’t move around enough). It can also be caused by the arthritis disease process itself.

This is an excellent video on pain, from Australia.

NaPoWriMo Day #12 with photos

In this, NaPoWriMo month 2013, the weather, it is poetic. Our spring storm is awful, as they warned us.

Phoebe complains in my window

frozen rain falls
cacophonous clacking punctuates the air
birds flutter about seeking sustenance
nuthatch on frozen feeder bleeding with ice
wild turkey scratches in the hail
nestmaking continues as it must
forward one step at a time

promises of spring
as the universe unfolds as it should

orange-red rhubarb seeks the sun
bravely facing cold spring air
as I must face the future
with dignity
snow falls and blankets their fragile faces
phoebe peers in the window
questioning me
what's up with this?

Daisy & I went for a forest walk.

We know that April storms are often the norm. It's been interesting to watch, photograph and document spring's arrival.

turkey scratches

A few steps forward, a few steps back. There is little greenery, other than the majestic pines and thirsty cedar, but this will make us appreciate the colours of spring.

I have been suffering with arthritis in my hands. It began in my baby fingers. I would get irritable and wouldn't know why. This is true for many of my hospice clients. They refuse pain meds, and get agitated and grumpy. We know that exercise is important for this disease and I should bash away on the piano but haven't had the heart to do so yet. I continue to tap on my computer doing some research.

frozen feeder, happy nuthatch
frozen rain falls in the background

 Facebook friends have experience with this disease and have recommended some over-the-counter relief. I saw the doctor a year ago, but they aren't trained in helping with this stage of the disease. He was no help at all.
I cannot complain, as I have many friends and clients with far more advance arthritis.
I see what the future holds and must enjoy my mobility now, today. Carpe Diem.

a night of freezing rain, followed by snow

Hubby has been a brick, fetching MSM. I am happy to hunker down on this miserable day and enjoy my blog buddies and my critters.
Oprah was in Ottawa the other day. I love her notion of the gratitude journal.

I am grateful for nature, critters, lunches out, hubby, Facebook friends, and Advil!

rhubarb pokes up its head

Goldfish pond has melted, ice on the leaves!

Froggie is cold but does the job.
There is ice dripping below!