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.

Jamie Oliver comes to the continent

I have enjoyed watching Jamie Oliver rant about the food offered in the big US school cafeterias. He's putting his money where his mouth is, taking abuse from those who think there is no problem. Neglect IS abuse. Neglecting proper nutrition is a crime. With Canadian Family Health Teams offering dietary services and nutritionists, we have no excuse for people to be ignorant about eating well.

I am happy, too, that Jamie made mashed potatoes WITH the skin, as I do! That is where the nutrients are found.

We supersize, à la US model, with US-owned franchises in the not-to-be-named chains where things are endlessly fried, precooked, filled with additives and preservatives and fat. They are evolving. More chains offer salads, but the fast food notion is a sad one. I heard of one soccer mom who put a crock pot in the min-van. I like that idea! Gone are the days when moms could put a pot of stew on for the early dinner, and we eat smaller meals in the evening.

Huntington, West Virginia, Fattest US City, To Star On Jamie Oliver Reality Show

It is not a surprise that the US has so much obesity, expecially in their children. Those living in poverty cannot afford the fresh, important veggies if they live in the north. Most, however, missed the nutritional information some teacher attempted to promote. Our Ontario Milk Marketing Board spends a bundle of materials for promotion. As do the egg and other marketing boards. Education is the key. Changing the habits of those who overeat, eat the wrong things, too much of one thing, and fail to have a balanced, colourful plate of food with greens every day.

In our case, we find that making our own culinary delights is important. Using simple foods, unprocessed as much as possible. Having children participate is an important part of the process.
This is our lasagna on Easter day! Many of my Muskoka commenters said they, too, had lasagna!
The cats were very upset that the canned food wasn't for them. We put in frozen spinach, fresh zuccini, lean ground beef (Caitlin is pregnant and has had low iron), two cans of tomatoes (we are far from tomato season here!), ready-bake noodles, lots of cheese (for growing bones).

It is interesting in that Caitlin is pregnant, need milk and iron, Josephine is 2 and needs calcium for strong bones. As a menopausal middle-aged woman, I need 3 servings of milk per day. (I supplement with tablets, as I am already having oseoporosis issues. Also, Vitamin D tabs, although I do try for 10 min. of sun per day = Vit. D.)

Lasagna is almost a perfect (group) meal for most of us, except the cheese isn't good for those with high cholesterol. (Yes, I have that, too! Polypharmacy rears its ugly head.)

You'll notice P.O.'d cats in my collage, who thought the canned food was for them. I always have to let them smell the food or they will meow forever. They were not thrilled with the tomatoes. The meat caught their noses, as did the cheese, but

From MYMUSKOKA

This chart of the day is a perfect reason. Andrew Sullivan makes a good point. Even Oprah was attacked by the US-based beef industry.