Cortisone, Crayfish and College

Jump to Comments

After about two and a half months of pain in my elbow, I finally went to the doctor.  First stop was my regular GP.  She told me I had tendinitis (tennis elbow) and that I should see an orthopedic doctor.  I held off for awhile due to my fear of needles and the fact that everyone told me I was going to need a cortisone shot.   I would have none of it, and decided to just tough it out, hoping that the pain would go away.  Because ignoring pain is the way I roll.

It didn’t go away.  It got to the point that I could not sleep because my arm hurt so bad.  I finally made the appointment with the orthopedic doctor and when I hung up the phone, I broke out into a cold sweat!

The appointment was last Wednesday.  I was in the waiting room for about five minutes before I was called back by the physician’s assistant.  The first words out of my mouth were, “do you think the doctor is going to inject my arm today?”  She looked at me like I was nutty and proceeded to tell me that she could not answer that question.   After the typical question and answer session, the doctor came in and introduced himself.  He examined my elbow and a little smile crept across his face.  It took him all of about 30 seconds to announce that I indeed had “tennis elbow” but that was not all, oh no, that was not all!  He also told me in addition to “tennis elbow”, I also have “golfers elbow.”   You know, because I am such an all around athlete!

Even though I was nervous and sweaty about the shot, I laughed out loud and announced that I could not wait to tell my husband that.  I am not a golfer.  Or a tennis player for that matter.  It struck me as funny that someone such as me, with very little athletic ability is stricken with two “sports ailments” at once.  My good friend and neighbor instructed me that maybe it is not tennis or golf elbow, perhaps it is drinking elbow!  She suggests either switching arms when I drink or start drinking slushy drinks that require a straw!  We went to their house over the Memorial Day weekend so in honor of my “drinking elbow”  I mixed up a batch of Southern Comfort Slush with pomegranite  and took it over there for the fun, with some bright colored straws!  The way I figure it,  using a straw in a slushy drink can only help, right?

The good doctor went on about  how the pain can sometimes go away on its own, sometimes physical therapy can help, sometimes not.  He told me that in my case, he would recommend the cortisone shot due to the amount of time that has passed with no improvement.  I sucked it up.  Kinda.  Not without feeling like I was going to pass out or pee my pants or both.  It all  happened so quickly that there was no time for me to talk myself into anything.  By the time I was done asking how bad it was going to hurt, where exactly was the needle going, how long is it going to take….it was OVER!  Simple, piece of cake, no problem.  I am convinced that although I am a baby when it comes to medical procedures, I am really tough and also have a high pain tolerance.  After everything I heard about cortisone shots, one would think that it was right next to a form of torture.   It was NOTHING!  I walked out feeling so much better.  That night I iced my arm a little and the next day I felt great.  Pain gone!   I cannot believe how great my arm feels, as if there were nothing ever wrong.  Completely back to normal.

********************************************************************

Last week, I went to an informational session at Carthage College.  I wanted to see what their program for adults was all about.  I was so nervous, I almost backed out at the last minute.  Since I have been laid off, I have done some serious thinking about what I want to do.  I started Carthage right out of high school with a major of Elementary Education and a minor in English.  I figured, why not go and see how long it might take me to finish my degree?  I guess I don’t give myself credit when credit is due because not only did I think that I would have a hundred years left of schooling, I also thought that the credits I did have would leave me with a poor GPA and I never would be accepted.

I was wrong.  On both points.   Not only do I have a quick two and a half years left of school (going part time!) I have a GPA of 3.65, making my admittance into the Education program a snap.  When it was told to me that I would need a minimum GPA of 2.75 to gain admittance, I panicked.  I seriously thought that there was no way my GPA was high enough and I would be destined to “work for the man”  for the rest of my life.  Clearly, my memory is a bit distorted.  Either that or I am really hard on myself.  Or maybe  a bit of both!   Now, I just need to figure out how to pay for the crazy expensive tuition!  My first class will start at the end of July.  I will be a forty year old college student!  Better late than never, I guess!

********************************************************************

The school year is very quickly coming to a close and all of the “schoolies” in my family are chomping at the bit to be done!  I hear it on a daily basis. “Only 20 more days….only 16 more days….only 11 more days!”  I cannot believe that summer is here.  I guess that is because it is 50 degrees, cloudy and rainy.  One would have to look at the calender to know what month it is, because it feels like November. 

********************************************************************

Boy #2 has been studying crayfish at school.   The class was divided up into small groups and each group was assigned a live crayfish. Daily, he would come home and tell me about what he learned.  My boy explained to me that out of all the kids in his group, he was the one that could handle picking up the crayfish.  Each time a student would reach in to pick up the crayfish, said crayfish would try to pinch (with his one claw.  He has a disability!)  and scurry away.  Not for my boy, apparently.  He could pick up the crayfish and ”pet” him.   He is a “crayfish whisperer!”   My boy forged a crayfish bond with little “Twitch” (yes, the group named him.  He is very “twitchy!”)

Now that the unit is complete, the teacher sent home permission slips for each kid to get in on the “lottery” for taking home a crayfish for a pet.  At this point, there are only two live crayfish left.  My boy hurried home from school, whipped out the permission slip and proceeded to beg me to sign the slip.  He wanted Twitch to come home with him.  Ugh. Blech.

I tried talking him out of it.  Told him that crayfish do not live long, and they stink when they die.  I tried everything I could to discourage this adoption, until I sat and did the math.  Hmmm….two crayfish left, eighteen kids in the class…what are the odds?

I filled out the slip, promising to care for the crayfish, feed him, clean his water daily and keep him away from flushing toilets (damn!)  I enthusiastically handed it over to the boy, telling him to not be disappointed if his name did not get picked.  I was going to be the “good guy” because it was not going to be my decision to not adopt the crayfish, it would be up to sheer luck.  I was going to play the odds!

Well, guess what is now sitting on my counter?  A one clawed crayfish named Twitch. 

After about four days living at our home, little Twitch was not looking so good.  Although the instructions stated that crayfish would eat just about anything, we found otherwise.  We tried small pieces of meat, dog treats, dog food, and he refused to dine.  Who knew crayfish would be so finicky!   My boy was getting a little uptight and worried about Twitch and his lack of nutrition.  I tried to prepare him for the imminent death.  The look on his face (my boy, not the crayfish!) tugged at my heart hard enough that over the weekend, while planting flowers, I dug up two worms, carried them into the house and dropped them in with Twitch.  I was awarded Mom of the Year award for that by my family, and Twitch gobbled one worm up immediately.  The other worm is still in the tank, still alive and still avoiding the one claw of Twitch!  Ugh, of all of the things I do for my kids, this one is definitely not my favorite.  Yuck!  Hopefully, Twitch will live out the remainder of his long  life in comfort on my counter.  Let’s just hope it is not too long!

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized