A Piece of Me ~ {in the picture}~ #15 ~ Genie’s Myelogram

I am a week late posting this selfie because I was out of commission. Last Monday I had to go to UVA for a myelogram of my back, a CT scan,  a bone density test, and finally an appointment with my neurologist who specializes in Scholiosis {curvature of the spine}. What a LONG day it was, but I did survive it. I took this picture after the radiologist had injected the dye into the liquid sac around my spine. Since my spine is like a complete S - 2 curves - the poor technicians had a heck of a time getting the dye to go up the Yellow Brick Road to the home of the Wizard of Oz. Each time it would get to a bit of a curve it would stop. Then the techs would tilt me up, down, sideways, foam under the head, foam not under the head...and all the time they were doing this I could NOT raise my head. Trust me, it was like a three ring circus in there. We were all giggling and having the best time. I am one that is always determined to make lemonade when given a bunch of lemons. There was no pain involved except when they injected the lignocaine at the point where the real needle had to go. My legs cramped a lot from the irritation brought n by the dye and my head felt like it was going to burst. That gradually got better as time went on.  I got to watch the whole thing on the the big overhead computer screens.It’s unbelievable how far medicine has come in my lifetime. The techs cracked up when I told them about my being a middle school prison matron, the blog, and my selfies. I explained could not go a Monday without taking one so it had to be there in that room with me on the table. This is it...SOOC.

I also took this one so you could see the dye as it was moving up my spine. You can also see some of one of the curves and my poor old discs. This was at the beginning of the procedure so I still had a long ways to go. They are supposed to be nice little rectangles all lined up in a row, but that is not the case. They all look like a varmint had bitten a half circle out on each side and then moved the disc around just for fun :-) All the little spikes coming off the discs are from osteoarthritis. We also found my left hip had been eaten on by the varmints leaving me with less mass. Now I am on copious amounts of calcium and Vitamin D. If any of you are told you have to have a myelogram, do not fear. It is not nearly as painful as giving birth or breaking a bone and the information your doctor gets from it is invaluable. We now know if it continues to worsen with age he CAN operate on me successfully fusing  2 discs at the neck and 2 in the lower lumbar. For now I refuse to even consider that as a possibility. Pain shots in the back and anti spasm drugs are the route I have elected to take. I am still so lucky. I could be ill like so many of my friends and unable to work or hike, or do the things I adore doing. I can still do them all, but I must do them carefully. So there you have it and it is SOOC. My selfie from last Monday. This weeks is a cute one with my Eloise.

This post is linked with:

{in the picture} on Flickr

sponsored by The Urban Muser.

a piece of me ~ {in the picture} ~ #12

Namaste

When none of my little darlings are here with me, I try to sneak in a wee bit yogi, but today was the first time I was running back and forth checking the camera. I must have taken 20 shots here in the cellblock to get these two keepers. They are supposed to go up on Flickr on Mondays, so I didn’t have any time to spare.  At one point 3 boys came through the door, and down I went...OUCH!  Ah, what an old lady won’t do to get that shot! Now, I have to figure out what I am going to come up with for next Monday. This is NOT easy.

 This post is linked with “In the Picture” on Flickr , 

and it is sponsored by "The Urban Muser.”

A Piece of Me ~ {in the picture} ~ #11

Here is the final installment of my “snow angel” fiasco. You can see Jack had had enough and was heading for the house. I’d had enough, too. I made it for this last, one cold shot, and then I went in, too. Geeze, it was cold out there!

"So long, it's been good to know yuh;
So long, it's been good to know yuh;
So long, it's been good to know yuh.
But this dusty old dust is a-gettin' my home
And I've gotta be driftin' along."

~Woodie Gutherie”


{There are many verses to his song, but this is the refrain that repeats itself after every verse...and the one I remember.}

This post is linked with “In the Picture” on Flickr

and sponsored by "The Urban Muser.”

 

A Piece of Me ~ {in the picture} ~ 52 in 52 ~ #9

 Almost But Not Quite

No, I am not dressed for Christmas but rather for the beautiful snow last weekend. It was way deeper than we had expected...over a foot. Trying to take a “selfie” was not so easy, but it is never easy for me. You are actually looking at the front of me. I aimed the camera at my right foot, but as you can see got the rear one. As it turned out, I am sort of glad it worked out that way because now you can see just how close I came to having snow in my galoshes and even colder feet that I already had. Hopefully my computer will be up and running properly soon...in the meantime I am posting this from work.

This post is linked with “In the Picture” on Flickr
and sponsored by "The Urban Muser.”

A Piece of Me ~ {1n the picture} ~ 52 in 52 #4

Seflie #4 ~ Month 1

At the  Computer in My In-School Suspension “Cellblock” Room
Rockbridge Middle School
Fairfield, Virginia

This post is linked with Flick’s {in the picture}
sponsored by Urban Muser. 

{In the Picture} ~ 52 IN 52 ~ Week 4

 Who is that mad woman behind the mask?

Why, it’s Genie on another “Forced March” through the icy woods. I am really NOT a grump. I laugh and have fun all the time. It is just HARD taking a picture of yourself with an iPhone in freezing weather.

This post is linked with the Flickr group {in the picture}.

A Piece of Me ~ {1n the picture} ~ 52 in 52 #3

January 16, 2012

I have always found the signs of aging in others to be a beautiful thing, but when I look at my feet...well, you know the answer:  wrinkles, bunions, enlarged joints, scaly bottoms, yucky toe nails, veins bulging, and oh, so many wrinkles. This foot surely has done a lot of work these last 72 years... this foot was definitely made for walking.