Bathing

I took a bath yesterday. This may not sound like a big deal to you, but after 3 years of showers only it was glorious. There were no bubbles, no perfume, no powdering and pampering. It was steamy hot water until I was pruney. I loved it.

When I was in the Philippines the ladies were advised that if the water was unsafe for drinking, it was also unsafe for bathing. Something about bacteria, fungi, and parasites. I applied this bit of wisdom to my life in Thailand. We had a positively gorgeous blue tub, over 5 feet long with armrests molded in the sides. I took showers in it for three years, because the water was unsafe for drinking.

There are benefits to living in the USA.

Back in the USA

We’ve been back in the USA for over three weeks now. The plan to try living without a car? It lasted two days after arrival. We got caught in a nasty cold pouring rain the second day, with a bit of a walk from the bus stop to our destination, and then back, using a bus stop with no shelter. Jim was afraid I would get sick out in that cold rain, and he says he didn’t want his stubbornness about not having a car to be the cause of me getting ill. We got a car on day 3.

So we have a shiny new red 2009 Chevy Aveo, and we love it. Jim says it is nicer than our Honda Jazz/Fit we had in Thailand. It’s not a hatchback, but has a spacious 2-body trunk. We have a free year of OnStar, too, and 0% financing. Woot! Being out of the country for three years left Jim with a wholly clean license, so the car insurance was less expensive than I feared. And we got a discount by getting renter’s insurance from the same company. Jim is keeping that license clean by not speeding.

Our apartment is almost fully furnished, thanks to Ikea. All our furniture is from there, except Jim’s desk. If you are curious, just ask and can link you to what we bought.

Our bedroom is white and blue, a calm retreat. It has warm fluffy down alternative pillows and comforter. The living room is white and birch, with a red sofa. It really needs that splash of color. We are using the far end of the living room as a dining nook, and using the dining nook as my office. It’s really working well for me, to be open to the kitchen. My desk and bookcase are white, as is my chair. The dining room table and chairs are birch. No real decorating has been done yet. Plenty of time for that.

We are both happy to be back. Jim is following the Detroit Lions, seeing how long they can extend their record-setting losing streak. I am shopping at the local food coop and farmer’s market for fresh food. I still shop at Meijer’s, but I’m spending far less there than I would otherwise. I can’t wait for the kitchen appliances I ordered to arrive! Having only a toaster and coffeemaker is a bit limiting.

Aging

I am often told that I don’t look my age. While that is flattering, I am beginning to appreciate it less and more wish I didn’t feel my age. You see, I have arthritis. It was officially diagnosed when I was only 30. I went to see the doctor confident of my diagnosis, and wanting only to know how many aspirin a day I ought to be taking. The doctor, noting the perfect symmetry of my symptoms and my youth, insisted on running a blood test to rule out rheumatoid arthritis, which was more consistent with my age and symptoms. He didn’t know the family history. So the doctor satisfied himself that I had simple osteoarthritis, which I already knew. He was quite surprised at how advanced the degeneration was then, as it was already visible on x-ray.

 

So now, 26 years later, I still have arthritis. I have it in my hands, particularly the bases of my thumbs, my knees, my neck, my hips and occasionally in my ankles. The cool season just past caused a dramatic increase in my pain level and stiffness. I was going down the stairs in the morning almost in slow motion. The hot dry season may not be my favorite, but it does help with the arthritis pain and stiffness.

 

What do I take for my arthritis? At the moment, nothing. I’ve always had a fair tolerance for pain. I am unable to take any of the fancy NSAIDs, or Cox-2 inhibitors, for reasons I won’t go into here. Just believe me that if I could take them, I would. The doctor once tried to put me on Tylenol three or four times a day for my arthritis. His office called in a panic a week or two later to have me stop taking it. I already had; I knew I couldn’t take it daily. Ever since then I have had a prescription for tramadol. About once every other week I take one at bedtime. I get a better night’s sleep than usual, plus the accumulated pain and tension, particularly in my neck, is reset. I think I will begin to take aspirin again soon, though. While the tramadol works for the pain, it doesn’t do anything about the inflammation. I can take aspirin on a daily basis, and it reduces the inflammation.

 

I honestly can’t remember what it is like to be totally pain-free.