Managing Pain

Spring has finally come to western Newfoundland! The snow has melted around town and is slowly leaving the forest and mountains. With any luck, I can actually walk my favorite brookside path today. The other morning, I bundled up and sat outside with my coffee, and I had some new visitors from a nearby house. (One must now be more careful where one walks!)

For the past two weeks, I've been dealing with debilitating arthritis pain in my right hand, arm and shoulder. (It seems as if now that I've retired, my body thinks it should break down and point out all my ailments immediately! Scheesch!) My doctor just yesterday prescribed Tylenol 3 (which I will take sparingly) and sent me for an x-ray on my hand so we can be sure that it is arthritis and perhaps determine what kind. 

In the meantime, I'll keep to my own pain routine: I'm still trying to eat an anti-inflammatory diet at least 80% of the time, and I'm a huge proponent of cannabis which is, thank goodness, legal in Canada. With my sensitivity to prescription drugs, it is the only thing I've found that will alleviate most of the pain and has no side effects.  Finding CBD only (no psychoactive effects) is difficult here; I do have CBD gummies and I use an infused cream. But CBD alone has not as effective as weed with THC. Moderation in everything has always been one of my personal tenets! But aging is a new adventure that I find I must take on a daily basis: some days will be better than others, I guess, and I must adjust accordingly.  

Any suggestions you might have on dealing with arthritis pain would be more than welcome.

• Drinking green tea? 
• Applying an onion poltice? 
• Dancing (not naked) round my fire pot at midnight?

 I'll try it all! In the meantime, the sun is coming out ...... and I can hear the forest calling. 

Namaste y'all!