What Is A Quadratus Lumborum Anyway?

It is something everyone has and is used many times throughout the day. We use it to get in and out of bed. We use it when walking, especially going up steps. It's used when getting in and out of the car. It is also used with forward bending. I found out Tuesday morning while getting out of bed just what it is! It is a deep, back muscle that connects our iliac crest (hip bone) to our spine. It is irregular and quadrilateral shaped and broader at the base. It was all I could do to walk, shower, get dressed (just try putting on underwear, pants, socks and shoes without lifting your foot off the floor!), get into the car, drive to work, get out of the car, and function at work. My left leg was not functioning! Oh, how I was grateful to work at a Dr's. office! Thanks to Melanie, my supervisor, who brought patients back to rooms for me so I wouldn't have to walk the long hallways, an injection of 60mg of Toradol (and I haven't had a shot in the hip since Jenny was born 30 years ago!) and an Amrix pill was the only way I survived until getting into Physical Therapy at 12:30 p.m. This muscle would spasm when lifting my left leg and when attempting to bend over. How many movements do you make in a day that require you to pick up your leg and/or bend over? I guarantee you will know when that muscle acts up and spasms with every attempted move. While in physical therapy I performed many movements to identify the source of the pain. It was determined that I had referred pain to the left sacroiliac joint. Following an ultrasound of the area, I had interferential stimulation combined with a cold pack (which felt GREAT!) with manual massage to the area. I was fortunate to have a co-worker, scheduled for the morning only, stay for my afternoon shift. Thanks Lindsey! I managed to get myself home and slept in the afternoon. On Wednesday, I was able to bend over without pain. Still having pain with lifting my left leg, therefore, I encountered difficulty getting dressed, getting in and out of the car, and climbing steps. Ibuprofen and the heating pad were my friends throughout the next two days and nights. I visited my Physical Therapist friend on Thursday for ultrasound and massage. He placed a battery-operated medication patch to my lower left back which time-released a steroid into the skin. Today, Sunday, is the first day I have not had pain when lifting my left leg! Yippee!! I'm not marching anywhere yet but I hope that I will be able to do that soon!

Weaning Kids!

I'm discovering that weaning goat kids is much like weaning human kids. It's the Mama's that are most affected! When our two children were weaned I always felt like - "they don't need me as much". "They're growing way too fast!" Yesterday, Tom built a separate fenced area for our 4 baby kid goats to live in while the Mama's milk can dry up in preparation for a fall breeding season. We separated them yesterday and this morning the babies are lounging around on the shelter (yes ON and not IN) and the Mama's are close to their fence calling out to them. Hopefully, this won't last too many hours......did I hear someone say days???! At least our house is closed up and the air conditioning is on so isn't bothering us too much. And if you are neighbors to us, well, you better close up your house and run the air conditioning - or take a vacation?? (Now why didn't I think of that?!!!) Hopefully, it won't take the Mama's too long to figure out that they will always be friends and live together as the babies grow to adulthood - at least while they live on the Fritz Hobby Farm. For 32 years Tom and I continue to realize that our children, and our grandchildren, are the best part of our lives and, no matter what, continue to need us as much as we need them!

Am I Crazy???!!!!

Some people think so and I just might be! Journaling is a craft in itself and I decided that I would try a blog. I love to handcraft cards, quilt, and embroidery. Haven't mastered crochet but would like to do that someday too. Wish my Grandma Stockton Chaha were still around to teach me. She crocheted beautiful afghans. I have one that was given to my Mom. Grandma made it out of her scraps of yarn so it is of many colors. And, yes, it is granny squares! I'll make this initial blog short as I am in the process of baking home-made bread and kolaches. My sister-in-law, Linda, is an excellent bread baker and salesman! She is a Bosch dealer and when she demonstrated how easy it is to make wholesome breads - well, Tom and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to do it ourselves! I mill wheat berries that come from Montana and am also using rolled oats for some oatmeal bread today. So come on over sometime and enjoy some of these fiber-filled, whole grain breads! There's no boughten bread that can compare!