My goal with having the link section in my blog posts is to share stuff I find interesting but I also try to keep things somewhat lighthearted because there's all kinds of shit going on in the world and sometimes you just need a break. I'm going to veer from that because, with Inauguration Day being tomorrow and all that entails, I thought these 2 links were good resources, not only for Americans but for anyone who might need it. Troubling political stuff is going on everywhere.

OK, that was a short veer. I'm going to end with something fun - (cue Mary Poppins singing, "... a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down... ")

  • Techno Music Made with a Sewing Machine - And electric toothbrushes, rubber ducks, AN ALPHORN. These are just clips but man, if this was a whole album I couldn't buy it fast enough. Courtesy of the German techno band, Klangphonics.

    • So if you look at blog dates you'll see that I skipped a week. Yeah, that happens sometimes. I've had a bit of a time of it lately.

    I've spoken before about my hip issues. I was told last August that I have severe arthritis in my left hip, moderate in my right. My left hip has been plaguing me. It pinches and catches something horrible whenever I bend. Think of how often you use your hips. It is all the damn time. And even when I'm not bending, it hurts so much just when I walk. I have to limp, take baby steps and hold onto things.

    I have a pretty physical job. I'm an MRI tech in a small hospital. I am a one-person department. I have to get my patients, get them on the table, get them off the table, position them - it's a lot of moving around! Even during the scan I may have to run in the scan room if my patient uses the call button or physically starts trying to get out of the scanner. Having my movement restricted because of hip pain made all of this so, so difficult. In fact, I even had some patients who, after seeing me limp into their room, wanted to put ME in the wheelchair! But still, I tried pushing through and making it work.

    I did PT for 3 months which helped a little bit. And I saw an orthopedic surgeon at the end of December. He agreed with my primary that I need a hip replacement. However, I exceed the BMI limits for surgery. I need to lose 45 pounds to put me within range. In order to make things happen quickly, he referred me to a medical weight loss clinic - one which specializes in using injectable weight loss medications. I normally would be very hesitant to use something like that but things have gotten to the point that I am currently on leave from work because I Just. Can't. Do. It. Anymore.

    I have had an initial visit and testing with the weight loss clinic and I have an appointment next week to go over results with that doctor and find out which medication they will put me on. I had cortisone injections in both hips last week and that has helped somewhat with the pain. It's still there but not as sharp. And I bought myself a cane so I can quit counter- and wall-surfing whenever I try to walk.

    So, for right now I'm kind of in a holding pattern. I can't get the hip fixed until I get the weight down and I'm still getting set up in the weight loss program. In the meantime, I'm just at home! You'd think having all kinds of time off from work would be awesome but ... I can't really DO anything. There is no going out and doing fun stuff - just grocery shopping at the moment and that just isn't what I'd call "fun." In fact, I get into the mode where I find a comfortable, pain-free position and I don't want to move. This only makes things worse because while moving hurts, not moving and then trying to move after sitting for a long time is even worse. I haven't done a lot, aside from doctor's appointments, so far in my down time. I have read a lot and watched a lot of TV. This would be a great time to work on my website but getting into the computer room involves getting up off the couch which, well, see "getting comfortable and staying there."

    Listening

    YouTube thought I might be interested in Soviet & Socialistic Grooves from 60s-70s / New Year Special by BASIC – L’atelier de Musique and it was not wrong! This is such a great groovy, funky mix! I hadn't come across this channel before but it seems like it's in the same vein as My Analog Journal.

    Besides listening to cool grooves, I've been listening to some podcasts:

    Reading

    I finished The Door into Fire and have started The Door into Shadow, the second book in the Tale of Five series by Diane Duane. I'm also still plugging away at Oathbreakers and my son just loaned me a book, Bunny. Apparently it's horror (ish) but I will like it. We'll see.

    Watching

    I started watching All Creatures Great and Small on PBS and I'm up to season 5, episode 3. This is the current season and, while the show will continue, it will be a hot minute (or, maybe like next year) before the next season is out. I read the James Herriot books years ago and I just loved them. This show has the same cozy feels as Call the Midwife and The Durrells in Corfu.

    Neat YouTube videos that I've seen over the past week or so:

    Til next week! And, remember, Illegitimi non carborundum.