Winters Fury

Winter1*All pictures are the sole property of Paul Glover, Paul Glover Photography, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

As a chronic pain patient I know I am not alone in saying how much I loathe, despise and generally hate winter. Normal winters are bad enough, but this winter has been cruel and grueling. We have had nearly non-stop arctic blasts putting wind chills into the single digits and even negative temperatures. Even with the heater going and layers of warm clothing, the cold creeps into the house. If you have to go outside for even a few moments it is just agonizing.

One can never really know what it is like for someone else unless they have experienced the same thing. A man cannot know what labor pains are like. Someone who has never had a migraine cannot fathom what an intense, debilitating experience it is unless they get a migraine at some point in their life. I cannot imagine what it is like to have kidney stones because I have never had them. What we all can do, however, is try to empathize. Those of us that walk this walk on a daily basis do not want pity. We just want healthy people to understand that each and every thing we do each day, even the most mundane of tasks, take five to ten times the effort of a well person. For instance, my Cervical Stenosis has gotten so dire that I cannot walk the thirty or so feet to my car from the steps without dropping my keys at least once. A text from me is going to be full of typos. This is not because I do not know how to spell but because my fingers just do not work. Imagine trying to wash your car with about 30% to 50% of the pressure that the hose normally produces. Winter magnifies it…it is painful and cruel. I hate it and feel like hiding until April.  People wonder why I miss California so much. The list is long, but this is one of the many reasons. I know I am not alone. So here is hoping Punxsutawney Phil predicts an early spring. If he does not, I may find a cave and just sleep until the mercury decides to rise to a livable temperature. Until next time, K.

Winter2