Homeopathic Treatment for My Pulled Shoulder Muscle

The fact that I am exercising and trying to lose weight would obviously lead to me hurting myself and possibly suffering a set back. Sigh

So I was using my husband's work out bands, doing some seemingly simply arm exercises. No  big  deal. I felt weak and quickly tired but nothing beyond what I considered normal for my current state of total muscle limpness.  Little did I know. 

Evidently I greatly strained and pulled the muscle running between my shoulder blades on both sides, (I'm thinking these could be my Lats) making any use of my arms and hands very painful. Of course! Typing, washing dishes, eating, even walking and moving my arms side to side..any simple movement that stretches the muscles back there delivers searing hot pain between my shoulders. And after, when I try to rest, there is a burning electrical sensation that runs up to my neck and down my fingertips on the left side. OUCH

3 weeks of this before I look for treatment. I self medicate with every drug I have in my substantial arsenal. Nothing touched it. I tried ice..I tried heat. N O T H I  N G helped. 

So I went to visit the local Homeopathic MD in my town. Dennis had to translate for me but he seemed happy to in the hopes that I would get some relief (and he would get some sleep).

The Doctor told us that he got his medical license but then he felt that too much emphasis was put on drugs and not on treatment. So he branched off to Eastern medicine and he continues to travel to China yearly to stay current.

So acupuncture needles went in all over my shoulders and back, even one on each ankle and another in my neck. I have done acupuncture before and was always pleased by the relaxing experience and boneless feeling I enjoyed after. My current state is much worse than anything I have done to myself before. Each needle felt like an electrical spark of heat and they never diminished during the 20 minutes I lay on the table. My treating physician explained that there was significant swelling and it may be some time before I felt improved. My life story.

But that is not all.  He didn't just stick me and leave me. He prescribed oral herbs to help reduce the inflammation and repair the strain. Also a cream of copper and zinc that Dennis rubs on my back twice a day. 

It's day two since my treatment began but I have to honestly say that I feel no improvement, yet. I am really trying to think happy thoughts and dispel the negative ones I automatically feel but still, my back is killing me with every hand and arm movement.

I do enjoy taking the herbs though. Each tiny white, minty pebble is dispensed in a tube with a mechanism that allows you to release one which you then drop under your tongue. You can't touch them with your fingers. I assume this is because the herbs cause crazy boils and rashes when they come in contact with the skin. Mmmmmmmmmm......? I don't care what it is, as long as it works!

 

Date night: A visit to the Cinema in Monte-Carlo

Being full-time caretakers to my 95-year-old mother-in-law here in France and working from home full-time running 2 Internet based companies, my husband and I have very little time for ourselves. Which also leads to very little time out and we are almost never alone together since my mother-in-law requires 24 hour care and we cannot leave her.

In this challenging situation, we are enormously grateful when someone can stand in for us for a few hours so that we can run errands or get our hair cut or buy groceries. We are even more excited when we can go out on a date because it is so rare! Since we came back from our 3 week visit stateside in December, we have not been on a date. Which is exactly what we were able to do last night. Our new friend Lisa came and stayed here for a few hours while Dennis and I went to the movies. It was delightful!

Living in the South of France, finding a cinema where I could understand the film is a little challenging. But, as it turns out, we just needed to travel to our neighbor country of Monaco. About five miles away, Monaco borders our town of Roquebrune-Cap Martin on the western border.

A short drive to Monaco, where we parked in one of the many underground parking facilities and a short walk brought us to the Cinema of Monte-Carlo. They offered 2 movies in English so we opted to see The Iron Lady. The theatre was spacious and clean. The popcorn was salty and perfect. The Iron Lady was heartbreaking and lovely. Such a great film!!  We finished the night by driving down to the Port of Monaco and sharing a wonderful pizza at a corner restaurant that sat directly opposite to the driveway entrance of the Palace of Monaco. Not my usual night at the movies!

Dennis and I hamming it up outside the Casino in Monte-Carlo. Not the average location for a movie theatre! 

I did ask for no mushrooms but pulling them off after the fact worked out just fine!

Wonderful date night! Thank you so much Lisa! We enjoyed every moment!

Any excuse for fireworks!

Here in the outskirts of Menton, France we are enjoying the continued celebration of the Lemon Festival.

Last night was another parade night with the rumor of fireworks. So at 9:30 P.M. we drove our 1980s Mercedes down to the town and parked as close as we could to the road block. Walking towards the parade barrier, we selected a lovely little street side restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious cappuccino and the taster plate of miniature desserts. As our server pointed out, if we couldn't choose which dessert to try, try them all! From the brownie to the tiny tiramisu, I was enthralled.

Plus, the tiny desserts were served, not on a plate, but on a piece of slate!

Soon, the street lights went out, cluing us into the start of the fireworks. We paid our bill and dashed outside, joining the crowds on the street as they made their way down to the steps that lead to the beach.

With the waves of the Mediterranean lapping near our feet, we watched as Menton light up the night, in tribute to Lemons.

So much fun on a Thursday night in March.

The Sunbathing dog

I know, you are tired of reading about people's pets and the funny darling things they do, when you don't think it's all that funny.

But trust me, MY dog Anna is different. She is more human than I am. And I was able to capture a few moments of her doing what she does that makes me laugh and I wanted to share:

Exhibit 1: Every morning, when the sun is out, you can find Anna sunbathing on the front balcony. Just look at her facial expression.          B L I S S.      I look just like that when I am sitting in the sun. All she needs is an exotic umbrella drink in her paw!

Exhibit 2:

Here I am proud to say I captured the absolute essence of Anna, when she is around tall grass. Usually Anna can't control herself around even short normal grass. She has to roll in it like a fool. But with this high ornamental grass, she throws caution to the wind and rolls like there is no tomorrow. She usually gets completely lost from my view and tangled by the time she is done.

That's all for now. I'm sure she will do something again soon that will be worthy of note. :)

Between the Sea and the Mountains

Here in the region of the Maritime-Alps, between the Sea and the Mountains, there is a town called Menton and they are all about lemons. Every year, in fact there is a festival in the town square dedicated to everything lemon, or I should say, they make it all out of lemons.

On a sunny Monday in February, Dennis and I made our way down to Menton Center between the Casino and the bus station. There is a park that fills the space between the streets coming and going that they have walled off for weeks. We have had sneak peaks of what they are creating as the metal structures emerge above the fences but no clear idea until today when we paid our 9 Euros a piece and walked inside.

The theme this year was the regions of France. As you walked along the garden, you saw on display an exhibit for each region, depicting what they are known for, what they offer, their specialties.

From Brittany to Champagne, even Bordeaux with a huge bottle of wine.

I was looking forward to seeing what our region, the Maritime-Alps, would have on display. We are between the mountains and the sea and sure enough, there was a huge lemon and orange mountain, covered in snow on one side with skiers and on the other, people swimming in the sea.

And, again..everything made with lemons and oranges.

An Orange and Lemon Chateau 

I love this clog!

And of course, the region of  L'lle de France complete with a lemon Eiffel Tower

I want to take the lemon Metro!

We completed the tour with a crepe made with sweet lemon filling and Grand Marnier 

Lemon lighthouse anyone?

A pretty excellent way to spend two hours on a Monday morning

I will walk 5 thousand miles

All right, its true, I am bound to exaggerate. Its only been three miles. I have been walking three miles a day. I start from my house and head toward the "staircase" that leads to Le Corbusier. The stairs feel like one million steps, especially if you climb them after the entire walk. I need an oxygen tank to make it to the top. With so many tourists always around, I find myself embarrassed to be heaving and panting and dripping all the way up the stairs. I will look behind me and check in front of me before I attempt the climb. Then I scurry up the stairs like a rat, often having to stop half way up regardless if anyone can see me, because I'm faint and dizzy. I try to act like I meant to stop and survey the view, when really I'm about to black out from my elevated heart rate. But my pride notwithstanding, it is an amazing walk and for most people, my husband included, the stairs are not a big deal. Le Corbusier  actually has a tripadvisor page you can check out:

 (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g187236-d521060-Reviews-Promenade_Le_Corbusier-Roquebrune_Cap_Martin_French_Riviera_Cote_d_Azur_Provence.html)

This cliff walk takes you around "The Cap" or peninsula of land where I live. Circling toward the beaches that run from Roquebrune to Menton and then into Italy.

The views are breathtaking from every direction, at any time of day.

The narrow path that winds up stairs and down, with the crashing sea at your feet and wild flowers and trees growing where ever they can between you and the water's edge. Throughout the walk, there are staircases (there are always staircases) that lead downward to the sea, allowing you to jump in for a swim in the warm summer months. Just be careful! The rough Med can take you by surprise and dash you against the unforgiving rocks. Even the man who designed the path itself drowned while swimming just off those rocks.

So up and down and over and through, I make this 3 mile hike from my house to the beaches of my town and then I climb home again. My favorite time of day is late afternoon, when the sun is descending, just about to dip behind the mountain where Monaco rests at its feet.

I never tire of the views. Each corner you turn here catches your breath. The sunlight flashing of the water, the rocks jutting out into the sea, the mountains filling the skyline with seagulls laughing in the wind.

Not a bad way to exercise.

Far from my sight, out of my heart

I learned a new French expression. Loin de mes yeux, loin de mon cœur. It means, far from my sight, out of my heart. I thought, given my situation, it was very interesting. It was used to express how we need to keep up with those we love, otherwise we will lose them in time. If we don't work at our relationships, distance and absence will cause them to fade.

Since I heard it, I've been applying this in all sorts of ways. Good and sad. I can't see my family or close friends regularly, so I need to keep in contact with them in other ways so that I will not lose being close in their hearts or they in mine.

On the flip side, if I hang in there, sugar and sweets will finally leave my heart and I will not long for them anymore, if I can just keep them out of my sight long enough. Maybe alcohol too.

It reminded me of something someone said when we first talked about moving to France. I knew I would miss everything and everyone around me and I was told that in time I wouldn't need them anymore and they wouldn't need me. In time, we would continue to live new lives and the dependency we had on each other would wane. They would forget me and I would forget them. Life would naturally move forward. And eventually there would be no place for me with them, nothing to miss.

The idea was reassuring in one small way because I knew I wouldn't feel lost and lonely forever but a lingering sadness took its place. I don't want them out of my heart.

Can things and people you love be out of your heart with just less time in your sight? Well, I don't think about iced coffee or chocolate smoothies like I once did. And cheese-less pizza strips or thanksgiving sandwiches (with the cranberry sauce and stuffing). But what about people and land? I live by the Sea here and it is beautiful yet I miss the RI beaches. I miss the trees of my home and the places I know. And the people? Forget it. They are far from my sight but not out of my heart, not yet. I want to hold each face close to the eyes of my soul, study each one to remember and then tuck them safely away in my memory until I see them in the flesh again.

So this expression is a warning to me. To not let the distance of my physical sight to cause me to forget those I love and miss. I will see them again soon. And until then I will carry them close, very close to my heart and see them clearly in my mind's eye.