Not getting any younger.

However, I'm getting older before I should! As I mentioned in my previous blog, the acupuncture seemed to relieve my back pain—for about 2 weeks. Then it decided to come back with a vengeance. The pain that I had prevously felt in my lower back now quickly spread to my butt and down my right leg, Sciatic pain. I knew this was not right, so I scheduled some x-rays to be taken. The x-rays showed a narrowing of the L5/S1 disc space with facet joint degenerative change. Basically this means that two of the spine bones in my back are smooshed together, narrowing the disc space, probably making the disc bulge out, therefore, pinching a nerve and making the pain. Apparently degeneration is a normal occurrence but is not noticeable until you're in over 50, not 28.



So this pain has basically left me immobile, unless i pop myself full of anti-inflammatory pills. I hate taking medicine crazy pills, i feel like i'm just filling my body with unnatural chemicals that really can't be good for me. But at the moment it seems like it's the only thing I can do. I'm also keeping up the acupuncture as well as seeing a physiotherapist who has given me a few exercises I have to do twice a day, every day, probably for the rest of my life. If I can get the the inflammation down permanently so the pressure is off my nerve I should be okay again, but that can take a lot of time. Positive thinking is what I need, I'm trying.

Somehow, this is a bit unexpected. Yet when I look at my life, I lead a sedentary life compared to how humans are suppose to live. Sure I walk an hour every day and I've started swimming weekly, but I'm also still sitting at a desk for 7+ hours a day. I've done this since a computer was introduced into my life at about 12. So that's at least 16 years of sitting and leading a fairly unactive (physically) life.

Two years

What started off as a year adventure in my life has now turned into a two year life changing journey. And I feel like it's just starting. However, I'm also starting to feel the effects of getting older, not just the aches and pains, but that time is running out and I have so many things in this life that I want to do. Mainly travel, thailand, cambodia, laos, south america, Japan, and Egypt which will all somehow involve going through Italy cause that seems to be a hub for everything. I'm trying to schedule in a few weekend trips in the near future a wishlist would be Poland, Germany and Switzerland/Austria. Of course all this involves money and time off of work which don't exactly work together. I'll manage.

In celebration of my two year anniversary I spent some quality time with a few friends from my past. Kerry and Jennine from Oregon are visiting Ireland, so I invited them over for a traditional Irish meal cooked by an American. I made Shepherd's Pie and Guinness Brownies which both turned out delicious!

Today Aishling, Guðrún, Mick and I went down to Glendalough and went horseback riding! We lucked out with the weather considering most of Ireland is experiencing major flooding right now. We had great fun which is a direct ratio to the arse pain.

I'm back home now and ready to start my 3rd year of Irish life.

Lots of love to all and I miss you dearly.

Horse Trekking