Food Storage Challenge

[annmarie]

I'm so glad I went back to read some of the earlier posts on this thread. I didn't realize that brown rice goes rancid so easily! I have 10 pounds sitting on a shelf at home. I'll be putting some of that in the freezer this evening! Some of you mentioned vacuum packing in jars. I'm assuming you have some kind of vacuum packing equipment, or am I missing something?

 

[the simple life]

Thanks. I have had three back surgeries for ruptured discs in my back.
The last surgery they did a fusion and were able to fuse two of them. They left the third because they were only able to do two at a time.
They said that the fusion won't always take.
They hope that it will but there is no guarantee.
They take out the discs that are ruptured out between the vertbraes and put it metal screws to hold them and hope the bones fuse together.
If it doesn't then you have no cushion between the vertibraes because the discs are gone and the bones didn't fuse together to take the pressure off.
Kind of hard to explain.
The fusion didn't work for me, after all I went through. They went through my abdomen to operate on my spine for the fusion.
I had such a terrible time with the recovery, blood loss required a trasfusion (had banked my own blood, who knows if they really use it though) and then had an infection while in the hospital.
Before I had the first surgery the disc that was ruptured was compressing my sciatic nerve, the doctors kept giving me the brush off until I lost all use of my leg.
I went to a neurologist who had me admitted to the hospital immediately for what he called dropped foot.
My foot flopped around like it was made of rubber, I dragged my leg behind me and I was literally crying in pain in his office.
I had lost all use of my leg.
They had a neurosurgeon that was on staff at the hospital come in and see me, he ordered an MRI and found that it was a huge herniation.
Mind you this was the same doctor I had seen months before and he told me no biggie.
He says I needed immediate surgery or I will never walk with two legs again.
He told me they would put my bad leg in a brace and give me those arm braces to walk with or crutches.
I had the surgery and he said it was the largest herniation he had ever seen in his career and he didn't know how I could stand it.
Uh, I couldn't, hence the crying and not being able to walk.
So then he says that due to the damage, I may never gain the use of that leg back again even with the surgery.
So I went home with a walker. I had physical therapy but no one acted too hopeful.
It stunk not being able to drive either. My right leg.
I got sick of the whole thing and forced myself to do more.
I fell a few times for doing too much and got yelled at by my family. But I gained the use of my leg back eventually.
I had a bunch of young kids at that point and there was no way I wasn't going to be able to do for them.
All the doctors were surprised. My parents actually ran into the surgeon one day and he asked how I was and they said, well she is still pretty lame, her limp is pretty bad.
So he says, oh she will probably be like this for the rest of her life, she is lucky to walk at all.
So he was surprised to see how far I had come when he saw me last.
So I can't really feel much in my foot so when I am walking and don't put it down completely flat and I can't feel it to adjust it, like everyone else,it rolls and I twist my ankle or fall.
Like if I step on uneven ground, I am not always aware of it.
Don't know if I explained that right.
I can't wear high heels ever again.I can't feel my foot enough to balance, and the last time I tried they hurt much worse than I remember, and I got a terrible back ache from them.
So I won't try that again.
If I do too much I limp, which is pretty much all the time being a mom right? haha
The thing is I am so use to it that I don't even notice it until someone asks me if I hurt my foot or something.
I have pain every day and its just a part of my life now, but sometimes it gets bad like this.
My leg throbs if I over do it , or sometimes even for just no particular reason.
So the last few days my back has been so bad that I can't even sleep at night. It feels so deep in my back that no matter how much heat/ice or rubbing you do it just doesn't reach it.
I haven't done anything extreme to irritate it, and I have been staying active, because even sitting around too much will make it worse. So I don't know what the deal is this week.I usually know what I can and can't do and try not to push it.
Surprisingly one of the worse things for me is standing in one spot, like waiting in line. I can walk around for hours but I can't stand in line for 10 minutes without my back aching.Just like with cooking, standing in one spot.
I have chairs at my counters so I will sit when I need to while I am prepping dinners.
All I know is I am so tired all day because I can't get any relief and sleep at night.I need sleep
You are right about the weather, it does affect your bones. I am always worse when its cold and rainy.

 

[FarmerChick]

WOW simple that was some hard post to read cause I know with that list of medical situations it HAD to have been awful. UGH

Constant pain like that is just horrible to ask someone to live with....but I always try to remember that God never gives us more than we can bear in this lifetime. Daily pain is just rough but from your posts and such I don't see it bringing you down much cause your posts are very happy to me!!!! And you definitely work thru the pain being a SS type person! Being this type of person probably has been what keeps you moving...do for yourself and be independent! Good deal!

I know the dropped foot type problem....I had dropped arm problem. Herniated disc in the neck. Couldn't hold a soda bottle, had constant pain in the arm and shoulder, UGH, sleeping, UGH, you just ache all the time. When I got to where I truly couldn't use my arm or hand, they finally did a MRI and said neck surgery for you...LOL---scared me but it worked perfect. After 3 months of horrible recovery (Ouch!) --one day I woke up and BOOM---perfect. Arm fine, all pain gone from surgery and I have been perfect ever since. I wish that had happened for you, a full recovery. But the back is such a horrible place to be hurt!!

My Dads neighbor Joel has your type of problem. He walks and you just see the pain on his face...a few surgeries that just prolong things it seems, he goes to a pain medication clinic to handle life with daily constant pain. Guy just never truly gets relief and that has to be just horrible. Wheelchair bound for him they say and he just fights tooth and nail to keep mobile!

Hang in there MOM....those kids will keep ya moving!

Also, how about a sleep aid, like anything, even a pill to just knock ya out cause sleep deprivation is horrible also to that level. Do you ever take anything just to give yourself some relief? (I would be..lol)

 

[the simple life]

I should start thinking of trying some kind of sleep aid since I am having so much trouble lately.

It seems that I have no problem falling asleep but then I wake up within a couple of hours because I get that throbbing pain in my lower back.
The doctor once recommended taking some pain medication before I went to bed so that I wouldn't be woken up by the pain, but then I was afraid to do that because how do you ever know when its going to act up.
Some nights are fine and some are not but I would be taking medication even on the nights it doesn't end up acting up because I would have no way of knowing.

Some nights after tossing and turning and all that I finally get up and do stuff around the house and then when I finally get back to sleep its time for me to get up with the kids.
I take motrin on a normal basis, but when it gets real bad I can see a doctor for pain medication.
I just try to go as long as I can since I have pain everyday anyway and try to deal with it.
I just hate being so tired and out of sorts, it makes it hard to even think straight.
If this keeps up any longer though I am going to go back to see the doctor.
Its good to at least have something to handle the pain on those real bad nights.
The doctor had told me before that if you let it go too long it creates a cycle or something and then its harder to get the pain under control.
They say I always wait too long. You know how it is though, you always put yourself last when you have a house to run and kids to take care of.
Its definitely good that I lead the kind of lifestyle that I do, thats for sure.
If I didn't keep active, both my mind and my body, and do things around here that give me a sense of accomplishment I think that the pain and my limitations would get me very down.
I think alot of people with chronic pain suffer from depression, and I don't blame them. I just don't wany to be one of them.
When its a bad day for my back I usually go sit out in the yard and watch the chickens run around, the kids and the dogs play and walk around the garden and just enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. It keeps me happy and makes me appreciate what I have.
I lost alot of friends and relatives real young, 3 of them young moms and 1 young dad and I am very concious of that now.
I stop to smell the roses more now and just watch my kids be kids and try to enjoy life for what it is. It makes me grateful that all I have is a bad back and bum leg.
I am really glad that your shoulder worked out for you.
Thats awesome when its fixed and your good to go.
Especially with the amount of work you have to do on your farm, there is no way you could have a bum shoulder.
Are there many one armed farmers?
It must take them along time to get stuff done.

 

[Zenbirder]

Are there many one armed farmers?
It must take them along time to get stuff done.

I am so sorry to hear of your pain. Not getting enough rest can cause the worst depression.

One of my old, beloved and now departed relatives, Wess lost one arm in a school bus accident when he was a kid. He was an amazing farmer and rancher, with hundreds of acres. He was very stubborn and managed to find a way to get things done. He had a special eating fork that had a knife attached to the other end. We all have to work with what we have and don't have when it comes to our health. My wishes are for health for us all.

 

[the simple life]

See there you go , where there is a will there is a way.
And thank you for your nice wishes.

 

[FarmerChick]

yea thats a hard call Simple on the pain meds...when to take them, will you get immune type thing, and all the other questions, but it is a good idea to have something strong in the house when needed...maybe even 1/2 of one to just keep you asleep longer.

I don't wake from pain but I do what you are doing constantly and I don't know why. I fall asleep about 11-12-1 am and get up by 4 am...get Tony off to work, then back to bed for another hour or so and wake up more tired...LOL---bad habit I guess???? One I need to break. I know when sleep is deprived we can be in serious trouble thru the day. I go mental sometimes, just DUH and can barely get thru a day..HA HA..

hang in there...you sound like you are coping with the best ya can in the circumstances....a good attitude is alot of the battle and you seem to have it!!!

 

[justusnak]

Im not sure if this should go to this thread, but here goes. I go to several " freebie" sites. It is time consuming...but on laundry days..I am here waiting to hang out the next load...so I search fro free samples. I literally have 2 drawers FULL of free samples. Shampoos, toothpast,deodorants,tylenol aspirin, lotions...just about every company out there will send you a free sample. I have not bought shampoo and deodorant in over a year. And YES I DO USE IT! LOL Get out there people....grab some free samples. Never know when they will come in handy.

 

[the simple life]

you are right, those samples can add up.
Last month I took all of the children to the dentist for their checkups the same day.
Well he gives out goodie bags full of mouthwash, toothpaste,toothbrushes, floss etc. and the bag is packed. I mean like 4 tubes of toothpaste per kid.
I have a basket full of this stuff in my bathroom now and I am thinking wow this is great not having to buy any for a while.
So I can definitely see how all the little samples would add up.

 

[Cassandra]

hmmm... .my sister works for a dentist. Maybe we should talk.

Cassandra