Saturday, August 21, 2010

Hot under the collar

Like I said, I have to wear this neck brace collar thing to minimize stress on my neck and cervical vertebrae. It's not a rigid collar; it's made from a lovely gray fabric which covers a foam core and attaches in back with a velcro strip. And it makes me look fat.

The Quai Jean-Jaques Delorme in St.-Aignan. The Grand Hotel is in the background.

Since I've started wearing it, the temperatures have shot up into the 80s F during the day. And I have to wear it to bed, too. All that means that I'm sweating under the collar. Ick. So I take it off for a few minutes from time to time to air it out.

I think wearing the collar is helping, though, since it immobilizes my head and prevents me from tilting back. The downside is that it makes working at the computer difficult. You will understand if you wear bifocals. I can't tilt my head back enough to see through the bottom half of the lens. I'm sitting on pillows to get higher, but it's not enough. Consequently, I either stand at the computer for short bursts (checking the weather, looking up things) and I don't do as much reading (blogs, newspapers) on line as I'm used to.

This getting old crap is for the birds. Old birds.

8 comments:

  1. Hope your neck gets better soon...wearing those collars can definitely be inconvenient. Take care!

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  2. So sorry about the neck issues and the brace. I hope it all gets better soon.

    I've gone to skipping my bi-focals for computer work, and using pharmacy-bought reading glasses instead. They give me a much larger area of vision, and therefore I don't need to tilt my head... it was killing my neck and shoulders. I feel much better now that I've switched to this method, and it's very much worth the only slight annoyance of switching glasses.

    Judy

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  3. Take heart, gray is big this year on the Paris runways.

    I had to wear one of those velcro thingies around my lower back once, so I know what you are talking about. It itched.

    Here's wishing you heal quickly and are back to normal soon!

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  4. I've done the same thing as Judy,
    and it works very well; however,
    I do know people who have had
    glasses prescribed with the bi-
    focal portion on the top for
    exclusive use with their computer.
    Maybe in view of your fragile
    condition,you could get a recom-
    mendation from your doctor so
    that they would be covered by
    your govt. insurance.

    What a lovely photo of the quai.
    Don't think you and Ken will
    ever be able to leave such a
    beautiful part of France.

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  5. Beautiful photo you took though. You are correct...getting older stinks. We are almost exactly the same age and I'm with you all the way on that one. I think we should fight it tooth and nail!!

    Hang in there trooper! Hope the weather cools down for you. :)

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  6. Oh dear, you're hot under the collar...

    Don't think of it as a problem with getting old. Think of it as an overwork injury. And you *will* get well; hope it's soon.

    Time for a glass of wine.

    The verification word is "slygr," which I believe is a very clever and crafty tiger.
    Chrissoup

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  7. Sorry it's being so annoying, and I hope it will soon be a thing of the past.

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  8. rick, thanks. The collar is pain, but less than the actual pain I had, so I guess it's working.

    judy, that's a good idea...

    diogenes, thanks!

    sheila, glasses aren't covered much by our insurance. And they're very expensive here. Even with your own frames, the lenses cost a lot.

    suzanne, I get too tired to fight! lol

    chris, I like that attitude.

    will, me too! Thanks!

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