What a crazy couple of days…sorry I’ve missed posting. Here’s what’s new, and old…if you feel like me. 😂. Also, looking for info on spinal stenosis L4-L5.

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cute opossum sitting in nature
Photo by GLEIVE MARCIO RODRIGUES DE SOUZA on Pexels.com

I just thought this was a cute picture of an opossum, so I added it… lol….

Anyway. It was 80 degrees yesterday, and now it’s 30….😳….but I think spring is on the way. I saw a barn swallow scout, so that’s a good sign. It’s always been my measure to be able to tell when spring is ACTUALLY on the way. I opened up the purple martin house, because they will soon be scouting as well. I hope.

Last Friday I had an MRI of my lumbar region due to pain in that area. It really started to hurt a lot a couple of weeks ago. Anyway, the results came back as spinal canal stenosis in the L4-L5, with ligament and facet hypertrophy with disc bulge/protrusion. My doctor immediately said I need surgery. I caught my breath because I don’t want surgery on my spine. I consulted with a few people and got varying degrees of opinions, with varying results.

What a crazy couple of days…sorry I’ve missed posting. Here’s what’s new, and old…if you fee like me. 😂. Also looking for info on spinal stenosis L4-L5

Basically for some surgery has been a life saver, for others it’s made their life worse, and for some it’s done nothing. Just from the limited amount of research I’ve done so far, I’ve opted out of surgery for now. I’m 53 years old, and realize that I’ve been hard on my body. But I’m not ready to let them start digging into my spine.

I’ve found some more exercises that I can do, and I’m going to pick back up with my yoga, and work on strengthening my core. That seems to be a big benefit. I’ve also made an appointment with a kinesiology doctor to see if that can help.

Just since yesterday, I’ve notice a difference in the amount of pain, just since I’ve done some of the stretches and core strengthening. So I’m hopeful.

Anyone have any experience with spinal stenosis? What has worked? What hasn’t? Please let me know via comments, or email. I would be very appreciative.

✌️

Shassy

survival frog

Spinal stenosis, opossum, L4 L5, kinesiology, crazy weather

This is Opie, the radically brave opossum approximately 1 to 3 years.

close up of an opossum
This is Opie, approximately 1 to 3 year old opossum.

Published by Shassy 20 Feb 23

Opie Opossum

Opossums are gentle creatures. They try to look nasty and slobber when scared, and will play “possum” when they feel like there’s no way out. This one in particular has been around a few times and is now trusting me and being brave as to interact and not play dead, or run off. (Yes, they can run off… I’ve seen it. They don’t always play dead.)

They really are an amazing animal, marsupials to be exact, and are beneficial to a healthy ecosystem. I say healthy because when humans get involved, we upset the ecosystem. If we eliminate one part, then it upsets the balance, and then it’s a downward spiral.

This particular opossum in my above ⬆️⬆️⬆️ video is a regular. I can tell by nicks in his little ears, and the end of his tail has a previous injury.

Northwest Registered Agent

Last summer I took in a blind old opossum to sanctuary. He was starving and trying to live in one of our cats houses. When I realized something was wrong, I called my wildlife person, and took him into be transported to a safe place where he could get what he needed.

I didn’t know that when they get old they can get cataracts and become blind. I picked him up and put him gently into the carrier, and offered food and water, and he ate and drank like a champ. (This is a ranch and we have random bowls that are stored, without being used, so that’s why this bowl is so old looking, and covered in hard water stains. Sometimes the raccoons steal them and I find them in the yard, or further out in the pasture. Please don’t judge my old steel bowl). See below video. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Then, that same day, immediately after I had returned from the location for drop off for transport to sanctuary, as I walked into the barn, my cats were going after something. As I looked around I found the cutest baby Opie. I don’t care what you say, he/she was adorable.

(I don’t have my “hrsygrl” TikTok anymore, fyi). This video doesn’t show his cuteness as well as what I saw before I picked up my camera. I do have gloves on because although they rarely bite, they still can. I put him in a blanket and snuggled him up to me… and thought…. “I should raise him and keep him”… but I didn’t… he needed to be able to grow and be away from cats, so he went to sanctuary as well.

But I sure wanted to. It was hard to put aside what I wanted, and do what was right for him. Oh my heart 💜. Such a cutie.

So anyway, my point being is that I love animals and creatures of all kinds. I try to leave them be, but as you can see, since they learn where the food is… we will have interaction.

I also ran into Ricky Raccoon last night, but he wasn’t as amiable to discussion. 🤣

Please take care of this planet and all of the inhabitants. Once it’s gone, we don’t get a do-over.

✌️

Shassy

this is opie
Photo by GLEIVE MARCIO RODRIGUES DE SOUZA on Pexels.com