In all honesty, I do not know how I would write this blog without the generous help of my husband. Believe me when I say that it goes far and beyond his job title of Hebrew editor in chief…
Hail to the court jester of Banter and Chuckles!
His healthy sense of humor works overtime. Any time we go for a backyard biking adventure is a happy time. It matters not if I am being serious, minding my own business or simply day dreaming, he will always have the precise angle to bring a smile upon my lips…
Do you remember my new spokes?
I could not have asked for a better bike. Even green, I could not have chosen a better color to go to bat for! On second thought, however, perhaps I should ask for a refund. Today was not only my third time out but it was also the third time that I spilled out of the saddle! There is absolutely no escaping the self-flagellation: they were such embarrassing slip ups. It would not be so bad if I could proudly toot about the steep drop that I messed up on… I can only hope and pray that nobody bore witness to this travesty. You did, did you?
Just put a sock in it!
Hubby loves to laugh at me: he says that I have a very low threshold for pain. Between you and me, who can compare my pain to another’s?
It is interesting to note that current scientific research supports gender differentiated thresholds to pain. It appears that when compared to men, women have a lower threshold to pain.
When we are injured and in pain, our body releases natural painkillers called endorphins or beta-natural opioids. Endorphins dim our senses and ease our pain. It turns out that the stronger sex's body is better apt at production of endorphins.
Did you hear that honey?!
Finally there is a validation for my wails of pain! ( Poppycock! – translation of Hebrew editor in chief’s ill-mannered comment 🙂 )
My family has long since abandoned any hope of “safely” waking me in the middle of the night (Happily for me… it is a huge challenge for me to fall back to sleep!). My daughter describes it as a scene straight out of the Mel Brooks movie: Dracula: Dead and Loving It! I sit up in bed suddenly and howl: the dead coming to life… I have been known (the proof is on you…) to utter similar sounds, sleeping injured or in pain as I attempt to roll over in bed. Sure as hell, when I slide out of the saddle, you and everyone else in your midst cannot help but hear me…
We all have our unique way of handling pain.
Stuff happens and will keep on happening: we fall, crash and injure ourselves. It hurts. Sometimes the pain is fierce. When the damage is visible to the naked eye, our screams and our cries are met with compassion and tenderness even if we have turned the volume way, way up.
There are times when we sense something amiss in our bodies or we’ve received an abnormal lab test result. Normality amiss, we are struck down by paralyzing fears: the sympathetic nervous system kicks into gear. At times our behavior has a life of its own as we lose control.
On the one hand, we can run like a mouse in a maze, running repeatedly into walls on our way, forever at an impasse or, on the other hand, we can take deep relaxing breaths. As the stress intensifies, acknowledge the opponent you face. We can fight it or we can feel it and allow the pain, the grief and the fear to just be. Relieve anxiety using meditation, nature and prayer as key allies.
Embrace you body’s wisdom.
Do not for a moment believe that one person holds all of the answers even if she’s a white coat… Let the last word be yours: you deciding what’s best for your body.
I have been growing a strange thread of pain which weaves between my shoulder, neck, ear and head. Presently, after three spills from my bike, I’ve collected a vibrant assortment of bright purple, blue and yellow bruises. You can see them clearly on my arm, hand, inner thigh, palm, knee and, of course, on my butt! I made it home on a rush of adrenaline but the groaning and limping was not long in coming. I asked hubby to help me undress as I was finding it challenging to raise my arms above my head.
I am sure that you guess that my partner could not control himself. He graciously helped me remove all of my clothing but my socks. The crème de la crème was saved for last. He gingerly removed the first one but kept my naked foot in his clasp. The dirty play began as he played my toes, heel and arch with his magic. He, of course, was no stranger to the powers that unfolded in his hands. The captain of my soles captures my soul. I can still hear his laughter ringing in my ears.
The third time’s always a charm.
The spirulina ice cream is on me♥
( ♥ in Hebrew the third time is rewarded with ice cream)