The Joy of Ice?

This seems like an appropriate post for a Canadian, despite the fact that this was our warmest winter in 40 years. We barely had one, in my humble opinion. Once again my cross country skis collected dust, but then, I live in southern Ontario.

Ok, like, I've been depressing even myself with the saga of the weight & diabetes rollercoaster I was on over the last 10 years, so I think you'll forgive me if I take a couple of posts off, and write about something other than that. I think I need to build up some mental energy to tell the tale of how I dropped into a significant hole after while finishing grad school, after that high of losing some significant weight in the late 90's. I now wonder if that feeling of being high is telling. Never fear, the tale ultimately concludes happily...as of today, anyway. Who can speak for tomorrow?

Lately I've been discovering the joy of icing. Ok, maybe "joy" is pushing it. Fuzz, as an aging runner and high school sports coach, has always been a fan of the sports injury cure-all RICE: Rest, Ice, Constriction, Elevation. Particularly the ice and elevation parts. As a former non-athelete (oy, I still am amazed by being able to call myself athletic --- shiver of joy!) I always thought, "ick, ice??? How gross...". My reaction to pain was always heat, effective with monthly abdominal pain.

It took the discomfort and sleepnessness with shoulder spasms in hospital post-hysterectomy for me to finally ask a nurse for an ice pack, and I've been a convert ever since. There was a brief "yowww, cold!" reaction to the ice pack, and then a slight numbing and an ahhhhh... as the pain quickly lessened. It Didn't completely disappear, but I was much more comfortable, and I knew that the ice is important in quickly reducing inflammation and speeding healing, so for the next few days, I tried to ice at least 2 or 3 times a day. Within 3 days, the pain had disappeared.

I did it again this morning for a neck strain, probably caused by too many books and laptop in the shoulder bag. Fuzz recently sprung for a couple of fabric covered gel packs, really worth the twelve dollars because they are so soft and moldable. Amazing the things you learn. Maybe this aging thing ain't so bad.