Made It To Arkansas

Published on July 23, 2006 By MasonM In Blogging

I did a fair bit of driving today and have made it to West Memphis, AR. I'm still a good 4 1/2 hours from my destination and so will get an early start in the morning, but at least I'm within easy reach at this point.

My hip has been giving me some trouble for the past few days and last night it kept me awake a good portion of the time I should have been sleeping. Socrates knew something was wrong and kept coming to check on me. He's gotten to where he now normally either gets in his bed or lays on the driver's seat when I switch off the lights at night (probably doesn't like my snoring

), but I suppose my being restless clued him in that something wasn't right.

This morning I had a very hard time getting out of bed and the pain was intense. I finally managed to get myself dressed, grabbed my cane, and hobbled into the truckstop. As I had run out of Aleve the last time the hip gave me trouble that was my first order of business once inside. Truckstops usually have a small selection of the little bottles of over the counter medicines that you can buy for around a million dollars. Sure enough, they had some Aleve. I paid enough to buy three large bottles any place else, but it was worth it at the moment (I knew I'd forgotten something at Wally World).

I took two of the Aleve on an empty stomach with my morning coffee. While it does upset my stomach a bit to take it that way, it hits the system a good bit faster. After about 45 minutes of coffee drinking the pain was starting to ease a bit and I felt like I could start driving. I only drove about 90 minutes before stopping to eat breakfast, but by that time the Aleve was fully in my system and the pain in my hip and leg were back down to a tolerable level. It doesn't make it go away by any means but it does really take the edge off.

I'm now parked for the night here. After eating my dinner I'll take another Aleve which will hopefully allow me to sleep all night. While at Wally World I picked up some Hormel microwave meals that don't need to be refrigerated (my small fridge is filled mostly with Gatorade). I don't know how good they are but I picked up four of them to try. Can't live on soup alone. Right now I'm trying to decide which one to try first. I got Sweet and Sour Chicken, Southwest Style Black Beans and Rice, Spaghetti, and Chicken and Rice. While I had been trying to stick to a veggie diet I've found it far too difficult out here on the road.

I think I'll try the Spaghetti tonight. How bad could it be? (Famous last words)

Comments (Page 1)

M-Post

on Jul 23, 2006

I've always been a fan of Ramen noodles myself.. though they are highly fattening, with all the carbs.

Wish I could help ya out with more 'non fridge' foods but I just can't think of any atm.

I don't know if this will work for you, but I know it does for me when I have knee/ankle problems.. I take Excedrin Migraine, and it normally clears right up. That stuff is REAL strong and helps out wonderfully. MIght want to try it, though I'm not trying to profess any miracle cure.

MasonM

on Jul 23, 2006

#1 by M-Post
Sun, July 23, 2006 9:43 PM

I've always been a fan of Ramen noodles myself.. though they are highly fattening, with all the carbs.

Wish I could help ya out with more 'non fridge' foods but I just can't think of any atm.

I don't know if this will work for you, but I know it does for me when I have knee/ankle problems.. I take Excedrin Migraine, and it normally clears right up. That stuff is REAL strong and helps out wonderfully. MIght want to try it, though I'm not trying to profess any miracle cure.

I used to like Ramen noodles, but ate far too much of the stuff when I was younger and now can't stand the sight of them.

Thanks for the tip. I've tried those, along with just about everything else available over the counter. None of them really helps a lot but the Aleve seems to help the best at the moment. If I know my system though, I'll build up a tolerance to it and will have to switch back to Advil for a while until it stops helping again.

The only thing that really eases the pain more than a little is a mixture of Oxycontin and Oxycodone, but I can't take that because of my job. Even if not taking it while driving if it were detected in my system on a random drug screen or, heaven forbid, after an accident I'd lose my license.

quietly

on Jul 23, 2006

Drop an egg in the middle of that Ramen soup about 1 minute before it's done, then sprinkle a little cayenne on it with whatever else you're spicing it with, and you've got a whole new soup.

Mason, what's wrong with your hip?

"...working jobs we hate to buy [crap] we don't need."
Tyler Durden
Fight Club

Trudygolightly

on Jul 24, 2006

I just got introduced to Ramens, courtesy of roommate

and I don't need them as the sodium makes my new knee swell

Have you ever tried that Mary Kitchen Corned Beef Hash? or Roast Beef Hash? I know you are usually not eating meat, it's just something that is really darn good and one of the few processed foods I like.

your cat would love me, I was just eating a can of salmon!

there's always microwavable pizza breakfasts by Red Baron, frenchfries, tv dinners, entrees, you probably don't like White Castles...boy if I was on the road I'd hit one everytime I saw it!

Have a good day Monday

MasonM

on Jul 24, 2006

#3 by (quietly)
Sun, July 23, 2006 11:31 PM

Drop an egg in the middle of that Ramen soup about 1 minute before it's done, then sprinkle a little cayenne on it with whatever else you're spicing it with, and you've got a whole new soup.

Mason, what's wrong with your hip?

Thanks, but eggs are one thing I don't carry in the truck. They don't survive the ride very well.

My hip was busted up in a car wreck the end of '04 and has 3lbs of steel pins and screws in it now. No biggie really, but it gives me problems now and again. Probably arthritis setting in.

MasonM

on Jul 24, 2006

#4 by Trudygolightly
Mon, July 24, 2006 00:26 AM

[Trudygolightly]
I just got introduced to Ramens, courtesy of roommate and I don't need them as the sodium makes my new knee swell

Have you ever tried that Mary Kitchen Corned Beef Hash? or Roast Beef Hash? I know you are usually not eating meat, it's just something that is really darn good and one of the few processed foods I like.

your cat would love me, I was just eating a can of salmon!

there's always microwavable pizza breakfasts by Red Baron, frenchfries, tv dinners, entrees, you probably don't like White Castles...boy if I was on the road I'd hit one everytime I saw it!

Have a good day Monday

Thanks Trudy. I'm trying to keep a decent variety of stuff around. White Castles don't agree with my stomach very well, they don't call them murder burgers for nothing

Dr Guy

on Jul 24, 2006

There are those foil packets of fish. Quite tasty really, and healthy to boot. I really like the Salmon.

So how was the spaghetti?

Tova7

on Jul 24, 2006

Sorry to hear your hip is bothering you Mason.

Hope it feels better soon.

quietly

on Jul 24, 2006

"My hip was busted up in a car wreck the end of '04 and has 3lbs of steel pins and screws in it now. No biggie really, but it gives me problems now and again. Probably arthritis setting in."

Yeah, I was afraid that might be it. Just started reading the early articles and so just learned about the wreck in November of '03. Now it appears there is another wreck to learn about in an article I haven't gotten to yet. Man. Occupational hazard I guess. Seems like the docs ought to be able to do something to calm down the symptoms, though. I hope for you that you can get it addressed and make it something other than chronic. Those kinds of 'well I'll just have to live with it' things can nickel and dime your well being to death.

Anyway, hang in there. People are depending on you.

"...working jobs we hate to buy [crap] we don't need."
Tyler Durden
Fight Club

foreverserenity

on Jul 24, 2006

Glad you were able to get the tablets for the hip pain M. I know living with pain that flares up like that is not easy.

I hope your spaghetti was good. Gosh, there are so many microwavable foods out there these days. You should try some of the chicken cutlets, since you don't mind including meat in your diet at the moment. Those are good. I made some meatballs on Saturday which were really good. I was too lazy to make it from scratch and so I bought the pre-cooked ones which turned out to be pretty easy to do in the microwave.

Trudygolightly

on Jul 24, 2006

I made some meatballs on Saturday which were really good. I was too lazy to make it from scratch and so I bought the pre-cooked ones which turned out to be pretty easy to do in the microwave.

What brand were they? I know there's Simeons? is that the name? they're frozen though.

Mason, sorry the White Castles don't agaree with ya! Murder Burgers? .....we call em gut bombs or sliders.

You'r'e adapting real well to the road life though you and your good buddy!

foreverserenity

on Jul 25, 2006

What brand were they? I know there's Simeons? is that the name? they're frozen though.

I don't remember but I only used half the bag so I'll take a look when I...wait a minute I'll call my daughter.....yes it's frozen, it's a Walmart brand, Great Value Homestyle meatballs. They were in a bag, 80 of them in the bag for 5.98 which I thought was not bad. But I've also bought the other kind that is in the ready to serve container, can't remember the brand though.

MasonM

on Jul 25, 2006

#7 by Dr. Guy
Mon, July 24, 2006 07:59 AM

[Dr. Guy]

There are those foil packets of fish. Quite tasty really, and healthy to boot. I really like the Salmon.

So how was the spaghetti?

Sounds like cat food to me

The spaghetti was, ummm, well, I've had worse.

MasonM

on Jul 25, 2006

#8 by Tova7
Mon, July 24, 2006 09:18 AM

[Tova7]
Sorry to hear your hip is bothering you Mason.

Hope it feels better soon.

Thanks. It comes and goes, no big deal.

MasonM

on Jul 25, 2006

#9 by (quietly)
Mon, July 24, 2006 09:46 AM

"My hip was busted up in a car wreck the end of '04 and has 3lbs of steel pins and screws in it now. No biggie really, but it gives me problems now and again. Probably arthritis setting in."

Yeah, I was afraid that might be it. Just started reading the early articles and so just learned about the wreck in November of '03. Now it appears there is another wreck to learn about in an article I haven't gotten to yet. Man. Occupational hazard I guess. Seems like the docs ought to be able to do something to calm down the symptoms, though. I hope for you that you can get it addressed and make it something other than chronic. Those kinds of 'well I'll just have to live with it' things can nickel and dime your well being to death.

Anyway, hang in there. People are depending on you.

Thanks. Umm, November of 03? Maybe I'm just tired, but which wreck would that be? I'm too tired to think right now.

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