Somehow, celebrating Halloween seems a bit redundant when you live each day with chronic pain. Strangely, all of the popular figures associated with Halloween are all too familiar to us. Let’s take on a few of these goofy monsters.
Ghoulies: We visit them often as they stab our veins and take our blood. For many of us this happens every month or two. I can only thank a lifetime of maturation for changing my manners when it comes to this blood letting. What if all the adults who were sitting in the outpatient lab behaved like two-year-olds and screamed loudly enough to be heard on the third floor? Now, that’s a sight I’d pay to see and hear. Could I be one of the screamers?
Goblins: Many of us are unfortunate experts on these little “meanies” as they follow us around from day to day. They trip us as we walk. They grab our ankles in the dark and on stairways? They poke and prod us when we try to sleep and find original and varied ways to torture us with their ornery presence. Goblins double our laundry load in the hamper, eat those missing socks, throw extra dirt onto our floors and along with help from their friends, the spiders, fill the corners of our rooms with webs. They take great pleasure in our misery and thinking up new ways to malign us as we live each day. Goblins specialize in piling up problems for us. Their motto is, “You think you have problems now? Just wait. Hee. Hee.”
Ghosts: Each of us who live an altered life knows the presence of ghosts as they haunt our nights with thoughts of what used to be. They fly over our beds with their wispy flight, brushing away our hopes and dreams as they haunt. They stir up trouble reminding us of unfulfilled dreams and aspirations. The ghosts of Halloweens past whisper in our ears each day, not just on this pumpkin toned and blackly veiled day. The most vicious of the lot are the ghosts with sharp teeth which tear at our progress and haunt our hopes with doubts and negativity. They waken us in the dark filling our minds with remorse, doubts and recrimination. They whisper the questions with no answers. Those are the Why, Why Why’s?
Witches on broomsticks: My hand goes up on this one because I, all too often see a similarity between bitchy and witchy. I may not ride a broom but wouldn’t if I could. Are you kidding, with my sore behind? I confess the witching wardrobe looks very comfortable and especially like the striped long stockings. I like to tell myself I’m like the good witch of the North, Glinda, in the Wizard of Oz with all her lightness and fluff, sequins and charm but I fear I far too often emulate the wicked witch of the West with her cackle and total lack of charm. Plant a big fat wart on my nose and we could be sisters.
You see? Halloween is all too familiar to us who live this altered life. We just need to remember to behave more like Dorothy with Toto at her side as we humbly and cautiously walk along the yellow brick road in our quest for the Emerald City. She was lost and far from home yet she made new friends and endured with their help. It would have been easy for her to give in to fear, she did not. Hope was her byword as it is ours.
Weekly Dose of Sue 
This is just about right for everyday being Halloween. I especially like the “goblins”. They follow me all through my day and are there waiting if I get up during the night. And I have all the bruises to prove it. Between hitting my shins on low flying objects (who left that there ?) to falling into the door frame and hitting my arm making a knot bruise. You’d think I had been in a fight !
I have been trying very hard to not be “Witchy Poo”, but stress and pain lower my threshold for aggravation.
I have been forced to rest the past couple of days due to the rain here. Busy week coming up, so I will need it. Hope all are doing well. Take care of you Sue
Love
Tonie
Tonie, pleased you liked this blog. Those nasty goblins. They are always there to trip us up, that’s for sure. SOmetimes mine have four legs and fur. Sorry about the rain but it will bring some benefits for your garden. Another benefit is, as you say, forcing you to rest. I know you don’t get nearly enough of that.
As for me, I take as good care as possible but it isn’t always easy when the pain is there 24/7. I have a PET scan this Friday and would appreciate it to show no new cancer. I will be praying for your dear sis and her surgery, also. Much love, Sue
Dear Sue, I loved this. I don’t write often, but I follow here and on facebook. I’m 90 now and my hands are very bad. With my age, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity this covid stuff really scares me. Anyway I’m told I am doing great. I think of you and the others I have met on this blog often. You are all in my prayers. Love to all. Janet
Janet, wonderful to hear from you. I understand you have so many problems and hate that for you. I know the hands can limit your writing so don’t worry. Yes, you like many of us need to fear this horrible virus. Hopefully they will come up with a vaccine very soon. The world has indeed been nuts lately but we must stay safe. I think for your age you are doing splendidly. Makes me happy to know you’re still reading from Texas. Much love, Sue
Another little gem Sue
Holloween is cancelled mostly here…if only that transposed to us….
I have made a few good friends from this scenario we all have to have …one bonus
As for Christmas no one is sure who will be able to go where….we look over here to going into lockdowns
Life goes on for us up and down..how are you Sue
Chris
Hi Chris, indeed, I think all of the holidays are a big question mark for all of us, everywhere in the world. I wasn’t sure you celebrated Halloween in England. Hope all else is as well as can be for you and your DH. I am always the same with some days worse than others. Problems are always there, some worse. Had my knees injected last week, net the shoulders and trocanters (part of upper leg and hip.) Good old bursitis there. We visit with the kids out on the porch and deck when we can and weather allows. Miss my grands so much. Love, Sue