#Blogmas Krampsnacht

Perhaps my newest festive fave, and a way to tie in my love of the spooky season and roll it into the Christmas/Yuletide season.

Most European Germanic countries celebrate this, a kind of dark, mean version of the good jolly St Nicholas aka Santa. Half goat, half man, snarling long tongue deity with horns. I can see why Christians think of him as the devil.

Out to seek the naughty children, to whip with sticks and bundle off in his sack. He’s the reason there’s a naughty list. Perfect to ensure your children stay on the nice list.

So to celebrate, we have to bring out the drinks and snacks, and of course movies!! Wish we could party but that’s another story.

This Krampus film I’ve watched a few years ago, really loved it, deliciously camp and horror filled. Perfect antidote to all the twee preppy Christmas films.

This year I intend to follow up with these two too.

Mother Krampus I think she will be even more evil surely?

And then we have a sequel to the first Krampus

Krampus 2 The Devil Returns yes I think these are going to be perfect tonight, some hearty IPA to drink and winter eve tarts, I believe the festive season has started.

Adding some Greenery to start the festive vibe, though the pumpkins and skeleton I can’t quite remove yet.

#Blogmas What’s crackalakin??

My hip is that’s what’s cracking!! It’s decided to now crack at every lift and movement I do, rather loudly at times and certainly painfully too.

And I hear there’s a 6 week wait for the letter to come my way for an Mri date, so that takes me easily to Jan 21 before anymore progress in treatment.

So there’s nothing more I can do, except keep the hips moving as best as I can, nurse it when it’s cold and at its worse, and take more and more painkillers.

The reason I think it’s cracking is one of these three problems. Not the usual Snapping hip syndrome, more internal than that, and more painful than hip flexor issue.

• An acetabular labral tear is an injury to the tough, flexible cartilage that rings the hip socket, like a gasket. A tear can cause a snapping sensation as well as pain in the groin area. One study found acetabular tears accounted for 80% of intra-articular snapping hip cases.

• An injury to the articular cartilage, which covers bones’ surfaces where they articulate, or meet up with one another. This cartilage reduces friction between the bones at the joint, and it can be damaged suddenly from a traumatic injury or over time from arthritis.
• Loose bodies of material in the hip that interrupt the joint’s normal biomechanics and cause a catching or snapping sensation. For example, following a trauma, a fragment of soft tissue or bone can break away and get trapped between the hip’s ball and socket.

Snapping hip due to a cartilage injury may develop suddenly, and may be caused by a fall or other trauma. It is often accompanied by a catching sensation and/or a limited range of motion in the hip.

Nonsurgical Treatments for Snapping Hip Syndrome

Below are nonsurgical treatment typically recommended to alleviate pain caused by snapping hip syndrome: Well I’ve got to try while waiting for treatment.

Rest

People with snapping hip syndrome are advised to avoid the motions that cause the snapping, popping or clicking sensation. Resting limits joint irritation and allows the affected tendon, muscle or bursa to heal. If walking initiates inner snapping hip, the patient may be advised to walk with the affected leg rotated out a bit, as this may minimize hip snapping.

NSAIDs and COX-2 inhibitors
Taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or COX-2 inhibitors for a limited period of time may ease inflammation and hip pain. I already take Etoricoxib for my hands, and it’s not helping with hip pain yet.

Physical therapy
A licensed physical therapist can help loosen tension and encourage healing in the muscles and tendons that cause external and inner snapping hip. A physical therapist may employ:

• Stretching. People with external hip snapping may benefit from stretching the IT band. People with inner hip snapping may benefit from stretching the hip flexors.
• Massage. Just as stretching can help loosen tendons and muscles, a deep tissue massage or trigger-point massage can help reduce muscle tension, and reduce snapping hip symptoms.

But I have tried all these, but no luck yet sadly. I would ask for a steroid injection but they never work for my hips.

So I’m at a loss… Let’s hope Christmas can distract me.

#Blogmas Its that time again…

Quite how it’s Yule season already is beyond me, you’d think with the heightened state of anxiety on the world it would of gone slow, but honestly for me, this year has flown by.

I’ve seen people have put up their decorations early this year, and it’s nice to see and read happier posts because of it.

I just can’t seem to leave spoopy season yet, But I’m letting some Yule tide creep in.

Went for a nice woodland walk, (first one since the hip incidents) HAD to use a stick and keep it flat ground too, mainly thinking I could collect pinecones and see the Autumn ish leaves, But no luck for me. All pinecones nibbled, but glad they are.

And no leaves left on the trees, so shop bought add ones are needed for my Christmas wreath.

Never made one before, but my daughter bought all the bits and we made one each.

All lit up and pretty and certainly helping me get into a Christmas mood.

This is my daughters wreath, and on her door she added a little one too.

Loved doing this, made such a difference to my own headspace, as I’ve not successfully crafted all year due to my hands, so this was the pick up I needed.