For many years now, I have been involved with the modern homesteading movement or as some people refer to it as self-sufficiency, self-reliance or "preppering." If you are young and in very good physical health it seems to be a good alternative to life outside of the normal life. It is a way to live without having much money or even a job. You can live off your land and sell things you grow or raise. Add in the "off-the-grid" homestead (I am talking about the electric grid, not anything more than that. Some readers will tell me off-the-grid means no computer, no propane, no car, no phone...........well if that is what you want, you are welcome to it. Not me, no thank you!"), and you are talking about a hard physical road before you. Believe me, I know this after having lived this life for more than 20 years. It definitely is not for sissies. I have always said that what a woman needs to live this way is a good hardworking man!
I never foresaw my legs, my knees in particular, would become so bad that I could not walk very well. I actually enjoyed doing a lot of the physical work on my homestead. During that time period too, I worked a couple of hard physical jobs such as taking care of horses at a local thoroughbred horse farm and also worked at a nursing home and then later as a home health aide. Those jobs were a bit physically demanding and I did them with no real problems. In my past I was really into exercise, race walking many miles, belonging to a local health club and having my own really nice home gym in my house. But somewhere along the way, I ended up having too much calcium in my body and had to have one of my parathyroid glands removed. I do not know if that is what caused my bones in my knees and legs to go bad.
After the operation, and I mean right immediately after it, my husband changed jobs and lost our medical insurance. I was never able to go back to the doctor for a follow up. That was back in 2002 and all the years, I just got worse and worse. Now I plan on going to a doctor as soon as the snow is melted and I can get out of here to find out. I am excited about it. It is not easy to suffer not knowing the reason or if it could possibly have been fixed. The parathyroid thing must run in my family because my Daddy had the same problem, except I think he had to have two removed. I think you have four. Soon I was walking with a cane and still am. I can't go up and down the stairs in my house any longer. It has made it difficult for me. I am not one to ask for help if I can do for myself. I feel like a burden.
Before that I helped with the firewood, carried water in the house, cleaned the horses's stall, fed the horses every day, worked in my garden, did the laundry outside for both of us and gardening, which involved transporting compost to the raised beds. I even built a raised bed from rocks I hauled from our horses' paddock. Regardless of what reason or why you may suddenly, or not so suddenly, become disenchanted with this lifestyle, you shouldn't have to continue it if you choose not to. I choose not to. I am looking forward to embracing many changes in the months ahead and it will not include a homesteading life any longer. This blog will evolve to follow me in whatever I do. Much of it will have to do with my health and how I plan to improve it. At almost 66 years of age, I am ready to live my life the way I want to. It is about time and I am so ready for this change.
Copyright © 2018 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2018 Kathleen G.
Lupole
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