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Borrego Springs, CA

Friday, January 10, 2014

As much fun as going to the dentist :oP

After mentioning the camera strap that Gay and Joe gave me in my last post, some readers asked for more details and pictures, so here goes.

75 Anahuac NWR 2013-201410

I want to thank fellow volunteer Terry for being my model.  Can you imagine trying to take these pictures of myself by myself?  Anyway, this is what it looks like being worn.  I don’t know if it comes in a left handed model, but then I’ve never seen a left handed camera.  I do know that it is so much more comfortable than having the strap just hanging around your neck.  The straps are adjustable.  It was adjusted here for me wearing a sweatshirt and a heavy coat.  With all those layers, the camera road higher on my hip where I wanted it.

There are clips that slide up and down so you can limit the sway of the camera as you walk, but still be able whip it up for a quick shot.  You can also make the camera stay on your ‘buns’ so you have two free hands for climbing rocks and such without the camera crashing into anything in front of you.

I would have put in some red arrows to point out those clips, but since Picasa removed the ability to put in things like speech bubbles and arrows, I don’t know how to do that.  I’d appreciate any suggestions of how you may do that.

IMG_9719 IMG_9718

The straps attach to your camera with a ‘thingy’ that screws into the tripod hole on the bottom of the camera.  Another feature that I like is that you can unclip the straps when not needed while leaving the thingy attached to the camera body.  That clip can be locked on so it doesn’t accidentally come undone while walking.  I take the straps off when I’m in a vehicle.  I can leave the rigging on my body so the straps don’t get hung up on the emergency brake handle or other things in the vehicle when I grab the camera for a quick shot.  The only name I find on the strap is BLACKRAPID.COM, and R SPORT.

This morning, I was off to San Jacinto Methodist Hospital in Baytown for an MRI on my shoulder.  The cortisone shot has helped with the pain a little, but not much.  I’ve never had an MRI before, and it was quite the experience for me.  I equated it with being about as much fun as a visit to the dentist.  I hate going to the dentist.

Yep, they strap you down on a skinny little bed type thing, and in you go into a tube.  It’s a good thing that I don’t suffer from claustrophobia!  I thought I might just close my eyes and try to nap the experience away.  Ha!  Forget that.  Before they shove you in, they put those rubbery earplugs in you ears, and for a good reason.  This machine is loud!  There’s the loud pulsing sound that reminded me of a big washing machine, and then the other zapping sounds come on for various amounts of time.  The worst part was that my sore shoulder and arm was encased in a torture clamp.  Ladies, you know what it feels like to get squished for a mammogram.  Well, this was like a twenty minute mammogram on my shoulder.  Crying face  I practiced my deep breathing exercises to try to remain calm.  That may have been the longest twenty minutes of my life!

I’ll find out the results of that little adventure next week.  In the meantime, I’m working the hunt this weekend and I’ll be giving another tour of the refuge to some more fellow bloggers tomorrow.  That ought to pep up my spirits.  Smile

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                                                                               THE END!!

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

32 comments:

  1. Love the vermilion flycatcher picture!
    Hope that the MRI reveals what is wrong and that it is EASILY fixed.

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  2. Oh boy do I know about MRI's. Shortly before I came south I had one done on my skull. I do not suffer from claustrophobia either but I do had to keep my eyes closed and breath deep. It was a very long, noisy 20 minutes. I could not believe how close that thing was above my head!!!!!!!!!!!

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  3. Interesting pictures of the strap. Thanks! It doesn't look at all like a binocular strap. I've never seen one of those before. So sorry to hear about the 20 minute mammogram, seriously not sure I could do that. Hope it turns up something easily taken care of. Sounds worrisome if the pain meds hardly worked. I sure hope you don't get totally over run with RV friend tours before April. Seems like you have one a week. You're going to have to start taking reservations. :-))

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  4. BTW Judy I went to the website for that strap because I thought I'd like one. After I saw the price, I think I'll stick with my old one, thanks. LOL.

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  5. Good luck with the shoulder! Yes, I had an MRI on mine too..so noisy...I think I slept. Stress makes me sleep:)
    I like that camera strap, thanks for the photos! :)

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  6. You did a great job with the pictures and description of the strap.

    I am so sorry to hear about the MRI and the discomfort you had having it done. Now that its over, hopefully it reveals what can be done to get you all "fixed" up.

    Great picture of the vermilion flycatcher!

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  7. I hope you get good news and that the doctor(s) can get you permanent relief.

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  8. I wear my strap the same way without the strap under the armpit. Doesn't swing, can be moved to the backside and always ready to shoot.
    Hope the shoulder clears up soon.
    Should be up that way the last Monday of this month.

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  9. I guess if I buy that strap I should buy the bigger camera. Right!

    Those MRI's can feel like a life time of torture. Hope the results are good.

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  10. I love my BlackRapid strap...they are not cheap but they are worth every penny!

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  11. Thanks for the details on the strap. I'm going to keep it in mind. I really like the cotton carrier, but the strap would be more efficient with heavy clothing, like the ones we end up wearing on our "ice adventures." Hope the MRI results show nothing serious.

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  12. I too went thru the clamp on my left shoulder for an MRI but with that thing on my arm, I wouldn't fit thru the machine.. I weigh 250 and was just too big... So I had to go to an open MRI... Open....? Its like a giant hamburger bun with you as the meat.. Might have been 2 inches from my nose to the top of the machine.. Anyway the magnetism set up pain in my hurt shoulder and every time the machine throbbed so did I... I was almost in tears after 20 minutes...

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  13. I've had a Black Rapid camera strap like that on one of my Nikons for about a year now & just love it. It's on my heavier D90 with the 300mm lens & it sure makes carrying 2 cameras a whole lot easier. I have a conventional strap on my other Nikon which has a standard lens. Had a Catscan once & that's the only tube I've been in so far......so far.

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  14. Hey Judy,
    May the shoulder ailment be nothing more than a temporary nuisance. I was once stuck in a closed MRI machine for 35 minutes, but at least they gave me headphones and let me bring my own CD. We may be swinging by Anahuac next week, haven't yet decided exactly when, and although we won't impose on your time, a handshake and a howdy would be nice.
    I have the Elle version Blackrapid. Guess I'll have to let Ms. Erin try it out for size ;))

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  15. I have a Black Rapid strap but haven't used it much. Now I'm inspired!!

    I freaked out at my first MRI and had to be taken out of the machine. Have had a couple more since but only in an open MRI. It's still pretty 'close' but is not a totally enclosed tube. Good luck with your shoulder - hope they find a way to help.

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  16. Hoping for good results with your not. I think I like your an snow birds better than our evil white stuff on the ground here.

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  17. That does not sound like fun. I think I'd rather go to the dentist!

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  18. Your MRI experience sounds like it was just like mine. The constricted shoulder position is what is the worse, the MRI equipment and noise is easily dealt with. If the cortisone shot did not provide you with much relief then I suspect they are going to be recommending that cutting needs to be done.
    Try for arthroscopic surgery if you must have it although the recovery time will be the same and it will be longer and more restrictive than your hip surgery was. You will most certainly need Nurse Ratchet for the first couple of weeks.

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  19. Hopefully the MRI results show the issue with your shoulder. I'd hate for you to have to go and get another one. I've had one and I may be facing two more, sure don't like being inside that noisy tube. I at least had headphones and music piped in while I had the MRI, still was very loud in there.

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  20. Hope your shoulder problem doesn't end up requiring surgery to fix.

    I use good old MS Paint (Windows Accessories) to insert arrows, bubbles and all kinds of other stuff into any photo - it's simple to use and you can also resize your pics easily too.

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  21. I use the Paint program to put red circles or arrows on photos--I think I'm correct in saying Paint is on most folks' computers--here is where Pain is located on my computer (Windows 7)--Click on the Microsoft ball, then on Accessories then Paint. Once Paint is open, click on open and choose a photo from your computer. Rick can probably explain it better and include photos of the screens.

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  22. What a gorgeous end shot! So sorry to hear your shoulder problem doesn't seem to just 'go away'. I'm not sure if I could have done the MRI without freaking out since I'm somewhat claustrophobic! As for the strap, I looked at E-bay, searched for 'quick sling strap' and than separately for 'underarm strap' (since it is not included) and found both for under $10. They come from China so you have to be patient but shipping is usually free.

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  23. Ohhhh, a vermilion flycatcher... on the fly! Ain't he pretty!

    I AM claustrophobic and I can only "do" an open MRI. Even so, and even with headphones and music, my ears rang for two weeks afterwards. BTW, physical therapy pretty much fixed my shoulder. Good luck!

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  24. I've had a few MRIs and while mine didn't hurt the way yours did, I remember the noise and the claustrophobic feeling. During my first MRI, I must have been a bit scared because the technician kept telling me not to breathe so loudly. As if I could help it! And the alternative was not to breathe at all, which wasn't an option in my opinion. ;-)

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  25. MRI sounds terrible! I hope the results are good so you don't have to do it again any time soon. What is the bird at the end?

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  26. MRI sounds terrible! I hope the results are good so you don't have to do it again any time soon. What is the bird at the end?

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  27. MRI sounds terrible! I hope the results are good so you don't have to do it again any time soon. What is the bird at the end?

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  28. I actually fell asleep during my MRI and I didn't have earplugs! Love that strap! Ineedone

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  29. Oh those MRI's are so uncomfortable but they give the docs soooo much information. I hope you don't have to wait too long for the results and the next course of action.

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  30. My shoulder MRI was extremely uncomfortable last year, but after awhile I fell asleep. My results were "inconclusive", which when they got in there to operate ended up meaning there was just a bit of scraping to do and a fast recovery. Hope you're just as lucky! Wayne had the open MRI on Friday for a headache he's had for a week. He had taken Lorazepam and still barely made it through the anxiety of it. He had good news as well, no tumors or aneurysms, but still no clue as to the cause of the headaches. Probably testing for meningitis on Monday.

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  31. The strap looks great! Hope your MRI gives you good news and a solution.

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    Karen and Steve
    (Blog) RVing: The USA Is Our Big Backyard
    http://kareninthewoods-kareninthewoods.blogspot.com
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