The Porchlight Vol. 697 IS CLOSED

Hi Rock, Granni, Sun, Windy, Diane, GB, Spring, Barry, Julie, and all on the Porch I may have missed.

I've not been too well, so I'm merely pasting my conversation with Leah to bring all up to speed.

I'm sorry I've been gone so long. I'm not home bound, but I've been horribly ill for the last couple months. Beyond flare. Beyond the normal FM/CFS symptoms. I won't go into details at this point. I'm somewhat better, but still not particularly well, and trying to work through it.

Thank you for inviting me back Frieda. I felt I'd stepped on some toes. I meant no insult to the person who felt I should not post there because I'm not "home bound". It's just that, when I'm not working, that's pretty much what I am. I don't go out. I don't do anything. I don't go anywhere. I spend all my time in bed trying to make myself well enough to go back to work every week to support myself because I have to.

I haven't posted on the Porch for some time either. I've been so nauseated and dizzy that trying to sit up has been a chore. Attempting to look at the computer screen or post has been impossible until maybe the last week. My neck is out so badly that it's affecting my inner ear and causing vertigo. I found that icing from the middle of the back of my head down to my tail bone lessened the discomfort enough for me to sit and post finally. Working has been pure agony. Trying to exercise with residents and do my job while so dizzy and nauseated has been no picnic. And that is just the tip of the medical difficulty iceberg.

I have missed everyone so much! Particularly my dear Frieda. And to GB as well. Thank you for thinking of me. You are such dears and always have such kind things to impart.

I will try to stay in touch more. Thank you Sweet Lady. I wish you all good things. I hope you are doing better and that your voice is still making good progress. I will post more later when I feel some better. That applies to all my dear friends here on the Porch as well.

Love,
Dar
Every Artist Was First An Amateur --- Ralph Waldo Emmerson
Ulcers/gastritis dx 1981 (Treated & healed), Gastric Bypass Surgery, 1983, Arthritis, dx 1984, Hypothyroidism dx 1992, FM dx 1997, Heart Disease dx 2002, Allergies dx 2005 IBS dx 2012, Tunneling septic cyst emergency surgery 2012.

Present course of treatment: Lodine XL 400 mg. 2X's daily, Flexoril 10 mg. 3X's daily, Ambien 10 mg. prn., Supplements too numerous to detail.

Newest additional supplements working well: Magnesium, Selenium, B12, B 1, B6, L-Lysine, Ginger, Cinnamon, Turmeric, Hyland's Calmes Forte (when not taking Ambien), Arnica, Hyland's Nerve Tonic.

welcome back Dar......I'm soooooo very sorry you've been having such a hard time. I know what post you're referring to but everyone has issues and sometimes loses it. I don't think she knew what she was saying. Please just let it go and come back and post when you feel up to it.

I totally understand about the neck and dizzies and back. I've lived with that forever and every once in a while I have a total pity party for one. I can sleep on only one side because of positional vertigo that hit me BAD a few years ago. I have a lot of rice filled things and find that I NEED to apply this moist heat to my neck and shoulders, especially in the mornings otherwise I'm out of it. It must be He** living with it and having to go to work.

Well I talked to the oncologist nurse today who gave me more ideas on how to help my DH. I've bought papaya enzymes, almond milk, chamomile tea, taken away all milk products and instructed him on what he cannot eat. The list is getting longer and longer since there's already things he can't eat because of his blood thinner shots. Right now he's lying down with a rice filled pad on his stomach. We took the vows 46 years ago.....for better or for worse.....when we got married, but it never said anything about being a nurse, dietician, or psychotherapist. The problem is I'm thinking he might be developing an eating disorder because he's afraid of FOOD and how he's going to feel.

Thank goodness I get much joy from watching Modern Family. I ordered a ton of their back shows and it's a complete session every evening of laughter for me.

Sun - i feel like that about The Big Bang Theory...takes my mind off worrisome thoughts for
a while. i saw your beautiful plants in the Homebound thread pic...just loved it, and the clarity
of the photo..thought i could put out my hand and feel the delicate plants, what a curious
looking plant the creamy orangish one was!!!

Mikie - thought about the flying saucer shaped chilli plant you described, weird and
wonderful the plant kingdom is...i hate when things stop working, utilities n all.
sigh, unfortunately, living in a home and having a vehicle, one has to expect such...
our old car just came back from repairs and servicing and is probably again going
to need some looking at since SIL dhs sis, took it for a gruelling road trip pilgrimage.

Dar - im sorry to hear you hv been so ill, had been wondering. thought you might hv
been extra busy given the nature of your work..pls rest and Mikie and Sun too..

Julie - what a pretty dress, its what i would ve worn, when younger out to a party,
ive always loved chiffony swirly flirty long dresses and that print and those colours!
and the model was SO pretty, loved her hair..i hope the colloidal silver helps with
the mouth sores, used get those when a child, and they were so painful! stingy
when opening mouth to eat or drink.

Rock - i think the model was wearing Roman Sandal type slippers...i had a pair
which had string to tie up at ankle and my daughter used to call them my Julius
Caesar slippers...all my shoes are flatter than flat types because my legs ache if i
wear heels, i have a couple of heeled ones for parties but they have, of late, been -
well, cooling their heels in the closet.

Granni - wish we could hear your group sing...it must be fun when performing
although i know getting to and fro to performances and practises is tiring..
i wish they had a/c here, in all the stores, in summer.. ive had to come out
of restaurants without ordering because theyve been SO HOT in there.

Freida - i think the Homebound thread is so interesting, lots to identify with..
the sense of frustration of not being able to make plans in advance because
body might act up that day, or the gradual isolation from people one knows..
because one is not able to keep up. But also, seeing people coping and finding
things to feel joyful about even in the limitations the DD puts on them..its
somehow inspiring and comforting.

well, i did make it to my friends DILs funeral and she gave me money for prayers
and i and my healer friend went and visited five different monasteries, it
was so HOT but we stopped in between for ice cream and then lunch and i
made it, just about. but after that, i went and collapsed on my bed at home and
stayed collapsed for coupla hours...this body is not the body ive known for some
time... the meditations i used to do had really helped take the edge of how exhausted
i'd get! havent done them for months n months , i guess i better re start...i do NOT
want to feel like a fish taken out of water after a few hours of walking!!!

yesterday the newspaper and junk pedlar guy phoned and i got him to sweep the dust
off the cornices in some rooms and the fans where its difficult to reach. gave him
our old newspapers and an old rusted tap in exchange.

i meant to go visit SIL at MILs place but too tired. later found out my DH had dropped in
and they were also resting after coming back from pilgrimage.

well, lights hv come on..better go do some ironing..

take care, all

Julie - just saw yr post while editing...sorry Lindsey is feeling unwell again and you
hv to exert yourself again while still trying to recover..

God bless

Oh goodness...Dar, I have been thinking of you and was so worried that you weren't doing well. Your job involves the wearing of so many different "hats".

I understand a little bit about what you are saying...when I worked, it was all I could do to drag myself there and back each day. I would often go to bed before supper and not wake up till my alarm went off the next morning...to do it all over again.

I hope things settle down for you a bit, and you start to feel much better.

Sun...yes, we do take on lots of different roles in marriage, don't we? I'm sorry this is turning out to be such a rough road for you and your hubby. Good for you, for talking to the nurse to see what else you can do for him...I can imagine he would be very "skittish" when it comes to eating things...the fear of possibly getting sick can be a very strong thing.

Spring, you popped in while I was typing...a big hello to you, too!

Hi to everyone else...I am pooped, but hopefully can recharge overnight. Lindsey was feeling pretty rough today (just when I was getting hopeful that she was going to be okay) She had a migraine-type headache all day, and the twins wouldn't nap for her.

I took Lorraine to and from preschool, washed all their bedding (cause Lorraine had wet the bed last night), took apart the crib (Lindsey hasn't used it for months), fixed supper and did a little bit of cleaning. Trying to figure out how I am supposed to "step back" and let her handle things on her own...my problems, and I've got to deal with them myself...just "thinking out loud."

Take care everyone...will check in tomorrow...might be later in the day as I have a care plan meeting for my dad at the care center, then will visit with him a bit.

Hey, Rock, good to see you here. The kinds of tee shirts I iron are not the usual casual tees. The ones I wear are just a tad dressier; is that an oxymoron? I don't iron the Denver Nuggets nor Jimmy Buffet Margarita tee shirts I sleep and work in. A lot of my tees have scoop or vee necks which are misshapen if not ironed. Some of them have pin tucks or glitz on them. I only wear those when I go out shopping. Just as women can see many shades of color, we can see many levels of dressiness, even in tee shirts. Perhaps I should call them knit tops. The all cotton ones, even the dressy ones, are a lot cooler than the blended fabrics which do not wrinkle. I like natural fabrics in my clothing and my furnishings.

I feel so bad to think LA, and other parts of CA, are in financial trouble. When I was growing up, listening to The Beach Boys, CA was the land of golden opportunity, surfing, beaches, tans, gorgeous people, etc. After visiting, I found the flat yellow sun there made me depressed. I was used to the thin air in CO which was bright and clear. The sun here in FL is like in CO. Well, it's the same sun but y'all know what I mean. My DSIL and I were discussing how strange it is that the skies here, including the clouds, are so similar to CO's. He's a pilot and pilots tend to notice those things. I can't remember a time when I didn't have my head in the clouds nor a time I didn't look up when a plane flew over. I did have SAD in CO, even though there are more than 300 days of sunshine there. I went to the tanning beds in the wintertime to improve my mood. I think it was more the deadness of the flora than the sun which affected me.

There is the occasional man who is a clean freak. My ex had a single friend who cleaned his apt. on his hands and knees. He finally married and I told him I never thought he'd find a woman who could clean a toilet up to his stds. I think one of the nice things about being rich is being able to have staff to cook and clean. How much of our lives are taken up by these activities. Now, some people enjoy doing these things but I think a lot of us would like some help. In my next life, I want to come back filthy rich (but not famous) with a beautiful apt. in NYC and be so thin the doc tells me I have to eat. Then, if I were to give away a lot of my fortune, I would have it all. Unfortunately, Karma and spiritual growth don't seem to work that way. Seems as we grow in spirit, we choose more challenging lives in order to grow spiritually. I once read that these young misguided celebs are new souls who don't "get it" yet.

Now, if this is true, and I believe it is, we should embrace our challenges because we chose them before incarnating into these lives. My heroes are people with terrible physical, financial, and emotional challenges. This philosophy doesn't answer all questions but I believe that's by design. We can't see the big picture in these earthbound confines so we just have to operate on faith and trust. If my philosophy offends or upsets anyone, please, just skip this part. Otherwise, I'd welcome discussion on how others see our challenges. We all certainly have enough of them so that everyone has earned my admiration, especially at how so many here handle lives as limited as some of ours are.

As always, sending love, hugs and prayers to everyone.

Love, Mikie

Wow! There was a whole page of new posts that I didn't see when I came here.

Dar, I am so very sorry that you are ill and had to suffer insult on top of injury on the other forum. I just posted a sticky post to, hopefully, put a stop to any exclusivity anyone feels against anyone posting who isn't permanently housebound or bedridden. If anyone would have clicked on "Report," I could have removed the offending post(s). Since I don't have time to search out the offender(s), I just decided to post a sticky inclusive note. I hope you are feeling better.

Sunflower Girl, I think your using TV to help you escape, even for a little while, from your situation is a healthy and creative way to handle things. No, you cannot possibly be everything to DH. Use the professionals to help him and don't let this make things any worse for you than they already are. This kind of stress is the worst thing for us. As always, my prayers are with you.

Springwater, "Big Bang Theory" is one of my favorite escape shows. I get such laughs out of those geeks, possibly because I worked with some guys just like them who had no clue that they were geeks. I have to repot the pepper plants as they are taking over. I just hope the original plant wasn't some kind of hybrid that cannot be reproduced from the pepper seeds. I know these plants are from Latin America. All my other plants are doing so well but it's getting hot enough that I have to water our flower boxes every day until our rainy season brings afternoon rains. I'm the only one who cares for our plants. I purposely chose ones which need almost no care but our flower boxes are elevated and the sprinklers don't reach them. Also, we only run the sprinklers twice a week, once during rainy season. The attitude is "We didn't retire so we could do work." Loving and caring for plants isn't work for me except when I'm sick. They all enjoy the beauty around the bldg. but once when I asked whether one supposed friend would walk down the short distance to the other flower box to water it when I was bent over in pain, she said hautily, "No is my job." I've taken care of her plants for her many times. I am always shocked at the attitude some people take. They think it's my own fault for being sick. I know we have all encountered this from supposed friends and family but it still stings. This is the only place where others know how we feel and what we have to endure from others. I feel as though I have no real friends. When someone needs something that they can understand, they will line up to help. They just don't "get" these illnesses. I think if more people believed in Karma, the world would be a nicer place. Thanks for letting me vent.

Julie, I hope you slept well and feel better. As always, I hope you don't get yourself run down.

OK, gotta go. Talk to y'all later.

Love, Mikie

Hi Mikie and everyone! I'm looking forward to the nice weather today (high in the upper 60's) and a high of 75 tomorrow!!! Thunderstorms tomorrow, though, but we need rain too. The sun is shining right now and that seems to make it feel much warmer...now, if the wind isn't blowing too bad, it will be perfect!

Mikie, vent away, dear friend...we all understand...and have had similar situations at different times.

As far as the other board goes...I have been meaning to pop over and just say "Hi" to everyone. I doubt anyone who is home or bed bound wants to hear about my days of chasing after grandkids, organizing buildings, yardwork, etc., etc. I have even had people question if I really do have CFS...all I know is that is what I was diagnosed with. In the early years of my illness, I had to literally lie down (even on the floor, in the middle of cleaning someone else's house.)

I am doing so much better than I did back then...my point is that many of us, at times, have been in similar situations of being unable to do the things we wanted or felt we should...and had no idea if things would get any better...all we could do was hope, and research, etc. It is a helpless, very frustrating feeling...and I'm sure Dar knows it only too well.

I do feel more rested this morning...going to get ready to go see my daddy. I didn't go in at all last week because of this crud, but am feeling much better now...not 100%, but I don't think I am contagious.

Apparently, he finally got his beard and mustache shaved since I saw him last. He's been wearing a full "Santa" beard for quite awhile, but every time I visit he tells me he wants to get it shaved. So, I make arrangements...but when the gal from the beauty/barber shop gets him, he only lets her take a tiny bit off.

Something must have clicked last week...I talked to a nurse and she told me he is clean-shaven now...good thing, as he was getting food stuck in his beard and mustache and it really looked bad. With Alzheimer's Disease, it is a matter of timing, among other things...

Have a great Friday and weekend, everyone!

Good afternoon to all my dear Porchies,

Not much time to post now but it was nice read al those posts. When DH leaves to go to the last fish fry I will go with him. I will meet another wife there and we will go shop or at last look around. Not sure I will buy a thing ! I will be nice to have some girl conversation.

Dar and Mikie - Sorry that Dar had that awful problem with a poster on that board. In fact I butted in ( not really) but I did post on the bed and homebound board not to long ago. Luckily, no one said anything. Shouldn't we all be there for each other whether we are home or bed bond or not?? That wasn't very nice for someone to try and chase you away or say something mean or not to nice. Maybe it is time for a moderator to step in if it hasn't already!!!

Mikie - I'm not ironing t shirts either !!!! In fact I do as little ironing as possible ! I have gotten to really hate it and I used to have to do so much.

Gotta get ready to go.

Love to EVERYDOBBY,
Granni

Hi, Kids,

Julie, you said it soooo well. Many of us who are now able to function better were once where the bedridden and homebound are today. We do know only too well the fear and frustration and wondering whether we would get better, worse, stay the same... Julie, I know you've had the crud and so have I lately. I've had my bedridden days and am very grateful that it's only been for days. For me, early on, it was years. Only through the kindness of our family here, my own research and my wonderful docs was I able to heal. I'll never be 100 percent but few people my age are.

Granni, I know you also have challenges to deal with and yet you still give so much to others. We are all in different stages and places but most of us understand what these illnesses can be at their worst. When I'm sick and bedridden, I get a kick out of hearing what you are doing. You too, Julie. BTW, Granni, if I put my tees in the dryer, I wouldn't need to iron them but I've had some shrink horribly, even just tumbling them when they are almost dry.

Leah, I hope people actually see my sticky post and remove the offending posts and act nicer to one another. As I said, no one is "ratting someone out" by clicking on "Report." It simply means I don't have to go searching through many posts to see whether something needs to be removed, someone warned--whatever. Spammers are an annoyance but people posting unkind things actually hurt others with their words, even when they don't mean to but are just in pain or having a bad day. We want to stop that kind of thing before it even gets started.

I showered and went to Bealls. They had accessories for "Buy One, Get One for $1. I wear a lot of khaki Capris. I found a Boho Chic braided khaki necklace with row after row of colored beads wound around it in the middle. I got the bracelet, which had been the same price, for $1. This will allow me to take a basic pair of Capris and a tee and kick it up a notch.

I ran into two friends from the hood and we went out to eat. We had a good time. I stopped at Publix and bought the new OTC Nasacort. It was $15. Publix has virtual coupons you click on on their website before shopping. I had clicked on that and then found another one in a brochure at the store. I also had a Target coupon which they accept. So, between the three coupons, I saved $9 on my $15 Nasacort. I'm not a coupon queen but, every now and then, I get a really good deal.

Their new fabric softener is now much, much more watery. I water it down even further and it still gets the clothes soft and doesn't leave a sticky scum in the dispenser. It's the little things which give me pleasure.

Well, gonna go start a new Porch. Please don't post any more here. Look for Porch Volume 698. Thanks

Love, Mikie

Freida

after reading Dars post, i went over to Homebound but didnt see any offensive
post, i dont know which it was or was it taken off or what..

im sorry if you felt you had to post anything re people being welcome,

Dar - pls dont mind, we all of us here understand how this DD would
affect the daily functioning of anyone afflicted with it..it does take
its toll and to a horrific extent sometimes, more power to you for
keeping on going and NOT letting the DD rule you completely.

God bless