What's Happenin' (Part 2)

[houghchrst]

Hey all I guess I will just be here til y'all get sick of me lol. My tree is up, lit and blinking, and decorated. I went with a theme this year. Strictly round bulbs. I had more than enough. I have enough decor for at least 3 trees. Most of my decorations are little figures and objects. I still have some of my mother's decor from when I was very little.

Lost some stakes in the snow when my reindeer blew away so was not able to put him back up. Have a couple little things, really pathetic looking lol. Loving my star shower though. I have a tendency to wrap presents on Christmas eve like a fool so I think I will wrap a bit here and there over the weekend. Most everything was delivered so it is nice to already have the box to just wrap.

Finally got my MRI scheduled for the day after Christmas. Last one she said they actually had was from 2006 seems longer ago. Back then they Told me I had a curve to my spine that would not get worse was not abnormal. I wonder if all those back injections I have had could cause nerve damage in my back. The doc wants to look at it before he does injections. I will have to quit the Plavix for a period of time before he can do that. I have to call the cardiologist today and see for how long.

I have been going to bed early and getting up early. The cat and the dogs think that 7 a.m. is a good time to get up. I usually would sleep another hour and a half. They go outside and bark at anything so they make sure the neighbors get up early too. Brats.

Jeannie I hope you are doing well and will not spend Christmas sick or in pain. I would love to see what you are planning to do instead of a tree. Can you post a picture? I love DIY projects. I am considering getting a lighted fake tree. For me putting lights on is the worst most painful part. And I am so anal about how my tree lights. It must twinkle and no empty spots. I put my lights on from the center of the tree out. Taking them off can be a real pain in the behind.

Clouds I hope you are doing well. Did you say once in the past that it was hard for you to read long paragraphs. It may have been Patti. I type in bold to make my posts easier to read but I do tend to ramble into long paragraphs. I can make them smaller if it is easier for you.

Dawn I envy you and your trips. My cousin goes to Montana every year and stays with friends. They love it and are talking of moving there. They have a custody thing going on so they can't leave permanently yet. They go in fall which I always thought was an odd time. I hope your daughter is able to get rid of the resic

Rose your positivity is inspiring. I check in with ya every day for a good word here and there. I finally got my CBD oil Tuesday. I only take it here and there but am wondering if I took it in a regular fashion if it would work better. Guess I will have to check for in system lifespan. Always something new to learn.

Jingle I hope you and your furbabies are done baking and ready to just relax and enjoy the holiday. Our kitten often drives the poor pooches nuts with her need to play. sometimes she attacks me so I have to distract her with one of her toys. Those nails are like needles when I get her fixed they will trim them for me.

Y'all know I check in in the morning and now that Jared gave me his computer as an early Christmas present I have my own bonafide computer instead of just my half assed working tablet. IT needs to go to the repair shop, it is worth fixing and isn't really much to fix but it is more than I have at this moment.

Okay I will quit with my whole lot of musing out loud.


P.s. Update, cardio office say doc is out of country until the 11th to keep taking Plavix, glad I didn't quit based on our casual conversation. They are calling dentist. Yeah found out I have some bone loss which is drawing my gums down the tooth almost exposing the root so dentist said get a waterpik like I can afford one and keep it irrigated, gave me some antibiotics, swish with salt water. Said it can happen at my age. Lovely. May have to have it pulled. Hurts constantly. Both are molars, same side, side I chew on, hate the thought of losing them. My grandmother passed away with all her teeth intact but my mother lost almost all of hers. She drank and smoked though. Okay gone on long enough

[houghchrst]

well my anxiety about Christmas is totally fruitless as it is practically knocking at the door. Jared is set but I have three grandkids who are kind of getting the shaft. I have enough money for them, kids love cash and a couple of gifts so I guess it is good enough.

Looks to be another dreary day. We were supposed to get a wintry mix as they like to call it when it snows and rains but we only got a dusting of snow it's feezin' out there though.

At New Years I will be ready for the snow to go.

Jingle our cat Bella will walk up and down the bedroom hallway meowing if she hears me move. She knows somehow that I am up. She gives that plaintive mama cry. She has a special meow when she cries for her mama. It's heartbreaking but makes me smile cause I know she loves me. A cat, who woulda thunk it. Me being a cat hater and all. Okay not hater but you get it.

One of our cargivers at one of the clubs I go to passed away. It is very sad He was in his low 30s. They think he ODed, Maybe pills I don't know, I missed the memorial party last night and I am going to have to miss a Christmas party today, no transportation or money. I am sure CJ would have no problem taking me and dropping me off but I am going to try to stay out of their holiday weekend.

No presents wrapped, going to get on it this morning. They should be relatively simple, most of what I have will not fit in a bag though. I did that one year lol, put almost all the gifts in bags. Lazy lol. I used to wrap the most beautiful presents. Ribbons and bows, now you are lucky if I put a dang bow on it, that will fall off within hours of putting it on and shoving and propping all the gifts under the tree or packing them for travel. I think this year I will make pretty since I have so few to worry about.

Hope everyone is having a merry christmas this weekend. Love yous. And thank you everyone for being my friend.

[houghchrst]

Christmas morning and I am sitting in the peace and quiet. It is quite lovely outside with the new snow, well I see it is snowing again, but Dash hates it. I have fireworks for when it gets dark and I have chinese lanterns and I will send one up for my brody let brennifer and their crew send one up and one for Jared.

Got the house vacuumed the kitchen mopped. Assorted boxes from decorations to wrapping paper put away. I have also started a mystery box for Craigslist. My first one for there. Use to do it on Freecycle but I think they dismantled the group. I will have to see. There is everything from baby clothes to food in it, not a lot of any one thing but a little of a lot of things. My hope is to get one started and have it pass around craigslist.

Okay just babbling, have things to do and I am putting them off lol. Have a great christmas everyone. I will prolly be back.

[houghchrst]

How is everyone? Who puts their christmas decor away right after Christmas and who waits til just after New Year? I do it a day or two after the New Year. One thing that sucks is that my yard stuff is out in the deep snow. Not that way when I put them up lol.

shortcake's birthday is the 29th of January so of course he already has a $600 I want list lol. Dude we just had Christmas. CJ and I would like to get him a new mattress. We can easily finance one. He needs it desperately. He is sleeping in a twin. I want to get him a twin XL. Did I already say taht somewhere? I just can't think anymore. So much brainfog and stress that I usually concoct all by my lonesome.

Rose I was wondering if you have noticed that the CBD works better if a steady dosage every day is given or only when you need relief? Anybody?

My knees are beginning to fail on me. I have a horrible time getting up and down the basement stairs. My primary says it is from nerve damage in my back. I wonder if I should go see my ortho and have some xrays taken. He would write me a pain script too. I had to reschedule my MRI due to transportation issues. Monday I am going to call my insurance company and request transportation to some doc appts. I wish they would take me to the club, would consider that medical. Maybe I should ask.

It's been ridiculously cold here. I did go out this morning and get some fresh air. I hate the house being all closed up. There are videos all over FB showing the expressway accidents and backups. Scary out there and people drive like maniacs.

Well I hope everybody stays warm and safe.

Love yous

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Chris)))))) ~

I think that taking CBD oil every day is the best way to treat all that ails you. It's not a pain medication (like THC is). It does many things, including reduce inflammation, and if you have a chronic condition, you need it every day. Just like a vitamin.

Speaking of vitamins, do you take any? A multi? Do you know what your Vitamin D level is? Since you live in a snowy wintery area, you probably don't get enough sunshine to keep up your Vitamin D level. Actually, it takes a lot of sunshine and being practically naked to get enough D through sunshine. I get 20-25 minutes every morning (best time to get it) on my walk. But I am fully dressed, so only portions of my skin are exposed. I take 2,000 iu every day of Whole Earth and Sea Vitamin D3. It is derived from lichens rather than lanolin (which is what most Vitamin D supplements contain). You might ask your doctor to check your Vitamin D level.

You've had a lot of stress this year (and probably for most of your life), and I think that your heart attack was a red flag for you. In addition to your goals of quitting smoking and eating a plant-based diet, please include reducing stress on your New Year's Resolution List. Some stressors are inevitable, and some are avoidable. If we can't eliminate stressors, then we have to change our way of coping with them. We have to change our attitude and our approach to them.

I also recommend exercise. As I mentioned previously, Qigong and Tae Kwan Do are gentle movements, breathing techniques, which will help to reduce your stress and strengthen your body.

Don't hold back on tears, allow yourself to cry and to grieve for Brody. Tears and laughter release stress hormones, so every day, allow the tears to fall and find something to make you laugh.

Health comes from nurturing our mind, body, and soul, as they work in concert to make us whole. Attend to each part of you with the same energy and positive intentions.

Sending many healing prayers for you ~ May 2018 be the year of changes for you ~ strength, health, happiness, fulfillment, peace, joy ~

Love & Light,



Rose

[clouds z]

happy new year

[houghchrst]

Happy New Year Clouds! Hope this one is better for us all.

[houghchrst]

Well it's almost 7, I have been up since four. Despite not getting to bed until 11. I have noticed that since I have gotten older my sleeping habits have gotten weird. I have never been a morning person yet I find myself getting up earlier. I have to get up at least twice during the night despite many bathroom trips before bed. I have been suffering from some night incontinence so I have to wear a pad or a prescription pull up to bed. It is humiliating. My doc says it is because of nerve damage in my back. I'm a hard dreamer and I notice that when I have to urinate during the night I usually start dreaming that I am in the bathroom and sit on the toilet and am instantly awake because I know I'm about to wet the bed. Sometimes by the time I have reaached the bathroom I have started leaking. Wonder if some Kegel exercises would help.

I am still wearing the Life Vest. I am to get it off hopefully this month. I see the cardiologist on the 23rd? It is written down somewhere. I will also be able to see what my blood pressure is. They are trying to tell me that I have high blood pressure. Well if I do then it is because of the meds. I never had high blood pressure until I have my heart attack then started taking these meds. I keep telling them that, looking for an answer I am not getting. I need to make a list of questions because every time I see him I go blank. I do know that one of my heart muscles is weakened but I don't know if it was preexisting or a result of the heart attack. Could the 1800 mg of Ibuprofen I started taking everyday have caused it? what can I do to get rid of any plaque buildup? Ah my next Google

[tic chick]

hey all !

well, i had surgery on tuesday, january 2nd at 730am. i came home the next day around 10am. I had a room to myself to recover, which is always nice. i am sore and have huge bruises on each side of my stomach. my skin was bonded together with dermabond, a glue. I had a few stitches put in underneath on my right side under the glue because they had to make the hole bigger for the robot arms to go in. that is the side that hurts most. i'm allowed to take pain meds every 4 hours, but i'm doing well with taking them every 8 hours. i am walking around okay.

chris, making a list of questions is a great thing to do! i always go to my yearly physical with questions, otherwise i forget something important. normal blood pressure is 120/80. many things can cause your bp to rise, including smoking, drinking, anxiety, fluid retention, certain drugs, etc. yes, ibuprofen can cause blood pressure to rise, also. Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

there is a diet, called the DASH diet, that is a lot like the one rose suggested; less meat, more fruits, veggies and grains. plaque is cholesterol build-up. grains, fruits and veggies (foods with fiber), all have a wonderful way of scrubbing your arteries and reducing plaque. i remember you were riding your bike in good weather. can you still do that or does nerve pain prevent you? a recumbent bike is great if your pain is too much. i would look on craigslist for one. imho, i would prolly skip all the ibuprofen and other pain meds and rely on the cannabis oil or cannabis you smoke.

I hope you are doing well, jingle and you too, clouds!

thank you for sharing and caring,
jeannie

[houghchrst]

Jeannie take care of yourself. It almost seems to me that the docs don't much care how they treat your innards once they are in and get to moving around wonder if they are any less careful when they use the robotics. wonder if it can cause more pain. Great that you are doing so well.

I have been relying strictly on CBD oil. I've upped the dosage they told me. 2-3 drops under tongue I just have started filling the dropper a 1/4 of the way up. It is small. Seems to take the edge off. I only take the ibuprofen when I am sick of the unbearable pain, I might take one once a week to twice a month, I also have tyleanol 3s but I have to take two of those in order for them to work. Most days I suffer through it. by the end of the day it is hard to get up off the furniture my knees are so bad Going to my doc to see my ortho. No knee injections they never helped.

[clouds z]

unemployment is down to 4% or theyre just not counting many?

[houghchrst]

Hi Clouds, how are you doing?

We all made it through the holidays no worse for wear. Jared was thoroughly satisfied with his loot lol. Mostly computer stuff. Mostly stuff he asked for and some he didn't. His birthday is the 29th and his dad is talking of getting him a VR set. A good one, a real one is $400. I want to get him a new mattress and some pillows to replace the couple that are mutilated lol. we may be able to finance a mattress set and if dad wants to foot the bill for a VR set then that's on him. Quite frankly I would love it lol.

Christmas was hard when my mom passed. I was so used to being the spoiled child and getting a great abundance in gifts and money that when she passed I realized I may never get anything. I have gotten over my spoiled self and am just grateful for my boys and my friends.

Jeannie I dreamed of you last night, is was short, we were trying to decide what to wear to go out lol.

Jingle hows your furbaby. Bella is a tyrant. I have claw marks all over my body and she like to climb the back door curtains. She can't get on the counters in the kitchen so if I am doing something there she runs up my back to try to get on my shoulder. I am considering getting her front claws removed but I have heard such horror stories of the ways they do it. It just seems wrong. She likes to get under the dining table and attack my knees and arms from under there. Yep knees are bloody lol.

Dash is suffering separation anxiety since brody has been gone. He howls for me when I leave now and when I get back he is just over the top relieved. Crying, kisses and hugs.

Nothing is getting done about the neighbor dog. Yet. They still haven't answered the door for code enforcement. I am going to call code enforcement again today. Left a message to both CE and the detective in charge of the case.

My tree is down even though it took me four days. I let it twinkle merrily for two nights with no decorations on it. I almost wished there was a good reason for twinkle lights year round. They make me feel good. I still have a couple of things around the house that need to go in their boxes and I have some decor in the yard that needs to come in then it can all go back in the corner of the basement.

Going to add some fish oil and vitamin E to dash's diet. His poor skin is so dry he is clawing himself.

Have barely been out of the house this last two weeks. My truck has a flat and my mechanic has an aversion to snow so he hasn't fixed it yet. It has a blown head gasket so I can't go far anyway. The thought of getting rid of it breaks my heart. I love my truck, okay my Aztec. His car needs a few minor repairs and he wants to take care of those and give me his car.. I hate it. But I have spent my fair share of walking to not be picky. Walked to school, work, daycare, etc. Through blizzards in the early morning dark even.

I feel like that was just a "why I remember back in the day when I was young I used to have to....." lol

Okay this as usual turned out longer than was supposed to. I miss so many that do not come any more. Jared finally found the family address book in the depths of his room so I think I am going to send some notes out and check on a couple of people. I guess I am a bit old fashioned, I keep all my numbers and addresses I have in this little book in case I lose the info on the puter. Still like the comfort of having it in my hands. Same way I feel about books.

Have a great day everyone, I'll be around.

[clouds z]

i think avocados have weird reactions with my throat-i sort of hate them

gargled with salt water and i think fixed it

[clouds z]

i remember a guy in the chat called aztec

[tic chick]

hey all !

well, i had 4 holes for my laparoscopic gallbladder removal in 2007. i went home the next day and rested that day, then i was fine. of course, the holes were closer to the gallbladder, maybe 4 inches away and i just had butterfly bandages to hold those shut. the 5 holes for this surgery, are about 8-11 inches away from my pelvic area, where the surgery was done. i imagine they had to put them so far to avoid my small and large intestines. i don't really feel any pain inside, it's all where the holes and scopes were put in that is bruised and swollen. i read up on the da vinci robot, which was used to sew my lower bowel straight and it said there is less blood loss with the robot, but it does take longer to set up and do. i was reading the notes of the surgeon in my chart that i can access online as part of my patient portal. it gives me test results, health history and now the surgical notes. i had a lot of stuff done, 6 separate procedures with 1 doc doing the most part and another doc just doing the bowel stuff.

so, today i went to meijer and picked up a couple things i needed. i took a pain pill before and i was okay, but when i came home i took a nap. i almost didn't go, because the half hour it took me to shower, wash my hair and blow dry it just about wiped me out. i am sleeping 10 hours a night and sleeping so soundly! thank God!

so, i am in the operating room and high on the pre-surgery drugs they gave me and asking the doctor what kind of music he's going to play. he names two women, one i never heard of and queen. i start singing "bohemian rhapsody". nurses are laughing. i act incredibly funny (i think), when i am nervous and chockfull of great pain meds. the doctor turns on his music and bob dylan's, "knocking on heaven's door" is playing. i say, seriously? that is NOT a happy song. soon they are putting the mask over me and then i am waking up 5 hours later.

i am watching junk tv and cnn. i can't read because i can't concentrate. i sit on the couch with a pillow behind me and a blanket over me. perfect. i am always fidgety when i am well and i can't seem to sit and relax, except at night. being sick or in pain doesn't making me guilty for taking it easy!

clouds, avocados have to be ripe around the stem or else some of them have this tongue puckering effect when you eat. make sure they are black and you can easily push in at the stem end.

oh chris, i wanted to mention spices i use constantly. keeping them in the fridge in a little box keeps them fresher. most used list:

ground cumin, ground sage, hungarian paprika, celery seed, smoked paprika, ground cayenne. cinnamon, allspice, turmeric, bay leaves (for soup), sea salt and peppercorns in a grinder, oregano, dried basil. in summer i plant fresh basil, mint. i buy fresh parsley and cilantro, chop and freeze what i don't use. fresh onions and organic garlic in a jar kept in the fridge pretty much rounds it out. i would watch out what you buy from the dollar store...sometimes they don't contain what they say. when spices are on sale, buy small quantities and throw away after a year.

what are your go to spices, jungle? i think you are prolly a good cook if you can bake!

ok. back to the couch. yeah, it always take me a couple hours to decide what to wear before i go out. i think about it a couple days before, so i can wash if necessary.

thank you for sharing and caring,
jeannie