OT January Chit Chat thread

[Virginia]

Jeanie, this is a trying time for you and your family. We are all praying for David. I would not want to take that drivers test either. I even dread the regular one without going through all that you have to.

I have tried a bar of soap under the sheet, but did not have it in there when I got so bad night before last. I was using Dove. Guess I better get some Ivory tomorrow and try it.

Sorry Gary - about another med. I just hate the thought of swallowing another pill, and if they make the strength stronger that is just as bad, because I still know I am taking more medication.

Hi Agate, Cherie, Ann, Joan, Gabriella, and where is Peg? Also wish we would hear from Lady.

Virginia

[SalpalSally]

Here's hoping and praying that the liver transplant is quick and successful. I know what you mean about poking around cancerous tumors..

I gave up my license rather than go through the stress of renewal. For me it was the right thing to do, but I still hate it.

You both are in my prayers.

(((((Gary))))), I wish we could flush em all down the toilet.:o



..

[Cat Dancer]

After much fear and trepidation I managed to pass my driver's test, with hand controls. (Also had to take the written test, also passed). Wasn't as bad as I feared; didn't have to parallel park (which I couldn't do well before having hand controls installed!) Supposedly the license is good for 8 years..but I suspect the DMV medical team will ask for a doctor's note some time before that. But then, if I live the next 8 years I'll be 73, and getting too old to drive, anyway! :ambivalence:

[Gary]

Jeannie i will be keeping you and Dave in my thoughts.

I have to confess that I still hold a commercial drivers license. I dont know why since it is only good for 4 years and cost wice as much as a regular license. And it isnt even valid without a medical certificate. And the fact it now takes a ladder for me to get into a semi truck. I did have to give up my pilots license since you have to have a medical certificate before they issue you one.

Snow for Sunday......... well wait and see.

[stillstANNding]

Sorry Gary. I sometimes (most days) don't take the calcium, D3, Omegas and sublingual B's. It's so much on top of all the other pills. Occasionally, I am good for 3 or 4 days in a row and then I lapse.

I imagine you need the "new pill."

Cat, good for you! It is an independence. I have some involuntary movements w no notice so I do not drive anymore. That's w/out factoring in the cog-fog.

Parsi, I always wonder where you are: Where in the wold is Parsi?

ANN

[Cherie]

Jeanie,
Does this mean he goes to PA for a liver transplant on the 1st or they start the ablation on the 1st?
Sorry about all the stressors hitting all at once. Seems that is often the case. I'm grateful you feel free to vent here.

Cat,
Congrats on passing the test!

Gary,
Why doesn't it surprise me that you had (have?) all these licenses? My dad had to give up pilot when he started showing some cardiac irregularities over 30 years ago. I never got mine but under his tutelage, I believe (on that plane at least) I could take off and land safely and navigate proficiently.

This cataract went soooooo smoothly! As far as recovery goes. Not the pain or blurriness or corneal abrasions or dry eye. Vision was 20/20 in that eye the next morning. HOWEVER...despite things going so smoothly pre-op with the first eye as far as allergies and getting all of the usual drops and injections out of the room to which I am allergic, this time everything was there. The OR nurse came out with a bottle of numbing drops to put in my eye (highly allergic) and the anesthesiologist came in and harangued me about 'your request to have general anesthesia'. I did not request it. The doc insisted on it because of the severity (documented) of the allergies to meds generally used in the procedure. The anesthesiologist even went so far as to suggest I have allergy testing done on these drugs. I have to say I did not play the nurse card even once. I just was firm and stood my ground. They called for a post op survey from the hospital this morning and I told them about this so it will be documented. Also my eye doc has promised to speak to the anesthesiologist.

It went from blue skies and a balmy 50 degrees this morning to dark, high winds and temps dropping to the upper 30s now. Looks, smells and feels like snow.

[Jeanie Z]

:) Hi everyone. Cherie I'm glad your surgery went well.

David is having the ablation on the 1stof February. We have no idea how long the wait on the liver transplant list will be. Hopefully soon. Jeanie :)

[Gary]

I'm grateful you feel free to vent here.

You know if it wasn't for this site and its members I think, scratch that, I know I would have lost my mind a long time ago. People that do not have MS really have no idea how we feel.

[Pegakafarmgirl]

Hi everyone,, I am still alive and kickin,,

Gary check your pm,, I sent you my email addy..,,

weather has been a big factor for Iowa, from 65 degrees, to 10 below,, we don't know what season we're in half the time,,

license,, this is a joke,, i too was having a time convincing them I can keep it between the navagational ditches,, if I can drive a combine, hehehehe,, I took all their test, and parell parking and me never liked each other anyway,, Farmer Joe and me practiced till I could do it blindfolded,, wait,, that did'nt sound right..I got it,,"phew"

I also watched that TV show on the stem cell,,I don't understand why they do that to people,, anyway so far so good with my adventure in stem cell, usually by now, I relapse, and walk like a drunk duck,, now its like a very tipsy chicken,, I did have one episode of bad leg cramps,, but I got thru it,, with cuss words, lol

prayers and hugs for all that need them,, hang in there,,

[Parsi]

We got a respite from the pollution the day before last in the form of rain. Water will be a problem this summer if we don't get preciptation more often. And pollution tends to get out of control.

I'm told my home state of Wisconsin finally had snow. About 5-6 inches I understand.

[Cherie]

Mid 50s yesterday but today it's clear, breezy and 18 degrees. Snow to the north and west of us but we're so close to the ocean it didn't make it here other than flurries yesterday afternoon.

Feeling really good! I'd almost forgotten what this felt like. Color me grateful. Bed is changed and sheets in the washer, pool room is almost warm enough for me to get in the water and do my routine then I think I'll go to Macy's for a "walk-about". There's something I got my SIL for Christmas that my daughter has commandeered and he wants it back. Going to try and find a duplicate. It's not on line but in the store. That should get me out of the hose for about three hours.

Peg,
glad you passed and that you're still seeing some improvement. I have a woman in Viet Nam for whom nothing has worked and she doesn't have the $ for high cost monthly therapy (no insurance there) so is considering doing what you have done but coming to the States to do it since she does not trust the care in Mexico or India or China. Any words of Advice? It would mean spending he life savings as well as borrowing from friends. She's in her 20s and has been in a wheelchair fot 3 years already.

[Pegakafarmgirl]

Mid 50s yesterday but today it's clear, breezy and 18 degrees. Snow to the north and west of us but we're so close to the ocean it didn't make it here other than flurries yesterday afternoon.

Feeling really good! I'd almost forgotten what this felt like. Color me grateful. Bed is changed and sheets in the washer, pool room is almost warm enough for me to get in the water and do my routine then I think I'll go to Macy's for a "walk-about". There's something I got my SIL for Christmas that my daughter has commandeered and he wants it back. Going to try and find a duplicate. It's not on line but in the store. That should get me out of the hose for about three hours.

Peg,
glad you passed and that you're still seeing some improvement. I have a woman in Viet Nam for whom nothing has worked and she doesn't have the $ for high cost monthly therapy (no insurance there) so is considering doing what you have done but coming to the States to do it since she does not trust the care in Mexico or India or China. Any words of Advice? It would mean spending he life savings as well as borrowing from friends. She's in her 20s and has been in a wheelchair fot 3 years already.

Positive attitude,, helps me so much,, Joe was also my positive force,, it helped also when I detoxed my body, get lots of rest, drink plenty of water, and if you have some sort of set back after, don;t give up,, I was told my stem cells are doing what they're suppose to do, so quit worrying.. good luck to her,,

[SalpalSally]

Hi Peg, nice to hear from you.. So glad your therapy is working for you.:o

Cherie, good to hear that your eye operation was a great success this time.

Jeanie, thanks for keeping us up to date on you and David. You are both in my daily prayers.

Gary, you just keep on keepin on and be happy..

Everyone else, I love you and wish you all well.


It' cold and snowy here so I have officially retreated to my cave to hybernate!!





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[Virginia]

Hi Everyone, was glad to hear from you Peg and that you are doing well. Cherie also glad your last eye surgery went better than the first. Jeanie I pray for you and David daily. We think of the two of you and hope that all will go well.

Hi Sally, has it warmed up any where you are? My thermometer says it is 47 out side - don't know what it is offically. But the inside of my house feels so cold. I have the thermometer set so it will go up to 71 or 72 degrees, but it feels much colder. I have lots of glass windows. Nice in good weather, but they can feel
cold. Wish I could afford to get all new windows and upgrade to the LowE windows that are supposed to be warmer. I looked into it a few months ago, but
the expense was more than I felt I could afford.

Cherie, I did not know that many people from Viet Nam get MS. I know several and none of them have ever heard of it. Of course a lot of people here in the
US have never heard of it, so guess that does not mean anything.

Ann, Agate and all others hope you are doing well. I know Gabriella is waiting for news from her Doctor's office. I am also waiting to hear when my back MRI will be scheduled, but they are closed for the Holiday today.

Cat Dancer I promise you that you will not feel any older at 73 than you do now as far as driving is concerned. Thankfully, so far my driving has not been affected. I think Mariel is also about that age and I believe she still drives.

Hi Gary, got any snow yet? It seems you are awfully anxious to get lots of snow.

Good to hear from you Parsi, and hope you are doing well. I try to keep up with where you are, but things change a lot.

Virginia

[Cherie]

The woman in Viet Nam who has MS (with whom I've been communicating for a year and a half now) was featured in MSIF's latest IN FOCUS newsletter toward the end. There are very few people there who have it and very few docs who know how to treat it to hear what she has to say. She says average salary there is $100USD/month and they would have to import the CRABS from another country at a cost of about $3000USD/month so no one is able to take them. there is no prescription assistance there and I have called financial support for all of the companies and was told at each that there is only financial assistance in the places where the drug is sold and since it is not sold (any of them) there, there can be no help there.

Just had a delightful three hours with both girls and the four grandkids and an early dinner. At age 8 and 50 pounds, Kristof is a bottomless pit! Eli (nearly 8 months ) has recently started on solids and can't seem to get enough of what he is allowed either. Elsie 3 and Gregory 4 did well but are easily distracted at a large family table. We dug out Becky's first lifelike baby doll for Elsie and she was awestruck and so very gentle with her (unlike she is with her baby brother). Maybe this doll will teach her to take greater care with the little ones. Lindsey is the size of a 3 month old with a soft body and vinyl head and extremities. She has diapers and a couple of sets of clothes for her and is doing her best to be mommy when her brother was being changed and redressed with her own baby...funny...she kept watching Becky closely and trying to copy what Becky was doing with her own baby.

Good day. See the eye doc in the morning for 1 week post op check. I think report will be good with this eye altho' the first one is still irritated and somewhat blurry from all the corneal abrasions. It is getting better.