October Chit/Chat

[Virginia]

Agate, I have never seen one like this. All I have ever seen are heat pumps that are similar to mine. Does this one make any noise? My cooling and heating is so quite that I have to get up and go to a grate to see if air is coming out when I want to know. My thermostat is on digital and is on the wall. So far it has stayed right on where I set it. The unit in back of the house is really quite also. My old one I could hear if it was running when I went on the deck. This one I can't. I have to look inside of it to see it running.

It did occur to me that your heat pump is different because you are in an apartment and don't have the room under your house to put a heat pump. I have never thought about what apartments here do about their heat pumps. Or maybe they use another type of heating and cooling. Agate, looks like you have a nice place. Howie, is right about the cat scan. It looks like that place on the heat pump belonged to her.


Thought I was having a Sunshine moment during the night. I woke to severe pain in one side of my back that went all the way down my leg. I glanced at the clock and it was either going on 4AM or it was just after 4. I tried to get up to go to the bathroom and it was all I could do to make it while holding on to everything I could touch. It felt like there was a knot in my back where the extreme pain started.

After laying in bed for a long time I decided that it was sciatica since it traveled all the way down my leg. I have had it before, but the pain was not quite as severe and I never felt like I had a knot in my back. I have done absolutely nothing today. Just lay in my recliner and that is it. I have a pillow at my back. I seem to be much better now.

I needed to go to the pharmacy and the grocery store, but that was just simply out for today. It may be out for tomorrow also. I will wait to see.

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

agate ~

I don't know anything about a heat pump. Here we have gas furnaces in our garage, which are also plugged into a wall outlet for electricity to run the air conditioning. In the backyard we have a large air conditioner condenser. The system is called "central heat and air conditioning." We have ducts in our walls throughout the house to deliver the heat/cool air. Another term is HVAC, meaning Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning.

Your apartment is airy with plenty of natural light, and plants. It's lovely and cozy. Your cat looks quite content.

Virginia ~

I'm so sorry that you have such excruciating pain. Did you take anything for it like Tylenol or Advil? Did you try a heating pad? It is good that it is subsiding a bit. You might want to rest as long as possible, before you go out to grocery shop and go to the pharmacy. Imagine this pain happening, as you're walking up the steps with your bags. Or as you are walking through the store. Or as you get into or out of your car.

This is a good time to rely on delivery. Instacart. Does your pharmacy deliver?

Sending you healing energy.


Our temperatures are cooling here, and we had some rain this morning. More rain is predicted for next week, which is always good news for us. Rain also means that I don't have to hand water or manually turn on the sprinklers.

Prayers and positive energy for all ~ Stay safe, be well, find joy, find hope, find love ~

Love & Light,

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Rose

*Virtual Hugs Are Germ-Free!


THANKS!

[agate]

Virginia, the heat pump does make a bit of noise, but it's only a bit annoying when it first turns itself on. It has a couple of filter screens in it, and the thermostat tells me when it's time to clean them. The thermostat is on the wall and is programmable.

It doesn't provide enough heat or cooling to take care of the bedroom/bathroom area and so there are wall heaters (electric) in both those rooms, completely independent of the heat pump.

The whole building has these heat pumps. The community room is so large that there are two of them in that one room.

I had my own little pain spell in the middle of Friday night. I had done the Copaxone shot at usual that evening with apparently no problem but at 5 AM a pain in one finger was so bad that I couldn't sleep. The finger was all swollen and red.I didn't sleep well though I put it into a splint because every move of it was painful. The next day aspirin was my friend, and it gradually got better. Now it's just swollen and deformed and red and stiff but not very painful any more. I'm so very glad that it got better that I've been celebrating. It was probably just another arthritis flareup, which seems to happen to me sometimes now with Copaxone shots. (It's happened before a couple of times but each time it was really painful.) I was moderately useless all day Saturday. By now I think I've finally caught up on the missed sleep.

Rose, years ago I lived in a house with central heating and air conditioning coming through ducts. It was a really pleasant and clean type of heating, much better than steam radiators (and window-mounted air conditioners).

So glad you're getting some rain. Maybe the forest fires won't be so bad this season?

[Virginia]

Agate, so sorry about your bout of pain. It does sound like arthritis that I have had in my fingers from the red and swollen description. It is definitely not any fun. Some of mine are permanently disfigured.

Rose, I cannot take aspirin so I have been taking Tylenol. I also cannot take Advil. I use to be able to and relied upon it but now I cannot. I am doing nothing but resting. I haven't done anything all week. I am considering changing my sheets, but the bottom one is hard to put on because it has elastic and has to fit just right. The bed is big and it takes a lot of going around it to get it done. Tuesday is the day I usually change my linen so I am not yet sleeping on a dirty bed. Of course I have the other side which I have never slept on, but could.

I did make an appointment to get my flu shot, but it is not until November 3rd. I couldn't get one this week and next Wednesday (the only day of the week they book flu shots) I have a dental appointment.

At least, thanks to my neighbor, I have food for tonight and tomorrow night. She came after I had eaten and I put my two hamburger patties and two ears of corn along with two helpings of potato salad in the refrigerator. She also brought two rolls. She had the same amount of food to take to her house. The hamburger patties are bacon, cheddar and they sound good. It also came with a package of pepper jack cheese that was quite large. I had a package of cheese opened so I told her to take that home with her. I didn't think it was bad for $14.00 each. They change the meals they are offering every few days.

[agate]

Virginia, my flu shot won't be until some time in mid-November. There are only certain days when my doctor's office gives them, and they haven't yet scheduled those days for next month. There are other places to get a flu shot but it's easier for me to go to a place where I know my way around. At pharmacies and supermarkets there can be unexpected lines to wait in (and a washroom might not be so easy to get to).

I came in here today after being away for about 10 hours and found no new posts at all on BrainTalk, on any of the forums. This place will go away unless we can keep posting here. Content is needed.

I'll be trying to post more photos of Cat Dancer's dollhouses. I hope there will be people here to look at them. It's really amazing that she was able to make so many beautiful dollhouses even though MS was kicking her in the teeth all the while.

[Virginia]

I guess I will not be so far behind in getting the flu shot. I am just so use to getting it in October that I forget you can get it other times. After that I have to book my booster.

I am also going to get my carpet cleaned. I had wanted to wait until after I got my kitchen painted, but I was thinking about it and there is no reason for the painters to go into my living room, dinning room or bedroom so since I don't know when I will be able to line up the painters I would like to have I think I will just go forward with the other projects.

I wish everything was just taken care of and I didn't have to deal with it any longer.

My walking is terrible today and it is scary.

Agate, I know what you mean about this place being just dead at times. It has really concerned me also that it will go away if people do not become a little more active. I would just hate that, and think of the people that use to be on that occasionally stop by, I think it would be a real loss to them also.

Well, the man who had looked at my carpet this morning called and I am lined up for November 3rd. I am also going to have him clean my recliner. It isn't that it looks dirty, but I sit in it all the time and I just want it to feel fresh and clean.

[Virginia]

It has been awhile since we heard from Sunshine. I hope she is alright and is getting some help for her pain and her walking.

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

agate ~

I'm so sorry you are experiencing pain. Once again, like the broken record I am, I recommend wrapping it in Witch Hazel. I've been using it for decades on my RA, bruises, sprains, my broken rib. By now, you all should know that I wouldn't harp on it, if it didn't really work.

Yes, HVAC is a great way to provide warmth and coolness. The ducts get dirty, and I have never had ours cleaned. So, I am certain that would be a much needed project here. I am still using the original furnace, which got a new motor installed in it several years ago by the son of the man, who installed it. Their family lived down the street from me as original owners.

I have been running the heater at night, as the temperatures have dropped into the mid-upper 40s. I know that doesn't sound cold to any of you! But, where I live that is chilly.

Although rain is predicted for next week, it isn't enough to quench Earth's thirst. Our Governor declared today that our drought is still on and getting worse. He requested that we reduce our water consumption.

I have been conserving on water since my youth. If I take any shorter showers than I do now, I might as well not even turn on the faucet! My sprinklers are broken, so my front lawn is dying. And when they worked, I watered the allowed 10 minutes 3 x week. I reuse any water left in a glass to water plants. Meanwhile, my neighbors water their yards every single day until it puddles. I can only give up so much to compensate for their overuse.

In recent years, the Fall months are when fires begin exploding everywhere. That was the case in November 2019, when Jim was having his radiation treatments. We had to escape from the medical complex, as a fire was blazing next to it after Jim's appointment.

Most people don't think of California as an agricultural state, but it certainly is, and our farmers and ranchers are suffering with this unending drought. The ranch, from which I order my oranges, places a sticker on the box: "Please pray for rain for the Western States!"

And now, we have an unbelievable amount of tankers in our ports unable to deliver their cargo.

I am so fed up with the grandstanding in our Congress over bills, which need to be passed now. Not a few weeks from now or months. NOW! We have waited too long to address climate change, and it is killing us. COVID is killing us. The next virus to blindside us will kill us. I get why William Shatner is so devastated after his space trip. Earth is life, and we are killing it.

It is so difficult to maintain a positive attitude and find joy in our world today. It isn't just one thing. It is everything.

Virginia ~

How is your back feeling? How is your blood pressure? Is it still quite low? I'm concerned about you. If you need help doing something, please call Laura to see if she can help you, or one of your very friendly neighbors.

I know you are compelled to get things done around your home and in your life. But sometimes, we need to take a break from it all, so we can rest.

I heard construction going on somewhere on my street today, and I was in the kitchen. I thought, I wish they were fixing my kitchen! And then, I remembered what that entailed, and I thought, "Oh well, I've lived with it since 2008. It's awful, but that's the way it had to be." My home needs upgrading in every room and the exterior. When I'm gone, whoever buys my home will tear it apart to make it the way they want it. That's how it's done in my community.

Just try to relax a bit and rest.

We are missing many members here, and it has been sad to see the decline in activity. For me, the silence in the Child Neurology forum has been quite difficult, as I miss the friends I made there. All we can do is keep the light on for anyone, who wants to join us again or for the first time.

Prayers and healing, positive energy for all in these very trying times ~ Be strong, persevere, be safe, stay well ~

Love & Light,

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Rose

*Virtual Hugs Are Germ-Free!


THANKS!

[Virginia]

Rose true confessions are good for the soul, so they say, so I will confess I haven't been as good as I should be about my BP. I will try to take it tonight. Sometime I take it twice or three times in a day, but then I skip several days. I know I need to do it. I will try to get better. It is, in my opinion, a little low and I am going to bring that to the Doctor's attention when I see her again. She said make an appointment with the Nurse. Well, I went on their website and there was no way to make an appointment with the Nurse. I am going to take care of all this by leaving a message and asking how I can go about getting an appointment with her Nurse.

I probably made a mistake today. I saw something about Medicare supplements on the internet and I sent in my name and telephone number. I received a call from a man who said I was in between a rock and hard place when I told him I had MS. He said in order to get my medication I would need to continue to pay what I am paying. Oh well!

I'll probably receive a zillion calls a day now.

[Howie]

I'm watching an X-files about a drought, and the flimflam man just made it start pouring rain. Boo!!!

[Virginia]

Howie, how did he make it start pouring rain? Maybe when my new plants need a little water I can use his method.


Okay, so day before yesterday I wrote in my post that my walking was really bad. Well, it was and it is. But nonetheless the desire for some food in the pantry and refrigerator took me out yesterday. I went to the drive through bank and the drive thru pharmacy. Then I parked and went inside the pharmacy to get a few items. After that I went to the grocery store and stayed for way over an hour. My steps were so small and I was so slow that it took me even longer than usual. In addition, I just needed a lot of things. I don't think I had been to get groceries in two weeks or more. I was really down to needing some things.

After I got home my youngest brother called and I talked to him quite awhile. Then I called my middle brother to see how a Doctor's appointment went, so I didn't get to eat until almost 9PM last night. I also had to give a shot because I messed one up Wednesday night. With all of this, I slept very little last night. Got up to find out my deck was standing in water and that it had rained at some point. Unless it is a very hard rain, I often do not hear it.

Today, I have done nothing but stay in my chair and rest all day. I put one load of towels in the washer and dryer and that's it. I am going to make some vegetable soup out of stuff I bought at the grocery store yesterday.

Oh by the way, in case anyone is keeping count - I got 19 bags of groceries yesterday and no I never have yet asked that they be packed light. I made 3 trips in, but a neighbor who saw me made either two or three. For once I didn't protest too much.

[agate]

Oh by the way, in case anyone is keeping count - I got 19 bags of groceries yesterday and no I never have yet asked that they be packed light. I made 3 trips in, but a neighbor who saw me made either two or three. For once I didn't protest too much.

Someone should be keeping count.

Some people with MS climb Mt. Everest. Some haul 19 bags of groceries in one day.

There are many stories about heroes with MS. This has been one of them.

(Probably nobody remembers a TV show called "Naked City"? It always ended by saying: "There are 8 million stories in the naked city. This has been one of them.")

[Virginia]

Well Agate, I have had many people tell me I should write a book, so maybe I will be part of a story.

Actually, I would never know how to write a book and don't have a lot of desire to live parts of my life again. I am glad for many things that I was able to do back before MS struck, but there are so many things that I just really don't want to deal with even in putting it on paper a second time.

However, I must be getting restless for a change again. I have been on the internet looking at brick fireplaces that are painted white. Some of them are really pretty and it can update a home if done right. I am not quite sure in my house, but if it turned out to be just the right color of white it might be good. I don't know how much this would cost, which is another factor. My brother gave the number for a painter to do some other work that I have been planning for a long time. Actually it is not much. I just want the wallpaper in my kitchen and one downstairs bath taken down and those rooms painted and I want the trim painted in my bedroom. I will wait until later to address the upstairs. The painter hasn't called me back. I understand they are inundated with work right now.

[stillstANNding]

Nineteen bags of groceries, oh, my! Someone is counting.
ANN

[Virginia]

Yes Ann, as I put them in the trunk of my car at the grocery store it gives me something to do to count each one and when I take them out at home I usually count again to make sure I got it right. Then I was laying in bed the night I bought all those groceries and I thought "Oh heck I wish I had remembered to get so and so".