October chit-chat

[Virginia]

Tim, that looks good. I used to go out to breakfast a lot, but MS put a stop to that. I always enjoyed it.

Agate, I have a walkway to walk down and I use a cart for that, then I have to bring the groceries up one bag at a time. I have six steps, then a porch and the foyer before I can go into my kitchen to put things away. I made 5 trips Monday. Then remembered I had a pair of slacks that I picked up at the cleaners and had to go back out and down the walkway and bring them in.

[agate]

I'm finding I can get by with putting off some tasks that I thought I absolutely had to do by a certain time. For instance, if I'd left slacks in a car but was tired, I might just leave them there until a better time. Unless I was counting on wearing them soon of course and had nothing else that I could wear instead..

I might leave some groceries in the car too--canned goods, paper products--till another day. Who would know or care? Maybe I'd forget I'd done that but the next time I got into the car, I'd surely see them.

Yes, it's nice to have everything all done and squared away. But there are times when I prefer to feel better and just relax some standards. I'm not trying to criticize the way you did things, Virginia--but just saying that there are other ways sometimes even though they may not be your preferred way or the way you've always done things. MS twists us into pretzels and twists our lifestyle too...

Tomorrow is a busier day than I'd like to have but I've been bracing myself for it. I need to get to an appointment with the podiatrist, then come back, eat lunch and take a nap, then be visited by the audiologist who needs to make an adjustment in my hearing aids. I'm lucky that she's willing to come here to do it--sparing me another trip.

[Prot]

Agate I'm finding that it's better for me to do things gradually, than do a whole heap of things all at once. Pain aside, although not clinically fatigued - my energy levels aren't as high as they used to be.

[agate]

I often think of a couple of tired old sayings:

Slow but steady wins the race.

And:

Rome wasn't built in a day.

Things can get done even if they're done in stages.

[Prot]

That's very true. I pay quite a heavy price pain wise if I do too much at one time. Have got an odd thing going on eating wise. Feeling lethargic and dozy after eating . Have had it before, but nowhere near as frequently as it's currently happening.

[agate]

Drowsiness after eating? I don't know what causes it but I went through a long spell of it many years ago, but only after breakfast. I'd have to sit and doze off for about an hour right after eating. Bur since I had recently been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and was struggling to get the blood sugar under control, it may have been a blood sugar issue. It went away gradually and maybe yours will too. Is blood sugar a problem for you?

[Prot]

When I lived in Essex my blood sugar was edging into pre diabetic level. I was not doing very well. Basically self neglecting.Including food wise. I had over a dozen takeaway menus and also an account at Just eat with even more places to choose from. Was having 2-3 big takeaways a week,especially Chinese. When I moved to a much smaller town in Wiltshire there were far less takeaway places and far less takeaway menus being shoved through my letter box. I've cut down to about a couple of smaller take aways a month. Blood sugar has improved as has cholesterol.

[Virginia]

Agate, I would have left my slacks in the car until later, I certainly considered it, but they are very nice slacks and we are told not to tempt car break ins. So I trudged back out there.

[agate]

Leaving anything of any value anywhere in your car seems to be a problem, from what I've been hearing. Car thieves are incredibly clever and fast.

[jingle]

Virginia -- all those steps!! That's why I recently moved. I left my condo, two bedrooms, two baths then a flight of stairs to the mostly finished basement and another bathroom. Plus a two car garage with steps to get into the house. I've moved into this tiny apartment with no steps. A one car garage, two bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths. It's even no steps to get from the garage into the apartment, no steps from the driveway onto the porch and no steps into the house. On it's nice. It's been a major problem trying to fit in but worth it. I just could not handle all the steps.

[agate]

I agree--steps can be tiring even if you don't realize it.

When MS was still fairly new to me, I lived in an apartment where the bathroom was accessible only by going up 2 steps. They were fairly tall steps but only 2 of them. It never occurred to me that they were part of the problem--until I moved to a different apartment in the same building with no steps to the bathroom.

I was amazed at how much more energy I had each day after making that move.

[jingle]

Agate, is it quiet where you live? Back in the condo the teens across the street roared their radios and closed windows did not help. And I could hear every motorcycle or loud car. I could sometimes hear the people on either side. Here there is never a sound and I'm even closer to a street. The insulation or something is incredible. I love this quiet.

[Virginia]

I agree with the two of you. I had no idea I had MS when I moved here and it was some years before I knew how bad steps can be when your legs feel like they weigh a ton, and you already deal with extreme fatigue and a host of other things. I don't think I could withstand a move. I am too worn out.

I will say this for my place. It is very, very quite. A large street runs by the entrance to my neighborhood, but I get no noise from it. Like Jingle said my place is very well insulated. I only have neighbors on one side. I have an end unit, so I have windows in every room but my bathrooms. The layout is good because I don't have to climb the inside steps for every day living, but I do have to go up there to dust the bedroom and clean the bathroom.

I was so disappointed that these places do not have garages. If they did I would not think of leaving. I didn't like that when I bought it, but back then unless I could pay 3 times as much to get the equivalent of what I have here, I couldn't find a townhouse with a garage. I guess we are all lucky to have our places.

[agate]

jingle, it's really very quiet here. My place faces the building's fenced back yard, which is so undeveloped that hardly anyone is ever going by except for an occasional dog-walking neighbor. The walls are a bit thin though, and sounds can be heard from other apartments.

People here usually try to be considerate, and that is good.

Quite a contrast from an apartment in Chicago where I lived for a few years. I lived there because it was the least expensive housing I could the neighbors liked to party loudly. One had an electric piano that seemed to be on constantly, and another liked to play only a couple of songs at top volume with the bass turned way up.

I got very familiar with "Call Me" and "Another One Bites the Dust." They were so loud that my apartment walls vibrated with the sound.

[Prot]

My daughter put in bids for new accommodation for me as after the falls, and the hip replacement- going down the stairs was too risky. The housing association wouldn't let me move to a 1st floor property even if there was a lift. All your places sound as though they're huge compared to mine. I have an open plan kitchen -diner -lounge +bedroom + bathroom with sit down shower. It's a small flat, but an ample size for me.