OT January Chit Chat

[agate]

Didn't stillstANNding have cellulitis a year or two ago?

[nuthatch]

I remember Jeanie having a problem with cellulitis.

[stillstANNding]

I can't sleep when you talk about me! No cellulitis ever. I'm grateful for that.

Peg, I hope you pee the excess fluid out!

ANN

[Howie]

It's usually on the feet or legs, but can be anywhere. Now that I think about it, I'm going to mention it to my own doctor. I have something going on with the toes on one foot. The MS always throws a wild card on anything medical.

I'm numb on both feet, and can barely wiggle my toes, so it's easy to miss knowing if something is different about them. But one foot's toes look different.

I'll find out about it in a few weeks when I see my doctor again.

[Virginia]

Peg, I do hope this clears up soon.

I am very sad today. I belong to only two groups and one I have already decided to give up. That is my book club. It is women from here in the neighborhood and we get together once a month. We each fix a dish and it is good fellowship as well as fun discussing the book we have read that month. However, some of the steps are pretty high, and sometime people even forget to turn their porch light on. (Guess they are getting ready for all their guest). All this is alright for everyone other than me. Here I am with my pocketbook, my book, and whatever food I have fixed and trying to get up steps and I do not have a free hand to hold on and it is just getting awkward. I am beginning to dread it more than look forward to it because it has become so awkward. Last time we met I saw a young lady going in and yelled to her to help me and I am sure she didn't mean to, but she turned and looked at me as though she was in a hurry and needed to get in. She did hold the door for me, but did not take anything out of my hands to make getting in any easier. I am also always afraid I will drop something on someone's carpet or couch, etc. So giving that up.

Last night I went to my once a month meditation group. We use to have 9 to 10 members, but one got sick about two years ago and has not come back and one moved. Anyway we are down to 7 now. Last night the lady that holds it said "I have an announcement to make" Then she told us that one of the group members has been diagnosed with cancer. It is between the esophagus and something right under that. It is endocrine and has already gone to the liver and the lungs. He is probably in his early sixties. Very, very nice. Likes to play the guitar and we use to have a special get together where he and one other man played their guitars and that is all we did. He teaches school, and teaches "the little ones" art.

This truly put a damper on the evening. We did our meditation, but I don't think anyone was really able to concentrate on it. So now we are down to only 6 and I have known that I might have to give that up also. There are times I cannot go. The lady, whose house it is, has been a friend for quite awhile and she has lots of friends so I feel that she will be able to invite others to come. It is just that the seven of us had kind of settled into a good, caring group. She invited all of us for Christmas dinner. I did not go, but a man and his wife and the man who is now sick went and they said he took his guitar and played. She had other people there.

Anyway, kind of a sad day.

[Howie]

Virginia, you are very active which is a good thing. I wonder if a powerful flashlight would help with getting in to your book club? A powerful one like they advertise on TV called the Atomic Flashlight I think.

I hope you can work something out to keep going there. Being as active as you can is a big plus!

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[Jeanie Z]

:) Virginia might you be able to put your book and whatever dish you take in a backpack to keep your hands free? Or maybe you could explain to the group the trouble you are having and have one of them pick you up and help get you in.

I admire your staying active. I no longer go to any groups and stay in my pajamas a lot of days. Sometimes I sleep until after noon even. A big lack of energy.

Peg feel better. Cat can you check in please. Prying for all of us. Jeanie :)

[agate]

Peg, hope you're taking care and will be over this soon.

Virginia, I'm so sorry about the book group! It's been clear from your posts that it means a lot to you.

I agree with the suggestion about the flashlight--and if everyone is expected to bring a dish, maybe your "dish" could be a bag of rolls? A not-too-heavy bag with a good handle on it? If you had to warm them up after you got there, I'm pretty sure there'd be a way to do that easily.

And about the handbag--there may be a way of carrying things in pockets so you wouldn't need the handbag. I don't mind stuffing pockets full of items just to keep both hands free.

It would be a shame to give up on a book club you've been happy with.

[stillstANNding]

Virginia, can you just tell your book group that you need some help and spell out what that would be? I'm sure the group wants to keep you. Wouldn't you help and do what you could for someone else?

ANN

[stillstANNding]

Also, Agate, showed me my own post about the never ending cellulitis of my toe. I had forgotten about that.

Howie is right, nothing gets by her. Excellent memory, Agate!
ANN

[SalpalSally]

Hello folks!!!!!

how are you ????

[agate]

ANN, it wasn't my memory but the search engine here. If you enter "cellulitis" in the window for "search this forum" (top right of screen) and make sure you check "search posts," you'll find a number of posts about cellulitis here.

Hi Sally!

We still have entirely too much snow here. It's just not melting, with more on the way.

If this new snow doesn't stick, and the forecast says it won't but how believable are forecasts?--my neighbor and I are going to get some groceries tomorrow.

She's in her 90s and is very unsettled by all of this. I'm trying to persuade her to sign up for Meals-on-Wheels. At least it would be something, and they have been getting through to this building, I found out today when I called.

It's a disgrace that the company in charge of this building can find money to put up a rather fancy (electronically controlled) flagpole here but can't ever find the money to clear the snow off the entryway to this building (parking lot and a sloping driveway. Some of the neighbors have cleared off one another's cars but most people can't get their nice snow-free cars out.

[Virginia]

Hi Sally, good to see you! How are you doing?

Agate, I have a flashlight that I carry in my purse, but when your hands are full and you can't get to it, it is not much help. Also, this group has known for a long time that I have problems and that the problems are getting worse. Some of them just do not seem to "get" it and that is the problem.

We try not to carry rolls and bread because someone is always dieting. We make different dishes each month.

At least I will not have to "worry" about it as I have each month for a long time. Also, when it comes my time to have it at my house, it is really hard on me because usually the person who is holding it does more, and everyone likes to have their house clean. If it was only the clean part I would try to get my occasional maid to come help, but it is all the rest. There have been months that I have been very stressed out about this and that has not been good. I have to plan what I am going to take, then I have to plan how far ahead I can buy the ingredients I am going to use and plan a day to the grocery store, and get out china, silverware, glasses, remember to have a pitcher of water along with the drinks and on and on. Believe me I have held in there as long as I feel I can.

[jendie]

No snow here, thank goodness, just windy as all get out. I wasn't able to go to PT today because of all the wind. My legs were being very uncooperative this morning and I knew I wouldn't make it over to where PT is with the gusts.

[Cat Dancer]

I'm sorry, Virginia, that you have to give up the things you love. I was going to suggest that you hold the meetings in your home, but I see where you've posted how hard that is for you, too. This damn disease does tend to create isolation for all of us.

Someone asked about me..I'm here! :) Doing OK. Cold is still there, but not too bad. Coughing mainly at night when I'm lying down and "stuff" drains. I was supposed to go to physical therapy tomorrow- -- my last session -- but we've had a major ice storm here, and pretty well iced in, so I called and cancelled. Last meeting will be next week.

Still plugging away at exercises, but need to really get even more serious. I don't know if I will ever regain any more strength, but I can't give up just yet....

Anyway..haven't posted here because there's nothing much going on. Just stayin' alive...