OT July Chit Chat

[Howie]

Well, it was payday, and I had everything planned out in order. So I leave the house and get in the car, turned the key, and nothing! I knew something was up because the doors didn't unlock when I pushed the button on my keychain to unlock the doors.

So I unlocked it the "old fashioned way", putting the key in the door lock, and turning it. I was now inside, put the key in the ignition, turned it, and NOTHING! This is a brand new battery!

I came in and called my sister. What would I do without her helping me whenever I need help?

She came down, and we mailed my bills, then took me to the bank, then CVS....twice....and I am still short of one med that's supposed to come in tomorrow. But because I keep my pills when I end up with an extra one or two, I have enough to last me until CVS gets a new supply.

I have a good battery in the pink car which I will put into the PT Cruiser.....but not today. My balance was terrible today. More than usual, and I'm not sure why. I didn't sleep well the last few nights, but I sure will tonight.

I hope everyone has a great day!

[Sunshine]

That sounds very hard Howie. We are so dependent on others....

Did you start a new med recently?

I know you can unlock car with tha valet key. Check manual to see how to start car if th key battery is dead? Here is a link with possibilities. Might be others. Google how to start car with dead key battery
Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

[Sunshine]

Happy anniversary nuthatch!

[Howie]

Thanks Sunshine, that's some valuable information. I'll save it on my computer.

And I've started no new meds. I tried a few that had a bad reaction for me. So for a while, I've been on the ones I've taken for years. If my BP is a little high, then maybe that's normal for me, and trying to force it lower doesn't work for me.

To me, it's about how I feel, not reaching some number. I could be wrong, but I'm 64, and ready to die. Living is more than your heart keeps beating. I'm not really living now. I just stay alive, but nothing more. My "life" is boring.

And for the mother hens, I would never commit suicide, period!

[agate]

I could be wrong, but I'm 64, and ready to die.

Oh gimme a break. The government is paying us to take care of ourselves. It did just that today, once again, coming through for us still in spite of everything.

It's too bad about your car, but your sister is an angel. I hope that if the battery is defective, you can get it replaced at no cost to you. You said it's new--are there warranties on car batteries?

Maybe there will be an easier fix. I hope so.

Cherie, does 23andMe give you any information about the 1,000+ first-degree relatives?

[Jeanie Z]

:) Happy Anniversary Joan & hubby! I hope you both have a great day and year. Jeanie :)

[Parsi]

Peg, I'm sorry to hear about Mellow Yellow. I had an alley/barn cat when I was little. She gave birth to many litters and several of the kittens were run over through the years. :(

Nuthatch, Happy anniversary.

Howie, that's annoying about the car. Or did the car know your balance was off and tried to keep you safe by not allowing you to drive?

Cherie, who is included as first-degree relatives? First cousins obviously, but beyond that? Their children? Grandchildren?
Edited: In a search, the definition was much more narrow than I expected: Parents, full siblings, children.
However thefreedictionary.com gave a definition closer to what I had expected: Those descended from a common ancestor.

[Sunshine]

Thanks Sunshine, that's some valuable information. I'll save it on my computer.

And I've started no new meds. I tried a few that had a bad reaction for me. So for a while, I've been on the ones I've taken for years. If my BP is a little high, then maybe that's normal for me, and trying to force it lower doesn't work for me.

To me, it's about how I feel, not reaching some number. I could be wrong, but I'm 64, and ready to die. Living is more than your heart keeps beating. I'm not really living now. I just stay alive, but nothing more. My "life" is boring.

And for the mother hens, I would never commit suicide, period!

I hear you Howie. You maybe looking for purpose in your life....since this spiraling disability, I know I struggle with that daily... No, I wouldn’t suicide either. ...But often wonder what the point is. A wise person once said that it is enough to breathe in and breathe out and take advantage of moments that offer an opportunity to offer up kindness... so I keep it in mind. But it doesn’t mean I don’t still struggle with it.

When I feel very bad physically, I am not bored. My boredom sets in when I feel a bit better, but not well enough to seek out stimulation.

I also make it a point to venture out each day where there are peopel, e.g. grocery store, or fruit stand, or doc visit, or used book store. Because I feel way more hopeless, bored, isolated if I spend a whole day at home....I force myself to get out for even just 45 minutes, every day, even when I don’t feel good....

I talk with my MS friend at the beach about this. We both feel more connected, less bored, when we sit in nature (in the shade of course).

[agate]

No, I wouldn’t suicide either. ...But often wonder what the point is.

I'm pretty sure there's no point--not really for any of us. We're lucky enough to have been given a life, a bit of time on this earth. How long that time will be can't be known. But that time is there for us.

[Catdancer]

I hear you, Howie. I've told TC..and the attorney who is preparing updated living wills, powers of attorney and other such documents for us: They've poked and prodded me enough. I have a catheter, colostomy, hearing aids, eye implants (cataract surgery)….there is nothing left to attach to the outside of my body. Something else goes wrong...that's it, that's all, I'm not doing more surgery to "fix" something else, I'm not taking any more meds than I'm now taking. I'm not looking for breast cancer or colon cancer or vaginal cancer (there, Howie, that's something you don't have to worry about!! ), or anything else but maintenance. What's here is what you've got. This fails any more...then so be it. I won't kill myself...but I won't stop it from happening, either.....

[Sunshine]

Some weird attachment popped up here...will try again next post

[Sunshine]

I remember when you were plagued by that horrible bedsore, just about ready to give up. But they pulled you through it and so glad we all were, and still are, that you are still in our MS community.

We are a small group now. Perhaps because we are so small, we have a sense of each other as people, even if we don’t know all the details such as names, and so forth. But we know some very basic and true things about each other’s core, by reading the posts, sharing posts .... it’s not a real life friend, but awfully nice to share our struggles with one another, since we “get it” to some extent.

[Howie]

Well said Sunshine.

[nuthatch]

Thank you for all the anniversary wishes. Can't believe it's been 47 years already . . . I'm not even that old! . . . ha ha ha.

I've been reading about the oppressive heat across the US, especially in the east. The weather has been so up and down here that the garden is not producing much. It was 90 degrees two days ago, but the high is only 70 today. I don't remember it ever being this consistently windy as this year. Is this the result of global warming?

[agate]

Thanks for checking in, nuthatch!

Howie, I'm sorry I probably misunderstood what you said earlier about being ready to die. You were saying you didn't want to try any new meds or new procedures or anything being promoted that might (possibly) improve your health.