June Chit Chat

[Howie]

My cheap movie is over. I've seen it 3 times now, and it was as bad the 3rd time as it was the other two times. But did that stop me? No.

It was Strange Invaders. A space aliens living on the Earth movie. That's exactly how I feel most of the time. But I'm a friendly alien.

Well, June is officially here. Live long, and prosper.

[agate]

Thank you, Howie, for starting this.

I feel as if I've just landed from some other planet too. I was watching a movie that takes place in a Chicago that looks quite different from the one I remember. And I still have to get used to seeing people going around glued to their phones. It's a new world.

[Virginia]

I got to get to bed. I will post tomorrow. Thanks Howie for starting us off.

[Sunshine]

Thank you for starting the thread. Yes, we likely all have felt like an alien on Earth...Its maybe part of the human condition to feel so separate?

[Parsi]

I haven't posted here in forever. I thought I'd let everyone know I'm still alive. Agate and Gary both let me know about the sad passing of Peg. At 68 I don't know how much time I have left. I don't feel like I'm at the end but who knows. Several of my classmates or their spouses have died in the last few years. I see people my age and even younger have died.

Walking and even standing is painful and difficult. Physical therapy helped a little but not much. I just don't carry through with the exercises at home. I should enroll (and participate) in exercise classes. A membership would be less expensive than the PT.
I have ongoing cognitive problems but I don't think they have worsened significantly in the last few years.

We reside now exclusively in Wisconsin, though we do retain an apartment in Tehran.

Our son and his family live about 20 minutes away.

DH retired in Iran, but works fulltime here at Walmart. Neither of us have Social Security.

[stillstANNding]

Hi Parsi, good to hear from you!

ANN

[agate]

Welcome back, Parsi! You've been a loyal member here ever since I can remember. So sorry you're having problems. One nicer thing about aging though is that when problems come along, you can always say "I'm just getting older" instead of wondering if MS is playing a new trick on you. That isn't much comfort though if you're in considerable pain.

I have found that keeping up with the PT exercises I've been given has helped my mobility and helped (probably) to prevent pain episodes, or at least to keep them from being so bad. I've been really lucky in having mostly very patient and conscientious PT people. That seems to be important. A couple of times I've been stuck with PT's who didn't seem much interested in helping me. Not good.

I'm so sorry that you and your DH aren't getting Social Security. Maybe the job he has now will mean that he can receive Social Security eventually. I hope so!

Hope you'll be able to join us more often!

[Parsi]

Welcome back, Parsi! You've been a loyal member here ever since I can remember. So sorry you're having problems. One nicer thing about aging though is that when problems come along, you can always say "I'm just getting older" instead of wondering if MS is playing a new trick on you. That isn't much comfort though if you're in considerable pain.

I have found that keeping up with the PT exercises I've been given has helped my mobility and helped (probably) to prevent pain episodes, or at least to keep them from being so bad. I've been really lucky in having mostly very patient and conscientious PT people. That seems to be important. A couple of times I've been stuck with PT's who didn't seem much interested in helping me. Not good.

I'm so sorry that you and your DH aren't getting Social Security. Maybe the job he has now will mean that he can receive Social Security eventually. I hope so!

Hope you'll be able to join us more often!

My main problem is that though I should be motivated because of the pain, I'm lazy.

DH would have to work several years before eligible for SS. I still need perhaps a year and half? But finding something I can do is discouraging. Most jobs ask for multitasking or lifting,

[agate]

This was many years ago but I recall my mother taking a job specifically so she could get Social Security. She'd been a housewife/mom most of her life, and her work as a writer and at a couple of other jobs hadn't involved the SS system, so she was facing old age with no income.

When my dad died there was only enough to see her through for a few years. So she took a job in her 60s and worked until she had to retire (it was age discrimination but back then that concept didn't exist), but at that point at least she was eligible for SS and lived on it until she died. She was lucky enough to get into HUD housing and so had low rent. Luckily she was able to find jobs that she could do and liked fairly well. And she made some good friends while working.

[Virginia]

Parsi, so good to see your post. I am sorry you are not doing too well. I think at 68 you have a long way to go. I am older than you by a number of years and like you I am not good about keeping up with my exercises. I use the fact that I have housework, grocery shopping, cooking, etc as an excuse. I know I should put the exercise first, but I live alone and the other things have to get done. Then when I do a little bit I have to sit down for awhile.

I wish you did have SS. Does this mean that you do or do not have Medicare? I hope you at least have that.

I am glad Agate and Gary got in touch with you about Peg. It still doesn't seem quite real to me. She always started our Chit Chat thread, every month without fail. We are so glad Howie got us started this month. He did a good job.

[agate]

Parsi, somehow 5 years comes to mind as the number of years my mother (and an aunt as well) had to work before being eligible for SS but those rules could have changed.

You might be able to play the MS card in job situations. I'm not sure how this works but understand that many employers are now required to accommodate various disabilities. If a job seemed to involve heavy lifting, they might hire you anyway with the provision that you be exempt from the heavy lifting part. I'm just guessing here.

Too bad Catdancer isn't here to provide some input. I believe she's an experienced disabilities counselor?

[agate]

Howie, I sent you a PM.

[Virginia]

Agate, I didn't have to worry about SS because I had worked enough years that I knew I could get it, or my husband's. However, I remember them telling me that it was based on the number of quarters you had worked and I can't remember how many that was.

I just wonder if the fact that Parsi has MS and is disabled would in any way play into this. I would think that it should, but I don't know.

[Howie]

Thanks Agate. I just checked, and my SS is there. I love the online banking system.

I will wait until early tomorrow to do all my running around. I planned for it being Monday, but I'm really glad it was today.

Now back to my second mug of coffee!

[SuzE-Q]

Howie, how did we ever survive using those piddly coffee cups before the more generous coffee mugs were created?

Parsi, it's so nice to see you. You must join our monthly exercise thread that Sunshine starts as it got me off my butt and motivated me to exercise more. That and our inspiring 'movers' who show that consistent, regular movement really does help.

I know I felt the difference very quickly even though I started small and slow. Please think about joining in, every little bit of movement helps!

Please let us know if you hear from Cat too!

Virginia - you're thinking of Leah Murray.

Shingles vaccine next week - wish me luck!

And RSlater was the username for the member agate mentioned.

I also would like to propose a name change for the chit chat thread to something like "Peg's Monthly Chat", or something that honors her memory and reflects her cherished place here. It is just not the same without her starting it, and I'd like to remember her in the name moving forward if we could for whomever will be starting it. It just seemed strange not to have any mention of her in this new month's thread.