June Chit Chat

[agate]

Changing the name of the Chitchat thread to honor Peg sounds like a wonderful idea to me, SuzE-Q. How do other people feel? If everyone is OK with that, I'll gladly ask the moderators about doing that. Or someone else can ask if anyone would like to.

Thanks for remembering rslater. Shameful that I didn't remember it because I had quite a lot of communication with her personally.

We certainly should mention Peg in this Chitchat thread. The first of the month can be a very busy time for some of us (me anyway), and important matters get set aside or overlooked.

I sent a note to Peg's family and am glad that others are stepping up to the plate and contacting them as well. So far I'm not sure about the address because Jeanie Z came up with one version which she got from Farmer Joe, but online it's slightly different. The two are close enough, though--the numbers all match up--and I have a feeling it's a situation where the post office has changed the street name somewhat, and so two versions of it are floating around.

Right now I'm on my way to do a fast (I hope) online order for an OTC med I found I'm about to run out of. I'm just hoping Walgreen's won't shillyshally around about sending it. Last night I realized I have only about a week's supply of it left, and it's the Claritin that helps me to breathe better and cough less.

[Sunshine]

Start Slow Parsi.

My Friend started with a one minute walk.
What type of movement does the MS allow you to do? All of theresesarch points to the benefit of moving on MS patients. It also helps a lot with Depression for MS and non MS people alike

Housework def counts BTW

Start slow and every few days Incase it by small increments.

Trust me, i didn’t start off at 700 yards of swimming after my crippling attack. I started off at 50 yards.

You can do this!!!

[Virginia]

I am all for doing something to honor Peg in this thread. Thanks Suze-Q for bringing it up.

Suze-Q, yes you are right it was Leah Murray and how I could forget that I don't know since that was my maiden name.

I remember RSlater. She was on a lot back then. I think she was Rita if I remember correctly.

[agate]

Yes, she was Rita, and she died. I believe she had a bad reaction to one of the MS drugs--either Avonex or Copaxone--a really bad infection. I don't recall if that was the cause of her death even though I was in contact with her.

[stillstANNding]

Yes to Peg’s Chit Chat.

ANN

[Virginia]

Agate, if I remember correctly I believe Rita had a bad site reaction to Copaxone and got necrosis of the skin. The Nurse kept telling her to put hot water on the site and she did and it got worse and worse. I believe a friend of hers came on after that and said that Rita had done everything the nurse had told her to do and the nurse told her to keep giving the shots and I think she did that. I might be a little wrong on this, but it is kind of the way I remember it.

[Cherie]

Actually, I think I started Chit Chat and when I stepped off the Board for a while Peg started the monthly threads. I have no problem with it being renamed but there may be folks who might cross paths with us now and in the future who did not know Peg and might be more inclined to join Chit Chat than Pegs Chit Chat. Just a thought.

I got in from Seattle this afternoon late and Dave and I went out to dinner on the way home from the airport to celebrate our 44th anniversary. The Consortium was exhausting and there was so much to learn and process. Will try and post some of it when I am less tired in the coming days.

[Howie]

No, I'm not up this late, I'm up this early. Good morning all!

Cherie, the voice of reason. You're right about the Chit Chat name change. It may make someone new feel unwelcome to join in. Perhaps having a gif named after her, like Grassman does. Like the gif she used of someone riding a horse. It's not a regular gif here, I looked. Anyway, just an idea.

I'm going to do my running around this morning. Mostly, the bank and store, and mail off my bills. Then tomorrow, the dump, and CVS.

Well, I'm working on my first mug of coffee. Everyone have a great day!

[agate]

Howie, I think this is what you mean? It's viewable among the smilies if you're in Advanced mode. If you hover over it, it says "Grassman." (There's also the Medicinal Cannabis forum in his memory.)

This sounds like a good idea to me though I don't recall the image of someone riding a horse. I'm sure there's an image that could be used somewhere on the Internet.

One problem with memorializing anyone here is that if you memorialize one, what about everyone else? Where to draw the line? Which person's contributions here are regarded as worthy of memorializing if that person dies? I'd like to think that everyone is equally important here though of course those who seldom post are apt to slip through the cracks, as we've seen just now when trying to remember people who were here long ago.

There would also be some feelings to the effect that we're being unfair if we start honoring people by featuring them in a special way on this board. Or that we've become something like a clique--a group of old-guard people who've been hanging around here for years, the sort of group newcomers hesitate to join.

I'm of two minds about this. On the one hand, it's a lovely tribute. On the other hand, it creates a somewhat different atmosphere, and I'm not sure I'd like the impression it would make.

My guess is that members of her family aren't going to be dropping by here to see such a tribute, but they are the ones who have been hit the hardest by her death. I hope that everyone who feels inclined will write a note of sympathy to the family and send a donation to the MS Foundation if you're able to do that.

[Howie]

Well said Agate. I vote we just leave things like they have been.

[Virginia]

Thanks Agate, I like your post and feel the way you do. We all already miss her and we all know that we do. I am sure we will be thinking of her a lot. I agree about the cards and notes and donations for those who can.

[Virginia]

Nuthatch, wish you would come on more often. Just stop by and say a little something. You can see that much of what we say doesn't amount to much, but we try to just keep up with what is going on in each others lives. I hope you are having more luck with the lymphedema. I know that it would be depressing, at least for me. Even just the edema that I have gets depressing as far as trying to keep it at bay. I always start to wonder if you are alright.

[agate]

Look for nuthatch to be back early in this week, I think.

[nuthatch]

Just recovered enough to catch up reading here and post after, sending my daughter and Tula off for the long drive home this morning. Had 3 wonderful days with our lovely daughter and precious granddaughter. Tula has grown, is full of imagination, has quite a sense of humor and is packed full of energy. She's really blossomed since the last visit in January.

Visits never are long enough but we did manage to get her pumpkin patch planted so that pumpkins will be ready for the next fall visit. We also flew a kite (a new experience for her), she went to farmer's market with Grandpa, we played hide and seek (not easy in a wheelchair!) and raced up and down our wide, long hallway numerous times! I don't think I got more than 4 to 5 hours of sleep a night, because I didn't want to miss a single moment!

I'm still very shocked by our Peg's passing and it makes me realize how precious and short life is.
Agate, would you please PM me an address so I can send a card.

Virginia, I'm okay. The lymphedema is depressing but I've been dealing with it so long now, it just is what it is. At least it's not as out of control as it once was. I have pictures, it would horrify you!

Speaking of pictures, last evening Tula asked if we could watch a kid video on my computer. They don't have a TV at home and her parents limit her TV viewing, so I asked her if she'd like to see some pictures I have on my computer of when she was younger. I got the picture program up and was zooming through my millions of unorganized photos trying to skip past the photos of the construction of our house, and the other pictures I didn't need to show her, when I remembered I had made a slide show put to the music of Crazy Love, so I put that on for her to see.

The slide show starts with pictures of my daughter during her pregnancy, an ultra sound picture of Tula developing, then as a newborn through her first year of life with her mama and daddy . . . beautiful tender pictures. She was so touched, she broke into tears of love. It was so unexpected and oh so sweet. Her mama came and they watched it over and over while holding each other in a warm embrace, giggling and loving. It was a beautiful culmination to a visit that I'll always treasure!!

Hope everyone is doing well and can focus on the good things in life, even when things are not what we wish them to be.
Holding you all in my thoughts and prayers.

Joan

[Lazarus]

Agate, if I remember correctly I believe Rita had a bad site reaction to Copaxone and got necrosis of the skin. The Nurse kept telling her to put hot water on the site and she did and it got worse and worse. I believe a friend of hers came on after that and said that Rita had done everything the nurse had told her to do and the nurse told her to keep giving the shots and I think she did that. I might be a little wrong on this, but it is kind of the way I remember it.

I had a bad reaction to betaseron. A surgeon did something to drain it even though there was nothing in it to drain. So the surgeon’s efforts turned an ugly reaction gangrenous. That put me in the hospital for a week and led to me going on disability. End of career. It was tough to recover from gangrene/etc.