November Chit Chat Check In

[stillstANNding]

Ollie, ollie in free
Anyone around my base?

ANN

[agate]

Well, yesterday I ran into a problem in the laundry room when I opened up the washer expecting to get my laundry out and put it in a dryer--and water poured out onto the floor. I immediately shut the washer door and gingerly tiptoed my way through the wet floor to the managers' office, which luckily happened to be open. They did come to my aid--and I didn't even have to mop the floor, but I did have to wring out every item of my laundry into a bucket, put it into the dryer so as to make it less sopping, wait for some of it to air dry overnight, then run it through another washer today because it apparently never went through a rinse cycle when the machine went blotto.

The repair guy came in within an hour or so (record time--sometimes we wait many days) and I'm told he replace a pump in the washer.

I've been busier than usual, and glued to the TV in every spare moment. Today when in the laundry room (again) I encountered another person doing laundry (she was someone's helper, I think) glued to her phone where she was getting access to the same event. Hint: It wasn't a big game.

Many thanks to everyone who takes part in the Politics blog!

[Virginia]

Agate, that is my nightmare. I was running my washing machine recently and it made a REALLY loud noise. I ran in hoping that it was just that the linens all got pushed to one side and that was it. Well, it was still running and I looked inside and there was nothing wrong. I will knock on wood as I type this, it has been alright and I have done probably six more loads of laundry. I was so afraid I was going to have to wring my clothes out the way you did. I don't have the strength to do that if it happens to be my queen size sheets, or even my towels for the week. But I don't want to buy a new washer if there is nothing wrong with it.

I have been glued to the TV also the past few days. Today was very, very interesting.

[agate]

Yes, it was a nightmare. I hadn't had breakfast yet and was feeling much too wobbly to cope very well. The whole experience persuaded me that I shouldn't ever think about doing laundry during times when the office isn't open. If it hadn't been for their help, I don't know what I would have done. They brought a couple of buckets so I could wring my laundry into them. There were towels and I did a very clumsy job of wringing but I just paid for more dryer time and air dried them the rest of the way. Even after an hour and a half in the dryer, they still had to be hung up to dry for the rest of the day.

I'm especially glad I didn't have to call the maintenance people either. There is a company that has to be called, and they're hard to get hold of. The managers had no problem getting them but every time I've tried, it's been a project, and then waiting for them to show up has been another project.

[agate]

In case you didn't notice, David Hosobuchi has a new post in Forum Feedback.

[Jeanie Z]

:) I hesitate to put my measly exercises on here. I stood for 3 minutes with the walker, then did 20 heel lifts, then stood for another minute. I also get on and off the scooter and john several times a day. My bladder retraining is going good considering I had the catheter for 5 months.

Y'all are like Olympic athletes. But maybe putting my exercises on will help someone else struggling to move.

I am not going to Andy's band tonight. I still have the cold and cough. I am taking vitamins and antioxidants. We are all going to Jim's for TG. I sent them a check to get it at Publix. I hope all of you have a good Thanksgiving. Jeanie :)

[Virginia]

I hope it is the same one that I have been meaning to answer, and not anything that is going to upset us. (The new post I mean)

I am so tired. I stayed in bed all morning. I went to get nails done yesterday and to Whole Foods where I did a little shopping and I got a salad for last night. I also went to K-Mart pharmacy.

I have been getting up earlier than usual to watch the hearings and it finally has hit me. Also, I had a nightmare this morning. I actually could hear myself trying to scream and it was more like a guttural sound. I couldn't get it out. Then I did scream the word "No", but what I remember dreaming is that my deceased husband was leaving and he was taking the car. I looked around for my car and there was no car left. I almost never dream of him, but this was a bad dream and it would have been out of character for him. He was leaving me because I was sick and also he was mad. He always took care of me when I was sick and he seldom lost his temper, at least with me. Where do these crazy things come from? When I was finally able to wake myself I just felt spent and depressed. I am going to read some this afternoon and try to take my mind off this.

Hope all of you are having a good day.

[Virginia]

Hi Jeanie, we were posting at the same time. Hope you get to feeling better.

[agate]

I hope it is the same one that I have been meaning to answer, and not anything that is going to upset us. (The new post I mean)

I am so tired. I stayed in bed all morning. I went to get nails done yesterday and to Whole Foods where I did a little shopping and I got a salad for last night. I also went to K-Mart pharmacy.

I have been getting up earlier than usual to watch the hearings and it finally has hit me. Also, I had a nightmare this morning. I actually could hear myself trying to scream and it was more like a guttural sound. I couldn't get it out. Then I did scream the word "No", but what I remember dreaming is that my deceased husband was leaving and he was taking the car. I looked around for my car and there was no car left. I almost never dream of him, but this was a bad dream and it would have been out of character for him. He was leaving me because I was sick and also he was mad. He always took care of me when I was sick and he seldom lost his temper, at least with me. Where do these crazy things come from? When I was finally able to wake myself I just felt spent and depressed. I am going to read some this afternoon and try to take my mind off this.

Hope all of you are having a good day.

That was a scary dream! A good many of us probably have a similar nightmare in some form or other--of being left, stranded, with no one and nothing to help us. Maybe it what happens when you have a chronic neurological disorder that not much is known about and that there is so little real help for.

Let's face it--those disease-modifying drugs help only some people, and most don't see very dramatic improvements in the way they feel over time. They have the satisfaction of thinking that without that drug, things might have been much worse--more relapses, worse relapses. But that's hard to be sure about.

So each of us is all alone with a disorder our friends and family probably don't understand much about. Our doctors may not know so much either, or if they do, maybe what they think they know is wrong.

Being stranded with the car gone is like losing our mobility, and that is truly scary. For most of us here, we've already lost quite a bit of mobility and we're afraid of losing more of it.

(Need your dream interpreted? If Howie can pull teeth, maybe agate can interpret dreams. Bargain-basement rates!)

[SuzE-Q]

That nightmare must have shaken you, Virginia.

I've just started trying melatonin again to sleep, but a very small dose to try to avoid the vivid dreams.

So I dreamt that I was dating Prince Harry (who is NOT of an appropriate age for me! ) and I was mad that the paparazzi was tailing us trying to snap photos.

I guess I'm relieved it wasn't a scary dream, but I wasn't very happy in it.

[SuzE-Q]

Those are good exercises, Jeanie. They keep your muscles from wasting and will keep you moving. Good job!

[Howie]

I take an OTC sleep med that's really just Benadryl. Sleep like a baby, and dream pleasant dreams.

[Virginia]

Agate, I think you interpreted it pretty accurately. I saw myself so vividly standing in the driveway of the house we had when he died, he was backing out of the driveway in his car and I was looking back at the garage and my car was gone. He was gone, both cars were gone and I was totally alone and sick. He never knew I had MS, but in the dream I remember before that sitting in our din trying to tell him, which in reality I had no idea at the time. I also remember saying but I didn't leave you when you had cancer.

I still just don't know where these weird thoughts and feelings come from. When something like this happens it usually takes me a couple of days to get over it. I saw him more vividly than I had in a long time.

Howie, you just sleep like a baby because Sam is there to take care of you. That is the reason I would like to see you get another cat.

I don't think I could dream up Prince Harry though. That at least is a comforting thought.

[Jeanie Z]

:) This morning I fell transferring from my scooter to the bed. I was wedged in between the scooter and the bed. I hit the panic button and ADT called and I told her I needed the paramedics. They came in 5 minutes.

They used that big strap with loops on both ends to raise me to standing and I sat on the bed. This time my good leg gave way. I guess I need to increase the number of times a day I do the exercises. Because I have arthritis in my good leg's knee might be part of the cause.

I have not been out of the house for about two weeks. I just have no energy. I am sleeping at least 8 hours. I am discouraged. Dr. Stanley's sermon yesterday was wonderful. I also like Allen Jackson.

I am going to bed and try to nap. Jeanie :)

[agate]

Too bad you had another fall, Jeanie! I hope no harm was done. Falls can shake a person up pretty badly even if there are no bruises or broken bones. Hope you're feeling OK now.

You've inspired me to get on with that exercise booklet I recently got. I've glanced through it a couple of times but have been meaning to look at it more carefully and start doing some of the exercises in it or modifying the ones I'm already doing.