Party room- a place for fun, pity, commiserating, or any other thing you come up with

[Mark N]

Carol, pacing ourselves does seem to be the hardest part of recovery. I bet 90% of spinies are type A personalities. Sleep ius so hard to come by when we are in so much pain it is exciting to sleep for 7 hours without waking up. It is great to hear that you and Big Joe are doing so well during recovery.

I had a hard time waking up again today but forced myself to get up at 3PM, of course I didn't get to sleep until 7AM. Penny and I did a bit more on the flooring and we started moving in more of the furniture so we can start to see how the room will look. We are really going to like it especially when we get the bedroom part done. It will just take time to get everything done and I will be happy if we are finished by Christmas.

[puddykat]

Hi everyone,

Still fighting this little cold but I definitely have the upper hand YEHAA!! Sleeping more than usual, perhaps that's helping along with ensure when I miss meals. Just don't have appetite.......until today. I'd mentioned weeks ago was hungry for Pizza Hut Supreme.......low and behold SO remembered, brought one home with him today, size medium, but all I could get down was a slice and 1/2. You can guess what I'm eating for dinner Hard to find things I like to eat for last month or so, and when I do eat, can't eat very much. Sometimes have a 10p.m. snack to help.

So happy for Joe and Carol that you're doing so well after your surgeries. Just don't overdo. Had mine in '84
and overdid, as most of us do, hello pain. But that was years ago. They do surgeries a lot differently now.

Mark you and Penny seem to be working quite fast on that flooring etc. It's going to be beautiful when all finished........and you did it yourselves. Be proud, very proud!

Our weekend looks like it's going to be a wild/windy time of it coming from MN etc. They have warnings out in parts of those states so guess we might be getting some of those too. Hang onto your hats if your in the mid states.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend....don't blow away Hugs to all, kat

[Mark N]

Kat, it is great to hear you are getting the upper hand on your cold. It is hard to eat when you don't have an appetite and I have found Ensure to be a good substitute when I get like that. It was nice of SO to bring you the pizza and to think you had some for supper too:). We have done the floor ourselves but it really isn't any harder than putting an easy puzzle together as the pieces just lock and snap in together. We don't even have to fasten it to the floor in any way. I am doing some upgrading in the moulding though and also creating raised panel walls. It takes a long time to do with all the interruptions my pain and sleep cause but it is nice to see it coming together.

Joe and Carol, keep healing and enjoy your improving health.

Penny and I took a trip to a city 35 minutes away for some needed wood and moulding. It is discourgaing such a short trip is so difficult and wears me out so much. At least I now have the wood and moulding needed to start putting on the finishing touches. I hope to have the work done within the next month and a half. I am creating raised panels on the lower half of the wall here in the family room and putting down tile under the washer, dryer, and sink. The big job tomorrow is to get all our remortgage paper work out to the company.

[newcervie]

Hi! I'm checking in and catching up on the posts. Halloween was fun but very tiring as I carried the baby around while my son trick-or-treated. My daughter has returned to waking us up around 4 AM. She's still taking antibiotics for her 2nd round of ear infections so we're not sure what's up. Guess we'll be heading back to the doctor if this continues through the weekend.

My neck is really upset. I can't turn my head right now. It began bugging me in mid-September but it went to a new level earlier this week. I do have an appointment with my physiatrist this coming week for a shot into the scalenes. Since this shot didn't help the neck itself last time, I'm thinking I'm going to hold on the shot and make it a follow up appointment where we discuss the possibilities of other treatments for the ulnar nerve and the neck. I've got to get the symptoms under control.

Carol - I agree with Mark regarding pacing yourself. I'm always anxious to get back to "normal" activities after surgeries but I've rushed it, too. I haven't had spine surgery (yet) but had chest surgery for a nerve compression. For me, week 3 and 4 were worse than week 1 and 2 and I was dealing with an allergic reaction in week 1.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

[puddykat]

Sounds like everyone's doing fairly well altho our pain could always be better. Slept all of Thursday, those next days awake are not greatest. My appetite and other things have slowly been going downhill along w/weight. Don't know if I said but had major, major to me, stroke last week, think last week. I used to have 'some' interest in things, now I really don't care anymore much about anything, altho I do get my moments. And I still enjoy coming here talking with my friends here, altho I hope I'm not always such a downer. Don't know where it's coming from today........ Usually after sleeping all day I can't sleep much that night but now sleep like a log. But do have occasional night where I'm in/out of bed alot, it's called sundowning, esp, if I can't sleep or have lots of pain. Today is lots of back pain w/more to come as SO will be home soon with groceries; I help him get them in from garage, unpack/put away. I try to do that while he's trying to breathe.

One difference tween ALZ and VaD is ALZ patients don't know what's going on to themselves....I on other hand know exactly what's happening/progression and SO can see me going downhill also. I've progressed to late stages of VaD but can still dress myself, albeit may be same clothes as day before....thank God I can still do the wash, wash myself also/shower so even tho same clothes, they are clean. SO doesn't care if it's same thing every day just so he can see me :) My innards are letting me know there's a change also, give me grief on occasion more then they used to. At least have meds to control more serious situations. Oh, what a gloomy picture but it's also reality. My reality/life. I try to enjoy each day as it comes, pray each night there will be another day if he so wishes.

Well I'd best close in case SO drives in, it's about that time for him to come home; he's hurting today too. I hope you all have a great weekend no matter what you do, if you're busy or just lolling around :) I've been doing both. Talk again soon. love to all, kat :)

[Jo6]

Hi Everybody

I finally found you!! This board seems to be laid out a bit differant or I'm just forgetting! lol Mark, I'm glad you posted in Chronic Pain or I probably would never have found y'all.

All of my Drs. except for 1 is 35 miles or maybe a little more, but by the time I get home I am in some serious pain. Mark, I know how it takes every thing you've got, but now and again it helps to get out. Lately I've had to go too many times for me and Ken had Cateract surgery Thursday and I drove him over.

He is doing well, but won't do like I tell him the nurse told him to do and not to do. That is taking a lot out of me. He will have the other eye done this comming Thursday so we will have all this to continue. He will be putting drops in one or the other or both until after Thanksgiving. I've got to stop thinking about this and just take it one day at a time!

It's good to see everybody and I would love to chat awhile but I have got go get my back in my lounge or bed one. I've been here much longer than I am supposed to.

I did want to hollor at KAT and tell her I was glad to see her in Alzheimer's F. It's good to here you are eating a little. You could eat a whole lot of pizza and it not hurt you, Lady!! Enjoy tomorrow.

Will come back as soon as I can and go back to catch up with what has gone one since I was gone!

I love you all and hope you all rest well tonight. Julia aka Jo s

[Mark N]

It is good to check in and see several people visiting.

Julia, I hear you about getting out and doing things despite the pain. It is really difficult when I am the one that has to drive, just as you are right now, but I would go more often. I have to admit that you have to be motivated to get out when it hurts so much. You have a difficult task as men aren't very good about following directions. At least you know how long he will be dealing with this and can look forward to when he finally heals. I am glad you found our room once again.

Kat, it may be a gloomy picture but it is the life you have. It is good to hear you still look forward to each day as I have learned it is the best way to keep from becoming depressed. I hope as time goes by you recover from your big stroke. I know you may not improve but I hope you do see some improvement soon. It is good you are thankful you can wash yourself as I know how hard that is for me some days.

newcervie, I hope your daughter isn't relapsing with her ear infection. Hopefully she will improve tonight and be better tomorrow. I can imagine how stiff your neck is after carrying the baby all day. I hope you get your muscles to loosen up this evening and don't have to go to sleep with your neck so stiff.

We finished the floor today now I just need to get the threshholds and finish the edges. I will start on the moulding and creating the raised panels for the walls. I may take tomorrow off, we will have to wait and see. The big deal this week was our son deciding he need to take a different approach to college and he is withdrawing from ISU and will focus on the local community college for his first year before deciding what to do next. he is a good kid and very smart but I worry that he doesn't have much drive for anything right now; of course that is like the majority of young people. I have to admit that I have always wanted to excel even if I didn't approach things from a traditional way to do things and I struggle to understand not striving for something. I am okay though as long as he is a good man and can be responsible for his needs.

[Melanie]

I'm more than a few pages behind and my meds seem to be finally kicking in. SO! I'll just say hi to everyone :) Things are ok here other than a new level of pain. I see my PM this week.
((HUGS))

[puddykat]

Hello all,
Good to hear from you Julia!!!! and Melanie. Glad you finished floor, Mark. Had very bad weekend with another bad stroke for which has left me still a bit numb on one side, unusual; usually clears up, gone; slept all day Sunday, SO stayed home, baked corn pudding, watched another winning Packer game. they haven't lost one yet. Time to rest. love to all, kat

[Mark N]

Melanie, good to see you stopping in, HI.

Kat, sorry to hear of another bad stroke. Yes the Packers look like the best team in the NFL right now.

Today was a sleepy day except I got a call from my daughter asking me to pick her up. She got a flat tire on the way to work as she avoided a car pulling into her lane and ran up on a curb. I took her to work and then went back, changed her tire and took it to the tire shop. So after 48 hours of very little sleep I got 6 hours of sleep before the call. I then slept all afternoon and hope to sleep tonight.

[puddykat]

Mark I must've missed that you had a daughter as you always talked about your son......have I got this right, you've one of each??? I'm confused a lot these days :). Had bad sleep night last night, 8 on pain scale. When I turned, which was alot, kitty had to turn; when I got up, alot, she waited for me to come back, snuggle...did I mention she snores :) SO says I do too, but petitely<G> of course. Finally got to sleep about 6, woke at 10. Hope we both catch up on our sleep.........everyone have a good day, hugs, kat :)

[Melanie]

Must be the land of the sleepless around here this week. Even with meds I'm lucky to get any sleep. And I'm so tired! Plus my spine is killing me. I'm going to have to break down and ask my PM for either a higher dose or some bt meds because this OTC stuff is tearing my stomach up. Plus the OTC and the pain are wreaking havoc on my blood pressure and blood sugar.

I'm just gonna say it. I'm not going to beat around the bush anymore!!

I HATE PAIN!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mark N]

Melanie, sorry to hear you are having so much pain and so little sleep. I know the cycle well and it isn't fun. I hope your dr can come up with something that will help you.

Kat, I have a daughter, she is married and has a daughter of her own. She is working after getting her college degree but still lives here in town so we see them quite a bit and are available to help them when they are in a bind. Our Son is just out of high school and is transferring out of his college so he is back home for now.

I had a sleep day today to make up for the sleep day I missed out on yesterday. I was awake several times so it wasn't the awful coma like sleep. I hope to have a decent day tomorrow if I can get a nap in this evening.

[puddykat]

Melanie, hate to hear your in such pain, and also hope your doc can help you out with something else besides OTC stuff. Hange in there girl. :)
Mark thanks for updating my brain :)
Slept well last night as kitty left me alone, stayed by my feet/legs all night. Snowy day today, which BTW the weatherman said was going to miss us. I'd guess we have an inch of heavy, wet stuff; beautiful for making snowmen/ladies, snowballs, building forts etc. And who should pass by my puter window but a doe loping along......where there's one there might be more, as it's rutting season. Who should come along but a buck looking for some 'companionship'. Went into bedroom to keep watching them but they eventually got out of sight.

SO had a pretty good pain/breathing day yesterday, took advantage of it, walked thru some of the buildings at work. Today just opposite.......starting to call us twins altho I don't have trouble breathing, we're a pair with lots of pain.
Been so dark out have had lights on all day. With this so-called FEMA 'lights out' thing, wanted SO to keep electric stove off in basement as wehn power goes out it can billow out clouds of smoke........read his a.m. note, he coming home before FEMA took action (stove was on) and I didn't have to worry. That man has to write me directions about that darn thing.

Don't know about anyone else but FEMA's big 'shutoff' never happened here......googled, found out some places had 'power' cut off for 3-5 minutes, others didn't. Big toodoo about whatever they were trying to do. How'd it go with anyone here?
Lots of toodoo on internet why being done in first place.

Our snow is finally over but the wind remains and it IS windy!!. Time to go, shoulders/arms have had enough. I keep praying for all of us for less pain, a better tomorrow, try and wake up with a smile on our face.........well, that's a little much to ask, for me anyhoo :) Take care everyone........hugs and love to all, kat

[puddykat]

Hi Folks, where is everyone......Mark having a sleep day? or working on your basement?
All I can say is a repeat of what I said in last post.......except we got more snow today!! Maybe an inch, wind not quite as bad. So cold in house, don't know what I'm going to do when winter really arrives. Turned on FP in living room, went back to bed, turned in on high to warm up more, finally got up, still not warm enough in LR but had enough clothes on to help.
Little flakes starting up again. Thank God it's not sticking to roads as SO took car instead of truck. I hope all of you are doing ok this Thursday; can't believe TGIF already; week went fast. Take care, have wonderful weekend. hugs, kat :)