Daily Check In Thread For All!!! #176

Hi all. Checking in. My mood and anxiety was a bit better yesterday which was nice. I'm 7 days into venlafaxine and it feels like 7 months but I'm glad I can up the dose tomorrow. Hoping after a month I'm feeling somewhat better.

I think I have figured out that the constant pain I have is bowel cramps. They are debilitating at the moment, especially after eating. I am still managing to struggle into work to keep my mind occupied. I have found a way to apply heat to my abdomen to really relieve the pain which I suppose is one positive. Still taking one day at a time.

Valentines day was my anniversary with my ex, and yesterday I forgot to tell my new girlfriend happy valentines day. She wasn't happy. All that isn't helping matters..

Took the slipcover off the sofa for laundering today. Grabbed the detergent bottle, the deodorizer bottle and the box of dryer sheets and headed to the laundry room. Got all the way there, only to find only one washer working and in use and signs up everywhere saying we can't wash anything with pet hair in our washers. Seriously? Okay, fine.

Trek to the Laundromat to find they've switched to a card system instead of my trusty roll of quarters. Sigh. I feel old. Got a card, had to charge it with my debit card. Then try to figure out how to run the new machines with it. Got the washer going but when it came to the dryer...it would only give me 10 minutes of drying time! I was so frustrated...after the dryer stopped I just bagged it and finished drying it at home. Then, I had to wrestle the slipcover back onto the couch and cushions.

Pulled the couch out and cleaned thoroughly behind it. Cleaned the windows and the blinds, too. Took the curtains down, shook them out outside, popped them into the dryer with a dryer sheet and rehung them all.

Then, I put my t.e.n.s. unit on because my back felt broken. Made a beef stew while the little machine did a wonderful job on my pain.

Put the unit away before sitting down to eat. Still more to do. I'm tired.

Feeling lower today. Today I get to up the dose of venlafaxine and I think I'm a bit nervous.

My mum bought me a TENS machine yesterday for the pain, and it seems to be helping take the edge off. I am still experimenting with positioning of pads on my body, but I was able to go to sleep last night without a hot water bottle against my abdomen to relieve the pain, so I think it is doing something. It's not quite as good a pain relief as the hot water bottle, but the soothing effects seem to last longer after I've finished, and I can take it out of the house with me and use it wherever.

Morning Kids, or afternoon, or night.

One class today, then an interview later, and a long paper to edit. I want to go to the gym and to pick up some groceries, as slow is supposed to hit later, and here the snow clearing is not very effective, unlike that for those of you from the north. We have the windows open currently.

It has not been a good few days. I had diarrhea in January, then took Prednisone for about four weeks and it subsided. I finished the course of treatment, and now it is back. I am still waiting on my doctor's appointment--we are about a month away. I was going to go to the gym yesterday, but I had some pain and colon issues.

Hope you get your balance balanced out F27. See you in a month or so.

Hello to all...

Beautiful day here. Just saw three deer eating the alfalfa we put out for them. Wonderful sight.

Hugs, Karen...

Try to make the best of your day. Things often get better as the day goes on.

Nice here but kind of chilly. The sun pokes out now and then. Icy and lost a lot of snow. Dog poop everywhere.

Have a good day all...

Hugs, Karen...

Hi Everyone,

Take care F27...

Nice to see you Post Andy. Prayers still coming Pitmom.


a trial at a smile:

Tongue twister harder than it looks: " Black back bat." fast 3 times now... see not so easy eh?

There is a word for that:

Arachnoleptic fit, "the frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.


More fun with words tomorrow!
Peace
Trina

Slush fell from the sky last night. Glad it should be warm enough to melt it away today.

Finished the cleaning and rearranging. Now, we wait.

It's hard going through this and not being allowed to talk about it. Thank you all for putting up with the mystery of it all.

I must share that I have a very resilient life partner, who although she hates what is going on, has not left me in spite of it.

Now, on to happier things...my yellow crocus are blooming!!!!! I pay very little attention to groundhogs, calendars or weather forecasters...my garden tells me when spring has sprung! There are buds on the azalea and I'm seeing the beginnings of leaves on the flowering quince, too!

The one Amaryllis has 2 leaves now, one of which is at least 6 inches long already! I must venture out today and buy potting soil!

I hope Joyce and F27 enjoy their breaks and I look forward to when they return.

Hoping everyone has a peaceful day.

Hi Nerd, Trina, Andy, Pitmom and Myself...

I am late to the party again. Been tired lately. Got the wrong vitamin D3 and it isn't enough.

We have some deer coming in the yard to eat lately. It is pretty cool. There are big ones and little ones. I love to watch them. Had 12 squirrels in the yard today eating. Some birds.

I hope you all had a nice weekend. Mine was okay. Could of been warmer though. Suppose to get in the 50's on Tuesday but I think it is going to rain. Maybe we will get some thunder snow. Ha...

Have a good night all...

Hugs, Karen...

Nice to see you post Jamie. Sounds like things are okay on your end. I hope you get the job.

Take care mate...

Hugs, Karen...

Hi Andy,

Distractions can really help. It helps me with pain and with depression. I find also mindfulness helps. Being in the moment. Especially with anxiety.

I hope you have a good day today...

Hugs, Karen...

getting by said...
Hi Andy,

Distractions can really help. It helps me with pain and with depression. I find also mindfulness helps. Being in the moment. Especially with anxiety.

I hope you have a good day today...

Hugs, Karen...

Yes, when I can easily distract myself is when I feel best. At the moment I cannot distract myself, my focus is just gone, which is making it quite hard to function. Hopefully that will come back once the meds kick in. I miss being able to watch TV and actually pay attention

I'm day 10 of venlafaxine and still no noticeable improvement to me.

I had a horrid day yesterday mood-wise but in the evening I played a duet with my mum on piano and clarinet and it was nice. I'm going to start my "good things" log again where I list in the morning three good things that happened the day before. I find it does help a bit to remember that I have moments in the that are nice.

Lynn--it is all individual, based on the elderly person's level of competence. And their personality. And their living situation.

My mother was pretty good until her late seventies, and then when she started developing alzheimer's, her PCP recommended she turn over her affairs to her children. She did. Over the course of the decade, more and more responsibility was switched to brother. We were lucky, because she was so agreeable.

My aunt was another story. She was an eleven hour drive away. Her dementia was fairly advanced, but because she was capable of taking care of herself (barely,) and because she was a rather fiercely independent person, we were unable to influence much with her. The department of aging was involved with her, as was her church and friends on the periphery. Again, when her condition worsened, she had several stints in a recovery center, and the medical process of need overruled her personal preferences.

In my limited experience, if the social services and physician are involved, it can be a great relief for those who live long distance.

Tired, with a ton of reading to do. **sigh**