Manyembers and Gillcom where are you?

Good morning ladies!

Well it's a cold, rainy dark day here today, yuk! My son said it was still night time when i went in to wake him this morn, lol. I guess he wasn't ready to ge up for school yet!

Boy i'd love a dishwasher i did have one but HE left last March, lol, oh well, i'll just have to cope with the washing myself.

I have to go to hospital tomorrow (friday) for some tests, just to make sure everything is ok for my reversal, mum is coming with me and 'll let you know how it goes. If the tests have a good outcome then i will be having my op within weeks, fingers crossed.

I bet you will be happy when you get the operation over.  It can be nerve wracking when you are waiting.  I will be so happy for you when it is all over and done with.

Went to son and dils today and saw the grandchildren.  It was fun, I played with the 3 year old and got to hold the 3 week old.  It was wonderful, makes me feel young again.

I am still waiting on a book that I ordered.  I don't know if it will ever come.  I ordered a book on cognitive therapy.  I had read it years ago and have been looking for quite a while to find it again.  I ordered two books altogether.  The other one was here days ago.  Oh well, once I forget about it, it will be sure to come.  Anticipation........

I hope you guys have a wonderful evening.  I am tired after playing all day.

Hugs,

Karen

Just a quick thankyou Embers for the computer advise.  I got all the pictures into a folder, thanks a ton.  I didn;t even remember I mentioned it, but it was a problem.  And now I have the problem taken care of. 

We got snow last night, but it isn't too cold.  It covered up all the dog mess in the yard, now I will be stepping it into it because I can't see it.  LOL.   But it is pretty outside now again.

Gillian, make sure to let us know when you are going for your surgery, we will be praying for you.  I know everything will be okay.  I have faith.

Not too much going on today.  Went to son and dil yesterday, I think that I told you about that.  Babies are wonderful.  The older boys are just that, older, they are into their own things now.  It use to be "come on Grandma, play video games with us."  because they knew they could beat me. LOL. Now it is the three year old, "Cmon Gramma, play with me."  I did that all day long, Playing is hard work.  But tons of fun.

I hope that you both have a wonderful day/night.  You are both so special to me. 

Hugs,

Karen

I had started a post and had typed for a long time and I just lost it. Man that makes me mad when I do that. So this is going to be short. But I hope you guys had a wonderful day. I am so bummed that I pushed the wrong key and it deleted everything that I wrote.

Sorry,
Hugs, you guys,
Karen

Embers,

Thank you for the info about the computer.  I used the first info that you gave me and got all of my pictures in one file.  Thanks again.  Now if I type a longer post, which often happens, I will do what you said.  I was so frustrated when I lost the other.  I can't even remember what all I wrote.  Oh well, I will think of it again.  Earlier I tried to come on the forum and I couldn't get here.  I don't know what was up with that.  But now it seems better.  I still notice that the forum responses that I give are slow.

Yesterday my hands wouldn't work so I could barely type, today they are better though.  Now and then I sneak into the chatroom.  I have trouble keeping up with everybody but it is kind of fun.  You can say pretty much what you want to and can get to know people better.  Though I notice some in chat that I haven't noticed on the forum.  I don't have a lot of time for chat though so I like it here.  I have been starting to be a little bit busier than I was right after the holidays.  I always get sluggish when they are over and I think it has to do with what I eat.  Too much sweets and rich foods. 

I guess I will close here, want to read more posts, haven't been to fibro forum yet.  My little sister is going to be on here soon I hope.  She said that she had a little trouble signing up.  I am kind of excited to see how she likes it.

Hope that you have a nice relaxing evening.

luv and hugs,.

Karen

Have been doing nothing but sitting around today.  Took a shower earlier, but put my pajamas back on instead of getting dressed.  Talk about a lazy day.  John went fishing (ice fgishing) today.  He called and said that it was really slow and they weren't catching much.  He went with his son and they took the grandsons.  I think it is good for young boys to get outside and fish.  They take interest in it early and I think it helps keep them out of trouble when they get older.  These guys are also involved in sports and band.  Class projects when they come around.  I am really proud of them both.  They are lucky where they live there is a lot of things offered to the children.  As here, there is nothing.  Too many kids stray the wrong way and ruin what there is of their youth, it is really sad.  I am not saying all of the kids are like that here but a large percentage are.  I feel like it is unfair to them.  But what can you do?

The weather isn't too cold here today but kind of damp.  It is cloudy.  Kind of thawing, no sunshine.  I wish we would have some sunny weather like you Embers.  It sounds so pretty there.  It wont be too long and spring will be here.  Each day is one day closer and also a little longer.  This just kind of seems like a hump period.

I had gotten an orchid last spring.  I had it out in the greenhouse.  I brought it in this fall and it is getting ready to bloom.  I can't believe it.  It has about five buds on it that I hope turn to flowers.  As I remember it was pink and white.  I think anyway.  They are hard plants to keep going.  I have a hibiscus that continues to bloom and heliotrope.  I also have a cactus orchid that I have had for over five years and it has never bloomed for me.  It is suppose to have huge white and fragrant flowers.  It is called "night blooming cerus".

Well my friends I will close here, I hope you both have a wonderful relaxing evening.

Hugs,

Karen

I have maple trees all around me, I use to make syrup years ago.  It was thinner than the stuff that you buy in the stores, but it was very tastey.  I would can it in pint jars.  It took a lot of cooking to get a little bit of syrup.  But it was fun tapping trees and collecting sap every day.

I didn't get up until after noon today.  Lazy day.  I just feel like I miss half of my day, but I stay up until one or two in the morning.  I have days when I don't even brush my hair or my teeth, that is usually when I am depressed or the fibro is kicking in.

Speaking of the fibro.  One of my doctors said that the world becomes toxic to us.  I have a lot of chemical sensitivities.  I can't use anything with fragrance in it.  I have to watch what I use for cleaning.  My skin breaks out really easy.  Can't use hair spray or gels.  Can't stand the smells of perfumes.  I think I am sensitive to everthing.  I also noticed loud sounds and bright lights bother me a lot.  Even when I am washing dishes, the sounds of the silverware clanking together bothers me.  I can't listen to music and television at the same time.  I can't seperate the sounds and it makes me really nervous.  So I think that your sensitivities to chemicals and molds is all a part of fibrol.  Either that or the ones of us who are sensitive to these things are more apt to get fibro, because I have always had sensitive skin.  If I go into a department store, like walmarts for instance, I get nervous with all of the different noises.  I have to take a xanax sometimes just to calm me down.  I am getting better though at focusing on what I am trying to do. 

It is damp (humid in summer) a lot here, I really didn't notice it until I got sick.  I use to complain in the summers because it would never rain on my garden.  But didn't realize how many humid days we get.  I know I am living in the wrong area, but I really can't afford to move somewhere dryer.  Oh well, I have lived with it this long.

I hope that you have a wonderful day, I think Gillian has posted on another thread so she is still around.  We were in chat at the same time one day.  Neither of us knew what to say.  I am very new to it.

Thinking of you often, happy that you are happy.

hugs,

Karen

I understand that you probably just wanted to be alone for a couple of days, and I know that you know that we are here for you.  This must be so hard for you Gillian, I can't possibly imagine what you are going through right now.  But I am still here for you. 

You have been so strong throughout all of this, I think it was your time to let everything out.  I hope that you were able to anyway.  I am sorry that you had to read the emails, it must have been kind of wierd to read them.  It would be hard if it were to happen to me, I really don't know what I would do in that situation.  But I must say that I think you have handles this quite well.  What can you do?  I would really be baffled.  It would be hard enough for me if my man was in love with another woman, but if I were to find out that he was gay and was in love with another man, I guess I would, Honestly I don't know what I would do.  I know this sounds dumb, but I am being honest.  I know this must be really difficult.  Is it easier to stay friends?  I don't know if I am making you more confused, because when I picture what you are going through I get really confused.  But I remember you said that he came over with his partner and that you all got along fine, am I right?  So I believe you are doing the best that you can to make things feel normal, especially for the kids.  That takes a lot.  So I am proud of how you have handled everything.

Keep up the good work, if you need to talk I am here, though I don't sound like much helpLOL

hugs,

Karen

PS keep me posted on your operation

Hi ladies,

Gill, I'm so sorry - how hurtful and difficult all this must be! Karen is right though - you have been so strong through it all and you are a wonderful person!! I know that in time you will find yourself in a whole new beginning where dreams and hopes will come your way that will surprise you and it will be like life has raised up a whole new dance floor for you to just blaze a trail upon. I pray you will be refreshed and strengthened all through this season of your life and that truly special moments will be poured out on you again and again along your way!

Oh just want to say too Gill that it's not a problem if you don't post for awhile - as in, though we think of you and wonder how you are doing, everybody has their own flow here on the forums and that's totally fine. I sometimes miss a few days, and some forums I come and go on. If we wonder where you are it's just cuz we care but don't expect you to post any more than you feel like.

Karen - Yes. I so understand what you are talking about re. all those sensitivities and 'the world becoming toxic.' Interestingly enough, when I developed all these crappy symptoms it was while living in a very toxic apartment. And shortly before that a very moldy place. Re. fibro - what makes me wonder is that although 2 doctors have tested me for the trigger points and I do hurt there, most were not unbearable to the touch. I guess though - when I stop taking proper care of myself or am in damp weather it is harder to deny that it sure seems like fibro. In any case, I don't like it.

I am sensitive to bright lights and noises too. Hubby will play music in the background to help him work, and if I'm trying to write it just scrambles my thoughts and grits on my nerves. I started taking rhodiola rosea which helped with the loud noises/stimuli when I would go out. I stopped taking it a few weeks ago as I seemed better, but then the next day had a hard time and thought that maybe I should start taking it again.

I got up at 10:20 am today. I thought my alarm clock said 12:00 so I figured I had slept long enough. Guess the "O"s didn't register. lol. The view is so pretty from the condo. here - just as I came to check the forum I was thinking how I wish days were longer so I could enjoy it more and if I got up earlier I would have more time to enjoy it. But this was actually an early morning for me.

I lived in the dampness of Ontario for a long time, but didn't realize how it aggravated my pain levels until I moved here. We didn't intentionally move to a dry climate like this, but being here has worked out well. I don't blame you for not moving. It's a huge deal, and besides every place has their pros and cons. Hubby and I just learned about the "sour gas" emissions Alberta is putting out there - which is a huge contributor to environmental illness. SO it's not perfect here either. Although we love it here for many other reasons.

I read what you wrote about the kids in your area not having things to keep them busy. You have such a soft heart Karen. That must be so hard to watch that. THe world is pretty screwed up, but I believe that the presence of people like you help to keep the light shining to make it better. Just by being who you are. I am a big fan of "it's the little things that count..." you know - people can generally sense if someone has a kind heart or not. Just your presence in that town and being who you are is showing people there is another way to live - besides the booze etc. More power to ya.

I can't believe you harvested maple syrup!!! Man Karen, you have done everything!! lol! What fun that must have been. I love your stories and hearing about all the neat things you have done in life! And are still doing. Like the wreaths you made in November - that was before I met you here, but I was reading the thread. Really neat.

Well, I had a few posts to catch up on so that was long! It's nice to know there are people who take the time to actually read what I say, and are interested and care enough to reply. Thanks to you guys for being there!

love and hugs, Embers

Gosh Karen. You were not talking too much at all. I was hanging on every word. You are living right in the midst of the stuff 20/20 and those shows would be reporting. This is like the Erin Brokovich kind of temperature - big corporations doing nasty stuff and people not even being able to drink the water. That's so wrong. I'm glad you guys have a nice good healthy deep well!!!

Here I havn't smelt the gas per se, but we just learned our cities is one of the ones that is apparently affected. We have a friend who was recently diagnosed with MS who is a resident of a town that apparently had a significant issue with the sour gas and the 'voices' out there are saying there's a strong link with sour gas and MS. It is amazing what the government allows isn't it!

Wow - what you wrote about the mold. Did I mention I was living in a horribly moldy apartment just before getting sick? And then a very toxic apartment shortly after that. I'm sure that these things came into play with my body being more susceptible to all these fibro. symptoms. I remember the day I went out running and it usually cleared away any fatigue type pain I had, but this time my muscles just ached. And every time I'd do a long walk, I'd need to nap after. That was when I was still in the bad apartment, but those days are long gone now.

I have found some substantial success with taking products that help to detoxify the body and doing some cleanses - natural ones. Have you tried anything like that? I take a barley green product that is a good detoxifier and beets and carrots in powdered form. My sinuses clear, digestion improves and energy levels go up on these. I think the carrots is the biggest detoxifier of them all. I also felt lots better after doing a candida diet/cleanse a few years ago but the diet was too unreasonable and I think candida is just a symptom of other things so treating it was just treating a symptom. But the cleanse itself also seemed to help energy levels and things. I have read that people with fibro. tend to have toxicity issues. I wonder also if that is why we are extra sensitive to molds, perfumes etc. - because we are already overburdened with toxicity from something or other. Lots of theories. Hopefully one day soon somebody will have some good solid answers, eh! In the meantime, I'm still doing my own investigative research - not nearly as interesting as yours with trucks in the middle of the night and town meetings though - lol. Seriously though, I think it's great you intend to go to the meeting, and can keep informed, maybe say something, or even just pray for light to come to these matters. You go!

Well here now, you know my new dishwasher I was so excited about? Well, I still havn't used it. It smells sooooo bad!!! Like chemically! I have the air purifier beside it. I am thinking it is the plastic stuff inside it, so don't tell my hubby, but I am thinking I am going to do something off the wall like take the plastic loading trays, stick them in a laundry basket and leave them out on the balcony for a week or two and see if they air out that way. This is so crazy...oh well!

Life goes on.

Gill - we're thinking of you and here's wishing you a lovely day! I think you must be getting up just about now or soon...whereas Karen and I are having our evening time.

love, Embers

Hi Karen,

Thanks for your uplifting post today. I had 'one of those days' and then I came on my computer and there were some 'hugs' from you - amazing how great it is to share with someone you have not actually met isn't it! You remind me of a very good friend - she is an outdoorsey person too - she loves wildlife and if it were up to her, she has said she'd just live in the woods with all God's creatures all about. I mentioned her before -she paints wildlife on rocks. We were best of friends but when h and I moved west in 2006 we dont' keep in touch that regularly. She's more of a one one person and not an e-mailer and not a phone caller. And I'm not much a phone caller. But we keep in touch here and there and understand the friendship to be ongoing even if we don't get to talk like before.

I'm still hoping to make some friends here in Alberta. We've been here over a year, but we've moved four times plus a trip to the U.S. So it's mostly just been about trying to keep our heads above water. With things being more stable now, hopefully relationships will get a better chance to form. I am also still looking into ways to get involved in the community. I contacted a couple places re. teaching piano (just part time) but no doors opening yet. If that doesn't pan out, then volunteering is still high on my list. I need to get myself out of the house - it helps me stay out of depression and to stay more functional.

I learned about rhodiola on this thread. If you can find the post by Sunnivera from the summer - I guess you can just type in rhodiola rosea in the search button and it might come up? For the fibro. symptoms - when I went off certain foods, a lot of the pain went away. The pain in my back and neck I realized was from mucous build up that was from eating foods that create mucous. I know my digestion is not working like it should and my pain levels seem directly related to that. I was in touch with a med. student who said his dad had a bunch of symptoms that were actually 'leaky gut' - anyway, when I read on the fibro. forum I saw that there were other illnesses that have similar symptoms to fibro. So that is where I know my digestion comes into play. But that doesn't explain today - where it is frigid cold and it has been making my bones ache. I also take naps and have a separate bed from my h so I can get proper sleep. And staying on a diet free of hard to digest/toxic foods. SO I manage my symptoms that way. So like I said, I don't know if fibro. is the correct diagnosis or if I just don't have it as bad as others. Sorry that was sort of a mishmosh of information - I meant to say I have the kind of lifestyle that affords me the luxury of pain management via naps and nutrition. If I didn't nap, the pain would be much worse and more constant. I can tell when I reach a point of "if I don't nap now I'll be in pain for days." And because I dont' have kids or have to go to work, I can pretty much nap as I need to.

That is so sad about the autism rates and the polluted water. This world really is toxic. I have also heard it can be caused from the mercury that is used in vaccines. They shouldn't even be putting mercury into vaccines, but 'they' do a lot of things that aren't helpful in the name of 'helping.'

I was happy to read you got to see the boys today - the wee ones. yippee!! I like to know you had a happy day. It tired you out, but at least you got tired out for something worth being tired out for. I'm sure it was worth every ounce of oomph it took to try to keep up with the little guys! It makes me think of how nice it woudl be to have family...maybe some day still. Maybe.

I could just picture you chopping wood and cooking your maple syrup in a big kettle. lol! I just can't get over you. You are a true wonder. You've got an extra big portion of creativity and spark in your dna I'd say! I would have loved to be out there tapping trees for syrup with you.

I hope the weather gets nice soon so you can go for a walk. I am planning to stay inside until this icy cold air moves through. I was out all day - no fun. I had a whole afternoon/evening of runnign around and I shoudl have jsut stayed home. Live and learn.

Well, the dishwasher seems to be airing out - I hope I am not just imagining it. lol. Hopefully soon I can use it. I am still doing load upon load of laundry. Had to rewash everything that was stored at the house those 3 months as things smell of the moldy stuffy smell. yuk. Had to throw some stuff out. But it is starting to feel more like we are moved in now. I am so grateful for this place. Even after a bummer day, I just felt so blessed to have a real 'home' to come back to. I said to myself "That makes any day a good day!" How true it is to me.

I hope Gill is doing okay. I'm glad she is taking a break from posting if she needs that. Ebb and flow.

Hope you have a relaxing and refreshing evening Karen. Love and hugs, Embers

Hi there ladies,

It was wonderful to realize that you both posted today.  Gillian, you sound really good.  I hope you are feeling better.  I have always wanted to learn cross-stitch.  I use to do some embroidery.  It was fun.  I like to crochet and knit.  My great aunt taught me all that stuff when I was a kid.  It is good memories that I am thankful to have.  And actually I got pretty good at all of them.  I wish I could sew.  I am not too good at it but I try.  I can make purses and stuff.  I have been saving my old blue jean bottoms when I cut them off to make shorts.  I plan to either make a purse out of them or a skirt.  I use to wear nothing but denim, and black.  There was a young girl that called me the 'blue jean baby queen'.  I thought that was kind of cool.  Oh the memories........When I sit down to write you guys I always come up with all these memories.  It is neat.

Embers, I looked up the rhodiola rosea, it was really interesting.  I really think that I am going to start it.  Especially because it says it can help you lose weight.  I will talk to my doctor first of course.  But it sounds like a cure all herb. 

I am not really a phone person, I would rather write.  I am not big on the chat rooms though I have done that before.  I can never think of what to say just like on the phone.  I like to type too that is why I think that I enjoy this so much.  I have talked to my sister more since we email eachother.  Never was one to talk on the phone much.  Atleast I don't feel like I am the only one now.

I remember talking about your friend painting on the rocks.  I always wanted to do that.  I find rocks that I think would be good to paint on and set them aside.  I am a rock hound.  I am always picking up rocks.  I put them in my pockets until they are too full.  Then I bring them home and try to put them in a pile out in my yard.  I have found some pretty interesting stones.  I do have an overabundance of them in coffee cans and buckets that are inside my workshop.  I need to sort through them and put them outside.  They take up too much space.  I mean cans and cans of them.  I think that you can find something interesting in just about any stone.  Do you have pudding stones where you live?  I have one that looks like a piece of fruitcake because it has so many little stones in it.  I make jewelry out of some of them.  I made a cool jasper necklace, it was red and black banded stone.  I also have done a little with petoskey stones.  They are pretty easy to work with.  I do crosses and carve morel mushrooms out of them.  I also did a snake coiled up.  It is neat.

It is mercury that I think is causing the autism in that town.  The big lake comes from Lake Michigan which is polluted with mercury.  And yes it is really sad.  There isn't much that they can do about it other than not to drink the water.  I guess you should not eat much fish that comes out of the lake.  It is pretty scarey.

Well, I guess that I should get a move on here, haven't done a thing all day except take care of the dogs.  I still haven't even gotten dressed.  I am starting to do that a lot lately.  Hope that I don't start heading for that bed.  I will be done for if I do.  I could sleep until spring if I had my way.  But then I would be missing out on so much living.  But it gets tempting. 

I hope that both of you have the most wonderful day.  I am going to try to get something constructive done now.

Love and hugs to you both,

Karen