INSOMNIACS place to talk in the wee hours

Smaarty

enerva and 4sew, hope you guys took it easy this weekend. How you doing?

Tang, where are you too?

Alyson

Hi just popping in. Had a very busy few days when I didn't get near computer. Chevy so pleased you enjoyed having your daughter at home.

Smaarty I know just what it is like to have children go away. All my three spent time in the UK, several years each and before DD2 went to Canada it was the first time in 15 years we had the three of them at home for any time. I miss DD2 so much and ache for my babies. Anyway Smaarty you could come and visit Australia and then either come here or I come over there to visit. We think of a trip to Australia like visiting the south of NZ.

Yesterday was not good. Some of yo might remember Raeinnz from other threads, anyway her 24 yr old DD1 was hit by a car while crossing the road and she died soon after. It really knocked me for six, I cannot imagine the pain. It was bad enough with a baby but that is horrible as is the way it happened. 

Big hugs.

Chevyboy

Alyson, that's terrible!  I'm so sorry for everyone!  

That happened to my Daughter#1's room-mate while in college..  They had gone out together, but Tammy thought she could beat the cars across the highway, and she didn't.

I remember how painful that was for my Daughter, seeing this, and losing her best friend... It hurt all of us.....    

sas-schatzi

Aly so sorry about your friends DD. So sudden.

Smarrty love the door

ALIVE & LMG, yes, CONFUSION------I miscalulated on my dimensions for the enclosure. Now have to redesign. or else but more curtains. So much for trusting the brain, instead of writing things down. Will use trimmed trelis I think.

Blessings --go for the book and popscile

HI1---Pics from trip? Glad it went well

sas-schatzi

dutchy,pepper, blondie 3rd thanks, Tang. Breaks are good once an awhile. But nice to be back

Enerva I know how you are doing Your foobs are beautiful. Hope the pain is less. Pain is SUCH a pain.

$$$444444 ----I gave up trying to catch up. decided to just jump in. A foob went bad? Fat grafting? Burning butt? OHHHHHH OUCH ! Stem to stern malfunction. What a BUMmer.

Chevyboy

PattyPeppermint

Chevy. You are so funny 

4sewwhat

Aly that is terrible news. So sad..

Enerva I hope you are feeling better and the pain is going away.

Cami! I have done nothing for days including sleep.  If I take the pain meds I get the shakes the chills and a killer migraine so instead I just struggle through. Really caught me off guard. This has been like all the past surgeries rolled into one and really knocked me on my ass. 

This too shall pass!

Chevy the amusement park sounded like fun. Sorry you are missing the girls. 

Hope everyone else had a great weekend!  I'll check back in soon. I'm going back to slacking!

Nettie1964

Just as I suspected only one doctor recommended on the list of STTM in Louisiana and she is no where close to me!    I just don't know what to do anymore!  I have tried to be my own advocate, even specifically asking for the whole workup but was told no since I'm already on thyroid meds!  It's just so frustrating!  I know that some of my issues have to be thyroid related but have no way to prove it!

Holeinone

Aly, sad news....my PCP tells me, we are all a phone call away from a life changing, horrific event. She is a wonderful, positive women, but she has seen it happen, over & over. I do remember seeing her name when I first started reading BCO. 

Sas, I posted some photos on pages 568 & 569....they are on my phone, now I am on my IPAD, I will look & see if I have anymore that are worthy. 

My poor DH has completely stalled on the recovery process. Leg & foot horribly swollen. I, of course feel guilty for being gone 10 nights....home health nurse here this morning, he sees the surgeon on Thurs. 

hello to all, has Blondie checked it lately? I have kept up reading, but hard to remember what everyone is doing, feeling, going....

Holeinone

one of the statues ( they have a name, think it starts with a m, I will look it up ) from Easter Islands....me I'm front of White House ....

My long lost relatives.....

Holeinone

The statues are called Moai, and are carved from volcanic rock....pretty cool looking...the museums in DC were all amazing. I got a 2 day pass for the hop on, hop off bus. Saw as much as I could. Arlington Cemetery, WW2 & Vietnam monuments were all spectacular. All the Smithonian buildings, well all the sights are free....The  arhitecture was better than I dreamed... 

sas-schatzi

OH Golf Girl don't feel guilty. Just put him too work as long as it's okay with the doc.

Nurse should have reported swelling change----find out if she did? If not report to doctor. Doc will/may want to evaluate for infection change or blood clot. Those are you're two major risks right now. Will be until it's over with. 

Once okayed by doc. Ask doc(I have to say that--remember I'm not a doc or even a nurse) if okay to elevate and pump. Elevating promotes gravity drainage. Pumps milk the tissues that are clogged with fluid.

1.Elevate above heart level ---or as high as you can safely prop him. Not cool to have a leg fall. Most will recommend above heart level. I go higher in two situations--new injury or severe swelling noted at first contact. 2. Foot pumps--point the toe/foot in a ballet point--stretch enough that he feels it in the lower leg & thigh muscles- then bring toe/foot back toward the face direction--stretch enough that the calf and hamstrings are well stretched. Combining the two during the next 24 hrs you should see a significant response. 

Should do everyday from here on out. I don't recommend elevating at night unless you can asure there's no way the leg will fall off the bed.

With swelling comes pain. In this situation I hope so BECAUSE once he sees that he can control pain by keeping the swelling down. You will NOT have to keep after him to do it

Plus, swelling sets him up for the COMPLICATIONS of 1.infection, 2.cellulitus (swelling allows cast off garbage from cell work to gather. Think of it like a landfill & how the garbage becomes awful and festers.....), and 3.blood clots. Write these three words on a piece of paper infection, cellulitis, blood clots. Post them where he can see them. Uncle Sam pointing at him would help. LOL.

Sounds like the trip was fantastic. Loved all the pictures. You LOOK just like I envisioned you. But must admit I thought you would be blond. Red is a very good color on you. Your beautiful!

Alyson

Just saying thanks for friends. Have been chatting with my friend Rae who has lost her DD and just feel grateful for wonderful friends all around the world.

sas-schatzi

Aly, Keeping you close, HuGS sassy

Alyson

Have all you lot gone to sleep.

dutchiris

I'm still up for a little 

Smaarty

I'm still up but it's only 9 here. Sorry to hear about your friend DD. So sad when they're young.  

Wren44

Same here. Hugs Aly. I didn't know Rae, but I can imagine the heartbreak. I think waiting till later to see her is a good idea. Right now she's on auto pilot. It will be worse when it's over and she's alone.

Pawprint

Aly, so sad to hear about your friends DD getting hit by a car. Rae must be so paralyzed with emotional pain, so very heartbreaking, what a tragic loss. My heart goes out to her and her family and to you Aly.

Alyson

What's this, those owls asleep???

Chevyboy

Morning Aly!  WHAT are you doing up?  This is my usual time, and I'm usually alone here....

Hey, I noticed your "If you are sent down a stony path God will give you strong shoes."  

Is THAT one for ME?  I mean walking in my Crocs, down the alley, and twisting my ankle on a rock?   Who knew?   

I'm still wearing those shoes...  I mean, it's highly possible for people to trip over ANYthing, or twist their ankle, for no justifiable REASON!   I went for my DEXA scan yesterday, and that was the easiest test I have EVER had!  You just lay there....  joking and laughing with the gal, and talking about us being neighbors when we were younger

We first went  about 10 or 20 miles (it seemed like) down to the coffee-shop, up hills, and down stairs, and I thought I would fall over (again) with an Asthma attack!

We went out of the building the BACK way, down to the Hospital part, before my appointment, because AS usual we were an hour early.  But it really was a fun day....  I should know soon if my bones are in glorious shape, or are on the down-side of  thinness.... Ha!

I don't care....  I'll just drink more milk... or chocolate cokes.

sas-schatzi

Chevy you are simply going to hate me for this.  I remembered from some reports along time ago regarding Bone Mineral Density and sodas. Took another look. Most articles are about infants/children/adolescents. BUT there was a study done using the Farmingham groups. Cola didn't do well. Oh so sorry, but better to know than not know.

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/84/4/936.short

To Everyone who has foobs. The swimming is just making the girls so perky. It's like I have a Wonder Bra on. I noticed it last summer when I was swimming, but then had to quit b/c of the dog falls. Now it's happening again. Sure wish I knew this years ago. 

Anonymous

Thinking of all of you, just been really busy. Hopefully, will get a chance to catch up later.

Aly, so sorry this all is happening now. Praying for you and your friend's family. How awful.

sas-schatzi

Hi Maddy, I think lots of people are taking a break, at least from here. It's good to take a break once and awhile. Get rejuiced.

Plus, I should have said something before regarding loosing Bluebird. We are devastated by her loss. A loss from any cause, can cause us to distance ourselves from the source of pain related to a loss. Being here where she was such a source of beauty has been painful. It is expected that we would move from here b/c we are reminded acutely of her loss. We are still healing. Bless Bluebird.

Golf Girl. Thinking about what I said about pain and swelling. Hope that made sense. I'm not really cruel by wishing someone has pain. Getting folks to elevate can be a problem. As I said, once they find out that something as simple and as controllable as elevation reduces pain, I seldom ever had to remind them again. 

There is another pain that I have always found quite useful. Thumping pain in an extremity. It also indicates internal swelling/pressure either created by tissue compression or from an external source.. The way to manage it is raise the extremity until the thumping stops. Then lower it till the thumping starts. Then raise the extremity till the point right above where the thumping stops. That's the perfect level. Conversely, if the thumping never stopped I'd go looking for another cause. Usually it would be a cast that was too tight and needed splitting or a dressing (post-op applied in surgery) that was too tight. It also was a good symptom in the evaluation of compartment syndrome. Not sure you would ever find this description anywhere. I made it up from years of working with patients. Don't remember when I first identified what I just described, but it always worked.

Enerva

alyson sending you hugs. 

I am feeling much better, day 7 yahoo lol

I was able to do my laundry and pain is now under control. 

Hope everybody is well.

444 hope you are getting better too.

Love you all 

SailingWind

Enerva.  So good to hear from you. Don't over do. 

Chevy.  Weight bearing exercise works. Had test  at 50. Started doing the weight machines  at the gym six months before my second test at 60 and my bone density increased!!

Chevyboy

Orlando Daughter sent me this in an email............

How
much do we notice as we
go through a day?????

Lisa
Beamer on Good Morning America
- If you remember,
she's the wife of Todd Beamer who said 'Let's Roll!' and helped take down the
plane over
Pennsylvania that was heading for Washington, DC
back on 9/11.

She
said it's the little things that
she misses most about Todd, such as hearing the garage door
open as he came Home, and her children running
to meet him.

Lisa
recalled this story:
"I had a very special  teacher
in high school many years ago whose husband died suddenly
of a heart attack. About a week after his death,she
shared some of her insight with a classroom of
students. As the late afternoon sunlight came streaming
in through
the classroom windows and the class was nearly
over, she moved a few
things aside
on the edge of her desk and sat down there.

With
a gentle look of reflection on her face,she
paused and said, 'Class is over, I would like
to share with all of you, a thought that is unrelated to
class, but which I feel is very important.  Each
of us is put
here on earth to learn, share, love, appreciate and
give of ourselves. 

None of us knows when this fantastic
experience will end. It can be taken away at
any moment. Perhaps this is Nature's wayof
telling us that we must make the most out
of every single day.Her
eyes, beginning to water, she went
on, 'So I would likeyou
all to make me a promise.From
now on, on your way to
school, or on your way home, find something beautiful to
notice.

It doesn't have to be something you
see, it could be a scent, perhaps of freshly baked
bread wafting out of someone's house, or it could
be the sound of the
breeze slightly rustling the leaves
in the trees, or the way the morning light catches
one autumn leaf as
it falls gently to the ground.Please
look for these
things, and cherish them. For, although
it maysound
trite to some, these things are the
"stuff" of life. The little things we are put here on
earth to enjoy. The things we often take for granted.

The
class was completely quiet. We
all picked up our books and filed out of the room
silently. That afternoon, I noticed more things on my way home from
school than I
had that whole semester.Every
once in a while, I think of that teacher and remember what an
impression she made on all of us, and I try to
appreciate all of those things that sometimes we all
overlook. Take notice of something special you
see on your lunch hour today. Go barefoot. Or walk on
the beach at sunset. 

Chevyboy

Okay, I gotcha Sass!  Damn!  So I will cut back to a chocolate coke like every OTHER day!  DAMN!  I don't drink anymore, unless we go up to Central City.....  Maybe that would be better than the Coke!  

I also know about sugar substitutes....  so I'll use sugar instead....  I'm waiting to hear that I am normally perfect again..... should be calling any minute....  WTH?  At MY age, I figure, if I just have everything in moderation, then I am okay....  I'll drink more milk.... take calcium..... and walk even MORE!  

She said walking is the best exercise....  Do you guys know how old I AM?   You should be saying, "Oh well, she is older than almost anybody ON here, so we will just go along with her, and let her drink her stupid Chocolate Cokes, and  pat her on the back, and just feel sorry for her!"...... Hah!  

luvmygoats

For a number of years I read Sarah Ban Breathnach's book "Simple Abundance" every day. She was a freq. guest on Oprah in the mid 1990s. Gotten out of the habit. She has several entries addressed to the ordinary day and appreciating them. One of them about 7 women killed in a commuter jet crash. It makes me cry even now.

"Today might be tough for you. You might not want the next moment to show itself, to reveal the twists and turns of life's mystery. But at least you have it. You still have life. A choice as to how you will live this precious day.

Don't wish it away. Don't waste it. For the love of all that's holy, redeem one hour. Hold it close. Cherish it. Above all, be grateful for it. Let your thanksgiving rise above the din of disappointment -- opportunities lost, mistakes made, the clamor of all that has not yet come.

And if today is so horrendous that the gift doesn't seem worth acknowledging; it you can't find one moment to enjoy, one simple pleasure to savor, one friend to call, one person to love, one thing to share, one smile to offer; if life is so difficult you don't want to bother living it to the fullest, then don't live today for yourself.

Live it for Nancy, Cheryl, Valerie, Kathleen, Gilda, Elizabeth and Patricia."  From Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach