I AM SO THASNKFUL FOR ALL OF YOU HERE. WHEN THINGS GET TO ME I ALWAYS HAVE SOMEONE TO TALK WITH. I HAVE WORKED IN THE YARD FOR THE LAST 4 DAYS AND I CAN BARELY WALK OR USE MY HANDS NOW. THE ARTHRITIS AND NEUROPATHY ARE REALLY GETTING TO ME, THE ONE COMBINATIONS OF DRUGS THAT HELPED GIVES ME BLEEDING ULCERATIVE COLITIS SO NOW I JUST HAVE TO BARE THE PAIN. I TAKE LORACT 10'S BUT AM ONLY ALLOWED 2 A DAY AND 2 FLEXERILL A DAAY. THESE HELP BUT NOT LIKE THE OTHERS. WELL I GUESS I WILL GO TO BED AND TALK TO YOU All later, thanks for listening
WILL THE PAIN EVER QUIT, I THINK NOT
Hi, Janet ~ We'll always listen. :) I'm sorry your hurting so and wish I were closer so we could share the burden together.
Emma sends potbelly smiles for you:
Janet,
I am sorry that you are hurting....Hope that it gets better for you. I know how it is to over do in the springtime.
Janet, I'm also sorry that you're hurting. I know how bad arthritis can be :(
Four days working in the garden! My goodness girl ... you deserve a long soothing bath and a long rest in bed. Hope the pain eases up soon.
i don't know what your meds do - i take vioxx for overall antiinflamation, tizanadine at bedtime for back [muscle relaxer to sleep] and tramadol [pain med] at bedtime and as needed [usually 2 by mid-late afternoon] my stomach is ok with these meds....i'm being careful not to get addicted. i also drink tahitian noni and tart cherry juice which helps me not have to take even more meds. as far as gardening days at a time...that's not possible for me any more. it's really important to use tools and accessories that help you rather than hinder you. and even more important is taking breaks and changing your activity with a little of this, then a little of that. i know what it's like to have the garden 'bug' - i don't know what i'd do if i couldn't garden.
Janet and her family are tackling a big project at their home and are working with some deadlines - she's busting her butt to get a whole lot done. How are you doing tonight, Janet?
pretty good. hurting like H..., but ok. we got a little more done. it was 85 degrees here today and my asthma decided it did not like the heat. dh is in agony too. sunday he fell out back and after 4 back surgeries he did not need that. still no word when the county is coming. we are trying to finish bfore they get here so as not to have to pay them. i just paid a nother $100 payment on the fine. still owe at this time $1260. this fine is killing us. gardenwife thanks for asking. love ya janet
Boy oh boy I think I found a home within my new home.I'm a sicky,too.Nice to know I'm not alone.I hope everyone here gets to be out of pain once in awhile, including me.I just love Dave's more and more. Now I can join the in pain group.I'll say a prayer for you guys.Thanks, Jody
Janet, I feel your pain and I wish there was some way to help you both out of some of this mess that your neighbor has put you into. If I was a rich girl I would surely pay the fine for you and help with hiring someone to clean it up for you. Since I am not rich and I haven't won the lottery and I don't live close enough to come and help you all I can give you is my hand in friendship and prayers. Cyber hugs may help you too so you are getting lots of those from me too.
Jody, welcome to DG since I haven't "seen" you around here that I remember. You are never alone here at DG. Gardenwife and I and several others are real night owls most nights.
Well, I am going to get to bed early tonight because today I had wrist surgery and I just took two Norco and I will fall off this office chair very soon if I stay here. Gnight
Thinking of you Janet and your big job and praying all will be ok. Know all about constant pain also-worked at redding my yard today and emptying some leftover pots and soil and just general jobs and could only stand it for two hours and then had to almost crawl into the pickup for the 65 mile home trip. But a little every day is that much done. Thanks God we are still able to get around Mercy on all who suffer. Shirley
I'm thinking of you and I hope you'll be all right, especially with all that work you have to do. I know I couldn't manage any large jobs right now!
I don't know if it helps with arthritis, but a trick my chiro told me about was taking epsom salt baths with a LOT of salts, i.e. the whole half-gallon container. You take them warm, not hot, because it'd be exhausting with hot water, and soak at least 20-30 minutes. I read ratty used books in the bath. It eases me up enough that I can sleep on bad days, without using painkillers. He told me to do it as much as I want; it's really good for the sorts of deep muscle aches I have all the time. I don't know what it does for arthritis but can ask next time I see him.
I go through enough containers that I've been shopping around for the drugstore with the best price... and I know that people use epsom salts as some sort of soil amendment, too; I'm trying to figure out if I have any shame about going to my nursery and seeing if they have fifty pound bags of the stuff! It'd be a good sight cheaper, but I don't know if it's a safe grade for soaking in. Pet supply stores may sell it too. Hmm.
Good idea. We replaced our tub with a double shower with seats...l can count on one hand the number of baths l took, but sometimes l really miss having a tub! Just the thought of a warm bath is wonderful.
This message was edited Mar 8, 2004 4:49 AM
Ours is too small for my husband... I'm hoping that someday we can put in a tub that is his size! Something with jets would not be so bad either, if we're going to go to all that trouble.
Showers are definitely faster, so having a shower with seats is a great idea. I didn't even know they made those! There are some times when I'm too tired to stand up in the shower and worried I'll fall asleep in the tub and get a lungful of water. Hard to fall asleep in a shower, even sitting down! Our dog always sleeps in the bathroom whenever I take a bath, I suspect because he thinks I'm not competent to take a bath without a chance of drowning. :)
You can't dump salt into this, but in my town there are a few quite nice little spas that rent out hot tub and sauna time. It's a nice occasional treat. There are even some hot springs, that do have lovely mineral salts in them. Some beauty spas probably do this too. It'd be a great thing to ask for as a birthday or holiday present... (and get them to throw in a massage.)
Janet,
I know what you mean about the pain. I am also unable to take meds that are hard on the stomach because of ulcers.
I would love to have a medication that would ease the pain and not hurt my tummy. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
I was at Walmart today and in the garden section they have four pound bags of epsom salts for $1.97. Hope you can find a cheap source there. Lani
We have a plastic lawn chair in our tub to sit on while showering. I think we paid $10 for it about 5 years ago at WalMart. It has arms to help my hubby get up and down. I just have trouble getting up and down from the tub and anyway tubs waste too much water. We use a hand held shower head.
Us, too, EvaMae. The best thing we've done is replace our old tub with a double shower. It takes up the place of a tub and has two seats molded in it.
Our darn shower is too small for any chair to fit and the entire bathroom is too small for a larger shower. We explored all areas of how to remodel and without tons of money to add on to the house it isn't possible without losing our guest bedroom which we don't want to do either.
BTW my wrist is doing great. It has been almost 3 weeks now and I have most range of motion back except turning a doorknob. I can deal with that.
laani, good news about your wrist. thank god your doing well.
to all my fellow pain sufferers. i too feel our pain and frustrations. i would like to tell you, that are afraid of becoming addicted to medication for pain, if you suffer, you do no become addicted, this is an old wives tale. the medication gives you life. i have never gotten "high" from any of the medications i take for pain, but certainly feel like i have been given part of my life back by it. physical addiction is quite different from emotional and psychological addiction. i too put myself through a lot of "i shouldn't take this because i'm going to get addictive" talks in my head. my physicians, who have dealt with chronic pain patients for many many years, finally got through to me that this is not the case. i don't know if you get the print outs from the pharmacy with your medications, but more often than not, they will say that it is better to take the pain medication, before the pain gets severe. this is very true. the pain works in a cycle, and will increase constantly, until stopped.
many doctors still live in the dark ages about chronic pain, although things are getting better out there. find someone who wants to help you.
jcf, i'm sorry to hear about your problems. i too wish i could sweep them away for you. instead i will pray for the courage and strength, you and dh need to tackle all of this.
i don't know what the physical problems, with your home are, so i don't know if there is any source you might get help from. god bless you, debi z & little franklin too.
How are you doing, Janet? Haven't heard from you much on DG. Are you doing okay?
pretty good. been real busy putting the finish8ing touches on the yard before court on 4/7/04. this is when we learn of our total bill for clean upa nd fines. between the garden and the gh and the yard and dd's seizures starting up again and dh's back i feel like i am ruinning around like a chicken with its head cut off, lol. how about you. thanks for asking
I'm doing good! Got a radically different new hairdo yesterday and feel ready to take on life anew. The stylist bartered with me for plants in exchange for the services. :) Howie and I are going to start getting to bed earlier and getting up around 9am, so we can do some work in the yard mornings before he goes to work each day. We figure we'll keep at it more if we do little bits at a time than if we feel like we have to work out in it all day every weekend.
gardenwife,
i find that being able to go out everyday and doing what i can makes the garden far more pleasurable. then on the weekend, if you decide you want to just take the afternoon off and enjoy sitting in the garden, you can!
How are you doing, Janet? I was thinking about you and thought I'd say howdy.
Howie's taking Thursday and Friday off since we're supposed to have a break in the weather (60-70 degree days and sun!) all weekend. We plan to do some serious weeding, weed-killing and just generally getting things ready for planting the transplants we've gotten from friends.
If we still have the energy, we may swap our office and bedroom. We've learned that rearranging furniture is free and often a great pick-me-up when we see results we like! Plus I really clean the corners and areas we tend to skip. ;)
hi, doing pretty good. dh is at mil for his turn sitting with her. i can not believe she is still with us. the dr's said she would never see easter. been planting. saturday we my girls and i, 3 new planting areas. planted 60 sweet potatoe plants and made 2 new flower beds. friday plan on planting peanuts. tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and radish. while hubby is away we are trying to do some serious cleaning. thanks for asking,
Wow, that's a lot of sweet potatoes! Are they ornamental, or do you grow them for food? I love the leaves on them, either way. What all will you grow in your new flower beds?
Well...We swapped the office and bedroom today before Howie went to work. I've spent the remainder of the day getting the computers and other things back where they belong and hooking everything back up.
I'm sore and wiped out, but like Robert Frost said, I have "miles to go before I sleep". At this point, as long as I have the computers up and running and the bed cleared back off and made, I feel like I've accomplished something. Priorities, right? ;)
Man, I'm so ready for that bed! I just don't "do" crawling around on hardwood floors like I used to. I think the furniture will stay this way for a loooong time, you know?
i hear you gardenwife, it is where it is until i move or someone moves it for me ;) debi z
Kimberley, I sure know what you are saying! I am hoping this weekend or next that I can get my "guys" to move our dining room back to where it was and our living room back to where we had it before. We switched room last fall thinking it would be better but I sure miss sitting at the dining table looking out at our big pond and my bird feeders so back all of it goes.
Of course we have aquired a second piano and a second china cabinet since then and I have no idea where to put those. I need some wall stretchers anybody have some that wants to trade me for some sandy soil or fish?
A second piano? How many folks play? You're doing the one-handed part to "Chopsticks" right now, LOL!
We need wall stretchers, too. And maybe a couple enclosed-patio seeds and a first-floor-laundry cutting? ;)
KIm we need those too. Also a master bedroom which is on the main floor rather than up a flight of 14 stairs. I sure hate those stairs after a long day of working and fibro pains. Then there is the coming down the stairs in the morning with stiff joints and muscles. OUCH OUCH 15 times. DH agrees too.
Our two pianos came because I inherited my grandmother's piano when Dad died in 94. I had always wanted a player piano but could never afford one. One day I was looking at the newspaper and there was a player in there advertised in like new condition for only $500. Of course I had to call. After the guy met me face to face he said he just wanted it out of his garage and he had inherited it from his Mom. He told me $400 which I jumped at thinking I would sell Grandma's piano to my cousin.
Next day our son heard about my new purchase and indicated that he REALLY wants to keep Grandma's piano for him to learn on and someday his kids. sigh. I can't deny him that opportunity so now we have two.
Got 27 rolls of pretty good music included with that player and we love it. Especially now.
Guess this explains it for ya. lol Wanna come play a duet while they are side by side?
Player pianos are neat. Whooooo, we worked outside from about 2pm until now. We's tired peoples, let me tell ya. But we got a lot done and quit before we were incapacitated, LOL.
well today was one of those get nothing done days. tomorrow will be better
we grow the sweet pot. for food
I had one of those nothing done days too. Our son made up for it in cleaning the kitchen. He really did a great job and tomorrow he wants to smoke a turkey. I love that man!!!!
spring has sprung here. yes!!!! high 60's yesterday and 70 today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i love player piano's too. i learned to play on one. i loved to sit and pump those petals and watch it go round and round and play those melodies. such fun.
i had someone come and rake out the yard and leaves from the beds, this year. a treat for me and i'm soooooooooooooo glad i could do it. what a load off of me. it would have taken me well into may to accomplish it all. now i just have to go around and trim up the plants, then i can start to remove and replace some to other locals and cut some back etc.... tyg for the $ and for my hard working and understanding dh.
later ladies.........
debi z & franklin
Debi, I am sure glad that you could find someone to rake all the winter uglies away so your spring garden will look much better. It sure helps the soul when you have things like that done.
I worked out in the yard today enough that tonight I am sore almost everyplace in my body. I keep thinking that my body will get used to it but I sure wish that would happen RIGHT NOW. lol
yep, i actually had those good pains and........a good tired from fresh air and work in the garden.
Working in our back patio bed, front porch bed and along our fenceline, I was struck with how great and loose the soil is in those areas. All that hard work of hauling compost, digging everything in and mulching. When I see long-term results like that, it motivates me to keep going right now.
There is a man here in our town who has put compost and other nutrients in his soil for several years. A few years ago he brought in a sample of his soil and it tested as a PERFECT sandy loam soil. I would love to have mine like that someday so we are working on it year by year. Sure makes the weed pull easier when the soil is loamy.
I moved 6 wheelbarrow loads of mushroom compost into my gardens yesterday. DH loaded the wheelbarrow and brought it to me and then I scooped it out and placed it where I wanted it. We may use up this 15 yards of compost this year.
I don't know what I was thinking when I bought this much compost but now I am happy I got it. Sore and tired but happy.