((((((M)))))),

You still "iron" -- good-ness -- I gave that up years ago

I only do my laundry about once a month. We've got a laundry room with 10 machines.

My back is such a piece of junk that I can't stand long enough to fold everything. I've tried sitting in the laundry room and folding. That works. But, who the heck wants to sit in the laundry room for hours.

Now, what I do is bring the laundry upstairs and sit on my bed (again, watching TV -- don't know how I could survive without soaps and Animal Planet!!) and fold while I'm watching television.

I take Effexor XR (which is chemically the same as Cymbalta). It doesn't work that great for me on the depression; but, it works exceptionally well on the fibro pain and the neuropathy in my hands and feet from a blood condition, and the compressed spinal cord in my neck.

My son tells me I should be sent back to the manufacturer on a "warranty recall" I'm tell him the warranty ran out years ago and the factory's discontinued production of this particular model (no replacement parts available)

When I was working I had a cleaning person (actually a team -- a guy and his wife and his brother). They used to come in and clean everything -- windows, take all the books out of the bookcases and dust (I have hundreds and hundreds of books). He'd even ask for more to do. So, I used to leave a list -- one week take everything out of the kitchen cupboards. Another week, something else. I am SO TEMPTED to get him to come back. But, I can't really afford it on a SSDI check. I know how overwhelming it gets. You don't do and you don't do because you CAN'T do. When you finally get a little energy -- everything just looks so overwhelming.

I'm not married anymore so everything is my responsibility. Would it help you if you and husband got together and decided to do just one thing each weekend?? Maybe clean some windows or paint a wall. I know when I was married, the work went much faster when my husband was there to help. Although, he was a treasure -- he knew how to do laundry and iron clothes and clean spectacularly

I hope you feel better, ((((((M)))))), I know what a horrible, lonely, depressing place depression is to be in. I'll be glad when they find CURES for things like this and fibro and a lot of the other diseases that are sapping the energy and the creativity out of the country.

Make yourself some tea in a pretty cup and sit down and think on this: you're not a horrible person because your house is dirty. Give yourself the love and respect that you would give someone else that was having a hard time coping.

Oh, I just thought of something. Could you swap tasks with someone -- a neighbor. Could you trade maybe baby-sitting for cleaning or straightening up?? Just a thought. Sometimes if we're unable to do one thing, we can do something else instead.

At least you're not alone in this ((((((M)))))). There are a lot of us who struggle with the same sorts of problems and wish you well and pray for you. I truly hope that you feel the support and the healing thoughts and prayers that surround you

Hugs.

Barb