Thanks, Mark. You have, of course, told me what I should already know & be prepared to deal with. I guess a little part of me wants someone to say, "Nah, it'll be fine!"

I appreciate your thoughts. And you're correct, I do need to put more responsibility on my kids. They are up to it. I have to say I am blessed with relatively quiet, respectful children, who would do anything I asked to make me more comfortable. So far, they are good about when I need quiet rest time, which has helped a great deal.

I hadn't thought about dark glasses! That's a great idea. I can't do earplugs right now, because I do have mild tinnitus, and it drives me crazy when it's ALL I can hear. I do have a "sleep sound" app for my iPad & have been using that, which is great. I've suffered from insomnia most of my life, so sleep is a troubling issue. Right now, it's okay--the Elavil seems to make me drowsy. And then there are the dreams--oy! Intense & strange.

I'm having a million "aha" moments from what you've said! This is a treasure-trove of information for me. I wore a wool sweater that has NEVER bothered me before & it drove me out of my mind, but I didn't think about why. Now I need to start linking that all together.

My doctor has suggestion slowing down on trying anything "new." I was signed up for beginning tai chi, and he suggested not to. I am cleared to continue gentle yoga, but to discontinue if it becomes uncomfortable. Is this fairly common?

It seems that so many things I've done in the past to relax are unavailable to me. I can't knit or sew, as I can't comprehend a pattern at this point. TV watching is limited to about 30 mins before I get motion sickness. And certainly no foreign films--cannot do subtitles! Reading feels okay for about an hour--I use my iPad and can increase the size of the print & keep the light/contrast low.

Thanks again for this response!