And here I've been feeling sorry for myself because I haven't been in any store for almost three years!!! I live on the outskirts of a small town, which I love, but they recently built a super-Walmart across the road from the original Walmart, now closed so my "old" self has wanted to go spend hours just window shopping (so to speak). Thank heaven reality has set in before I've actually given it a try! Just like you've all mentioned, it's like feeding time at the zoo! My old self used to love all the commotion, but now my head hurts if more than three people are in my kitchen at the same time!

My "problem" started years ago when I was still walking with a cane. Was shopping at a mall, getting tired and sore, when I came to an "intersection" of two corridors -- you know, the big open area. It was like vertigo immediately set in, I literally froze, couldn't move, buzzing in my head, thought I was going to faint. Being alone I had to get through it somehow so after a deep breath, kept my head down, just looked at the floor, kept saying some stupid thing to myself so I wouldn't "think" about where I was, and just went. Made it across the humongous...so it seemed....desert and found a bench to rest a few minutes before heading out to tackle the parking lot. Oh yeah....I do have both MS and Fibromyalgia.....double over-load.

My cleaning ladies/friends, do my grocery shopping weekly and I spend alot of time looking through the hundreds of catalogs that come in the mail for finding those unusual things and clothes. Of course these days clothes are sweatpants and shirts/tee shirts/slippers. When the home nurses/doctors/friends are trying to encourage me to fill out the form for "van" service so I can get out in the world, I've always said "one of these days". Now I know that day will never come, I don't regret it at all and am happy to just "be here" in my safe home. By the way, my mailman knows I can't get to the mailbox anymore, so he puts it between the storm door and regular door, and rings the doorbell once to let me know he's been here. There ARE still good people out there.

A question for you all who shop here on the internet -- do you have some of the same problems with color, light, too many decisions, etc. here also? Trying to navigate some of the websites and make decisions can prove to be too much some days also for me. Of course today is great...NOT....my little dog, Tasha, seems to have eaten something that didn't agree with her and is throwing up all over the place. Yuck! Besides dealing with the smell (sorry) it's a challenge cleaning up with paper towels, cleaner and a grabber. Sitting in this "chair", there's no way I can actually reach the floor. Same thing when she forgets she's a big girl and poops in the house. Sometimes I just sit here and bawl, for a bit, then go ahead and figure out how to clean up the mess. Before MS, who woulda thunk it???

Thank you all for the chuckles, but know that in my heart I'm right there with you...........