good morning kay.
How did the gastro appointment go?
bizi

I went to have my car inspected yesterday and it failed. The guy at the shop could tell right away that it was a specific problem with the battery, and said that the car needs to be driven at least 150 miles after it's jump started (because I left the headlights on) before the system resets. I'm glad I went to a shop where they knew what they were talking about… I have 60 days to fix the problem and return to the same shop to have it reinspected and get the passing inspection sticker for free. In the meantime, I need to find somewhere to drive to that will be 150 miles round trip. I don't go far… I only have 22K on my 2010 car, but I'm not afraid of driving as long as I have my 1/2mg klonopin and my GPS. I will obviously have to stop to rest.

I got an email from the leasing office to take a survey about my recent experience with maintenance because they closed the maintenance ticket. I emailed the assistant manager that no work had been done on our bathroom ceiling, which was our main concern, and the handicap sign still hadn't been put up.
She emailed me back that she sent the maintenance manager out to look at our ceiling and he was going to make an appointment with a contractor to come out, so obviously he decided it needed to be replaced, and they can't/won't replace it themselves.
She said that a handicapped sign would have to be made, and she asked permission from corporate (I don't know why she didn't do that 2 weeks ago), but they have a sign on hand that they use to reserve spots for 5+ year residents, and could use that if it was okay. Of course it is okay… it makes no difference to me what sign they use.

After a nap yesterday I sorted through some crap to make room for the things I took from my father's basement. I have another box to deal with today, but there isn't much left. Most of what's left needs to go into the filing cabinet. I have some things on my desk that needs to be filed away too, so that should keep me busy for a little while today.

I have several broken down boxes already. I want to have my husband bring them out to my car when he goes out to bring things in this weekend. With the right determination I'm sure I can find a way to get them in the dumpster. I do not want them in my kitchen. He still hasn't thrown that damn fan out.

I am glad that the leasing office finally will get to your bathroom ceiling.Wht an ordeal.
and you parking space.
((((HUGS))))
bizi

Good work with the soon to be fixed bathroom ceiling and parking sign.:)

I did not know that batteries had to be driven/treated that way.


M

You're never gonna believe this…
The guy who inspected my car left my lights on, I never realized it, and my battery was dead when I got in the car yesterday!!!
I waited for over 3 1/2 hours for roadside assistance to come give me a jump and I missed my pdoc appointment.

I had my backseat full of books and clothes to donate, so when my car was up and running, I drove off to drop them off in a box nearby, but it was no longer there. I found another one across town on google. I got stuck in terrible traffic, but fortunately the box was there when I arrived.

By the time I got to CVS to pick up a prescription I was spent. A woman laid into me in the parking lot on my way out over something minor (long story) that was undeserved, but I apologized for it anyway. She was a very angry person, and was looking for a target. I didn't engage, but it didn't matter. She called me a "homely *****" at one point lol. At least she didn't call me "ugly." It was raining out, and I did kinda look like a bit of a mess, but I know I'm not "homely." Who uses that word anymore anyway? lol.

It was too late to take a nap by the time I got home, and I ended up throwing laundry in. They still haven't fixed the dryer, so there's only one. I still did two loads, it just took me a lot longer than I wanted it to.

Even though it was Friday, I went to bed early. I was out of it, and ready for the day to be over.

Today has to be better.

I am sorry you had that confrontation yesterday.
You did not deserve that.:mad:
It sounds like you had a productive frustrating day.
I am hoping you woke up refreshed and I hope you have a better day today.
(((((HUGS)))))
bizi

Wow, Kay,

That was quite a day. You are strong.


M

I finished my filing and made all the room in the closets I could by early Saturday morning, but my husband had very little motivation to bring anything in from the car or put anything away. On Sunday he brought the cardboard boxes out to the car and brought two small things in, and that was it. One more trip out to the car would have emptied the trunk, but he decided he was done.

I enjoyed watching the Pats game yesterday. Brady played very well, and it was an overwhelming win.

Even though the cupboards were empty, my husband dissuaded me from going food shopping yesterday, so we had to order out for dinner. We got Chinese food… so not diet friendly. I am slipping and need to get back on track…

I haven't weighed myself in several days, so I don't know what impact all my cheating has had. I took two bottles of magnesium citrate last night, but should have taken it much sooner. I'll weigh myself tomorrow.

I am sorry for your GI issues.
I like chinese food but usually has a lot of sodium, not scale friendly, definitely wait a while before weighing yourself.

Happy halloween!
bizi

I weighed myself today and I'm not a happy camper because I'm up 3 pounds. I should have waited to weigh myself because the magnesium citrate I took Sunday night usually causes bloating for a couple of days. I'll hold off on weighing myself for a while, but I still need to do a better job of sticking to my diet. Having leftover Halloween candy in the house won't help.

I felt horrible yesterday morning and went down for a nap around 10am. I didn't get up until my husband came home sometime after 2pm. I hadn't done laundry or gone grocery shopping as planned.
I got into the shower around 3:30 before making a quick trip to the grocery store to pick up enough things to get us through a couple of days. I'll have to do the rest of the shopping tomorrow.

I threw in a load of laundry around 6 this morning. We still only have 1 working dryer, and I didn't want to risk someone getting the jump on me. I'm going to call the office AND the service company to report the broken dryer again. It's been over a week…

Meanwhile, days later, the altercation with that woman in the parking lot at CVS continues to bother me and I don't know why. It's definitely not because she called me homely, and I really can't recall a lot of the things she yelled at me. I'm unsure if it's because I didn't defend myself, if I didn't diffuse the situation better, or if it's just because she was so angry and abusive. Thinking about it provokes anxiety and I don't know why…

Sorry that you had to put up with that.
sorry you are still upset about it.
I would be too.
(((((HUGS)))))
there are mean people every where.
bizi

Kay

I think you are still concerned because you don't like that kind of stuff.
I think you need to remember that it might have been just what she
needed. Since we don't have a clue why people do or say things.

Maybe taking it out on you. Helped her not take it out on a child of hers.
Or someone that would have physically done something.

I am sorry it happened though.

Donna :hug::grouphug:

I've been surrounded by people who "communicate" like that throughout my life, but that doesn't mean I like it. I can even dish it out if I'm really provoked, but that's a very rare occurrence now. I've changed, and how I react to behavior like that has changed, too.

My social anxiety is bad enough on its own. I'm not having a lot of positive interactions, and obviously that was a very negative one. Maybe that's a driving factor.

The woman was yelling at me from inside her car, and made no attempt to get out, so I wasn't consciously worried about her assaulting me. I do have an awareness of my physical vulnerabilities though, and I've been worried about that in the past.


I fell asleep on the couch yesterday morning and had to go back to bed. I slept until 3:30pm. I think now that I've come down from hypomania the am dose of gabapentin is too much for me. That's why I stopped taking it twice a day before. I'm going to hold it today to see if it makes a difference… I think it will.
I have to reschedule the pdoc appointment I missed due to car trouble.

I have to buy cigarettes and finish up the rest of the grocery shopping today. I hope skipping the am gabapentin helps because if today ends up like the last two days, going out will be impossible without another epic nap. I'll take my pills early in case I need that nap, and hope that it won't be a long one.

I hope you are able to get done what you need to get done. I know that you need your naps...sorry about missing your pdoc visit, I hate car troubles.
(((((HUGS)))))
bizi

Skipping the gabapentin really helped. I was able to get my errands done before taking my regular (2 1/2 hour) afternoon nap.

Since the second dose of gabapentin is so sedating now, I obviously don't need it to slow me down anymore, which was it's intended purpose. I'm not taking it during the day anymore and will let my pdoc know that when I see her.
I have to call today to make an appointment with her. In the meantime, I'm not worried about side effects from the med change. I've had to make the same adjustment before.


I had plans to travel to the outlets today to run up the mileage on my car, but it's supposed to rain all day and I can't drive in those conditions. I hate having to change plans, but I'll have to wait until tomorrow until the weather is better.

well I hope your weather cooperates, ya never know. we had 100% forecast for rain yesterday, was humid but not a drop.
(((((HUGS)))))
bizi

I ended up taking a 4 hour mid-day nap yesterday even though I didn't take the gabapentin :(

I've had a cough with congestion for about a month now and have been treating it with OTC meds. My thermometer's dead so I haven't been tracking my temp, but I woke up this morning in a cold sweat feeling like someone punched me in the face. Maybe it has turned into bronchitis, or I have a sinus infection, and that is what has been causing the increased fatigue? IDK. I guess I'll try to get an appointment with my PCP just in case. Blah.

Whatever the reason, I've been prone to these long daytime naps for the last week, so I don't think it's a good idea for me to get in the car and drive 150 miles solo. The outlets aren't going anywhere, and I have almost 60 days to return to have my car reinspected with the additional 150 miles on it.

I am sorry you have been sick.
(((((HUGS)))))
bizi

I hope that the yucky cough and fatigue lets up so you feel better.


M

I couldn't get an appointment with my PCP or the NP in the office, so I was referred to urgent care. I have mild pneumonia and a sinus infection. I got a gentle you should know better/have to do better speech. I'm on antibiotics, will be resting, and should start feeling better in a couple of days.

oh you poor thing.
(((((((HUGS)))))))
rest some more.
bizi

Kay,

I am relieved to hear that you got help at urgent care.

Get rest.

'Sending lots of get well wishes.


M

Thank you for your well wishes :group hug:
I'm feeling a little bit better.
I need to buy a new thermometer so I can pick up on things like this sooner.

We lost water twice on Saturday before I called the office at noon. I flushed the pipes when it came back on the first time because the water was brown. The girl on the phone had no information for me, but said she would put in a work order and get back to me when she knew more. The brown water came back on once for a short time before it went off again. I got an email around 3 (3 hours after I called) saying there was a broken pipe underground that needed to be fixed and the water would be off for "5-8 hours." To their credit it only took 4.

I'm so sick of this ****ing place!!! My kitchen faucet is still leaking, I'm still waiting for the contractor to come and look at my bathroom ceiling (and God knows how long it will be before they actually fix it), and the last I heard it was going to take "a couple of weeks" for the stencils to arrive to finish the sign for my parking spot :mad:


Every 4 years I stay up and watch the election results come in. It's going to be hard this year because I usually go to bed around 10:30pm and wake up between 5-6:30 every morning. I will try my best to stay awake even though it will probably be very late before the election is called.

Meanwhile, I've been sucked into the 24 hour news cycle.

Glad that you are better today my dear! rest today.

I am sick of this campaign don't like my choices....
what is our country coming to?
bizi

Yesterday I baked a devils "fools" cake in honor of the election. I decorated it and it looked so pitiful! lol. I stayed up passed 2:30am only to pass out during Trump's acceptance speech!!!

I had a horrible day yesterday. I'm sorry this is long, but this was a really, really big anxiety provoking situation for me… I got so anxious and upset that I actually threw up, and that hasn't happened in a very long time.

A guy from maintenance came with a putty knife and a pail of spackle for our ceiling. I told him I'd been expecting a contractor because I was told by the assistant manager from the leasing office twice that one would be coming. He said that they don't hire contractors and he was there to scrape off the loose popcorn from the ceiling and spackle over it…

When I walked by to put laundry away in the bedroom, I took a peek at what he was doing and saw a HUGE black spot on the ceiling with some little holes! And it wasn't even the area directly effected by the water damage!
I knew his plan was to cover it up. I knew it shouldn't just be covered up. I didn't know how to handle the situation, and basically panicked. I ended up telling him to stop working, but I wasn't calm, cool, or collected about it. He said he was going to get the maintenance supervisor to come over and left to get supplies to clean up the mess he made in the bathroom.

Meanwhile, I texted pictures to my husband and called him to ask him what to do. He was irate and was of no help, because all he did was yell, and that made my anxiety ten times worse.

When the maintenance supervisor showed up, he treated me like an idiot because he didn't know where I got the idea that a contractor was coming. He said that he took samples of the ceiling and sent them out to be analyzed for mold. He said the came back negative. Even though the samples came from nowhere near the damage, he said if there was mold anywhere in the apartment, the small samples he took would have come back positive… I'm fairly sure that's ********. I still refused to let them cover the area up, they sprayed for mildew, and left.

Not 10 minutes later, the assistant property manager called me to pressure me to let them cover the damage up. She was very condescending, and basically just repeated what the maintenance supervisor said. She wants to know what I want to do no later than today so this won't drag on (even though we've been waiting for this to be fixed for like 5 years)… I took that to mean that she wants me to tell her that I'll consent to let them cover up the ceiling today.

It was me vs the world :(

I took a look at my ceiling last night…
The mildew spray they used exposed several large holes with white fibrous threads where the sheetrock should be… mold… dead or alive, but mold.

I'm going to try to make an appointment with the assistant property manager today to share some pictures and speak to her. She needs to see the picture to see why I'm not comfortable with what they want to do and understand I'm not being unreasonable… I want maintenance to remove the popcorn from the area that was directly affected from the water damage and aggressively treat or replace (at least) the sheetrock in those effected areas before they retexturize the ceiling… not unreasonable.

When I see her I will also let her know how displeased I was to find out we had diarrhea water again at midnight last night!

I'm very tired from being up so late. I hope a shower will refresh me. I've taken 1mg of klonopin, but I'm still tied up in knots, so will need at least another 1/2 before I meet with her. I need to make an outline of what I want to say before I go so. It will help keep my anxiety in check and keep my interaction with her more professional vs emotional.

Meanwhile, I'm starting to look for a new apartment.

Kay
I think you might need to report the apartment complex too.

And I'm glad you fought for your rights. Keep it up.

Keep us up to date on how things are going.

I would be looking for a different apartment too.
Donna :hug::grouphug:

The department of health was closed yesterday because of the elections. I just called back.
I explained the situation to the lady on the phone and she said I need an inspector to come down, so one will be here between 10am and noon tomorrow. How's that for service?

I called the assistant property manager and let her know that the inspector was coming. She didn't seem very happy about that development, but tough ****. I said I didn't call because of punishment or retaliation. It was in both our interests to have the work done right. She asked me to call her to let her know when the inspector arrived so she could send over someone from maintenance, and I agreed. I told her I would respect the outcome of the inspection and allow them to repair the ceiling in the way the inspector thinks is appropriate.

I will feel much better after the inspector comes. I'll be able to avoid future conflict with the office because the decision is out of my hands now.

Thank you for explaining kay.
Now I understand.
What a mess for you.
so sorry that you are going thru this ********.
sorry you got sick over it.
(((((HUGS)))))
klonipin is our friend.
love bizi:hug:

Good Job Kay

Let us know what you find out okay.

Donna :hug::grouphug:

I guess the inspectors don't deal with mold, but can compel landlords to test for it and provide them with reports. In my case, I didn't need to deal with that because the part of the ceiling that was exposed was rotten from it. We had to wait about 10 minutes before the maintenance supervisor arrived, so I was able to explain how they handled/mishandled the water damage over the years and could express my concerns about it. The area's not exposed, but there are still indications of underlying damage.

The inspector suggested removing and replacing half the ceiling. The maintenance supervisor raised no objection, and said it would actually be easier for him because taking care of the area by the water damage would have been very difficult otherwise… I think his hands were tied before.

It was a big relief to have someone with authority look at the ceiling and tell them what had to be done. I didn't have to make any decisions or demands. I'm very satisfied with how things turned out.

They're going to fix the ceiling next week. Since I won't be able to go to the bathroom while they're here, I'll take my trip to the outlets that day and run up the mileage on the car so I can go back and get it inspected. I will have to lock the kitties in the bedroom so that they're not underfoot and don't inhale anything coming off the ceiling.

My husband's afraid that they're going to try to evict us because I called the Health Department, but by law they can't do that. They could try to find another reason though. The only thing I can think of is "damage to the apartment" because of our smoking, but we've been living here for 7 years, and there was no smoke-free policy in place when we moved in, and the health inspector didn't make any comment about the smell when she was here.

My husband had me all worked up looking for apartments. When he told me to do it, it was with a sense of urgency, but when I asked him about a potential move-in date (because landlords want to know that type of thing), I couldn't pin him down. He said he didn't want to move soon "unless the right apartment comes up." He couldn't make up his mind whether he wanted to move or not.

Our lease doesn't expire until August. Breaking our lease would leave us liable for rent until they find a new tenant, and because of all the half-assed repairs they have done in here over the years, the apartment would need quite a bit of work before they could get a tenant in here for the rent we pay now. Maybe they would go after us for it, maybe not. The only way out of the lease is if the apartment management co. agreed to let us off the hook, and I doubt they would do that.

I decided it's not worth the risk of breaking the lease and being on the hook for a lot of money we can't afford. So, I stopped looking for apartments. We will just have to make the best of it here for now.
If we do get evicted, or they do try to somehow force us out, I have already done research, so it will be easier to find an apartment.

My anxiety's been ****ing sky high. I still haven't calmed down. I was probably already wound up before all of this.

Personally I would guess they wont try to evict you. Because for
one thing. I don't believe they could charge you for money till August.
I would double check that with a lawyer that wont charge for it.

Also they might give you notice before its due again. If they do that
you have more time to look again.

Personally I'm glad you got it done a good way.

Donna :hug::grouphug:

Kay,

You are totally amazing.





M

My husband is the "boss", but in a lot of ways he really isn't. When it comes to situations like this, he's a hot head and incapable of handling matters himself. He gets lost and needs me to take the reigns, and given the right circumstances, and enough time to adjust, I'm pretty ****ing savvy. Unfortunately all of this is all a reminder that there's another side of me, the bipolar side, which is absolutely dysfunctional.

Things are getting harder for me physically (minus the magic of mania) and it was particularly clear yesterday. While I was struggling to get my groceries into the apartment, it occurred to me that we do have a way out of the lease…

I have a progressive disabling disease and getting in and out of the apartment is getting too hard for me- and it's not a lie. It is grounds to terminate a lease without penalty. It would be a dream to have a more accessible apartment. I see my neurologist next month and will ask for a letter.

Yesterday was also a reminder that I need to start slowing down. I shouldn't have done the grocery shopping because my body was telling me not to, and I can't keep carrying grocery bags in like that. My husband needs to start carrying his own weight.

I just read your thread.
It sounds like they are going to fix the problem once and forall.
I am happy for you. I am sure you will be so glad when it is done.
sorry that you had to call the health department in order for them to do something. but hey, that was ridiculous!
(((((HUGS))))) to you today.
bizi

You have a good way out. The neurologist will help.

Mari

I can't believe I've been sucking it up for so long it never occurred to me that we should move to make life easier for me…

Even though we have grounds to break the lease without penalty, I kinda doubt my husband will want to move any time soon because he's lazy. He did ask a friend to ask his friend who owns a property management company if he has anything available, but I don't know if anything will come of it…

We have 3 cats, smoke, and are looking for a place that's easy for me to access. It's a tall order. Most places will be okay with the cats, but most places that are handicap accessible are 55+ or really expensive, and most places have gone smoke-free. I think we will have to learn to live with smoking outside because it will be a big sticking point.

I don't know when they're coming to fix my ceiling, but I've been showering every morning so I'll be ready in case they come. They're supposed to provide me notice so I can take everything out of the BR (including the shower curtain) and lock up the cats, but I don't trust that they will do that. I stopped by the office to reload my laundry card and the assistant office manager told me that the head of maintenance will be handling the job. I don't know if it's because I'm a pain in the *** and I called the health department, or because the job will be difficult because of the water damage to the adjoining wall. I don't know, and I don't care as long as it gets done.

When I saw my pdoc on Monday she said she went to a conference and sat through a lecture dealing with the subject of using supplements to treat OCD. She said that she wanted to do some more research on the subject, but that she thought that it was something I could definitely benefit from. I see her in a month and she'll discuss a plan with me then.

Meanwhile, I'm thinking about quitting smoking because of the pneumonia. I started when I was 13 and have been smoking for 23 years with the exception of the occasional attempt to quit. I'm going to switch to e-cigarettes after this carton. I tried them years ago, but it was a lousy brand and they were a constant frustration, so I abandoned them. They're supposed to be much better now… if you buy a brand that doesn't have a history of exploding.

Kay
I can totally understand the not having anything handicap accessible. So even if you don't find anything for a while. Looking is a good idea.

Donna :hug::grouphug:

Sounds like a good plan.
Good luck with the ceiling/wall of your bathroom. It sounds all so frustrating.
I am glad that you will be looking to move.
Maybe you could move before the snow flies?
I am glad that at least one of you can make things work for your family.
You are a team player....
hugs to you today
(((((HUGS)))))
bizi

The original maintenance request that included repairing the ceiling and putting up my handicap sign was entered in the system on October 12th (I saved the email confirmation). I'm still waiting for both things to be done.

Last week I was told that the ceiling was going to be repaired sometime this week, but here it is Friday, nothing's been done, and I have no expectation of when it will be. My instinct is to send the assistant property manager an email asking for an update so I will have a paper trail.

I don't know why I really need a paper trail anymore, aside from having more proof that this place sucks, because my husband is intensely unhappy here and has decided he wants to move when we can.

My appointment with my neurologist isn't until December 21st, but I also have an appointment for a physical with my PCP on the 28th of this month, and I'm sure he will do his best to help me with this situation, as he has with others in the past. Of course two letters would be better than one.

Whenever I decide to approach our "landlord", I think I have to give them 60 days notice. We need to use the time between NOW and the end of that period to do some accounting and get on a budget. We will have to at least pay first, security, and moving expenses without exhausting what little is left of our savings. I think it's conceivable that we can put some money away during this time, and every little bit helps.

I've been searching apartment complexes for our criteria, and looking at external shots of the buildings so I can see what the access would be like (most places are simply out of the question), but I'm not making any phone calls or checking out individual listings now because we don't have a move-in date.

Believe it or not, after everything we've been through, I think my husband would accept an offer of a different apartment from this property management company if it was in excellent shape and in the right price range. I may be a pain in the ***, but we've never been late with the rent in 7 years.

"Hi XXXX,

I'm writing to ask if you can please find out when maintenance will be by to fix our bathroom ceiling.

I understand that someone else will be completing the work now, but after meeting with the inspector last week on the 10th, XXXX told me maintenance would be taking care of it sometime this week. I understand I may have created a delay of about two days or so last week by calling in an inspector due to my concerns, but this work order for the ceiling was initially opened on October 12th…

Any information you can provide me with would be welcomed.

Thank you,

ME"

I had to write this damn letter about 100 times before it got that amiable. Even if she responds to the email, I doubt I'll get an answer of any kind before Monday.