Thanks missj,
I'm actually feeling OK about having the TEE...and I'll cross the next bridge when I get there .

Erin,
How are you doing? Worried about you. Can you get outside today?
It was sunny here yesterday and I went outside and puttered in the yard. I know that you may not be up to that, but I also took a chair out into my yard and just sat in the sunshine (although I needed a coat because it is still just above freezing). Doing that did a world of good for my overall sense of wellbeing and it might do the same for yours.

Even if it seems too far to walk to go out through your garage door, please do try. You said in your post that you went out for breakfast, so you did manage to get out the door. Give it a shot OK?

With love, Erika

I got out to breakfast yesterday, but that wiped me out. By the time I got home, all I wanted to do yesterday was sleep. My brain wouldn't let me sleep tho. I felt really shaky and weak all day. When I went upstairs to get something to eat last night, I kept feeling like I wanted to fall down. Like my legs didn't want to, or couldn't hold me up.

When I was at the restaurant with my family yesterday, all I wanted to do, other than eat breakfast, was to go home. Just too many people around me at the time. (place was packed, since it was right after a lot of people's church services). My parents keep pushing me to go places, even tho I just don't feel like going. I only went yesterday because I was hungry. Barely made it into the restaurant. Was standing there with a walker, looking at all the teenagers sitting on the bench in the lobby. None of them noticed me or my mom there (both using walkers). It was an older lady that got up and gave my mom her seat. My dad, using his cane, was about to sit down when another seat opened up. Couple of teenagers grabbed the seat before he could sit down. So he just stood there. Even after I guilt tripped the kids for being jerks.

The steroids were making me weird yesterday. It was probably better that I stayed inside and hid from the world.

A lot of what you said is a big part of the reason I don't want to go out. I know your condition is much worse than mine, Erin, but I'd rather eat at home than encounter people like the ones you described.

Creeps!
So sorry that you and others experience this sort of behavior when out and about. No wonder you don't want to go out Frog and Erin .

Generally, we don't have that happen here, although it does happen from time to time; and it does tend to involve the younger crowd when it does. Otherwise, Canadians seem to be polite and will more often than not, offer their seat, their place in line ups, and even their place in line for a table in a restaurant if there are disabled folks waiting for one.

For some reason, Wal-mart seems to be an exception to that. I've witnessed and experienced all sorts of rude behavior in that place. The most common of which is when shoppers reach over someone in a scooter to get something off of a shelf, like the person in the scooter wasn't even there. Sheesh!

With love, Erika

No matter where they are, all Wal-Marts seem to attract jerks.

That's why they call them Wal-Martians and one of the reasons, why I have
never been to Wal-mart in my life and never will go there.

Not in a great mood today. I have a bit of a worry in the windmills of my
mind and must shake it out. Nothing I can do, without the fear of losing/
threatening a dear friendship. Mouth zipped is best, but very hard!

Back before I had any idea that I had MS (around 2004/2005) my mom had to have knee surgery.

I took her to Walmart one day, and we used a store wheelchair with the basket. I was pushing her around in the store. I walked away from her for a minute to grab something. Came back to get her, and someone was in front of her, pushing the wheelchair from the basket side of the chair to move her out of the way so they could get to something. They practically swung her around in a half circle.

She was so shocked by the move, that she didn't say anything. I was like "you could have asked, or waited. We still have shopping to do". Think they said something somewhat insulting about my mom's mental capacity. I can't remember at the moment, too tired to try to remember what the other person said.

Some people really make me hate humanity sometimes.


and on another note, while I was writing this. My regular doctor's office just called me. He had told me to call him today. I called this morning, but in the middle of leaving the message, I was like "Dr C told me to call him today, but I can't for the life of me remember exactly what he wanted to know. So this is me calling Dr. C back".

He wanted to know what my energy level was. It's still running on empty. And the steroids have made my brain a little fried. I told them I was still really tired, and didn't feel like the steroids had done much but cause me insomnia and make me more tired. The nurse said she'd call me back in a little bit. Wonder if he's going to throw some more prednisone at me? Kind of worried he might, but I almost think that it needs to be upped a little bit. Since I don't feel like it's doing that much for the energy boost that I think he was trying to give me.

I went to bed around 2am, which is about four hours earlier than I usually actually fall asleep. (I'm usually not actually getting into the bed till around 4am). I didn't fall asleep till around 430, and then I was awake at 9am.

hopefully the fact that I've gotten such little sleep last night, I'll manage to go to bed way early tonight. Our remodel for the bathroom and my bedroom starts tomorrow. I'm betting the contractor will be here seriously early.

I have to go take "Before" pictures, so that I can show off what's getting done to my room and the guest bath.


edit

nurse called back. Told me to finish out the taper, and see how I feel after that. I hate steroids. I really do. Hopefully I feel better eventually, as a reward for taking the stupid things.

Truly, what is it about Wal-mart that affects people like that...or does it just attract those that are like that in the first place.

Sally,
You aren't missing a thing at Wal-mart, so no need to add that to your bucket list.

Erin,
Sorry that your Mom and you had that experience at Wal-mart, but it pretty much describes the sort of things that I've seen go on there.

Rats! I was really hoping that your doc would come up with something to help you get through this flare. Maybe getting the sleep pattern back on track like you say, will help.
Looking forward to your before and after pictures. A change of scenery in your room might also help to lift your spirits...although through the construction part, you might try holing up somewhere else in the house.

With love, Erika

Erin I agree you should move temporarily while they remodel. Remodels are usually very smelly, and the smells are of toxic things, usually. You don't need that added stress.

I have only been to Walmart once. We have no big box stores near us here, so going to Walmart is a 40 mile roundtrip, and I did it only to get plants.

As for young people being crass, the TV news was pointing out today that their role models are people like Justin Bieber. They showed a segment of him being insulting to the judge who was trying to take a deposition concerning his bodyguard attacking a photographer. He looked very surly and superior. Who else do the youngsters follow these days--just as crass as Justin Bieber?
It is so nice to meet people who are polite and helpful, isn't it? That happens too.

I talked to the contractor tonight. Told him that I've been sick, been walking wobbly and with a walker. He said he would make sure that there was room for me to get in and out of my bedroom at night.

There is no energy for me to do any moving of important stuff on my desk (unless it's my iPads, or my new/used laptop). The desk is about three inches from the wall that's getting moved. (the desk is built into the wall. We're cutting off part of the wall where it curves (edited to add some info) the wall will be straightened so that it no longer curves, and goes straight across to the wall of the hallway. Basically, I'm getting rid of the little hallway that's between me and my bathroom. My bedroom and bath become an ensuite. We're doing this because that wall, where it curves is kind of an impediment to getting a walker into the room easily). He's going to tape plastic up to the shelves and cabinets above my desk to protect everything. And he's throwing more plastic over my bed. I'm going to try to stay out of my bedroom while he's doing the destruction part of the construction.

Think he said he'll have the wall down in a couple of hours tomorrow, and might be able to start on moving the vent for the air return for the HVAC. Not sure if he'll have the wall framed tomorrow. I have to talk to him about the door. Going to make it wider than it was. I think it's a 36in doorway (think that's minimum code...maybe?) The new door will be a little wider just in case I end up with new wheeled contraptions. Altho, I'm not sure how I'll get a wheeled contraption other than a walker into my bedroom. I'm in the basement. (not sure how long basement living will be feasible. Hope this flare lets up and the walker can go be parked against the new wall)