[stevem53]

Hi Everyone, and welcome to or new community members!

Its been cold and we had a dusting of snow last night..My girlfriend stayed over for a few days, and theres an inch of snow on the ground where she lives..I started taking my traps home today..I was going to bait them one more time, but after I looked at last years records, I decided to pack it in..Good thing, cuz out of 18 traps I had 3 small snails..that was it..While I was out, I saw a bouquet of flowers floating, and when I looked up, there was a big bow tied on the rail of the bridge..There was a boy who had drowned in the river this past summer, and at first it was ruled a boating accident with alcohol involved where the teenager was supposedly boarding behind the boat..Come to find out he was hit by the boat after the operator of the boat was yelling at him..Now its been ruled a homicide..It was sad to see those flowers floating by

My Uncle, who is also a fisherman, a retired one, is in the hospital..He had prostate cancer a few years ago, and they thought that they got it all..Well it came back, and spread to his colon..I couldnt get any details as of yet on the results of the surgery..seems my Aunt didnt ask too many questions, because she is afraid to hear any bad news..I hope he is ok..He is around 85 yrs old

How was your week?

[proudest_mama]

Steve,

Here in Houston it's in the high 70's and low 80's with humidity. We're walking around wearing shorts and it's December! I vacillate between liking it and hating it. (It's a woman's prerogative to change her mind, isn't it?) The warmer weather is easier on my PD, though, of which I'm thankful.

Still trying to figure out where I fit in this thing called marriage. No easy or clear cut answers. Instead of fighting it, and trying to either manipulate and/or get answers, my goal this week is to just relax, read my Bible, and let it be. I'm tearing myself up inside, as well as my loved ones, and am hurting all involved by doing so.

Have a good week everyone. Treat yourselves to the simple pleasures of life - a piece of chocolate, listening to a good song, taking a walk, having lunch with a friend. Now I just need to heed my own advice!

[jcitron]

We shared some of Steve's snow as well up here as well. There wasn't much on the ground, but enough to force me to shovel out my car. That chore took me over 2-1/2 hours as I gingerly made up the steps and carefully dug out. I didn't want to fall down the stairs or the slope and end up on the driveway at the bottom! This has been a good week so far with work. I have to use up a ton of vacation time at work so I'll be out of the office most of the month.

I also started my new class. This is online with the University of Phoenix, and this looks to be an interesting one on Chemical Dependencies in the Workplace. It discusses alcohol and drug abuse, the effects of the different chemicals on the brain, and how the brain and body become addicted to them among other things. This is a 5-week class with 2-weeks off in the middle due to the Christmas break. I think this class is very appropriate for us, and I will be discussing what I've learned when I'm in the forum here.

@Terri, I feel so sorry for you. You don't need this kind of stress on top of everything else especially now that it's the holiday season. Why and how can people be so cruel and unforgiving. See if you can relax and hide from it all for a while.

John

[olsen]

As I type, freezing rain is pelting my window. We also had a bit of snow ~ mid week, but have experienced freezing rain every day since. Husband and both sons are at the football game; husband characterized today's game as a match between 2 underachieving teams. sounds like a lot of fun to me--watching 2 unmotivated teams slog thru a game in freezing rain. Though we are a family of die-hard Benegals fans (I was indoctrinated into the league of zealous football fans out of necessity--growing up in Louisiana one had no option but to embrace the game; otherwise one's social life was completely flat and IQ suspected of not reaching triple figures. Most Southwest Louisianans believe anyone who does not like football must lack the intelligence to appreciate the finer points of the game; obviously no other reason...)
Husband had his 6 month appointment with his neurologist--and we both forgot to ask about the necessity of flu vaccine when one is taking Amantadine. We even had notes, and forgot to ask the question. Really does not matter now--I administered the vaccine to him last night. I must decide if I wish to have one--I am not in a high risk group, so may opt out this year, as I did last year.
Husband did begin on low dose Sinemet..1/2 tablet of 25/100 three times/day to increase to 1 tablet in 2 weeks. Has only taken the medication for 2 days, and feels less off balance and walks more upright. Expresses a feeling of "well being ", or as he maintains, "better being" also. We have our fingers crossed. His MDS thinks a very low dose will be sufficient, mostly owing to my husband's tolerance of symptoms, not to his lack of them. He was diagnosed in aug, 04.
My good thoughts to all --Steve, sorry to hear about your uncle's illness; Terri, I wish you Peace this week, and John, I look forward to your sharing what you learn in your course on chemical dependence....madelyn

[vlhperry]

Up here in the frozen tundra of Minnesota it got down to -10 last night.

Steve, I am so sorry to hear your Uncle's cancer has not only returned but has invaded other parts of his body. Will pray for you and your family.

Vicky

[RLSmi]

is avoiding the ice and snow those of you further north and northeast of here are dealing with. Having experienced several terrible ice storms here in the past decade or two (we get ice at least as frequently as snow), I know the havoc they can wreak. 6 or 7 years ago, we stayed in our home without power for 4 days, until the firewood ran out. All of the local hotels with power were full, but we lucked out on day 5 when a room came available in a nearby motel!
Steve, my sympathy and prayers go to you and your uncle's family as they deal with his illness. Just yesterday we buried a good friend from our church who died of pancreatic cancer. He had experienced increasing abdominal discomfort and pain for the past several weeks. The cancer was discovered upon exploratory surgery just a week ago Friday. He passed away last Friday at home with his family around him.
Terri, I wish that I could do more than say keep the faith, but from a distance can't offer much more.
Tomorrow I'm off to the dermatologist for my semi-annual face and back inspection and spot-freezing!
robert

[vertigo]

Hello stevem 53, I hope you are nice and warm in your boat, the winter can be cold on the coast, will you stop fishing until spring ? Sorry about your uncle,- family is special.
My friend,63 years old, is now very ill, cancer has spread to her liver and lungs , she is changing because she gets lots of morphine. She have being afraid of the pain she knew would come, but the doctors take care of her , keeping their promises.
May be i should not write about this sad things ,let me know if it knocks you down.
The replys you have writhen tells me that you will not give up, there will be another summer. I hang on to that !

Annelise

[kman]

Hi,

Just wanted to intro myself to you:

My name is Eric aka kman from Delaware...39. kids 6 and 4. dx with YOPD oct 16th. symptoms over two years rapid and hard hitting..I take siemet 1tab25/100 x 3...and azilcet"sp"....host of problems you all know the drill..
kind of liked that lol. anyway look forward to speaking to all of you in years to comeLOL

[vertigo]

Hello Eric,- nice to have you in this club. I have been a member for some weeks and it means a lot having this great people to talk with.
It was by coincidence I suddenly found this BRAINTALK on the net , lucky me.
Welcome from

Annelise

[ol'cs]

Things have been a terror these days, Just call me "Bin Lurkin"
Steve, I think that you are shellfish for going out fishing this time of year

Spat out a Poem, it's kinda dumb , but here goes:

Parkinson’s Disease

You know, having Parkinson’s disease wouldn’t have been so bad
If it hadn’t come a bugging me while I was such a young aged dad
With my wife, my little son, my daughter, and my college aged lad
This sickness takes much of what you’ve got, what you’ll get, and what you had

Now, I’m fifty and I’m sickly and they call me Jerky Jack
And having Parkinson’s Disease threw my good life way off track
No, it wouldn’t be so bad, if I had the thing’s I lack
Not to mention, that I spend every second day upon my back

Lost my job, lost my friends lost, lost my car, lost my money
And just a while back, I lost the best things, I lost my kids and lost my honey
Some say PD isn’t much worse than the flu, or a cold, with your nose all runny
You know you’re sound of mind, but everybody thinks you’re a dummy

Well I sit a while, sleeping in my big chair made of sack
And when I get up, all me bones give out one big crack
I run a comb across my head and take my coat off the rack
Then go to work the only job that I can do; I drive a big ol’ hack

I go to a lot of doctors, and I take a lot of pills
And let me tell you surely, I’d rather have a lot of other ills
Now I’m on a low budget, and I don’t get a lot of frills
Wish I had something that doesn’t linger, something that, just plain kills

Yes this Pd has got to go, it’s not teasing any more
Ten years have slowly gone by now, and I can barely make it out the door
My knees are busted up from falling, and every muscle in my body’s sore
And now you can’t hardly hear me talk, where I used to, just a roar

Don’t know how much longer I can take it; this disease called PD
Used to tell near everybody that it wasn’t such a bugging me
They keep telling me five more years is all it’s going to be
But I’m not too optimistic, guess we’ll just have to wait and see

No, once this PD wasn’t so bad, but now it’s really dragging me so down
You know I have to laugh though, cause now I look and move like some pathetic clown
At least I’m not in pain much more, thanks to Oxycontin, less I frown
And I don’t think about PD much no more; I’m just rotting in this little town

So if you never meet this thing called Parkinson’s disease
I know you’ll all have problems, ‘cause life is full of heartbreak and many sadly grieves
But just you now remember, and I say this if you please
Look at what you do have, and if your healthy, thank the Lord for your reprieves.
cs,12/07