Fluff....
 

....is it just me, or does that smilie guy look Wayyyy too happily medicated?? :p

Can you believe I did a forum search on the word 'FLUFF' and found over 45 times it's been mentioned??!! :D
So, don't you agree it deserves a thread of it's very own??

I just want to take this opportunity to say how very much I appreciate the hearts and souls of everybody who comes here to share fluff. :grouphug:

I don't know where I'd be without all the fluff that's been passed around here.
It takes a truly GENUINE heart to be able to send fluff to one another.

Without the FLUFF, this place would seem cold and empty, uncaring and without soul.

Fluff takes away the fear and uncertainty of those who come here looking for support.

Fluff is inviting and uplifting.

What does "Fluff" mean to you??

Fluff!
 

I love that you started a thread on this Rae! Hmmmmmm . . . what does "Fluff" mean to me???

On a good day, "Fluff" is the normal, every day, things that we can share. Like me saying that a few days ago my pain level was down, and I was able to go out and help my husband with baby chicks - and with the customers who brought their kids to pick out chicks for the new chicken coop they had just built. It is saying that, for the first time in MONTHS, I was able to bend down, pick up chicks, place them in the hands of a child, and watch their eyes fill with wonderment! I know that I can come here and share those things with a wonderful, caring group of people who will laugh with me in the goodness of those days. That's the good-day Fluff.

And on a bad day, "Fluff" is being able to go into detail - minute, tiny detail - of the pain that I'm in - like today. To share that I'm really struggling with the knowledge that I'm not ever going to be fixed, and that a few days of good, can be followed by a week of bad. That I watch day-in-and-day out as my husband finds purpose in his job, his hobbies, his chickens . . . while I sit inside - alone - feeling like I contribute nothing worthwhile to our livelihood. I know that I can also come here and share those things with a wonderful, caring group of people who will listen with every fiber of their being, understanding not only the words I say, but also the ones I don't. That's the bad-day Fluff.

I just have to say that I feel SO incredibly blessed that I found such an amazing group of people, and I'm glad that we can all "Fluff" as needed - on good days, and on bad!

Fluff On!

=Becky

Fluff is.........
 

Being able to drop in and out of here whenever you feel like it and pick up where you left off....

Being able to ask any question you want and have lots of information come back at you from every walk of life......

Being able to vent your anger at the awful pain and turmoil you go through only to find out you are not alone here, everyone is here to help..........

Being able to say how you feel, good or bad and no one judges you......

Being able to bring laughter to everyone in times of uplifting and troubled times and making them feel that little less sad......

But most importantly it's being able to make many many virtual friends who care, listen, hope, pray and share in our everyday lives and make this site a wonderful place to be a part of.

Thank you Rae for this great thread, only you could think this one up lol. Well done and hope you are keeping well :hug:

Hey Rae :)
 

hey Rae
 

They probably made that smiley just for us medicated folks.

I have a whole post working up in my head tho I have a yard sale this weekend....for now all I can say is I have been singing this in my head since you started this thread;

"H R PUFF AND STUFF....CAN'T GET A LITTLE CUZ YOU CAN'T GET ENOUGH"



HB

Fluff Makes me..... well.... smile!
 

I happen to like Fluff!

like, when folks here reach out to one another, having never met [or rarely so] other than virtually in these threads....

like, when folks pray, send wondrous thoughts, encourage one [like me of late] when the going has been tough....

like, when we have a Pooh party [yes Pooh, I am still alive, just tired... way tired].....

like, when I can write and share a feeling of being Blessed..... yeah, that is probably fluff as well.....

but then, I am a sentimentalist.....

Fluff.....

Cover me in it. :D :grouphug:

Not ONLY
 

Do I like your new thread.....

but, as always, I like your smilies.....even the little lint smilie.... special..... fluff. :hug:

How "Fluff" was started.....
 

Rae,

This is a FYI post regarding "Fluff".:)

Just remembering the first time I encountered the"fluff" word used by a poster. The posting first appreared on the Thread..SCS & Pain Pumps; Chemar has sinced moved the previous postings to a Useful Info site Sticky Thread.

Early February of this year on the above; a poster was a bit upset because he felt SCS info too important and was not being helped by "virtual hugs". Another poster read this post and replied thanking this poster for saving him the time from saying the same thing and was hoping he could groggle through some of the very "(for lack of a better word)" ....".kind fluff"....and get some serious life altering issues, etc.

I loved PamelaJune's response in which she confessed "I am guilty of fluff" :eek: and went on with how perhaps a thread could be started so that only factual information is recorded. Pam went on to list ways a "Fatual" Thread could be addressed. Really quite an interesting list.. Very good response indeed.

I replied to PamelaJune telling her all I saw in her posts was someone with a lot of Pain from many issues. ..." NOooooo fluff".

By the way.....Thanks for starting the Fluff thread.


Gerry

Yikes
 

:holysheep:
:holysheep::holysheep::holysheep:

Fluff is just stuffed into my pockets/shirt/pants---got to let some out.

holding the faith
prayin for ya
group hug
Miracles are supposed to happen (Marianne Williamson)



OMGOSH...I feel better
yup (with a wink to M56)
HB

your words my dear friend
with a few others in the same
place
your life so familiar
not to be touched
for it wouldn't help
keep well
wish you happiness
in your days

There are days we all need a little or a lot of fluff..:smileypray:




Gerry

Fluff today is just resting my head in the clouds for a moment of gratitude, without the attachment of gravity... I am safe after a long long day..I had questioned my ability to survive...assured, I am more than alive. I saw the pain psychologist for 1.25 hours, pleasurable except for the pain from sitting.. no comfy chairs like Mark56. :rolleyes: and another trip to my GI doctor after lunch. Still have pancreatitis. ... but I am better and wont see him again for 6 weeks if it holds. :smileypray: for that with all my muster.I had my MRI and am clear for lesser pain take-off on the SCS express... :BeamUp: It is the only decision I can make. ;):Grin-Nod: in this moment anyway...

warm evening! :hug::grouphug:

Hana

Well Now
 

That is no Fluff.... learning you may take a seat on the SCS Express.

No Fluff indeed.....

May all be well [intended in the most real and also the most Fluffy way]....

I like five letter words better than some of those four letter ones anyway.....

Awwwww, Fluff. Yeah, it conveys a sense of comfort and well being.

Now, for specifics, we could digress, and learn my 6 week post surgical followup from the posterior cervical multi-level fusion I received on Jan 2 IS FORMING BONE NICELY THANK YOU VERY MUCH. That is not fluff, just hard [bone like] fact. I like it.

Bone..... a nice four letter word.

Helped along by Fluff. :D

Mark, the weekend is here upon us and with it we can all reflect on this past week. What a week it has been, the world shook with Eva's news and I have been searching in every nook and cranny for some hope and good will. To hear that you are recovering well is a boon to us all. Thank you for sharing

Fluff
 

Like the dust bunnies that gather under our beds, or in that shaft of sunlight streaming from your bedroom window and when you blow you see the particles move. Fluff is all around, it shows we are alive, we create it big and small. We live, we breathe, we share.

Fluff shows we care enough to share our experiences so that somewhere someone may learn from our actions. Facts are harsh blunt statements, that don't provide readers with the opportunity to feel what we feel (not that we would ever want them too) they don't provide readers the chance to relate, they don't give readers the chance to wonder what if, or to reach out and ask questions.

Fluff is an essential path to wellness, it enables us to be in touch with our emotions and to grow. Fluff gives background stories and maybe, just maybe, we can draw parallels into how and why we got to where we are today. The fact is I fell off my horse, it would be easy to assume that's why I broke my back, but the assumption would be wrong. It doesn't mention the congenital problem compounded by the fact I was a junior state athlete champion.

Fluff gives the facts meaning and allows conclusions to be drawn, decisions to be made, choices to follow. Fluff is what I look for every day here on the NT forum, a platform for us all to come together and share our joy, our tears, our laughter and our fears.

If I want blunt statements I go to a doctor.:cool:

Dear friend
I concur
In addition
My precious dog
His unconditional
Fluff of love
And a fluff return
to all

flugroggling
 

Quote reader 1
I have been suffering from chronic pain for several years and now am at the point where the amount of oxy I require to control the pain is interfering with my life. This situation can only get worse as I get older and my body tolerates more and more stuff. I am also "labeled" as one of "those" who takes oxy for "pain". Even Walgreen's, in my opinion, discourages us "pain addicts" from filling their script in their stores. (I am retired and live in S. Florida where you can find a pain clinic as easily as a pizza parlour.) So for all of these reasons I chose to explore a SCS and discovered this forum via a Google search. I am grateful for all the information provided.
However IMHO the majority of posts are negative and spell out in detail the problems people have had with the SCS, their "reps" what ever they or their role is/are, their surgeons and their devices. At least I now have a list of issues to discuss with my pain person.
But I am left with a deep sense of unease. I can't tell if people who have had SCS implementation would have it again, would recommend to a family member or what the major trade off's are. It's like a virtual group therapy session, where everyone is right and everyone gets a group hug. You can't tell what real and what's not, what's fact and what a wish.
Maybe a disclaimer is in order. Maybe some real data from "poster's" is in order like age, length of time in "pain", kind of insurance, manufacturer, type of pain and location, etc.
The decision is get an SCS is too important and IMHO not helped by "virtual hugs". I don't write this to offend anyone, I'm only looking for a way to make this valuable resource even more so.

Quote Reader 2
First I must admit that I have not read past this point. I have to take a minute and thank you for saving me the time in having to say the same thing.
I hope I can groggle through some of the very kind fluff (for lack of a better word) and get some answers to some very serious, life altering issues, while sharing info and experiences I have to offer. I digress. Have a great day. :-)

Quote Community Welcome member
Welcome! So glad you came upon Neurotalk! You'll be pleasantly impressed with the amount of genuine care from others who know what you are going through.

After you're done 'groggling through the fluff' (I'm gonna have to use this phrase), ask as many Q's as you'd like. It'd be great if you started a thread of your own, that way we can find you easier and all your questions will be in one place.

Holler if you need help finding your way around. It's great to have you!

Quote Reader 2
I know there is a large amount of sympathy and empathy around here. I think it is great. But between that and all quoted answers, it makes for a lot of "kind, fluffy" reading.
If it was my personal story thread or something to that affect, then it is very much wanted and needed. But when an info thread is fluffy, I lose interest and try to find my answer elsewhere. Hope that doesn't offend anyone. :-/ It just is what it is.

Thanks for the invite. Here I go to read, and read some more.

Quote Active fluffer
Hi there, many posters here are mindful of both young and old struggling with physical pain being further challenged by the burden of mental health. Many have faced the mental anguish that comes with long term chronic pain by staring it down and denying it growth, others succumb and medical intervention required, and some use "fluff" in the form of the written word to aid them on the path to wellness.
I confess, I am guilty of "fluff" I indulge myself and fluff here and there on the NT site. I apologise, I'm just a down right "fluffer".
I don't get to talk about my pain or my quest for healing, no one I know in the real world as opposed to the online world has chronic pain. Yes, they have other illnesses, but they seek to have treatment and then they get better. I, we, go from one thing to the next in our efforts to "get better" we dream of it and we write about it, but we don't speak of it. Our loved ones are all talked out, they have been there and done this and that and they don't know what more to say. So I come on here and fluff about and someone replies and I experience a feeling of relief! others face the same uphill battle as I do, they have similar stories, they get me, and for a moment I feel normal. Just like one of my dogs who has just loudly fluffed.

Perhaps a thread can be started that can be funnelled and settings set so that factual information only is recorded for future users to dwell on.
Reason for SCS (describe condition in x amount of words)
Lead or paddle
Successful yes or no
Length of time had it
How many SCS do you have
Recommend to others yes or no
If no why - (respond in x amount of words)
Not sure if it can be done, I agree it would be beneficial to others and with no offence taken an official fluffer.

Phew, my dog really is on the nose today, it's one of those ones that winds it's way up your nostrils, binding itself to the hair and lingers on and on and on. The fluff that is, not the dog!

Quote Community Welcome member
Good Call! Reminded me that we have a poll here which is very similar to what you are indicating...
Here's the link:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread114143.html

"Fluffing" is what support forums are all about. Many people come to these forums for support, care, understanding, etc.... Also though, "good constructive criticism" is much appreciated and I do agree that factual information should be included in a forum, so I will point to such information with pleasure. This link which is up in the "Stickies" is LOADED with good information. No fluff whatsoever

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread114142.html

Luv & Hugs all around! PS: watch out for that dog fluff!! It can actually BURN the inside of nostrils. At least this is what I get with my lovely boxer, xxxxx!

Quote Active member
I understand someone wanting something as important as an SCS implant information to be as forthcoming as possible; but I have read many of your posts; all I see is someone in a lot of pain for many issues. NOoooo "fluff". There is the need to get some of our thoughts and feelings out of our system; especially to those who know what this awful pain is like. Although our loved ones do care that we are in pain; most of them really cannot understand.

After a while, many of us feel a certain amount of guilt because we seem to be complaining to our family and friends too often. We certainly don't want them turned off by this. But.....isn't it nice to have someplace to be able to say what we are thinking/feeling, etc. Also, there are ideas/suggestions from others on how to better control our pain as well as ideas on how to tolerate and cope with it. We need each other.

Quote Active member
You guys are killing me with the dog stuff I miss my dog and even his fluff, xxxxxx is his name A silky terrier A 10 pounder.
:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

Longer Version..How Fluff was Started....
 

Hi Pam,

This pretty much details my post of 2/26 on this Thread to Rae titled:
How Fluff was Started.

The longer .. Quote Active Member.. was my response to you after Reader # 2 had referred to "fluff".

I had thought you had responded to Reader #2 with many good suggestions; thus my response to you.

I Think your suggestions were taken into consideration and was incorporated into a "Stickie".

Soooooo.....lets keep the "Fluff "going. Does us all good.:grouphug:



Gerry

Expand
 

Hi Gerry, I thought I would expand on your giving the history of Rraes fluff thread and give readers the chance to read in one place where we began to digress from fluff to dog fluffing lol. It's very hot here this weekend, my dogs are inside in the cool and so are the cats.

I'm trying to pull on my soldier pants and get myself out to a BBQ being held as a thank you for a number of concerned citizens who came together to help get a stolen dog back home and then donate money to fund her $3k vet bills as she was stolen and then abandoned and locked in the back yard of a vacant house with no food or water in temperatures above 30c every day. She was missing for 20 days and lost 17kg. The vet said another day and she would have died. I have zilch money but I donated $100, if my husband knew would go mad... But, I figured I never go out anymore and don't spend any money so I just did it. No regrets. Must get the energy to go x

Pam
 

That is just so awful what someone did to that dog! :mad: I would have donated, too - our furry friends are such blessings - it just breaks my heart whenever I hear of someone mistreating them.

All of our dogs are rescues, and our most recent one is a cute little black and white border collie mix that was set to be euthanized. She must have been horribly abused by a male, as it took her a full month before she would even let my husband pet her - she would just flinch and run every time he tried to love on her. With patience, and time, she has warmed up to him completely, and she now loves her "daddy!"

Please be gentle with yourself going to the BBQ. Enjoy the food, and rest as much as you need to!

=Becky

oh you met my Oliver
thank you for the love
and telling it like it is

Here's my Fluff for the day.....
 

My lovely boxer, Sadie is 7 yrs old and showing signs of pain/stiffness when she gets up to walk. I was feeling the same way - pain as usual.
It came to me that this poor dog can't just pop a pill to alleviate her pain.
My heart went out to her....she had a sadness in her eyes as I gently rubbed her sore little legs.
So, I thought of the next best thing to do. I got my little heating pad that I use all the time and turned it on the lowest setting and lovingly wrapped it around her legs as she lay in her little bed.
The look she gave me was the FLUFFIEST thing I ever saw......those 'sad' little eyes that spoke 'thank you'.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/pi...pictureid=7870