Just hibernating here in Central IL. It is going to be a long week. I might actually start working my my course syllabi Only five more weeks until classes start. I am a little bored. Wish I had a pool like Kelly and of course some pool boys like Sally.

Good morning, Everyone!

I have a somewhat busy day today. I have a package that I need to get ready to be shipped. The postman is coming to pick it up today.

I also have a dr. appt today. Little vent here, I hate going to the dr. What makes going to the dr worse is when I am having trouble. I have lots of little things going on unrelated (I think) to MS. I have lots of random joint swelling and redness but is not characteristic of RA. I also, as Vonn knows, have been having heart palpitations for the past several days. Some days it's only a few, while others it seems to be all day long. While today's appt is with the gyn, I will be talking to her about all of this as it may all be related to changing hormones. I have a series of blood tests to get done, a chest x-ray to check my rib bones, yet again, and I need to see the GI dr for the gallstones they found. All of this is happening kind of at once. Actually, most of this should have been taken care of by my last pcp when I told her some of this stuff. She didn't do anything, not even palpitate my rib cage. Anyhow, I'm a little apprehensive this morning about all of this and feel as though my health just went to heck. So, yes, I am a little apprehensive going today. I seriously may have to take an Ativan before going.

Ok, now that I got that out of my system. . . DD21 got a puppy. It's a cute little thing. His name is Riley. So, I will be going over to DD21's house to see Riley. Her house is right by my drs. office so it'll work out just fine. Since she just got him yesterday, I don't have any pictures to post, but he is an Australian Shepherd mix.

I used to get palpitations when my blood pressure was high. If you need a pill for that it might help. Good luck at the doctors and make sure they check all of the different things. Be a squeaky wheel.

hey everybody!! I'm with you, Barb - staying close to A/C and not going outside - until later .. have to go pick up my friend from her folks, and bring back to Green Bay .. her flight leaves from GB to DC tomorrow morning ...

that'll be the extent of being outside ...

oh - TKRIK & WIZ ... it's CRAF-TEX ... it's for making box/baskety things - I have a BOLT of it ...

now that I changed up my LR .. and brought the laptop to the 'office' ... I have more room in the LR ... so, I set up my easel ... and have been painting where it's cool .. it's 'okay' here in the office - just the ceiling fan going!

okay - what direction is the ceiling fan to go around in the summer? and then, we switch it to turn the opposite direction - I'm confused ... it is blowing the cool air on me now ... it's going "COUNTER-clockwise" now

well .. heat does a number on me - good thing I can stay inside and be cool and just wear my 'bikini' ... LOL (aka: underwear and bra)

i got overheated this morn, and went past where I should have stopped. im hibernating in the house and trying to recover. The DH is snoring on the couch.

Im off to do some snoring of my own.

HOT HOT HOT...and the worst isn't due til Thursday

Trish, make sure to have those palpitations checked out...my dr always blamed stress...whatever. I have learned to cough when I get them...makes the rhythm return to normal...

I was awakened at 5:30 am by FIL...after only getting about 4 hours of sleep. Seems MIL was extremely aggressive last night at bedtime...she got upset that their weekend caregiver doesn't dress "appropriately" for church and was really ranting. He couldn't even understand her. He asked her, "Do you want a divorce?", because she was castigating him so...she told him, "I don't care."
He is at wit's end...he doesn't understand what's going on. His cousin's wife had Alz, and he mentioned that MIL reminded him of how mean she'd gotten to his cousin. He asked me, "Is this temporary, or is this part of her problem?" When I told him it's part of the disease progression, he made the most heartbreaking moan...I don't know how much more he can take of this...he's not in his right mind either. He prays every night before bed for the Lord to take him, and wakes up so disappointed...what a way to live.
So I got a hold of their neuro, and am taking her in tomorrow morning. I don't know what more he can do except drug her into zombie state. She's so upset with her loss of being able to even order food off of her dinner menu...she's either crying or cussing (not normal for my very classy MIL). And every time I go over there now, she has her top on either backwards or inside out...but I don't point it out, because it makes her feel bad about herself...
So I spent the whole day trying to catch up on the sleep I have lost the past two days (FIL called me early on Sunday too when DH was a church). I have begged and pleaded with DH to place them in assisted living, but he and his sister just won't do it. I am seriously considering going up to visit with DD26 just to get some sleep and get away from this daily crisis. I feel selfish, but I feel myself sinking healthwise...what a nightmare, esp for my poor FIL...

Debbie, I think you should go visit you daughter. Maybe your dh and his sister will reconsider their decision.

Dej -- Exercising outside in this weather is tad bit crazy dear.

I have not had a great day. Vented in the How Does Everyone Feel? thread so I will spare all of you.

I did get my new tv this afternoon. I will be inside vegging out in front of it for the next several days if you are trying to find me.

Gosh, Debbie.....this reminds me of when my Mom was progressing and treating my Dad so poorly. He was in better health then than your FIL is now so he was able to keep her at home until he just couldn't handle it any longer. He was so afraid we girls would get mad at him for putting her in a nursing home but we knew it was out of his control at that point.

I think you should go to your daughter's for a few days, too. Let DH and his sister get a whiff of what you go through every day. It's not fair to you or to your FIL to let this situation go on and on. Plus, it's dangerous for MIL, too. My Mom got violent a few times and my Dad called me once from the bathroom! He had locked her out and was talking to me on the cordless phone from the bathroom! By the time I got over there she had settled down and had no idea why I was there. Dad was still in the bathroom. She had threatened him with a knife. Thought he was a stranger who shouldn't be there. I think that was what made the decision for him.

It was a little easier convincing him to go to assisted living when the time came. I wish they both could have gone together but he really wasn't ready for it and she would have needed alot of care. When he did go he was able to have a private apartment and he enjoyed it. It was expensive and that was what made him not want to go there. He had the money to pay for it but wanted us girls to "have something" when he passed on. We told him we wanted him to go to assisted living so we could enjoy being with him without constantly worrying about whether he was okay. Once he finally made peace with that he was fine. Used every last dime he had to pay for it but it was well worth it. He enjoyed his last months of life and that's all we really wanted.

You're in my prayers, Debbie. I know how hard this is.

@Debbie

@ barb

@ the rest of you

For those of you who think I am exercising in the heat, I go out about 6am and in the mountains here, its COOL! sometimes I wear a light jacket to start out with, but when you exercise you tend to heat up. I got a late start today. didnt make it out the door till 7:30. that was too late during a heat wave and the humidity was overwhelming! the air is so thick you can drink it.

I slept for a while. Called my neice whom I love dearly, but just the stress of talking to her for 10 minutes was enough to make me shakey. I am so happy that I no longer talk to my family. My sis did sneak in a phone call the other day, but I told her to not call back. I dont care what the issues are, I am no longer involved, and frankly dont care what they decide to do.

DS spoke to g/f and she agreed to let him off the hook for the apartment. He dragged the landlord over to talk to her in person. I guess she is draggin in one of her new b/fs to share the rent, so he is off the hook there. He has a bit of work to finish up, and then he will be headed up here for retraining. I am so proud of him for taking care of his business like a man. He is broke, he is broken, and he is tired, but he is headed to the promise land, and all shall be healed.

To tired to go back and re-read, Dej, but why is the landlord dragging your son back into all that if he got himself taken off the lease? That doesn't seem fair or legal. But maybe I missed something.

We're watching the weather forecast with trepidation, hoping that we will not be in the 95 degree part of the forecast area. In the meantime, aching for everyone in the southwest and midwest suffering extreme heat and drought. It's so heartbreaking!

On a brighter note, I was just remembering a conversation I had a few years back with my friend Linda, discussing our favorite foods and flavors. I mentioned that I liked cream cheese in almost anything, almonds, lemon, moist cakes such as pound cake, rasberry jam, chocolate (of course), powdered sugar, etc.

Didn't she show up at the Post Office a few days later with a lemon pound cake, homemade raspberry jelly and cream cheese frosting between the layers, with slivered almonds and powdered sugar on top!!!! (Everything but the chocolate, and she brought that separately). One of the most thoughtful, unexpected things anyone has ever done for me, and it was DEE-LISHUS!!!