Originally Posted by barb02

I a planning on retiring in two years (if I make it that long) and your posts all make me a bit nervous. My sister wants me to move to Austin to be near her (at least that is what she says, but I am unsure. I would love to be near her and see my niece grow up, but there are lots of negatives too -- finding all new doctors, cost of living, heat ... I have lived and taught here for 21 years and while I do not have a lot of friends ( have lost a few over the past few years), I do have a few close ones and lots of friendly colleagues. Oh well, I guess I have some time to figure this all out.

Friend - Are you able to get out? Are there any groups you could join (book groups, church volunteer organizations)?

Originally Posted by SallyC

(((((F2U)))))..I hear you and understand. In my younger years, I fought the isolation tooth and nail, but when I discovered that my Friend's lives were all going on without me, I gave up (not without a lot of tears), and quit calling them. Guess what, they don't call me either.

Some Family and a couple of friends keep in touch and I with them, mostly thru e-mail. I'm not a phone person. Of course, my Children and Grands don't get off that easy...they are forced to visit me on a weekly basis.. I assume they want to..LOL

After relaxing and figuring out the truth (I like to be alone, most of the time), I'm quite content the way things are. I'm not alone, I have all of you to be with on a daily basis and I'd be willing to bet that some of you would either come running or send someone to help, if I needed you..

I remember this..."In order to have a Friend, you must be a Friend"....I guess, I just couldn't put all the effort it took, anymore.

I do feel for you, F2U, because I know how you feel. I hope that it will all work out, for you, as you wish.

Originally Posted by Aarcyn

Isolation. I understand how you feel. Losing friends because everyone is moving forward. Since I cannot walk as well, I do not go out often. I get jealous of friends when I hear of their travels, playing golf/tennis/cycling/class at a gym, fill in the blank.

I am thinking about rescuing a smaller dog from the pound. Lots of dogs are being given up in foreclosures (my state is one of the highest in foreclosures and the dog/cat places are busting at the seams). DD got a small dog and we went to the dog park close by. I used my rollator. Lots of dog people, conversation. It was nice to be outside.

I feel the way you do, Friend. Isolation. I am getting used to it. My life is on a different path than I had planned. I wish it was different, I had some really good ideas as to what to do. I would have made an awesome grandmother who had my grandkids over for a weekend, etc.

Moving forward. One day at a time. I do not make many plans anymore, I just live in the moment.

And at this moment, I choose to give you a .

Originally Posted by karousel

Sending hugs How you are feeling is understandable. It's hard to accept it some days.

When my DH starts his new job, with my DD at school all day, I think I'll finally realize that I've lost my career to this horrible disease. I've been home for 9 years but it's felt like a really long vacation because I've never been home alone for more than one day at a time. 5 days a week will be new for me. When it happens we can have a pity party together.

Originally Posted by doydie

Wow, hugs to you!
we have all been through that. I worked as an RN at the same hospital for almost 30 years before I had to quit. A lot of the friends there have kept in touch, I'm glad I didn't have to deal with some of them!!!! I'm glad they are no longer a part of my life. And the others, well if they didn't think enough of our relationship to keep in touch that's their loss! I have had to work on making other intersts and of course God gave me a few more responsibilities that would have been quite a burden if I were still working. And being on SSD allowed me to heal enough I could take care of my Mom and MIL like I am. My computer has been a godsend.

I know this sounds all philisophigal (yeah I know the spelling is wrong) but our life is one big book full of a lot of chapters. Some of them haven't been written yet and we have the power to write them ourselves. So take that power in your hands and do someting for yourself and maybe some one else will learn from it.