[DiMarie]

Just stopping by, read when I can. My hands and lumbar are pretty bad from working pt. I opened my own PI agency and do sub contract insurance fraud invest, for an insurance adjuster.

DH is retired now, his plant closed 2009 so he drives me to my claims and does the manual stuff like photographing leaking roofs or trees falling on them. I don't limit to fraud, need the income as the SS is minimal and we lost all our health care benefits.

The baby is 16 1/2 now, cyber home school,

Lot's of difficult days, especially holidays and I think of all my friends. My anxiety panic flares, but try to keep my mind busy. Love the photography now and even sell some photos.

Keeping in touch with several oldtimers on facebook is a help. Just need hello's and how ya all doing at times to and from friends.

To all the new folks, I never would dream we would have so many. SOme of you were but babes when we were members of the first forums.
Live your life every day, know limits, respect your body, listen to it.
di
Oh dear have I aged, I better change the profile photo from 6 years ago.

[astern]

So good to hear from you Di! WOW - your own PI agency... AWESOME!! and having DH as a helper, sounds ideal for you. Now, if we could just move you into a strictly management position to limit your pain.

16-1/2 Time sure does fly. I know you are doing your very best for the baby by home schooling.

Your picture looks great! You seem happy and healthy (and blonde), but I do recognize pain in your eyes. Funny how chronic pain folks can spot these things. Keep yourself #1 girlfriend: ice, rest and calmness! And meds when necessary.


Anne

(I am hoping that a redo surgery is not in my future - having a recurrence of puffy hands/asleep arms when lying on my back and side sleeping hurts. The extra weight I am carrrying could well be the problem, or scar tissue, or both?

I am doing a lot of traveling to FL to see my sweetie and hope to be going to Germany and Amsterdam this summer for the music festival "Zappanalle" where some friends will be preforming. My guy is their audio engineer.

I'm still caring for mom who is 87 and has mild onset of dimentia. If you'd like to see her artwork, it's HERE. My youngest child is living with me while she finishes college. She has a job and goes to school and pays her own way, I'm VERY proud! Oldest daughter is a house-mother (RA) at a prep school for gifted kids in AR. Very proud again!)

[tosser]

Hi, remember me I live in Virginia but my parents live in Pa so I went to Dr. Togut several times and we got to meet up for lunch!! (Kathy) I so wondered about you!!! I have not been on the boards much but I am active on facebook I got divorced and went back to work full time and gave up trying to solve my TOS problem (also have the Chiari and Syringomelia, or Syrinx) for several years. I changed insurances, lost my great pain doctor and things haven't been the same My job lately has made thing much worse so I thought I would maybe start trying again. It is great to hear from you!!!! I make a trip to PA about every 3 months now

[DiMarie]

Oh, how nice it feels to hear from friends, Anne, Kathy, soooo good. I really needed the lift.
LOL, the blonde hair is actually gone gray with blonde rinse over it. Changed sooo fast I can't belive it. The extra weight is rediculous. No rhyme or reason for how it pounded on. Hate it.....wish I could at least walk distance.

Anne, were you in nursing, are your retired then? Traveling to FL. our Peggy is down there and a huge blessing to visit her. Travel abroad too, sounds exciting, but sorry about the flaring. Seems my hands live numb anymore, heavy, then tingly waking up. yuck.

The picture is actually a crop during a fall trip to Disney's Animal Kingdom with my husband, younger daughter, oldest son and grandson. My grandson is almost 7 and we are planning a birthday trip to FL in June after school gets out.

When I saw your Mom's beautiful work I started to cry, her picture of the young woman, I thought I wa looking at my soul. My Mom passed away 2003 she was 67, but her heart issues from childhood caught up with her.
I still think, "oh I have to call Mom and tell her."

The PI work I do is small scale. Last year I did have a lot of work with an insurance adjuster, but this year the Scranton office manager is not bringing in the referrals. It was terrible with the 15,000 miles in travel.....but I miss the money. Would like to do more on my own like you said, more work from home.

Kathy, my beautiful friend, I remember there were some problems and you were having the marital struggles. Did you move to PA your parents at one time, or was that just visits. How old is your daughter now?

It is difficult to work and to especially have to work full time. THat is what happens we get in a TOS rut, just living. I know the doc I have can make things better, but that seems like a job itself. I spend most of the day in the recliner when not out on the road. A lot of my work is done on the computer......kills the hands.

Never did get fluid with Dragon dictate. It was great returning to college, but applying to navigate the web where a lot of work is done, did not figure it out.

I miss doctor togut. Last April when I saw him I could hardly talk, tears just streamed, such a long time we had him to support.
Just doing maintance care with the spasm control, pain managment is meds as need, I really need an epidural in lumbar and trigger points in the trap's.

I stopped by the TOS facebook page and sooooo many now being diagx, not like the old days were they often first heard it here after searching symptoms.
Love and hugs to you both.
I need to get my old email list out and send hello's.
Blessings to you both,
di

[Mark Jordan]

Call me today if you can. Same old #. Hang in there
Later Mark