That lack of sound you hear is my mind striving to think of a way to express my gratitude for all the areas of my life in which I am so blessed. Here it is, Thanksgiving again in America and that is our appointed season of gratitude. It seems easier these days to give thanks than in times past. That statement confuses even me because to someone looking in from the outside of my life, they might think I have nothing for which to be thankful. They are wrong.
When I was a child and Thanksgiving rolled around, I was grateful to be out of school for four days, grateful for the fun of a pile of fall leaves to jump into and the joy of sitting down to a table with so many of my favorite foods, prepared by my Mom, sisters and I. I think part of my love for this holiday is because it heralds the beginning of the holiday season. Mom would make her cornbread stuffing, and in later years she made two batches so my dear Dad could have his favorite type with oysters in it which the rest of us thought was disgusting. I came to appreciate it as an adult. I was grateful for the odiferous splendor of the roasting turkey, laughing at my Dad picking at uncooked food in the kitchen or opening the oven to grab a piece of turkey skin while my Mom playfully whacked at him with a spoon. “Bill, you get out of here now. That turkey will never get cooked if you keep opening that oven door.”
I remember making turkey center pieces out of large Idaho potatoes by adding a plumed tail of colored feathers cut from autumnal colored construction paper. Cranberry sauce was something that came in a tin can and looked rosy and festive with the rings of the can around it as it was opened and served in a special elongated dish. It always seemed a shame to violate it with a spoon. My mother’s gravy never had floury lumps in it, although it always was giblet gravy with tiny chopped bits of turkey liver and the other giblets along with a fair amount of the delicate meat from the long turkey neck. She always put the giblets and turkey neck on the stove, simmering since early morning when the turkey went into the oven. Mom always cooked her turkey upside down so the juices would flow down into the breast making it moist and tasteful. The odors of crisp turkey skin with the saliva inducing whiffs coming from the stuffing with its combined odors of sage, onions, chopped up water chestnuts and celery. Even now, as I write this many years later I can experience the same sensory sensations of pleasure. Can you smell it, too?
After the turkey came out of the oven and we were nearing the edge of our appetites in anticipation, I recall my dear Dad setting a large tray on the counter beside the turkey. He would fill two large plates with the variety of foods from the stove and Jello salad and a relish tray, previously refrigerated. Helped by my Mom, he loaded that tray to overflowing, never forgetting the pumpkin pie with whipped cream. We all understood that he would take that huge tray of food to an elderly couple he had met through his work as an upholsterer. Mr. and Mrs. Paine, elderly and childless were always included by Dad in all the major holiday meals at our house, for many years. Apparently, they felt more comfortable eating at their home instead of ours and were quite infirmed and began to rely on him to show up on the “tasty” holidays. I suspect he did many things for them all year long, but never knew for certain.
Through that simple, consistent act of giving, Dad taught me to share our abundance. I was often sick as a child growing up and missed a lot of school. Hundreds of strep infections were always returning as I had it so severely the doctor ordered antibiotics and even specially made topical mouthwashes to get the strep bacteria that grew into the roof of my mouth. With all the sicknesses, I never realized as a child how much I had to be thankful for until the year between 11 and 12– years-old when I had to go to bed for a year due to rheumatic fever. I wasn’t frightened until my Dad would come and sit beside my bed, hold my hand and cry. He was such a tender man. I thought, “Boy, I must be pretty sick.”
Both of my parents were wonderful during that time and I remember watching I LOVE LUCY on a TV in my bedroom. That may not seem like much but for that period of time it was huge and Lucy brought laughter into my life. I learned a lot about gratitude during that period of my life. I also learned patience as well as the important healing power of humor. Maybe that was the beginning of the goofy character I have become began to germinate. Laughter in rough times helps.
Once a week, my Dad would carry me out to our Chevy and take me over to the doctor’s office parking lot. The doctor’s nurse would come out to the car, always smiling and take blood from a vein, to check on all my lab work, particularly the sedimentation rate. I was very grateful when the nurse who took blood every week could get into my vein on the first try while I lay in the back of our car in their office parking lot. Sounds so strange to talk about it now but that’s how it was done back then as long as I was on strict bedrest for that year.
My gratitude extended even more to my Mom when I became a teen and learned to be of more help in the kitchen. My sisters were older than I and may or may not be expected for dinner with us as their own families grew or they moved far away. I am grateful today for my Mom’sinstruction, not always tactful or patient but eventually, after I had a home of my own I also became quite a good cook. I think her love for cooking was contagious and I caught it. Thanks Mom, for that and for your strong DNA for gardening and growing plants of all kinds.
As a young woman going off to college, I learned to appreciate my loving home and suffered fierce homesickness my first few monthsaway. It seems that life becomes exponentially more complicated as we grow and brings with it a measure of gratitude. Recognizing those times, while we are going through them, isn’t easy but is the key.
Some of the seasons of gratitude in my own life have been the greatest during times of trouble and need. I’ve come to believe that is why spoiled children aren’t very nice people. It takes a certain leaven of want and/or suffering to cause us to have appreciation. Appreciation is the first cousin of gratitude which is a close relative to thanksgiving.
It fascinates me how pain and misery can be graciously interspersed with thankfulness. Like sunshine in the rainy season, it brightens dark times. Detecting experiences to make one thankful requires an open ended sense of appreciation. It can come to you at the most surprising moments. A woman who is in labor before giving birth can’t have appreciation but when she holds her new child for the first time, she has wonderfully overflowing gratitude; all is well, and labor has ended. A man who is fearful of providing for his family is filled with more appreciation and gratitude than a man who is just moving up the corporate ladder, never knowing the fear of having hungry children. It appears even gratitude is a relative value.
Many of us who suffer chronic pain each day of our lives, often for many years, know how good it can feel when the pain stops, albeit briefly. When the pain is relieved permanently, we often begin to take life for granted and forget to be thankful. Perhaps we try to erase pain from our memories and should instead, hold onto it just enough to appreciate a pain free day. Like a couple in love who direly want to get married and do, they eventually find “the honeymoon is over.” That phrase is part of our lexicon because it is so true. Some things should be remembered. Honeymoons, however, grow into something much deeper and more profound. The depth of love between two people grows even deeper if thanksgiving feeds the hard times and when seasoned with a bit of laughter, understanding and much love.
It appears gratitude and giving thanks is something we need to do again and again. It apparently “wears out” with time. Beloved gifts become forgotten, acts of consideration are taken for granted, as is so much of life. It has become apparent to me over the years that we mere mortals gain a certain satisfaction from complaining. I wonder why we enjoy it, some of us more than others? Are we just inherently ungrateful, mean spirited or just absent minded or spoiled? Why do we revel in trouble and bad times? Is it the attention it evokes from others? Apparently, it takes a lifetime to realize life is not predictable, fair or without periods of pain; both of the heart, spirit and body.
It has also become crystal clear that giving thanks can become a habit. It works the muscles of the heart and the spirit and keeps complaining away from the door of our conscience selves.
You can find gratitude in all areas of life; in adversity, in history, in nature and in other living creatures, only to name a few. For instance, just yesterday I’ve read articles about Lewis and Clark who opened the explorations here in the Northwest. One article was about a wretched winter experience they had sleeping out in the elements, rocks falling onto them from the winds and rain, the Columbia River, on the Washington state side as it emptied into the Pacific. Can you imagine how cold and wet they were those many years ago, paddling about in a huge tree hollowed out to be a canoe? Small wonder they named that small section of southwest Washington “Dismal Nitch,” Dismal indeed. I can’t even begin to understand that misery. The Clatsop Indians of this area had the good sense to build huge tented compounds with a central fire which kept many families warm and dry during these very wet and often snowy months of each year.
May I ask you to do a favor for me this holiday? Try saying thank you at unexpected times during your day and life. I love to do it when I cross the beautiful Columbia River and see a family of ducks floating on the waves wearing their waterproof layers. I give thanks when Georgie, our little Yorkie wags his tail at about the same speed as a hummingbird’s, motorized by the simple joys of life. All around us are reasons to say thanks. Tripping but not falling can give us a reason to be thankful. Truly open your eyes and heart and look my friends, and you will see many reasons to be thankful; please pause and do just that. I am thankful for all of you, my friends and readers over these many years. Please have a holiday filled with gratitude for all you have, love or have experienced.
Weekly Dose of Sue 
Sue
Loved it and felt I was there in your childhood with how you described.what wonderful memories af a close knit family
I love the words ,thanksgiving feeds the hard times. Set me thinking and that’s a great quote
I shall remember that.thankyou for this blog
I think we should have something like that here ..I suppose Christmas comes up there
Just along with remembering comes sadness
I suppose I block the remember bit out as somehow the sadness always seems there along side
All the best for the coming festivities to all
Chris
Chris dear, I think most of us have our good memories mixed in with the current joy. Life is so bittersweet. I think that is all the more reason to give thanks. I love the bits of history mixed in with it all through the years. SO much of that is being lost in today’s culture.
Thank you for your kind words of appreciation about my words that are so personal. I’ll be monitoring my week so all will get done. Frankly, I am still recovering from our trip to Portland last Monday…no answers really, not even a follow up call. I need a new cardio guy closer to home. NO MORE trips to Portland. I’m too sick. Love to you and DH, Hope the newlyweds are doing great.Sue
Sue
Memories are the wonder of life, I think. Smells, sounds, a song….so many things bring them back. I cooked almost everything for the dinner at church that I would for Thanksgiving. B was getting bits of turkey and dressing, to ” make sure all is well” before we served it.
Mother was a wonderful cook, and like you, I caught that, but later in life. When I first married I couldn’t cook at all. I make her dressing. She didn’t stuff the turkey, but made the dressing out of biscuits , celery, onion and the broth of the cooked turkey. A little salt and then shape it into patties and bake it in the oven with a pat of butter on top to make it crispy. Love that stuff. (no pun intended) We also killed hogs on Thanksgiving. FIrst, it was cold enough then. And Second, people were off work and could help my Daddy with them. The day or two after Thanksgiving was a whirl of activity putting the meat away. Making sausage and canning it, tenderloin and canning it. The smells were wonderful. I loved waking up on a cold winter day to the smell of a can of that tenderloin, gravy and biscuits cooking.
Judy and I are always saying, “thank you” to B for what he does. He tells us his pockets are full from this. But it is something that is automatic. I thank the Lord for my day, for my animals, my home, my finances, when I trip and don’t fall, whatever happens.
The man that I am singing with for Christmas, he is not so well off. He wanted to come and eat at our dinner, but didn’t have the money. I told him I would pay, but he said no. He makes the most wonderful large wind chimes and he was hoping to sell more of them. B. bought his dinner and we took it to him. He wasn’t at home during the day. He was so pleased and happy. It warmed my heart. He sells his chimes for $25 , if anyone would be interested. Of course, shipping would be extra. Also he makes the most beautiful bells, smelts them and molds them. I have one hanging on my porch. He also makes small harps. Amazing things. He sold one to Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary, if you are that old, lol.
I planned already this year to take things to those less fortunate instead of spending a lot on all of us who don’t need it. Even if it is just a bit of cookies and candy, a hat or scarf, something that is needed to keep off the cold. Please enjoy your Thanksgiving all. And Chris, B says it has really caught on in France of late to have a Thanksgiving dinner . Start your own tradition.
Love to all
Tonie
Thanks Dani, Have a thankful day with friends or family. Thanks for the friendly comments about my work.
Fondly, Sue
Tonie, dear friend, Pleased to hear they are taking time to be thankful on a special day in France. Hope all is well with B’s trip to FL. I know how much you newlyweds miss each other.
You must be so tired from your turkey cookin’. Probably don’t want to eat any on Thursday even if given. Does your singing partner have a web page…let me know if he does with his chimes and bells. Sounds like a very creative guy.
How’s Judy? Hope she is well. Did you get any of that eastern snowstorm? Cold here but sun during the days right now. I have lots of pruning to do with plants in pots but trying to stay out of the sun since trip to Portland. No more trips to Portland. Not very satisfying with PA for cardio and trip about did me in…gut upset since and sun problems even with tons of sunscreen. It’s just too hard, especially if not necessary. Something nutty by the PA about not going on cardio drugs to contain rhythm because I’ve been on aspirin so they have to scope to see if I have clots on the back of the heart. How about just starting me on a new heart rhythm drug? Gees.So I will stop aspirin if they want me to. Just want to stop this crazy rate all the time.
I must confess I loved cooking from my early married days with number one. Wish I had the energy and body for it now like I used to. Making cornbread for stuffing tomorrow and a white bread bit of stuffing for SIL. Cranberry sauce dish tomorrow. May run vegies for dressing through my food processor, also early. Jim will peel potatoes until I tell him to stop…hard to stop that army peeler man. Not too early because they sit in water and make watery smashed taters.
George lying here snoring away in his new elf sweater.
Let me know how DH is doing. Love you very much, Sue
Sue
B had a upset with his system, naturally, and forgot to pack his prednisone. Again, naturally. He went to see a Quack, oops , I meanDr there in Fla Didnteven examine him, except to poke his belly then proceeded to tell him he must do the surgery now and it would only cost him around $20,000 ! B said he was thinking about Christmas. Meanwhile, I got a reply from the UVA and the head of gastroenterology wants to speak with him. So we will call her next week. The duck Dr, told him he would be crazy to do that because he would be used as a ginea pig ! But, he said he felt better. Friday is the appointment with Immigration, prayers please.
Speaking of guts, I am going to have to either go back to my Dr, or see what the internist has to say. All the time upset tummy, every morning, bathroom runs.
No, no more turkey for me. Just rest that day. I have some hats to make that are sold. Messy bun hats. Then some others I need to get done for a sale in Dec. and presents. For now, early sleep, I hope. Up at 5:30 this am.
You take it easy, and let that tater peeler help chop the veggies. Enjoy your family, tell all hello for me.
Love ya
Tonie
Thank You! I always gain a new insight or better perspective after perusing your writings.
God bless you and yours always.
I so enjoyed reading that this morning Sue. How beautifully written and expressed. I am sitting this morning contemplating a very difficult situation that my son Simon got into last night and feel uplifted after reading this. One thing I am very grateful for is that for the first time in a lot of years his dad went to support him and I was able to go to bed and just hope for some sleep which did come. Hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving. It seems a lovely tradition and I could almost taste the memories of your childhood dinners. Alison x
Alison, oh yes, it is amazing how many of our memories are regained through smell, taste and just seeing something delicious. We are a small family now and there won’t be much work to it if i do it right. Made a bit of cornbread for the stuffing today as well as the cranberry sauce with ginger and oranges with a stick of cinnamon. I’m exhausted from the stirring and mixing but loved doing it. My right shoulder is basically just bones and not much help. Jim wasn’t home or I would have sent out a call for help.
I bought the prettiest little old sewing machine cabinet the other day and for a tiny bit more got a beautiful little carved chair with it. The seat needs to be reupholstered and it has brought memories flooding into my heart and mind. My Dad had an upholstery shop and I spent a lot of my childhood out there. My friends and I used to play store there with the fabric samples, I used to ride along on jobs with him, helping him to find the streets and houses;; you see my dearest Dad couldn’t read. He hid it most of his life and for my sisters and I we helped. We did try to help him several times to learn but later in life we learned he was dyslexic.
So Simon has hit a rough spot. It’s good at his age for his father to help him. Good and I hope all works out and you are not getting overly stressed out..when it’s our children..always. Love, Sue
Ah lovely memories and the sewing machine cabinet sounds a good find. So glad Simons dad stepped in as it has allowed me to wait a couple of days while my emotion over the situation settles down and now I can step in tomorrow. Its been the first time in 20 years that I have had that luxury so definitely something to be grateful for. Love Alison.
Tonie dear, I am a bit lost by the Duck doctor remarks. Do you mean he is with Aflac? Please assure B that is not the way it works at the Universities. He would receive excellent care, because they are up to date and teaching new methods..Progress in medicine is always what you want. Look how well new discoveries in meds have helped me stay alive with metastatic cancer. I would run from any doctor who wants to do surgery without an exam. How great that you found an in at the UVA and with the dept. head…that’s an answer to prayer right there. Please urge him to see how important this is and what an amazing opportunity. His life may depend on this. I have see so many quack doctors in my time as an RN and don’t want to alarm you or him but this isn’t right. Surgery for cash…NOOOOOO
You know I will pray for him on Friday. Please call me if you need to talk.
Now, what is going on with you? Oh my dear, is it IBS, are you needing to chat…would it help? How about getting into a doctor soon? Now I am more concerned than ever and want to help. What can I do? Love you very much. Sue
Sue
Lol, all our talking and we didn’t speak about it. I think it is IBS, from the way I feel. It started during my flare ups, I have an appointment on the 3rd with the internist, and I will see if I have to go see my gastroenterologist or if he will advise me. A lot of discomfort, a lot of going. No matter what I eat or drink. But….one more thing added from my two friends (RA and Fibro).
Rest up tonight and enjoy your day tomorrow.
Love
Tonie
Tonie, been living with my best friends today myself for IBS; slippery elm bark caps and aloe vera jel. Hope you feel better tomorrow on waking…Love, Sue
Alison, sounds about time for your ex to resume his role as a father. Hugs my dear because no one can cause heartache for us any more than our children. Allowing Simon to learn from his mistakes will probably be one of the hardest experiences you’ve been through. I hope this episode won’t jeopardize Simon’s new go at independent living. Look for the joy today my dear girl…Love, Sue
Hi all
Hope all had a good time with the festivities
I expect it will catch on here sometime tonie it’s just we have bonfire night after Halloween night and it would be one after another
But it’ll happen…
Hope B is better and you and ibs yuk….it’s very controlling..rotten thing to have
How’s things down in the paddock there?
Sue I can see you playing stores when a kid ..shops we call it here
Just come back dh had his ct angiogram.hes had contrast dyes before for proper angiograms but this one made him feel sick and vomited .they had to stop and they tried again and the first injection was just a trial one of 10 mls the next one was 90 mls. But he just felt sick this time.they also had to give a gtn spray to widen the arteries so he felt a bit of a wreck with how he is anyway.so we waited an hr there and he improved so here we are at home.they had to test his kidneys before so it all took time
It was -1c to get go8ng at 8 this morning and it’s hardly warmed up
got chicken and pasta tonight only simple not much in it cos of me I’ll add stuff after for dh
Ok that’s me done didn’t sleep last night ..not unusual never do but I’m gonna close my eyes
Chris
Hey all
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Hope you all have a wonderful day with family and friends. For me a quiet day with Ceasar and the animals. I need to get some things done. Hopefully anyway. My tummy is really bad this am. Had coffee, juice and a biscuit with butter and apples. Immediately on my second trip to the “throne”. Anyway, just another day here in the mountains. I do miss the family gatherings. But my kids don’t make the trip up here anymore, and I don’t want to drive all the hours to see them.
Chris, hugs for you and dh after all your day has been. Poor guy ! Hope he is feeling better. and you get some rest.
Love to all
Tonie
Tonie
If you google the fodmap diet you will see what is good and bad for Ibs
I couldn’t take juice and apples but it’ll give you an outline to help you
Have you tried mebeverine meds taken 20 mins before meals it slows down things.it does dry you up a bit ,but manageable and not nearly as much as the other antispasmodics
Chris
Chris
Thanks for the info. Haven’t tried any meds. I have an appointment on the 3rd with a new Dr. So we will see what he says. Right now everything I eat is setting it off. Oh, except a peanut butter sandwich I had yesterday. So, nothing I have eaten has changed,I just don’t know. It all started up after the big flare I had. All sorts of changes.
Well, time to go swim. Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving and have lots of leftovers for today.
Tonie
Well I called emergency help line to ask for advice about dh they sent an ambulance and the paramedics said he should go to hospital.so he went and stayed the night
Had a stemital injection and piriton tablets.it was eventually decided a delayed reaction to the contrast dye also they put a fluid drip in
They were concerned for his kidneys but test was ok and has to be done next week too
I stayed till all tests back till 2am and went in again at 8am so I could hear for him and of course I was worried
But all seems ok and we were home midday
What a day with the ct angiogram at Papworth in the morning
Tonie
I can eat white bread and smooth peanut butter too
Hope you get it sorted it’s such a nuisance all the time ..potatoes are good but no skins..sues potatoe soup is good
Chris
Chris, Prayers for your DH. What a day for both of you. Late here and hope he is better and the problem was a reaction to the dye. Not familiar with any of the meds…hard because those names are different here. More tomorrow my dear friend. Love, Sue
Chris
So glad he is okay and back home. So scary those things. And especially for him not being able to hear. Bless his heart. Praying for you both.
I don’t eat white bread, but some with lots of good stuff, and that only on occasion. Yesterday was good, today it is back. So…
Four more days until B is back. Miss him a lot. His lawyer is getting a letter together to send Immigration. So now we just wait, again. It is ridiculous they want him to pay again for what he already paid for. So hopefully this letter will reach the right person. It all depends on the person holding the file.
Hope you all have a good day
Sue, how was your thanksgiving and how are you ?
Tonie
Tonie
Won’t be long now till B is back.
Let’s hope they see sense there and get the papers sorted
How’s the tum now it’s awkward I know when you want to go out somewhere
How’s you sue
Dh bp up as can’t take the extra med for it ……
Chris
Chris dear, I don’t think I have ever seen anyone have as much trouble with a blood pressure med as your dear man. I pray he is hanging in there even without the new med. I assume it was a fairly strong side effect. What a time he has. How is your gut holding up with all the stresses going on. Hope the newlyweds are doing well and GS.
Recovering from turkey day and Jim has had a flu bug all week since then, with bad cough and of course, him being a man and all, won’t go to the doctor. No fever as yet so I am keeping an eye on him. Do let me know the latest…our GD has a birthday this weekend so dividing her birthday from her Xmas presents now and wrapping. Rain and windstorms here last few days. It broke our flag pole we have on the porch and flag is in the bushes…got to retrieve it before dark now. Love ya, Sue
Hey Chris
Tummy is not so bad that going out is a problem, mostly in the morning first thing. Nope, B comes home tomorrow. He was taking his car back when I spoke with him this am. Very cold here, 19’ f at 6 this am. Warm water for the chicks and blankets for the horses. And staying in for me. No swim today, afraid I will get sick after in the air. But, this weather makes me feel sick, like the flu. Moving slow this am. I did go and feed and talk to the animals a bit, but boy is that wind cold. Friends in Fla said 45’f there. B says it is “fresh”. He has a cold from his great grandson. Told him he better make it go away and not bring it home. What the little rugrats are good for, lol.
Well, more coffee and I fixed myself some sausage and biscuit sandwich this am, so then I need to finish up the house cleaning, decorating, wrap a few pressies for my brother and B’s birthday on Monday.
Poor sh, he just can’t catch a break with his bp. Take care
Tonie
Tonie, OMG that is cold and then when you’re not feeling well, even worse.I love hearing your tales of covering the horses and warm H2O for chickens. So much work to do on a farm in spite of the weather.
I know you are anxious to get DH back where he belongs. Hope his gut and yours are both better by then. What is going on with you do you think? Does it always feel like a flu? Jim with bad cough since T day here. Is yours always a loose problem? Did you catch a bug or eat something bad?
I’ll take our cold and 50 MPH winds over your temps any day. So much of both here. Staying in pretty much except for lab and oncology tomorrow. Had labs drawn on Mon. Anxious to hear about B’s trip. I think the letter from the attorney sounds like a good idea and pray it works. Love you, Sue
Hello, all. Sue, wonderful job of describing. Yes, I could smell and see the scene. I’m sorry I have not been on here of late. It has been quite a time here. SB has been having a nasty round of migraine headaches. 1 week of small ones he could ignore and work through, 2 weeks of incapacitating ones, missing work, bed bound, 2 trips to Urgent Care, 1 trip to ER, 1 trip to Primary Doctor, med change. Eventually, he started feeling more normal over last weekend only to wake to a headache Monday morning. Thinking we should nip it in the bud, he took the new med. It did take away the headache, but the side effects were so bad he still couldn’t go to work. Tuesday he was ready to head back to work but couldn’t go in because he needed a doctor’s note for Monday. He had called the doc office Monday to report the problem with side effects and ask for a note. No callback. Tuesday morning he called a few more times, finally taking his chance and going in that afternoon without a note. I reached them again, explained, learned the request was in the doctor’s box awaiting his response, but they didn’t have a fax number to send it. Got that from SB. To top it off, he hears back from the doc office that they cannot fax the note because he hasn’t set up his Patient Portal yet. Hm… why does one need a portal for a note to be faxed to a workplace?? Meanwhile, HR at work cannot believe all of this. The boy returns feeling ok and goes to a friend’s place in the evening to have a movie night. This morning, I check on him and he has a headache again! Luckily, he still had 2 pills of his original med left, which I gave him. The new med the doc prescribed after the bad side effect one hit a snafu at the drug store needing to be approved by insurance. – You can’t make this stuff up! Boy has been home all day in bed, in darkness. We have an appt with a neurologist tomorrow as a follow up to his ER visit. Me? Well, the stress along with our awful weather – yes, we had that bizarre snowstorm, worst driving conditions I’ve encountered in years. How do I know? Well, the news, and the fact I had to go out in it to get the boy’s meds that gave him the awful side effects! Following all of this? I’m sure you can all imagine how I am feeling and how very concerned I am about SB. This is a new job he has not been in long. So far they are being supportive and accommodating (they darkened his workspace as we thought perhaps the lighting may be a factor), but I don’t wish to tempt the fates. This is his worst bout since high school. I sure hope the Neurologist orders an MRI. I think it is time to know what might be going on in there!
Best to all!
Lyn, I absolutely agree. It is time for an MRI or a PET scan. They have to look for scar tissue, changes or even a small clot. Much to consider so try to keep the worrying down until you know what the exact cause is. His reaction to light is interesting and indicates a connection between the migraine type syndrome and and eye problem. Does he wear corrective lenses? Of course, you are concerned and to then have the med problems and that weather of yours. Oh my dear…prayers for some answers and NO the ER is not the place to be. He needs to see that good neurologist. Just remember with good medical care going down the drain in this wonderful country, we have to push hard to get it so push. Love you much, Sue
Sue, the ER was suggested if his symptoms worsened and frankly I figured if we hit the ER of this particular hospital we could possibly get in with a neurologist in a more timely manner, and that is exactly what happened. He has another appointment with one who specializes in migraines and concussion. We thought that would be a good start, but it is not until January. This one tomorrow will get us in sooner and at a well-known hospital with all of its benefits. We’ll keep the Jan appt for now in case we want a second opinion or don’t care for tomorrow’s doc.
Lyn, so glad you are going to see a good neurologist and having two plus one as a specialist is a great idea. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound critical of ER’s…I just have had some terrible experiences with them as an RN and personally. Sounds like the Lord is leading you and SB along in the right direction. I pray the great Physician will continue to handle your son’s condition. I know you’re under so much stress right now but please take those walks and know we are all concerned.Love you, Sue
Sue, the boy scared me a bit when I first woke him, but he was a bit more himself later. We had a good visit with the neurologist. He prescribed some new meds, I’ll have to call the pharmacy to see if any are ready yet, SB hasn’t received the usual text when they are. Praying he will be well enough to attempt work tomorrow. Mornings seem to be his worst time, unfortunately. MRI is scheduled for Dec 12th to allow time for insurance to ok it. Doc says it will probably show nothing, and I’ll be happiest if that is the case. Always good to rule things out rather than just assuming. Doc encouraged light exercise and SB is itching to get moving, so we both walked the pup today. Really nice to enjoy a walk with him. He also realizes by the walk that he really does need to take it easy.
Lyn
So sorry to hear all this
it is so much a worry
Always Happens at the worst times
Thinking of you with all the appts
Tonie
By now B will be home. Without the flu I hope
Sue
Hope the flagpole got setup
And your dh feeling better now….well a bit anyway
IVe got diver again and on a liquid diet…pains and cramp
Dh had to take extra bp meds as it got too high…see dr on Tuesday
He really gets confused on the extra beta blockers
I think around Christmas birthdays are magical
Chris
Hello all
Well, seems being away a couple of days, I missed a bunch. Also overlooked messages before.
Lyn, prayers for SB and you. So hard when your babies (always) are sick and you are helpless.
Chris, you too, hope you feel better soon.
Sue, knock that big guy upside the head with a rolling pin. Maybe it will knock it out of him. B is home and very sick. Medicating him, muscinex, vit C, NyQuil. And now making him some soup with some of that rich chicken broth and veggies. Hopefully I don’t get it either.
He is coughing, slight fever, sneezing , runny nose, headache. Lord I pray I don’t get it ! No MTX til he gets well.
Everyone have the best weekend you can
Tonie