Thanks Rachel. I'll continue to do so. Hope you are feeling better next week. At least the nicer weather should brighten things up.

Karen The tulips are open and I see flower buds on
my lilac yeah!

Hey everyone, Thank you so much. I realize the last couple days I have been very down. I am usually very upbeat and go with the flow type person. Unfortunately, this past weak has been hard for many reasons. 1. I am ill with a horrible head and chest cold. 2. blood work and Dr.s. 3. I can't find anything because my quilt room was cleaned up by someone other then me. While these are only poor excuses I know, I do appologize. I am doing much better now. I am almost over this cold. I have given up on quilting for this weak at least. I am going to focus on finding things and reorganizing my quilt room. As far as the Dr.s are concerned I have lived this long with screwy blood what is one more weak. I know I am the one that tells all of you to push on for answers. Well they aren't coming this weak obviously. Anyway I am coming around to being the old me again. Karen by the way, please continue to use your left side as much as possible. Remember if you don't use it you lose it. Ask your Dr. or physical therapist if anything can be done to slow the progression. Please try to prevent contractions in your hand for as long as possible. Lots of warm thoughts headed your way Rachel

Eileen that is a good suggestion to check into at some point. Right now I am amazed at how much my left hand has been doing without me noticing. Really picking up the slack for my right but the poor thing just isn't as "smart" as my right so can't do anything too detailed. Yet.

Karen

Karen,
There are a lot of lefties on this site, including me, who would be very happy to answer any questions you might have. If you go online, there are many sites that cater to us "right minded" people.
Your wonderful attitude humbles me.
eileenkny

Thanks for the encouragement Ritzy and Sherry.

Great attitude Karen. Sometimes it's hard to accept help, but that prevents someone else from being blessed by helping.
Sherry

PS-The name of your blog cracks me up!

Eileen

I take Seroquel Tab, I buy the 100mg then I break the pill down to "four" dosages. If I took a whole 100mg it would knock me out quickly! I really only need the 25mg. This med is used to help people through depression. Though I knew someone personally that was taking this med and they told me it help them sleep well. I asked my Dr. to give me a prescription of this and he did. I have been taking this med for two years because I have a sleep dis-order,I don't wanna shut down at nights,my mind works at high speed!!lol. Constantly thinking my day wasn't long enough and I wanna do this/that kinda thing. I wake up refreshened with this med,no side effects at all. In the beginning I had depression but I no longer do,my first year through this I did. If youre in alot of pain how can you not be down. I started this med at 100mg and it was way to much. I learnt if you bought a higher 100 mg. you were getting more for your money,plus my med supply last 3-4 months instead of one! This med is not addictive either,I don't have to take this med every night. It's a great med. For anyone that does have depression know that their are meds that help that don't make you druggy or have side effects,and you wake up refreshened. This is if you take them hour before bed time. If you take them during the day,you might take a nap,depending on dosage too. (I finally found myself a great med. for sleep). This will help you through the blue state of depression too. I have taken meds before that I felt non co existing didn't care about anything,"I wanna live and feel everything",don't wanna let life pass me by in any form if I can. So I would say if you need alittle pick me up,you'll co exist on this med. It works great for my sleep aid.

Eileen thank you, you are such a wonderful supporter,and I'm so happy you could think of the agencies for Rachel to correspond through. I hope she finds someone to help her soon.

I wish you everyone the very best through all these many different health disabilities. My heart goes out to each of you.
Hugzzz,Kathy

Yes, I'm avoiding salicylates like the plague.

Pat in Rockport, TX

Great plan Karen!

Ann,
I am so happy to hear that you have a doctor who will listen to you without his eyes glazing over. You know the look I mean. Good luck and God Bless.

Kathy,
I'm seriously considering backing off the Lyrica and just getting something to help me sleep and make me not so sad. What are you taking?

Pat,
Are you following the guai protocol? Have you given up all the salicylates?

eileenkny

Rachel,
You wrote: "The bus company is dragging it's feet and won't give my lawyer a time or date for sit down depositions. These have to be done by June."
You have a local newspaper, right? Did they do any kind of article when you had your accident? If any of them did, call and tell them you have a follow-up situation for them. Trust me, once the bus barn knows you're going public, they will get their butts in gear! If there's any sort of consumer advocate in your area, go for it. Go to the NYS Attorney General's website. There's consumer advocacy information there.
Have you looked into Healthy NY? It might be worth a shot.

That's all I can think of for right now.
Hope it helps,
eileenkny

I'm a faithful reader of quilting with disabilities but haven't posted here since I thought it was for sharing strategies and ideas that have helped you quilt better. I'm not sure if my situation is unique here but I have Parkinson's disease which is progressive and right now is affecting the right side of my body. Too bad I am right handed. This is where my hesitation to post comes in since my main adaptation has been to use my left hand more and that didn't seem too helpful to others. I have many little frustrations that add up but I know it is nothing compared to many others so it could be WAY worse.

I was feeling grateful for being blessed from my parents with a good outlook on life. Our attitude really makes such a difference in how big a deal problems seem. So I thought maybe that is something I could share. I definitely don't want to appear to say anyone is complaining or sound like I'm a Pollyanna. We all need to vent and share feelings with kindred spirits sometimes but looking on the bright side even if it seems very small makes a big difference.

I kinda don't like to have people need to help me with things if I can do it even real slowly. It makes me happy to focus on what I still CAN do the old carefree way rather than on what I can't do. I still have a lot of "can"s. You know how you think you have certain gifts? I always felt mine was that I can help people by making things so I had some trouble figuring out why that would be eventually taken from me.The other day I realized how good it makes us feel to help others and what a gift it is to us also. BUT there has to be help-ees in order for there to be help-ers. So there is my new mission in life to be a good and humble help taker and thereby make others happy! How's that for a plan? Anyway I hope I didn't offend anyone or sound like I think I'm something I'm not. Just want to say keep smiling!! Karen

Everyone Thankyou so much for all the encouragement. I usually keep upbeat. Just this past weak was tough. My blood work came back really weird. I have some money to pay for these Dr.s yet they won't take it. They would rather ins. While I understand having ins. is very nice. I just don't have any. The bus company is dragging it's feet and won't give my lawyer a time or date for sit down depositions. These have to be done by June. I feel aweful, and everyone tells me I look aweful. Plus I gained weight which I really don't need. By the way I am giving up sugar and simple carbs. Perhaps this will help. I also gave up coffee. Yep I've gone from a pot a day to none. :shock: mainly because I ran out and I refuse to buy more : The store in town is way too expensive and I am not going to the nearest town with a store until friday. How pathetic is that : : Rachel

Hello Everyone.

I'm going to try to remember all I wanted to say here, LOL!

Ann I hope you are getting the help that you need from the Dr. now and getting treatment that is gonna help you get better. I think you have some great friends there at your side.

Those that have the carpal tunnel syndrome,"I'm agreeing with someone here" "get it taken care of before permanent damage is done" My carpal tunnel syndrome has turned into Arthritis in both hands,so I always have numbness and joint pain in both.They can't undo arthritis,they can just medicate for your joint pains. I've had to learn to live with this with out meds by my choice.

Rachel
I'm so sorry to hear about your insurance situation. I Know it's hard to ask for assistance through different agencies but "know that you are as deserving as any other person". All of your symptoms are relatives to Fybromyalgia,though I'm not a Dr.. I hope you find the needed assistance soon and you find a good Dr. and you get the needed help soon.

There is "Hope" with Fybromyalgia
My Fybromyalgia came setting in soon after a bad car accident. Though after having fybromyalgia over 10 years now, I have not really been having problems with it in 7 years out of the ten years total other than muscle acheyness and getting tired easily. I do have restless leg syndrome alot at nights. In the beginnings I had some really bad symptoms with my back/neck had alot of pain and I couldn't stand long periods at a time constant fatigue and I took about every med they had to offer in three years because of thier different side effects. Some kept me drugged up,some caused weight gain. I finally got off any meds but I do take 25mg. sleep med. not much. People have to be very careful because some meds can cause other health problems. Some can caused stomach Peptic alsars if not careful,I have them.I just wanted to let everyone know if they have fybromyalgia that it can get better,"this is the great hope I have for all". That you get better. Thier is great hope through this illness,and I wish you all to get better. I do have muscle body aches now and get fatigued easily. I may have learnt alot about how to adjust to many different symptoms, I've learnt my limits on alot of stuff yet I push them alot too. I also learnt I have to live with alot of aches and pains since I've gotten R.Arthritis. When I see others have it worse than me I've tried to rise above mine better. But if I get really down with it like I did afew months ago you're gonna hear me Scream! Dam(SP)! I've done it again,over did myself good,alot of pain is hard to go through and "everyone" needs support from Love ones.
I'm have all your backs here with Loving support and I do wish you everyone better through all your disabilities.

All my best to you everyone
Hugzzz,Kathy