Everyone Needs Someone To Stand By Them.
This s a very heartwarming video that I came across on Facebook through a friend. It just makes you wonder about human nature and what we have in common with each other. Whe ever I am feeling sad I just watch this and it just warms my heart.
The power of a hug
It has been proved that showing affection strengthens growth and positive development in people. We all need physical contact to feel good, and one of the most important ways of physical contact between two people is hugging.
Who does not need cuddles in this society that is becoming ever colder, more competitive, that compels us to be more individualistic, more personal-goal oriented...?
When we hug, we receive an energy feedback. We bring life to our senses and reaffirm the trust in our senses. Sometimes we CANNOT find the right words to express how we feel, and then hugs are the best way to say it.
We need four hugs a day to survive, eight to preserve ourselves, and twelve to grow. A hug makes you feel good. The skin is the biggest organ we have and it needs a lot of love. A hug can cover an extensive part of the skin and provides the massage you need. It is also a way to communicate. It can convey messages for which you have no words. We can always resort to the universal language of hugs.
The Power of Hugs
Hugging achieves many things that you might never have imagined. For example:
It feels good
It dissolves solitude
It defeats fear
It opens the door to sensations
It improves self-esteem (wow, he or she wants to hug me!)
It encourages altruism (I can't believe it, but I want to hug that person)
It delays aging (those who hug age more slowly)
It helps reduce appetite (we eat less when we are nourished with hugs and when our arms are wrapped around others)More benefits from hugs:
It is environmentally friendly (it does not damage the environment)
It preserves energy
It is portable and requires no additional machinery
It does not require a special place to do it (an adequate place to hug)
In any place such as a conference room, a church or a football field
It makes happy days even happier
It gives us a sense of belonging
It fills the void in our lives
It is still effective even after the hugging has finished
It strengthens and increases our ability to share
It harmonizes the hearts of friends
Hugging creates some form of addiction to tenderness, to altruism, to happiness...
Just as laughter, it is highly contagious! Whatever your hug may be, let it always come from the heart, not from the mind. Come up with new ways of hugging. Give your hugs interesting or funny names. Become a full-time "hug therapist." Be always ready to offer a hug to someone. Observe the other person and always be careful of his or her personal space. Do not try to impose your vision or philosophy on others. A hug does and says very much.
Hug your friend, your loved one, your kids, your parents, your pet...
Ramblings Of A Retired Mind
I was thinking about how a status symbol of today is those cell phones that everyone has clipped onto their belt or purse. I can't afford one. So, I'm wearing my garage door opener. I also made a cover for my hearing aid and now I have what they call blue teeth, I think.
You know, I spent a fortune on deodorant before I realized that people didn't like me anyway.
I was thinking that women should put pictures of missing husbands on beer cans!
I was thinking about old age and decided that old age is 'when you still have something on the ball, but you are just too tired to bounce it.'
I thought about making a fitness movie for folks my age, and call it 'Pumping Rust'.
I've gotten that dreaded furniture disease. That's when your chest is falling into your drawers!
When people see a cat's litter box, they always say, 'Oh, have you got a cat?' Just once I want to say, 'No, it's for company!'
Employment application blanks always ask who is to be notified in case of an emergency. I think you should write, 'A Good Doctor'!
I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older. Then, it dawned on me. They were cramming for their finals.
As for me, I'm just hoping God grades on the curve.
Enjoy Your Days & Love Your Life, Because Life is a journey to be savored....
My Husband's Recovery
Good afternoon to all. It is a sunny day here and quite cool and breezy. It is time to look forward to autumn and slide as graciously as we can into winter. My favorite season is fall. I love the colors, the cool sunny days, and the smell of smoke coming from bonfires and fireplaces. I don't fair well in hot and humid weather, so this is a perfect time for me.
Things are starting to get better at our house, finally. My husband has been able to get all the medical issues addressed that were holding him back from getting better. He is starting to improve and making strides to getting well. It is a very slow process but at least he is able to eat again and is outside and walking. He is getting a bit stronger everyday. I make a point of getting him out of the house at least ever other day. We go to the park and drive around or we go out and eat and I have been taking him along when I run errands.
His overall outlook has improved which is very important to a good recovery. We have found a support group that we will attend for the 1st time at the end of the month. My husband has talked with the director of the group and he has assured him that his life will return to normal. It will help immensely for him to be with others that have the same illness and situation to deal with. My husband had an ileostomy August 26. He had his colon and rectum permanently removed. He will now and forever wear an ostomy bag.
If all goes well, he will return to work in November and hopefully our lives will go on without a hitch as stressful and lasting as long as this one did.
Happy Friendship Day!
LADIES . . .
Remember... a layer of dust protects the wood beneath it.
'A house becomes a home' when you can write 'I love you' on the furniture.' I used to spend at least 8 hours every weekend making sure things were just perfect - 'in case someone came over' Finally I realized one day that no-one came over; they were all out living life and having fun! NOW, when people visit, I don't have to explain the 'condition' of my homeThey are more interested in hearing about the things I've been doing while I was away living life and having fun. If you haven't figured this out yet, please heed this advice.
Life is short. Enjoy it! Dust if you must .......but wouldn't it be better to paint a picture or write a letter, bake cookies or a cake and lick the spoon or plant a seed, ponder the difference between want and need?
Dust if you must, but there's not much time .... with wine to drink,rivers to swim and mountains to climb, music to hear and books to read, friends to cherish and life to lead.
Dust if you must, but the world's out there with the sun in your eyes,the wind in your hair, a flutter of snow, a shower of rain. This day will not come around, again.
Dust if you must,but bear in mind, old age will come and it's not kind. ... . And when you go - and go you must - you, yourself will make more dust!
Share this with all the wonderful women in your life. I JUST DID. It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived.
Social Security COLA (cost of living adjustment)
I THINK THAT SOME OF OUR LAW MAKERS NEEDS TO HAVE THEIR SALARIES CUT ......"QUITE A BIT".!!!
For the first time in history, Congress will not allow an increase in the social security COLA (cost of living adjustment). In fact, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation predicts there may not be any COLA for the next three years. However, the per person monthly Medicare Insurance premium will be increased from the 2009 premium of $96.40 to $104.20 in 2010 and to $ 120.20 for the year 2011. Let's send this to all senior that you know remind them not to vote for the incumbent senators and congressmen in the 2010 and the 2012 Elections.
And don't forget - CONGRESS GAVE THEMSELVES A PAY RAISE THIS YEAR...
The Medical Worlds Opinion on the Health Care Package
The American Medical Association has weighed in on Obama's new health care package. The Allergists were in favor of scratching it, but the Dermatologists advised not to make any rash moves. The Gastroenterologists had sort of a gut feeling about it, but the Neurologists thought the Administration had a lot of nerve. Meanwhile, Obstetricians felt certain everyone was laboring under a misconception, while the Ophthalmologists considered the idea shortsighted. Pathologists yelled, "Over my dead body," while the Pediatricians said, "Oh, grow up!"
The Psychiatrists thought the whole idea was madness, while the Radiologists could see right through it. Surgeons decided to wash their hands of the whole thing, and the Internists claimed it would indeed be a bitter pill to swallow. The Plastic Surgeons opined that this proposal would "put a whole new face on the matter." The Podiatrists thought it was a step forward, but the Urologists were pissed off at the whole idea. Anesthesiologists thought the whole idea was a gas, and those softy Cardiologists didn't have the heart to say no.
In the end, the Proctologists won out, leaving the entire decision up to the ASSHOLES in Washington . And that's how that goes....
Fibromyalgia and Stress
It has been three weeks since my husband's surgery and 10 days since he returned home from the hospital. There has not been a whole lot of change, but a lot of ups and downs, mostly downs.
He has ate very little food for over three months, and he is really having a hard time eating. It is hard for us who have never had that problem to understand. But for him it is almost impossible. His stomach has shrank so much that he can only put a few bites in his mouth at a time. Also, it is a bit mental too. For three months every time he put food in his mouth, he would instantly have to run to the bathroom. I guess in his mind he was trying to protect himself. Now he has to get a new mindset that food is not his enemy, that it is his friend and he must eat to get better.
This has been the most stress that either of us has ever had to deal with. For a long time before this I was able to get plenty of rest and take care of my fibromyalgia. I was home by myself all day, I could sleep when I needed to and in general do what my body needed me to do to control the pain. My husband ran most errands on his way home from work, did most of the grocery shopping and I didn't have to do much running around.
This summer I have not been able to any of the things that I need to do to take care of myself. I have decided that I am going to be tired forever! I can't see an end to the tiredness any time in the future. I do everything now. As far as pain goes I no longer can tell where it starts or ends. It is constant. The second week in the hospital I went through the worst bout of fibro fog ever. I was so overwhelmed that I couldn't make sense of anything. I wasn't making sense to anyone else either.
I am pretty sure that when everything gets normal again, my husband finally getting well and back to work, I am going to go to bed and stay there for however long it takes. That could be days, weeks or months, whatever it takes to get well again.
A Very Stressful Summer
Hello to everyone! I am sorry it has been so long since I have written a post. It has been a long and stressful summer for my husband and I. Out of the last three months he has spent five weeks in a hospital bed. The rest of the time was spent mostly in his own bed. I was having a hard time writing something that wasn't so depressing that I would chase everyone away from my blog. But hopefully that has all changed.
We were so happy to return home, that it was almost like winning the lottery! I stayed with him the whole time and slept on a cot in his room. So I had the same treatment as him except not all the shots and needle pokes, medicine and tests. But I got woke up at night every time he did. It is amazing how much they can put off until after midnight!
He never got to eat much food, liquid or solids while he was there. I on the other hand had a choice of a deli or food court. The food was very good, but I got tired of eating the same things over and over.
I highly recommend the University of Chicago Medical Center as an excellent place to go when all else fails. They were able to do what our current doctors had not been able to do in a year and a half. The doctors and nurses and staff were excellent and very friendly and all in all we both rated our overall stay there a 100%.
I will write more about "Mike's Not So Excellent Summer Adventure" later.
To all you OWLS (Older Wiser Laughing Souls)
Wisdom from Grandpa .......
Whether a man winds up with a nest egg, or a goose egg, depends a lot on the kind of chick he marries.
Trouble in marriage often starts when a man gets so busy earnin' his salt that he forgets his sugar.
Too many couples marry for better, or for worse, but not for good.
When a man marries a woman, they become one; but the trouble starts when they try to decide which one.
If a man has enough horse sense to treat his wife like a thoroughbred, she will never turn into an old nag.
On anniversaries, the wise husband always forgets the past - but never the present.
A foolish husband says to his wife, "Honey, you stick to the washin', ironin', cookin' and scrubbin'. No wife of mine is gonna work."
The bonds of matrimony are a good investment only when the interest is kept up.
Many girls like to marry a military man - he can cook, sew, and make beds and is in good health, and he's already used to taking orders.
Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.
The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.
Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me, I want people to know "why" I look this way. I've traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved.
How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?
When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to your youth....Remember about Algebra.
You know you are getting old, when everything either dries up or leaks.
I don't know how I got over the hill without getting to the top.
One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is such a nice change from being young.
Ah, being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.
Old age is when former classmates are so gray and wrinkled and bald, they don't recognize you.
If you don't learn to laugh at trouble, you won't have anything to laugh at when you are old.Have a GREAT day.......and keep Laughing
Just Some Piggy Humor
If you receive an email
from the
Department of Health
telling you not to eat
tinned pork
because of
swine flu..............
Ignore it.
It's just - Spam.
These Pictures Will Make You Smile
Have A Great Day
Within the heart of every stray
Lies the singular desire to be loved.
What Happened To Our Common Sense
HIGH SCHOOL -- 1957 vs. 2009
Scenario 1: Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack. 1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack. 2009 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.
Scenario 2: Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school. 1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and walk away still buddies. 2009 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it and Mark was just defending himself.
Scenario 3: Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students. 1957 - Jeffrey sent to the Principal's office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again. 2009 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The school gets extra money from the state because Jeffrey has a disability.
Scenario 4: Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt. 1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman. 2009 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has an affair with the psychologist.
Scenario 5: Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school. 1957 - Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock because the Principal has a headache too. 2007 - The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario 6: Pedro fails high school English. 1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college. 2007 - Pedro's cause is taken up by the state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files a class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.
Scenario 7: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed. 1957 - Ants die. 2007 - ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents -- and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny's dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly in a plane again.
Scenario 8: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him. 1957 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing. 2007 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.
A Picture Of Me
I am one of the few people on earth that doesn't have a digital camara. So while my daughter was visiting this past weekend I had her take a picture of me right after I got up. I knew everyone was wanting to see what I looked like...so here I am in all my glory.
You all wanna know where I got my cute slippers doncha!!!
You all wanna know where I got my cute slippers doncha!!!
Fibromyalgia and Crohn's Update
Since my husband left the hospital about 10 days ago, we have been at home taking care of our ailments. Yesterday was the first day that he has left the house since returning home and he did very well I must say. He had broke his glasses during his hospital stay and hasn't been able to read anything since. So we went to get him some new glasses. So now he has something to do besides look at TV. And it is a good thing we just recently bought a 46 inch TV or he wouldn't have been able to see that either! He has been pretty bored. He has now lost 27 1/2 pounds in 4-5 weeks. He was wanting to lose 20 pounds anyway, but not this way. He is getting some of his strength back slowly.
I on the other hand have raging fibromyalgia and trying desperately to get it calmed down. I recently read a horoscope that described me as prone to addiction when I am going through stressful times. I was a little shocked, mainly because it is very true. I have found myself craving to do the things that calm me, or at least sidetrack me during bad times. One is playing games online, almost to an obsession. The other is under severe stress I want to go to the casino. While my husband was in the hospital the urge was huge. I never went of course, but if it had been possible I may have tried to sneak it in.
I have found in the last several days that I have been having pains right under and around my rib cage and on my sides in my lower hip region. I attribute that to my fibromyalgia trigger points. It seems to be right around those. I sure have done more running around, standing and walking than usual and I suspected that I would pay for it in one way or another. And here it is. Plus with the other usual pain. I plan to get some extra sleep and rest for a day or so. Hopefully that will help.
I hope that all you fibromyalgia sufferers are doing the best you can for yourselves. I have found that we know our body better than anyone else. And your body will tell you when it is time to rest and get off your feet. So listen to your body and you will help it heal. For me it is now nap time! God Bless until the next time.
Gwen Stefani and No Doubt Concert
Last Saturday night I had the pleasure of accompanying my daughter to a concert. I love to go to concerts even now at my age. I enjoy them best if it is a person or group that I am familiar with and enjoy their music. At this concert I was familiar with the lead singer but not the group itself.
We went to a large venue near Chicago to see Gwen Stefani and No Doubt. No Doubt has not been together as a group for a few years so it was a concert my daughter wanted to see, because who knows when or if they would get together again. I like Gwen Stefani so I was okay about going even though there was no real interest in the group itself.
I really enjoyed myself. It was probably one of the most animated concerts that I have been to for a long time. She never (and I mean never) stood still for a moment. She is a terrific performer and singer. I was really glad that I went.
We had to sit through the first act which was Paramore. Neither one of us knew anything about them, and neither one of us were very happy with their music. They were a group that appealed to the very young and I guess you could say that it was head banger music. We were thrilled when they were finished.
For probably ten years or more when you attend concerts the trend is to stand during the performance. My theory is that I paid for the seat and I want to sit in it. But if you want to see the show you must stand. So for the 1 1/2 hour show I stood until I could stand no more. I can actually walk better than I can stand. Standing causes me great pain in my hips and legs and back. So by the time it was over my pain level was about an 8. It was a long long long walk back to the car through a crowd with some drunk young people who were walking sideways more than just forward. I kept my cool (which was very hard a few times) and told myself just put one foot in front of the other and just keep going. I can't remember when I have been so excited to see my car. It took a little while to find it but "hooray" there it was and I couldn't wait to get in.
I have included pictures my daughter took and you may notice that there is a tall guy with spiked blonde hair in a pink tutu, with black and white socks that went above his knees. And under that pink tutu was some very tight and small Speedo looking underwear. He was dressed at the beginning of the show and after the 1st song he stripped down to to the Speedo and the socks. I had the pleasure of seeing the whole strip thing. At the end of the show he bowed to everyone, but facing away from us. So the moon did shine that night for a little while!!
I Love This Doctor
Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true? A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.
Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables? A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.
Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake? A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!
Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio? A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.
Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program? A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!
Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you? A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! ..... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?
Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle? A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.
Q: Is chocolate bad for me? A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!
Q: Is swimming good for your figure? A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.
Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle? A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!
Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.
And remember:
'Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO, What a Ride!
My Husband and Crohn's Disease
Now for a little bit of information as to why I have been away from my blog for so long. Last August my husband went for a routine colonoscopy that we all are supposed to get when we reach our fifties. From that exam he was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. He had no idea that he had a problem at all. He has now been introduced to Crohn's and all that goes with it in a very big way.
About 6 weeks ago we started getting our medications by mail order, instead of the pharmacy. When his digestive doctor was contacted to authorize his medication, for some reason he didn't sign it. So we had to contact his office and get that straightened out. By the time he received his meds he had been without for at least a week. We think this is how it all got started. Then we went away for a weekend and he missed some of his meds because we were not on our usual schedule.
So about 4 weeks ago he started having diarrhea. He was in the ER twice and then finally admitted to the hospital when it was as bad as it could get. He has lost 23 pounds as of today. He is taking tons of medications and trying other treatments.
His digestive doctor failed him in a major way. Even after seeing him in his office, one week later talked to him on the phone, and then went to the ER to have him not admit him when the ER doctor said that he should be admitted. The ER doctor told us that he had two days before his organs would be effected. So we went back to the ER two days later and he was admitted by the ER doctor immediately. He didn't even contact the digestive doctor. I am thankful for that. Even when I got home that night he had left a message saying he wanted to change the meds and if he had any problems or questions to contact him. I was furious when I heard that message. At the time of the message he had already been admitted.
My husband was in the hospital for eight days getting fluids, blood and all that he needed. We immediately found a new doctor who was very concerned and did what should have been done at least a week earlier.
I suggest that when you are appointed a doctor that you know nothing about, and at the first hint that they may not be doing all that they should be doing, find a new one. We now know how serious Crohn's can get and to not always trust your doctor, but trust your instincts when they tell you there is something seriously wrong. My husband today for the first time showed signs that he is finally getting some of his strength back. His symptoms have not all went away, but he is going in the right direction.
I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers.
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