Reflections of My Life

I am encouraged by my visit to my Lymphedema therapist so I am trying to do what she advised. So now every time I take a shower I am doing first the dry brushing and then spraying on the magnesium oil. Wait 20 minutes. Then shower. So it takes me longer than just deciding to shower and turning the water on. I am not positive I can stick to doing that but I will try to at least do it some of the time. It does help.

The compression stockings are a whole other story. Doctors and therapists love them. But for me, they cut into the front of my leg, the shin area and it swells up. The therapist cut a piece of foam for me to put in there where it was hurting. By the time I got home, it left the indention of the foam! So I am back to my own way which is to wear them two to four hours, which is when they become unbearable, then take them off. I will not wear them once they hurt. They relieve my feet and ankles but it is the area on the shin that I can't take.
 

When I got married in the seventies, my husband was from the Bronx and later his family moved to Oceanside. So went there often. Sometimes we would spend the week-end at their house and go to Long Beach during the day. They owned a liquor store in the Bronx and my FIL worked there every day. We would stop there on our way out to their house to see him at work. I loved the street it was on because it had those individual stores which we do not have here. The produce market, the bakery, the candy store, the meat market, the fish market and of course, the liquor store. Loved those places!

I always think people who say they hate NYC do not really know the city at all. I had a lot of experiences there due to my husband and they are good memories for me and my son. So even though that marriage ended in divorce due to him cheating on me, I am thankful for the life he showed me. I would have never had the chance to do or see the things I did if it wasn't for him.

They owned a yacht that they kept it out on Fire Island all summer so that was another experience I would have never had. We had a lot of fun out there and met a lot of people that would have never crossed this upstate girl's path for sure!

Have to go check my mouse, it is acting crazy again.
 
Today is a sad day for my neighbor because she has to re-home her birds. Today, her Amazon parrot left with his new owners. I will miss hearing him talking in the morning. The new owners look like they will give him a good home. She still has a few others who will be needing homes. She is a private person who keeps to herself but I am sure she is hurting today.

Yesterday, when I used the magnesium oil on my feet, calves, knees and hand I was surprised that it did not cause me to itch anymore. It always does that when you need magnesium. If it does not, then you are getting enough. Finally! I take it in drops with my electrolytes daily. My body is slow to respond to most things but when it finally does I start to really notice the difference. In the past, I have given up on things because of that fact. Not now. Not anymore. I will tough it out.

Most of the morning I was listening to music and coloring. It is very relaxing to do so and it is my time to think about things. It was rather cloudy and sprinkling on and off all morning but it has brightened up some now. Not sure if I will make it outside to the dumpster today or just wait till tomorrow morning.
 
At times I feel helpless and so out of control. Then when I try to talk to a professional or a person employed by an agency of some kind for help or information, they are of little help. Most times they know less than I do. Whether it is medical, computer related or financial I usually end up following my own thoughts on how to fix whatever it is. Most times it is the first thing I was going to do from the start.

When I discuss the problem, whatever it is (not talking about any particular problems), I look at the person or professional I am talking to and see they don't have a clue of what to do. If it is a health problem I look at their health and see it is way worse than mine and that I would never do what they do. Most times they just rely on the medical so-call professionals. Even though you can go to a dozen different doctors or whatever and get a different protocol from every single one.

If I am researching on the computer any certain problem, I go to many different sites and examine their resources as well. Just because something has been written or studied it does not make it right or true. Many studies are funded by the industry that profits by switching the public's belief toward their product or service. That is the cause of misinformation which is widespread at this time and in the past too.

As I get older I find life experiences count. I have lived a life and seen many situations throughout my life. Some I wish I had never experienced but now they are part of my life of learning. Learning what to do in certain situations. Learning how to deal with people and problems of life. One bit of knowledge my mother taught me was to put down on paper the pro and con of every problem and work it out from that. I do that often. It works.

This was not about any big problem I have. Just my thoughts on problems in general.
 
Well just had the kind of start to my morning that I could live without. Smoke alarm! Went out in the hallway and there was a lot of smoke! Panic time for me! Tried to catch Rabbit but he was having no part of that and was too fast for me. I called 911 and they said they were already on their way. Turns out the other side of the building, not our apartments, had smoke and they had already opened their windows. Finally the alarm was turned off. I think it was from the theater which is just beyond the double doors at the end of my hallway. Horrible feeling when I saw the smoke.....

my_hall_smoke.JPG
 
Those double doors are a little ways from my own. This picture does not show how smokey it really was. I thought my glasses were fogged up at first. Nope, it was the smoke. I talked to the fireman and it was not a fire but a smoke machine that is used in the theater. Someone forgot to turn it off last night!

my_hall.JPG
 
katlupe said:
Those double doors are a little ways from my own. This picture does not show how smokey it really was. I thought my glasses were fogged up at first. Nope, it was the smoke. I talked to the fireman and it was not a fire but a smoke machine that is used in the theater. Someone forgot to turn it off last night!

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Gee whiz, what a scare! All because of a little mistake.
Thank goodness it wasn't anything major...especially since you couldn't catch Rabbit. :(
 
RadishRose said:
Gee whiz, what a scare! All because of a little mistake.
Thank goodness it wasn't anything major...especially since you couldn't catch Rabbit. :(
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All I know is I am not leaving without my rabbit!

At least four of us on my floor cannot walk down the stairs. I guess in that case, I would try going backwards with the carrier in one hand and holding onto the rail. My neighbor said she could go down on her butt. We might be slow to get out. Hopefully it won't come to that.
 
hollydolly said:
How many stairs do you have to go down Kat ?>. is there a lift ..(elevator)... ?..altho' they do say in the event of a fire not to get in an lift...
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Yes, we have an elevator right across the hall from my apartment. You are not supposed to get on it if there is a fire. The exit stairs are just down the hall. That is where we were instructed to go in case of fire. I don't know how many stairs there are since I have never gone down them before. Maybe I should experiment just to see if I could.
 
katlupe said:
Yes, we have an elevator right across the hall from my apartment. You are not supposed to get on it if there is a fire. The exit stairs are just down the hall. That is where we were instructed to go in case of fire. I don't know how many stairs there are since I have never gone down them before. Maybe I should experiment just to see if I could.
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yes I think that's a very good idea. Wait until Sonny is there and do a dry run.. , not to be maudlin' but it might be needed to save your life...
 
katlupe said:
Yes, we have an elevator right across the hall from my apartment. You are not supposed to get on it if there is a fire. The exit stairs are just down the hall. That is where we were instructed to go in case of fire. I don't know how many stairs there are since I have never gone down them before. Maybe I should experiment just to see if I could.
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I think that you and the other ladies should come up with a plan at your next coffee meeting and then do a drill.

Thankful that you and Rabbit are ok!
 
bingo said:
what is a smoke machine...sounds like something that needs to go
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it's not actually smoke. It's used in Tv production, theatres and concerts to create the illusion of smoke...

Liquid carbon dioxide (CO2), stored in compressed cylinders, is used in conjunction with theatrical fog machines to produce "low-lying" fog effects. When liquid CO2 is used to chill theatrical fog, the result is a thick fog that stays within a few feet of the ground.
 
hollydolly said:
it's not actually smoke. It's used in Tv production, theatres and concerts to create the illusion of smoke...

Liquid carbon dioxide (CO2), stored in compressed cylinders, is used in conjunction with theatrical fog machines to produce "low-lying" fog effects. When liquid CO2 is used to chill theatrical fog, the result is a thick fog that stays within a few feet of the ground.
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oh..
thanks
 
I am anxious this year for the weather to get nicer. I really want to try to stick to a program of walking with my walker outside every day. Even if it is just around the front of our building. I will see if I can do it every day and go a little further a little bit at a time. I like to use the term "kaizen" which is a Japanese word that is used in business to implement small changes for improvement a little bit at a time. Or what I call "little steps' which is the name of an old blog I used to write. Little steps lead to bigger improvements in whatever you are working on. Business or your personal life.

Making little changes in my life is much easier now living here. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. For me change can be difficult but if I push myself I find I like the changes. Of course, money is always an issue and I try to make changes that will not cost me more money. Like giving up having my nails done (which I truly loved and do miss) because I chose to spend that money on getting my hair colored at the salon. I felt it was more important than the nails and I am glad I did it.

Today I am working on designing a program to exercise my arms. I have lost my strength and shape of them due to not really using them. One of my favorite YouTube channels, Bob & Brad, Physical Therapists, give examples of certain dumbbell exercises not to do. They were ones I used to do (long ago when I worked out regularly). They say you do not want to put undue stress on your back and I didn't realize they did that. So figuring out a small work-out with the light dumbbells I have now. I have bands too but not crazy about them.
 
katlupe said:
I am anxious this year for the weather to get nicer. I really want to try to stick to a program of walking with my walker outside every day. Even if it is just around the front of our building. I will see if I can do it every day and go a little further a little bit at a time. I like to use the term "kaizen" which is a Japanese word that is used in business to implement small changes for improvement a little bit at a time. Or what I call "little steps' which is the name of an old blog I used to write. Little steps lead to bigger improvements in whatever you are working on. Business or your personal life.

Making little changes in my life is much easier now living here. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. For me change can be difficult but if I push myself I find I like the changes. Of course, money is always an issue and I try to make changes that will not cost me more money. Like giving up having my nails done (which I truly loved and do miss) because I chose to spend that money on getting my hair colored at the salon. I felt it was more important than the nails and I am glad I did it.

Today I am working on designing a program to exercise my arms. I have lost my strength and shape of them due to not really using them. One of my favorite YouTube channels, Bob & Brad, Physical Therapists, give examples of certain dumbbell exercises not to do. They were ones I used to do (long ago when I worked out regularly). They say you do not want to put undue stress on your back and I didn't realize they did that. So figuring out a small work-out with the light dumbbells I have now. I have bands too but not crazy about them.
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Bob & Brad are great
 
This morning I managed to get my walk in. All the way from the dumpster around my building to the end of the block and back inside. I don't know how far that is but for an old crippled woman with a walker it is an accomplishment. I consider it exercise even though it is not aerobic. I wish it was. Maybe some day I will join the YMCA so I can use the pool. Now that would be exercise I would love to do. Right now I cannot afford to join though I know they have a grant program and I hate to apply for something like that and be accepted and then not use it enough to warrant getting the grant. So I will see how things go.

I went to Bingo downstairs in the Community Room. The lady who hosts it had a birthday today so I printed out one of the birthday greetings I have on my computer that I use for fakebook. A brightly colored one and added text to it with her name from Sonny, Rabbit & me. She loved it! Just a piece of paper. Little things make people happy.

Bingo was good. There were 6 of us there. And I think we all had a turn at winning two times each. The lady sitting next to me is sharp as a tack and she will be 98 this year. Sharp as a tack except the day the fire alarm went off she never even knew about it! Till I told her at Bingo. She said she never heard a thing.
 

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