Small Talk: The Prayer Closet

[lookeyloo]

Appreciate "all y'all's" helpful and comforting thoughts and suggestions. We are making more calls today and he did find some kind of "belly breathing" technique on line that he says worked in the night. He only woke me up once but not on purpose.  He doesn't want to talk to any religious person. He will talk to a mental health person but finding one who is a good fit (kind of like finding a hairdresser, right?) at this time of year is a challenge. We are not doing anything for Chanukah but lighting candles the first night the grands are here which I think is the last night. The grandpuppies are coming tonight to stay til the first while their daddies go on vacation. They are very nice low maintenance doggies and hope they bring him some comfort. We have decided against our own pet - well he decided - because he is still not over losing our wonderful German Shephard several years ago. The doggie was like the child we raised together.  He still tears up when we talk about the dog. 

On a happier note - I got an Instant Pot. First meal came out great. 

Will keep y'all posted on all events. Thanks so much 

[Arwen Evenstar]

@lookeyloo, glad Mr Lookeyloo passed a better night. Sleep deprivation sucks for both of you. Better sleep will also help his anxiety. 

Unless you're trying to get counseling thru someone like the VA, that's the only way I can imagine anyone having  to wait that long, which is a disgrace to all who have served this country.

Would he be open to yoga?  A lot of wellness centers have yoga classes for older people with limited mobility, but the breathing exercises are beneficial.  You don't have to complete the poses if you can't quite "get there". Just attempting the pose has benefits. A lot of places let you try it out. You don't have to do hot yoga or power yoga, just a gentle yoga. 

Im sure the grand doggies will provide much needed therapy. 

[crazycatlady58]

What is an instant  pot? When I first  read the sentence  my mind went to something  totally  different  than something  to cook in. I thought  well that would  help  Mr. Lookeyloo  relax, but then the next sentence  sunk in and I thought  well a good meal is good also.

[Love2dance]

9 hours ago, lookeyloo said:

Appreciate "all y'all's" helpful and comforting thoughts and suggestions. 

On a happier note - I got an Instant Pot. First meal came out great. 

Will keep y'all posted on all events. Thanks so much 

Thanks, LOOKEYLOO. Try also looking up visualizing or meditation online. I have found both helpful in times of stress.

Will be thinking good thoughts for you, for sure!

[lookeyloo]

1 hour ago, crazycatlady58 said:

What is an instant  pot? When I first  read the sentence  my mind went to something  totally  different  than something  to cook in. I thought  well that would  help  Mr. Lookeyloo  relax, but then the next sentence  sunk in and I thought  well a good meal is good also.

Instant Pot is a trendy new kitchen device - electric pressure cooker but has other features.  I made potatoes to mash tonight. Easy Peasy. Put potatoes in with a cup of liquid. Push a few buttons and then they come up to pressure, cook and pressure goes down. No watching the pot. 

[bigskygirl]

Next Tuesday morning I will be going in for my two tests. The prep work does not look like fun, but at least I will not have to wait too long to have the tests. The ironic thing is the tests will be done on the same day and time my appointment with the GI specialist would have been. The bad part is I have to wake up around 3:30 a.m. to drink the second half of the Nulytely prep. I probably will not be using my CPAP machine Monday night, but I think it will fine for one night. The nurse practitioner said the drugs they will be using to put me under will make me sleepy for most of the day. I should ask for a few samples to take home.

[MunichNark]

Since I'm listening to the Radio which is playing the usual Xmas songs, do you get that in the US as well?

Happy Christmas everyone - for me, it is tomorrow. I hope you will have a good time.

[Love2dance]

12 hours ago, MunichNark said:

Since I'm listening to the Radio which is playing the usual Xmas songs, do you get that in the US as well?

Happy Christmas everyone - for me, it is tomorrow. I hope you will have a good time.

Yes, we have a few stations that play Christmas carols from Nov. 1st on. A little too early for me.

Hope you have a lovely holiday tomorrow!

Edited December 23, 2016 by Love2dance

[Arwen Evenstar]

10 hours ago, MunichNark said:

Since I'm listening to the Radio which is playing the usual Xmas songs, do you get that in the US as well?

Happy Christmas everyone - for me, it is tomorrow. I hope you will have a good time.

Happy Christmas to you, too, MN, and everyone.  Happy Hanukkah to our Jewish friends.  This year, Hanukkah and Christmas Eve fall on the same day.

And of course, Festivus (for the rest of us) or Holiday for FSM.

[emma675]

lookeyloo, I hope things will calm down for you and the mr. very soon. This may be sexist, but I feel like women are so much better at handling stress/anxiety/illness than men. And I don't know if that's a good thing. I've been sick for almost 2 weeks now, but very few people at work know. A man who sits near me had a cold for a few days and we got hourly updates on how he was feeling and doing. 

[crazycatlady58]

11 hours ago, MunichNark said:

Since I'm listening to the Radio which is playing the usual Xmas songs, do you get that in the US as well?

Happy Christmas everyone - for me, it is tomorrow. I hope you will have a good time.

Merry Christmas hope you have fun. Be safe.

[MunichNark]

Thanks. I cant wait for this year to be done. Nervous about new years eve tbh, more so after berlin.

i have a vague idea what hanukkah is, but festivus? Fsm? 

[zoomama]

11 hours ago, MunichNark said:

Since I'm listening to the Radio which is playing the usual Xmas songs, do you get that in the US as well?

Happy Christmas everyone - for me, it is tomorrow. I hope you will have a good time.

i am listening to my radio as well. and yes, it started a month or so ago. we love christmas music. 

[lookeyloo]

3 hours ago, emma675 said:

lookeyloo, I hope things will calm down for you and the mr. very soon. This may be sexist, but I feel like women are so much better at handling stress/anxiety/illness than men. And I don't know if that's a good thing. I've been sick for almost 2 weeks now, but very few people at work know. A man who sits near me had a cold for a few days and we got hourly updates on how he was feeling and doing. 

I couldn't agree more!  He is allegedly having full blown Panic Attacks which are different than run of the mill anxiety attacks.  I know it isn't fun, and I wish I could do something for him, but he follows me around with a hang dog look telling me everything he is/was feeling.  I had raging anxiety a couple years ago when he had his atypical sternal wound infection after his bypass surgery and was on drugs for over a year with an oozing wound.  He barely knew, not because I couldn't tell him, but because he couldn't do anything and why burden him.  I found strategies.  My best friend new and helped but I didn't talk about it with her all that much either.  He has an appointnment with his  primary care dr. on the 27th and I'm waiting for a call back from a colleague to recommend  a cognitive therapist who maybe has a connection to a psychiatrist.  At least we aren't trying to "pray it away"!!!!

[MargeGunderson]

7 hours ago, MunichNark said:

Thanks. I cant wait for this year to be done. Nervous about new years eve tbh, more so after berlin.

i have a vague idea what hanukkah is, but festivus? Fsm? 

Hope you are doing ok. My thoughts have been with the citizens of Germany. 

Festivus is a holiday made up by George Costanza's father on the sitcom Seinfeld. It includes an "Airing of Grievances" in which each person at the celebration tells everyone in attendance how that person has disappointed them over the course of the year. It also involves feats of strength and a Festivus pole. Wikipedia has a good description.

[BitterApple]

In honor of Festivus, I'll be making donations in all your names to the Human Fund:)

[Jynnan tonnix]

Dad is in the hospital again..he's been having a hard time breathing in the past few days but was stubbornly trying to hold out until after Christmas, then finally decided to go to the ER in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. He has fluid on his lungs and his heart continues very weak, though they are trying to work out, as in a chicken-and-egg riddle, which problem exacerbated the other. His heart has been weak for some time, and the quintuple bypass he had just over a year ago has not really helped it much, though it probably did buy him at least another year, but he is 85, and there's really only so much that can be done.

We celebrate the Polish Christmas Eve, which begins with everyone sharing oplatek http://www.pwaa.org/polish_christmas_traditions.htm , and he has asked that the family come to the hospital to celebrate this part of the tradition with him...It's very likely this will be the last time he'll get to do this...

[jcbrown]

So sorry, Jynnan tonnix. Hang in there and try to take care of yourself, too.

Hugs to all who could use them. I am going to try to have a good holiday. Hope others are able to, as well.

[Love2dance]

@Jynnan tonnix, so sorry about your dad. Hope they can help him to be comfortable and your family can have a little Polish Christmas celebration with him at the hospital.

Wishing everyone a lovely holiday, whatever you celebrate.

[lookeyloo]

Sorry to hear @Jynnan tonnix.  Sucks 

[Arwen Evenstar]

12 hours ago, MunichNark said:

Thanks. I cant wait for this year to be done. Nervous about new years eve tbh, more so after berlin.

i have a vague idea what hanukkah is, but festivus? Fsm? 

MN, since Marge covered Festivus, FSM, is the church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Some claim to have been "touched by his noodly appendage".  Here's a link explaining it. It's quite amusing and reminiscent of something Monty Python could have come up with.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster

Covers beliefs, observances, creed, and optional headgear. It's worth a read for a great giggle, but some people actually do take it seriously. One of the most amusing Wikipedia pages I ever read.

Edited December 24, 2016 by Arwen Evenstar

[Arwen Evenstar]

2 hours ago, Love2dance said:

@Jynnan tonnix, so sorry about your dad. Hope they can help him to be comfortable and your family can have a little Polish Christmas celebration with him at the hospital.

Wishing everyone a lovely holiday, whatever you celebrate.

Aw, @Jynnan tonnix, so sorry to hear about your dad. Thanks for sharing your wonderful Polish traditions with us. 

[MunichNark]

Well, Merry Christmas, thanks for the explanations.

Big virtual hug to those in need - it always seems to be wose if bad things happen during Christmas somehow. The pressure and expectations are so manyfold.

[Micks Picks]

My eyes are no better, I go to the vascular surgeon on Jan 5 to see about abdominal aortic aneurism (s) my back is still miserable, never got my teeth attended to, didn't see dermatologist this year, and my sister had surgery today for cancer in endometrium.  Took out everything from what little I understand.  Appreciate the Polish traditions.  I have Polish heritage and don't know much.  Ah well, so it goes.

[lookeyloo]

3 hours ago, Micks Picks said:

My eyes are no better, I go to the vascular surgeon on Jan 5 to see about abdominal aortic aneurism (s) my back is still miserable, never got my teeth attended to, didn't see dermatologist this year, and my sister had surgery today for cancer in endometrium.  Took out everything from what little I understand.  Appreciate the Polish traditions.  I have Polish heritage and don't know much.  Ah well, so it goes.

Oh my that is a lot to contend with. Let's hope the doctors can figure something out that works.  We need a group hug!

Just now, lookeyloo said:

Oh my that is a lot to content with. Let's hope the doctors can figure something out that works.  We need a group hug!

Anndddd why did it put the spelling mistake in too. Oh well. 

Edited December 24, 2016 by lookeyloo
Spelling

[crazycatlady58]

I hope everyone  has a Merry Christmas ,  Happy  Hanukkah  or just a great  day tomorrow.

[crazycatlady58]

On 12/24/2016 at 3:14 AM, Micks Picks said:

My eyes are no better, I go to the vascular surgeon on Jan 5 to see about abdominal aortic aneurism (s) my back is still miserable, never got my teeth attended to, didn't see dermatologist this year, and my sister had surgery today for cancer in endometrium.  Took out everything from what little I understand.  Appreciate the Polish traditions.  I have Polish heritage and don't know much.  Ah well, so it goes.

Mick Picks ,  I hope  next year is better for you. 

[GeeGolly]

Wishing all of you with health issues improvement in the coming year.

And @lookeyloo, mental health has been my career for many years. Many PCPs will prescribe an SSRI and a benzodiazepine temporarily while folks are awaiting appointments with mental health professionals. Most will prescribe a low dose benzo to be taken 3x a day to reduce the anticipatory anxiety, which in turn reduces the likelihood of a full blown anxiety or panic attack. Once the SSRI gets to a therapeutic dose, many folks only take the benzos as needed.

Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas everyone.

[Barb23]

Merry Christmas & Happy Hanukkah to one & all.  May all your wishes come true.

[zoomama]

sending my best thoughts and wishes for a lovely weekend of celebrating whichever holiday you chose.  i am saddened by all the health issues showing up but that seems to be normal this time of year. i hope that 2017 brings positive changes for all within the 'walls' of this special group.   big hugs!

[Love2dance]

12 hours ago, Micks Picks said:

My eyes are no better, I go to the vascular surgeon on Jan 5 to see about abdominal aortic aneurism (s) my back is still miserable, never got my teeth attended to, didn't see dermatologist this year, and my sister had surgery today for cancer in endometrium.  Took out everything from what little I understand.  Appreciate the Polish traditions.  I have Polish heritage and don't know much.  Ah well, so it goes.

So sorry, @Micks Picks. That is a lot going on all at once. Wishing you and your sister healing thoughts and sending hugs, too. 

[Marigold]

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and all love to everyone. 

[Arwen Evenstar]

@Micks Picks, so sorry to hear about all your health troubles and your sister. Hugs to all who need them!

[BradandJanet]

Peace and love to all you wonderful friends. We'll be together next year because we can!

[Aja]

Happy Holidays, beautiful people!! You have the real servants' hearts! 

Special shout out to all my fellow peeps with no peeps tonight! Kisses from your peep!

[awaken]

3 hours ago, Aja said:

 

Special shout out to all my fellow peeps with no peeps tonight! Kisses from your peep!

Thank you for remembering those of us in that category <3

[Micks Picks]

Thanks so much, I needed that kiss!

[emma675]

Hugs and well wishes from this corner, too. It's been a hard, hard year and we all need a break.

[Aja]

14 hours ago, awaken said:

Thank you for remembering those of us in that category <3

I'm there too, my darling. Staying off Facebook until the happy family pictures die down. Your girl Aja's family is too complicated to have happy holidays. :) If I was rich I'd fly all my peepless peeps to a secret location (Bahamas or something) and have Christmas dinner on paper plates and drippy sundaes and we can make chalkboard signs about how much we love each other and post them on Instagram. One day! This I vow!

Edited December 26, 2016 by Aja

[Aja]

PS some levity for my peepless peeps…I go the other way and delight in being a grinch. This was my Facebook Christmas Day post:

[Micks Picks]

Poor pup.  But such a good dog to sit there and let him/herself be used.  Mine just won't sit still.  You have a very good dog there.

[Love2dance]

1 hour ago, Aja said:

PS some levity for my peepless peeps…I go the other way and delight in being a grinch. This was my Facebook Christmas Day post:

Awwww. He's adorable.....not a grinchy post at all.

[BitterApple]

Lol, the expression on the dog's face is priceless!

[lookeyloo]

@Aja that is one cute pup!! Thanks for posting. Gave me a much needed smile. 

[crazycatlady58]

Another peepless  peep here, although  to be truthful  Christmas  does not get me down  so much but Mothers  Day does me in. No kids, mothers dead  and did not have a close  relationship  with her in the first  place . I avoid  facebook, tv commercials  and even Church . Everyone  is talking  about  how great  Mom is, yea, no so much.

By the way Ajax love your dog. So cute, would  not even  think  about doing  that with my cats.

[Rabbittron]

2 hours ago, Love2dance said:

Awwww. He's adorable.....not a grinchy post at all.

Love the expression he's saying what the hell is on my head.

[Aja]

Not my dog! Some other very lucky person's dog! Just a gif I found that is a succinct visual representation of my attitude toward Christmas. :D

@crazycatlady58, I'm exactly the same. Holidays are hell for me. I would never begrudge people having happy families and somewhere to go at Christmas and people who miss them if they're not there…but oof. I don't think people realize how in-your-face and difficult the constant barrage of HAPPY CHRISTMAS HAPPY FAMILY PRESENTS KIDS HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY, on TV, in every store, every commercial can be for certain people.

[crazycatlady58]

True ,  but I would  be hard pressed  to make a Comercial  about my Christmas . Went to Church ,  came home heated up  some frozen  tamales , read and watched tv had supper, a steak with a glass of wine and chocolate  pie for dessert . Sounds so heartwarming , right? I am sure anyone  at Church  would have ask me to go home with  them if they knew I would  be alone but that is just as bad. A definite  3rd wheel  feeling there. Oh well Christmas  is over, don't  have to think about  it till Mothers  Day and that is the worst one for me. 

[Love2dance]

My heart is heavy and sending hugs and love to the peepless friends here. Wishing we all could get together and make the holidays easier for all of you.

[Aja]

3 hours ago, crazycatlady58 said:

True ,  but I would  be hard pressed  to make a Comercial  about my Christmas . Went to Church ,  came home heated up  some frozen  tamales , read and watched tv had supper, a steak with a glass of wine and chocolate  pie for dessert . Sounds so heartwarming , right? I am sure anyone  at Church  would have ask me to go home with  them if they knew I would  be alone but that is just as bad. A definite  3rd wheel  feeling there. Oh well Christmas  is over, don't  have to think about  it till Mothers  Day and that is the worst one for me. 

SO MUCH THIS. You're not alone!