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Paper Rose

Sometimes I wonder how I got to be 76. Why it just seems like yesterday I was a young Mum with small kids and a hectic life and now I am an old lady sitting three times a week having coffee with a bunch of old people I call friends and we discuss various health complaints that slow us down and make us look...well..old. At least we have that is common. We may not be young and maybe sometimes feel sad about that for a minute or two. But then we laugh and say: "Well I'm still here." And that is where I am right now. The summer is over here in Oz and we've just gone off daylight saving so it's going to get darker earlier now. It's a relief really as it's been a hell of a summer. It was not so much the heat but wearing waist to toe pressure stockings meant the humidity made life very difficult. I seriously neglected the garden and am only just starting to get it back under control. Weeds really love humidity and parts of it look like an overgrown jungle. I haven't kept up with a lot of my older more distant friends so that is on.my "to do list" too. At my age there are so many funerals of older friends that that is my major source of socialising...lol. So I seriously need to pay more attention to the.living. Trev and Alice will be here next week for the week and I need to put time aside from them. Alice is 11 now, 12 in June so has some sort of media on the go most of the visit with breaks for meals. Love her heaps and as long as she's happy, I'm happy. Church has taken up a lot of my time this year. Our main minister retired in January leaving Kathy, our part time minister to do everything so I've been filling in the gaps. I find that a bit more tiring than it used to be, don't seem to have that second wind when I need it. More rocking horse than race horse these days. But at least my days are fully filled and I have little time to feel lonely. Loneliness is the curse of old age here. I read Kelli's blog so it's nice to see someone is working behind the scenes on Strokenet now. I think those of us who have stayed on need that reassurance. I love the interaction that being in here provides. Okay it is a long time since I've been a full time. Caregiver but those experiences do not fade with time and I'm here if anyone needs that support. Seems a long time since I hosted Caregiver Chat but there are still people struggling out there and maybe we still have something we can do to support them. It's getting dark outside so I best go and look to see what I can miracle into "dinner for one" tonight. My next door neighbour has been away for a few days so I've just been over to feed his cat. It's another one of those odd jobs I do. Keep smiling and keep well. That's my long term plan too. I'll be thinking of you all, reminiscing is one of my occupations now. I'd love to hear from those I know and a big "hello" to all who remember me. Sue.

Paper bag

Hi Kelli, a few of us have been trying to keep the site going. I'm glad to see you on here. After so many years and as a widow I don't think I contribute a lot but do enjoy interacting with the rest of the people on here. Maybe we can build up the numbers again so that new people can feel they can not only get support but also make friends here as I have done. Hope you can find another good job but without the stress the last one put you through. Hugs from Sue.

Let me introduce myself again. My name is Kelli and I had my stroke 15 years ago from a chiropractor adjustment gone wonky. I'm now 49 and in a few weeks, my twin sister will be 50 and I'll be 40 hahahaha. I am the Stroke Support Coordinator here and have been for the past 15 years. I took a step back and work on my mental health. I was in a bad place ( nothing like unliving myself) for ,as many of you are dealing with, I was 34 and shortly before my divorce and now living on my own I accrued credit card debt. Single and living off SSDI and bills , I got a Home Equity Loan and paid off my debit........great BUT......... The job I was at, let me go but not for job performance but a new policy change required a physical demand that is needed to continue to work there and my neurologist and The Arc ( after 5 years) decided that I can't do it and I don't blame them. I don't want to put myself in harms way. So added stress there. My parents have been great and I have a savings but I'm in a quandary for if I take money from my savings ans I have to pay taxes on that so ugh. I'm still with my guy and I'm happy. He's younger so i have to remember that I've lived and learned . I'm in a quandary . I'm 49 and he's 38 1/2 lol (my oldest son is 30 ) but he gets me and understands my stroke issues and now had met my friend 'Peri" ( Peri menopause) yikes. We don't live together and I'm OK with that now. I'm working with DVR ( Department of Vocational Rehabilitation) to `find a job for people with health issues connect with a job that knows you have a challenges and to allow me to only gross ( payroll) I had the meeting with them and waiting for the call back. I'm pretty guaranteed a spot so I'm excited to have money again for my food, because of my dietary allergies ( Milk, wheat, soy) basically makes my food choice small. cooking for myself is for sure a solution. except it's EXPENSIVE. I've been trying to help out with the new memberships so I'm behind the scenes. I send my gratitude to all and wish all a great spring ( for our friends down under; Happy Fall * below is a silly picture from New Years*

cosmetic bag

Carrier bag

Pet Carrier

She should be OK, had a message from her recently to say that they are doing a boat trip that stops in Auckland and wondered if we could meet. Deigh

Are you okay Janelle? It's been a while since we've heard from you?

Carrier pigeon

Car carrier

Used car

Started February 26 2024

Slightly used

Slightly deaf

It was while I was in the hospital that they discovered I had type two diabetes. That falling down is not good stuff. So be careful. I'm coming up 10 years. Exercise and oxygen current diabetes control. Was on Jardiance. Loved it for control. Wore me down though.

When I used to fish a lot wearing full body waders leg cramp was very common. There is no way you can quickly remove waders to massage the legs so I used to carry salt or iodine tablets. Sucking one of them would instantly unlock muscles. That might be trick you could try! In fact every fishermen carried them and would suck them occasionally throughout the day. It is common knowledge that perspiration takes salt out of the body and believe me if you fished in body waders when the sun came out you were soaked in sweat very quickly. Deigh

Wow, what a happenstance find the diabetes comments are. You can see my stroke was almost 12 years ago. I've been diagnosed with diabetes off and on for several years. Last weekend (2024/02/04) I was in the ER for issues (weakness, dizziness, etm.). Their diagnosis was Type 2 diabetes. So anyway, in the course of the week I haven't been able to stabilize my blood sugar. My doctor suggested that I'm a Type 1 diabetic and prescribed insulin at 8 units twice a day: "Recommend increase but 15-20% every 2-3 days until 2 hour post meal is <180 and morning fasting is <130 without lows <70". My lowest blood sugar this week has been 363, the highest has been Over-range on the monitor (in excess of 600). In April of 2023 I was operated on for a pituitary tumor. Due to changes in employment I haven't been able to verify the results of that surgery. So anyway, in the course of the week I haven't been able to stabilize my blood sugar. My doctor suggested that I'm a Type 1 diabetic and prescribed insulin at 8 units twice a day: "Recommend increase but 15-20% every 2-3 days until 2 hour post meal is <180 and morning fasting is <130 without lows <70". My lowest blood sugar this week has been 363, the highest has been Over-range on the monitor (in excess of 600). With all of the above, I have dizzy spells and have fallen several times. Fortunately my laminate floor is on a sub-floor, so I haven't sustained a concussion. I've been doing a lot of reading as I proofread for about 14 authors.

With my 12th anniversary coming on Wednesday I've held 9 positions with different companies, been thrown out of 3 of them, I've gone 7 months unemployed, and have accepted a new position starting April 1st (Uh-oh). And I bought a house in Florida, I've been diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes and had brain surgery.

Of course and have had for years, maybe before stroke. My great-aunt's perfume, cigarette smoke (I'm a former addict), cigars, pipes, pine forests, perfume that I don't recognize, BBQ.