Messages

46

General Discussion / Re: Christmas/Vacation plans?

« on: February 03, 2020, 02:49:53 am »

Saw my brother the other day, and he was using a walker for the first time!    He uses the plain aluminum one, not the one with brakes, and a tray to hold stuff.

Peter

47

General Discussion / Re: Thoughts on this

« on: February 03, 2020, 02:45:59 am »

Mom, I wish you luck on this too.  Must be difficult!

Take care.....  Peter

48

General Discussion / Re: Happy 2020

« on: December 29, 2019, 03:52:56 am »

Nice to hear from Soozan!

I'm ok, but my brother's leukemia (he found out about 5 weeks ago) is stressful.

I can do things to lessen stress like yoga...which I haven't done lately.   
But I wll.

Peter

49

General Discussion / Re: Christmas/Vacation plans?

« on: December 26, 2019, 09:47:57 pm »

Hi, mom.....Sounds good.

We usually go to nephew's on Christmas Day, but he was out of town.

If he was in town, I may have cancelled - I have a terrible cold since last Friday.


Peter

50

General Discussion / Christmas/Vacation plans?

« on: December 16, 2019, 02:39:54 am »

My family usually has a potluck a week before Christmas Eve, but no one volunteered to host this year.
I'll probably have the usual Christmas turkey with nephew and others on Christmas Day.

My younger brother having leukemia puts a damper on things.  He found out a few weeks ago.  He says his type of leukemia is less dangerous than other kinds.


Peter

51

General Discussion / Anyone go Trick or Treating?

« on: November 01, 2019, 12:57:29 am »

I didn't.

If you did, let's hear what you got!   


Peter


Looking forward to the Royal Winter Fair next week!

52

General Discussion / Happy Thanksgiving!

« on: October 15, 2019, 04:19:41 am »

I had pizza.

We didn't really celebrate Thanksgiving when I was growing up.


Peter 

53

General Discussion / Depression study at CAMH......

« on: October 10, 2019, 03:09:30 am »

I was almost in study at CAMH re seniors with depression.  Saw it in a newspaper for seniors.

There were generous honoriums involved, like $50 for an MRI, $20 for blood test or "pencil and paper" test....which may have been every 6 months (?).

Oh yeah...there was a chance for a medication adjustment, which I'm always hoping for.   

I was interviewed over the phone by a CAMH guy, and he may have spoken with my nurse practitioner.


I was turned down.

I'm only very occasionally depressed, thanks to Mirtazapine.
BUT.....I'm permanently (?) "can't get started...can't be bothered....."  Symptoms of dysthymia, long term, low grade depression. (my original diagnosis)


Peter

54

General Discussion / Re: brother with dementia/alzheimers....

« on: September 20, 2019, 02:23:53 am »

During another visit, he asked me and my brother's widow how long we've been in Canada!

Not that alarming....that's to be expected.

He may not be aware of what his tv remote is for.....may not know how to use it.

I get the impression he may not know what a telephone is for....I could be wrong.


Peter

Looking on the bright side, he's much less disabled looking than a lot of people on his floor...that is, he's walking around, curious...
Lots of other residents on this floor are really hunched over/stationary.

I have a lot of experience with relatives in nursing homes.

55

General Discussion / Re: Struggling to explain

« on: September 20, 2019, 02:18:54 am »

Hi, momfeelinglost....

So true!

I know saying nothing is an option but I am of the thought that mental illness needs to be brought into the light of everyday people that it is a complicated illness and that every human deserves the best treatment available and at the fastest timeline wait lists are not acceptable.

I've always said that people will think mental illness isn't so "weird" or whatever if more celebrities and athletes admit that they have problems....this will reduce the stigma.

Peter

56

General Discussion / Re: Ever had b bugs in your place?

« on: September 07, 2019, 08:22:40 pm »

Going through it again.

There are precautions I can take, like putting clothes in sealed bags....


Peter

57

General Discussion / brother with dementia/alzheimers....

« on: September 07, 2019, 08:20:48 pm »

I never know the difference between dementia/alzheimers.

Anyway, my older brother was at the front of the line to get into a nursing home because he was delirious and such.

Last week or so, he got into a really nice two story place in Ajax, Ontario.  It's pretty new too.  Really nice place!


The first couple of days:  "get me out of here....is this a looney bin?"  "Looney bin" because of other residents' behaviour?

A week later he settled in....maybe partly because one of his sons and family visited every day.

They got him a single room ($!) because of his social phobia....he may feel uncomfortable with another person around?
This may not be an issue anymore, as he's so "out of it" he doesn't remember he has social phobia?  If that makes sense.


When I saw him he was cheerful...maybe wasn't sure who some of us (relatives) were.  He never did this before -he throws in some German when he talks....but usually just exclamations like the German version of "my oh my!" or similar.


Peter

Re being delirious, when he was at home he thought he had two cats instead of one, and another guy living in his house.

AND.....he thought there was a stage with live musicians in his house.  And the neighbours thought the music was too loud.

58

General Discussion / Re: Ever had b bugs in your place?

« on: July 30, 2019, 02:53:10 am »

Off topic - a good thing about online forums is that I can go back in the past to see how I felt, when things happened.....like a certain kind of bugs.  
Didn't think I saw them more than a month ago, June 24.


Peter

59

General Discussion / Re: Plastic surgery, plantar fasciitis

« on: July 30, 2019, 02:49:56 am »

I've seen guys in handcuffs more than 5 times......but not lately, except for the other day.

Haven't hardly been to Emergency in ages, but when my parents were around......went a fair number of times.


Peter


Which reminds me - I live in a senior's (sp.) building, but haven't seen ambulances taking people so often.....seldom, which is nice.

Also, unlike other high rises, no false fire alarms with fire trucks showing up for nothing....  That's semi common in other buildings.

60

General Discussion / Re: Not procrastinating as much....

« on: July 30, 2019, 02:44:44 am »

Hi, guys.....Maybe a person could ease into it?

Chair yoga first?

Don't know much about chair yoga, though.


Peter