[Fwd: Vol. 2 Issue 37 December 13, 2000]

[Guest guest]

Newsletter@... wrote:

>

> Arthritis Insight Newsletter * Vol. 2 Issue 37 December 13, 2000

>

> ---------------------------------

> Welcome to the 37th issue of the Arthritis Insight Newsletter. All back issues

will be posted at http://www.arthritisinsight.com/community/newsletter/

> Feel free to pass this newsletter around to others who may be interested.

>

> ---------------------------------

> The information in this newsletter should not take the place of advice and

guidance from your own health-care providers. Material in this newsletter is

provided for educational and informational purposes only. Be sure to check with

your doctor before making any changes in your treatment plan. Information

presented here is the opinion of the authors and has not necessarily been

approved or endorsed by the medical advisors.

>

> ---------------------------------

> Notes From Tina

> (tina@...)

> Tina Underwood aka KrissyJo

>

> I write this week's column with a heavy heart. We lost one of our members last

week to complications of pneumonia, Lori Varela. To her husband Tony and

children, and Ben, our thoughts are with you during this time. Your

mother was quite an incredible lady and will not be forgotten. Her legacy lives

on in the hearts of all those she has touched.

>

> Lori aka Robomom was always available to listen, advise or just give a cyber

hug in times of need. Having lived with arthritis for many years, she was a true

Arthritis Warrior, never letting it get her down. Her advice was invaluable to

those less experienced, like myself. She possessed compassion and a gentle

caring, which was obvious to all those that knew her, even those who had never

met her in person. Lori joins Di, Sandy and the other Warrior Angels watching

over us.

>

> We will host a Memorial Chat for Lori on Thursday December 14th at 9:30pm.

Please come join us as we mourn her passing and rejoice in her life by sharing

our thoughts and memories of an extraordinary person.

>

> This is not the first time I have lost one of my online support friends and it

gets more difficult each time. It is not something I ever want to experience

again. Lori was young, she had children, she was just like so many of us. Lori's

death reminds that we are not invincible, none of us are. Let us learn from this

how important it is for those of us with auto immune types of arthritis to

report all signs for infection to our doctors and to make sure that the

treatment ordered is followed through. Our immune systems are not like those of

a healthy person and special care is needed, especially when taking DMARDs.

PLEASE take care of yourselves.

>

> ---------------------------------

> Ron's Ramblin's

> (ron@...)

> Ron aka IndyRon

>

> Wow, what a week this has been. The news of the death of Lori (Robomom) took

us all by surprise. While I did not know Lori as well as some of you, I remember

talking to her in chat on the " old site " . I remember that she was one of the

most positive and upbeat people that I had talked with at that time. No matter

how she felt, she was always focused on getting past it and on the next thing on

her list. Back long ago, I posted a few times on ASA, she was one of those who

responded to me with encouragement and hope. She was positive and personal in

her approach. Her positive attitude and desire to beat the odds were infectious.

While I did not know her well, I can honestly say " Thank you, Lori, for touching

my life and helping me when I really needed it " . My thoughts are with Her family

and their sadness in the loss of a mother and a wife.

>

> Lori should stand out as a positive influence to each and every one of us. As

you can see from some of her posts that appear in this newsletter, she was a

wonderful person who will be missed by all of us.

>

> Each time that you look up into the night sky, know that one of those Shining

Stars there above your head is the spirit of Lori, still caring and helping

those of us with arthritic diseases.

>

> ---------------------------------

> Your Weekly Giggle

>

> A few days before Christmas, a man enters a pet store looking for a unique

gift for his wife. The store manager tells him he has just what he's looking

for! A beautiful parrot named Chet that sings Christmas carols.

>

> He brings the husband over to a colorful but quiet bird. The man agrees that

Chet certainly is pretty, but he doesn't seem to be much for singing. The

manager tells him to watch as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a

lighter.

> The manager then clicks the lighter and holds it under Chet's left foot.

Immediately Chet starts singing; " Silent Night, Holy Night. " The husband is very

impressed with Chet's singing abilities and watches as the manager moves the

lighter underneath Chet's right foot. Chet now starts to sing " Jingle Bells,

Jingle All the Way. " The husband says Chet is perfect and that he'll take him.

>

> The husband rushes home to his wife and insists upon giving her this wonderful

gift immediately. He presents Chet and starts to explain the parrot's special

talent. Demonstrating, he holds a lighter under Chet's left foot and the bird

sings " Silent Night. " He then moves the lighter under the right foot and Chet

lets loose a round of " Jingle Bells. " The wife is absolutely impressed, and with

a mischievous grin asks her husband what happens if he holds the lighter between

Chet's legs instead.

>

> Curious the husband moves the lighter between the bird's legs, and the bird

begins to sing-

> Chet's Nuts Roasting on an Open Fire!

>

> Check out all the jokes at

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/fun/jokes/index.html. Send yours in today!

>

> ---------------------------------

> Tina's Tips

> tina@...

>

> Arthritis can affect your ability to do even the simplest of tasks. I've heard

some people say, " Accept your limitations. " I'm not sure accepting them is the

way to go. I prefer to challenge those limitations, work around them, finding

alternate ways of achieving the same goal. Every week I'll share some tips I've

found to work around those annoying limitations and I hope all of you will send

in your tips too. We may not be the next Martha , but sometimes the

simplest things can help so much.

>

> Inexpensive Holiday Gifts:

> The Top 10 Things to Give this Year

>

> 1. Your Time.

> How many of you are too busy with you own lives to give your time to

others? Being busy is an excuse and a reason not to go out of your way. People

need you and love you. They want to see you. Let them in. Let them have time

with you.

>

> 2. Your Support.

> How many of you really support the people in your life? What I mean by

support is encouragement and reasons to try something new, not 10 different

reasons why it won't work. Just because it didn't work for you, doesn't mean it

won't work for them. And, just because it didn't work for them in the past,

doesn't mean that it won't work this time. There's nothing better than telling a

person that they can do whatever they want in this world.

>

> 3. Your Acceptance.

> This may be a toughie for some of you. This means unconditional love and

the ability to love someone for who they are and not what you want them to be.

It means giving up how you think their life should go, and accepting them for

what they want to do with their lives. This is the greatest gift that you can

give to the people in your life.

>

> 4. Your Attention.

> How many of you really listen to the people in your life? For everyone

who just said " of course I do, " then why are the people in your life asking you

to repeat what they just said? It's because they know that you didn't hear them.

Take a few minutes, stop what you are doing, and focus on the people who you

love. Aren't they worth it? And who knows, you may even learn something that you

thought you already knew.

>

> 5. Your Forgiveness.

> Forgiving people for past mistakes and hurts is one of the greatest

gifts you can give them. After all they are only human. Plus, I'm sure that you

haven't been the perfect human being either. Keeping hurt and anger in your life

is just an excuse not to get close to people for fear that they will hurt you

again.

>

> 6. Your Patience.

> How many of you can't even be with the people you love because they are

taking too long to tell a story or are taking longer that " you think " to

complete a project that you think should take less time to get done. How do you

know that there isn't a better way to do something if the people around you

always have to do it your way? Having patience with people shows them that they

are respected and loved. Isn't this a great gift to give for the holidays?

>

> 7. Your Love.

> People want to know that they are special in your life and that you care

about them. If there are things that are keeping you from loving them such as

conversations that you want to have with them, but you're afraid, my advice is

to say it. Sometimes you have to take a risk to achieve an open and rewarding

relationship. Take the risk and give your love.

>

> 8. Your Ideas.

> Sometimes people want to move forward in their lives but they don't know

how. You may know something that they never thought of. And who knows, your

ideas may change somebody's life. So go ahead, don't be afraid to share what you

know.

>

> 9. Your Smile.

> There is nothing better that entering a room and seeing someone smile

when you walk in. Right then and there you know that your presence makes a

difference in their life. A smile is easy. You just grin upward. Plus, you burn

many more calories than from frowning.

>

> 10. A Hug.

> Human touch warms the heart and keeps us connected. In addition, it

doesn't take much effort, it costs nothing, and it makes someone's day. Couldn't

you find time in your schedule to hug someone you love today?

>

> Check out more tips at http://arthritisinsight.com/living/tips.html and send

in yours today to Tina@...

>

> ---------------------------------

> What's New?

>

> Featured Discussion

> This week's Featured Discussion is The Holidays.

> No matter what faith we are, the Holidays are such a joyous time for many of

us. But they can also be extremely stressful. And for some of us, stress=flare.

This Featured Discussion will hopefully help to alleviate some of that stress.

Inexpensive gift giving ideas, the dreaded shopping, arthritis friendly tips and

recipes, we'll cover it all.

> http://www.arthritisinsight.com/feature/holiday

>

> Expert Advice:

> I have had rheumatoid arthritis for about 10 years now. I was recently

diagnosed with Lupus by one doctor and another doctor can not determine for sure

if I do have it. I want to get pregnant but very afraid. My first child was born

five years ago and it went fine. Does a high range in the SSA test define that I

have Lupus? I know it can be found in lupus patients but can be also found in

patients with RA? My DNA antibodies came out negative? How can I really know if

I have lupus?

> Read our experts' answer to this and many other questions.

> http://www.arthritisinsight.com/medical/advice/

>

> Question of the Week

> What are the Holiday traditions that make it extra-special and memorable for

you and your family?

> http://www.arthritisinsight.com/community/question/

>

> Photo Album

> Say hi to and Kim and meet Hariette and her dogs.

> http://www.arthritisinsight.com/community/photo/

>

> Member Directory

> 13 pages of members to talk to!

> http://www.arthritisinsight.com/community/directory/

>

> Web Links

> Some new links for ya to check out.

> http://www.arthritisinsight.com/resources/links/

>

> Advice for Better Living

> With your hands hurting, how do you applaude a favorite niece or nephew's

concert?

> http://www.arthritisinsight.com/living/advice/

>

> Season's Greetings!

> Send in your message for the community

> http://www.arthritisinsight.com/greetings.html

>

> The Library

> writes two great reviews.

> http://www.arthritisinsight.com/community/library/

>

> Pain Management

> Some additions to Works for me!

> http://www.arthritisinsight.com/medical/pain/works.html

>

> Holiday Cards!

> Free arthritis friendly Holiday e-cards for you to send to all your friends!

> http://www.arthritisinsight.com/cgi-bin/postcards/postcard.pl?Holidays

> To see all of our latest additions see:

http://arthritisinsight.com/updates.html. Check it every morning and you won't

miss a thing.

>

> What's Coming?

> We're going to take a Holiday Break. From December 17 until January 2 there

will be no regular updates to Arthritis Insight. There will, however, be some

odds and ends done so you'll still want to check the Updates page regularly. And

of course the Newsletter will still go out as usual!

>

> What do you want to see on Arthritis Insight or in the Newsletter? Let us know

and we'll do our best to accommodate!

> ---------------------------------

> Arthritis Insight Chat http://www.arthritisinsight.com/community/chat/

>

> The complete chat schedule:

>

> Mondays

> Start the week off right. Enjoy lunch every Monday at noon with InsightHostKen

in the Arthritis Insight Chatroom.

> Monday evenings at 9pm BRISBANE time, it's an Aussie chat with

InsightHostPanda.

> Monday evenings at 9:30pm Eastern time InsightHostKJ will host a Featured

Chat. With occasional guest speakers, we'll cover a wide variety of issues

facing those of us with arthritis.

> This week will be an Open Discussion on life in general! Do join us!

>

> Tuesdays

> Tuesday evenings at 9pm Eastern time, join InsightHostMel for Arthritis

Support Chat.

> JRA World Chat- JRAWHost will host Young Adults with Arthritis support

chat every Tuesday at 10pm Eastern time in the JRAWorld Chatroom.

>

> Wednesdays

> Parent's Support Chat, for parents of kids with JA, every Wednesday at 10pm

Eastern with JRAWHostDonna.

>

> Thursdays

> InsightHostTRANSAM will be here every Thursday at 9pm Eastern time for

Arthritis Support Chat.

> JRA World Chat- Growing Up With Arthritis, for kids, teens, and adults who are

growing up or have grown up with arthritis hosted by JRAWHost at 10pm

Eastern time in the JRAWorld Chatroom

>

> Fridays

> InsightHostTRANSAM is back Friday's at 2pm Eastern for a Friday Afternoon

Support Chat.

> InsightHostPic and InsightHost will take turns tending bar every Friday

night at 10pm Eastern time. Remember, you can drink cyber-alcohol with

methotrexate! Bring plenty of quarters for the jukebox.

>

> Saturdays

> Live from Arthritis Insight it's Saturday Night Live! InsightHostTEXAS will be

here, so come on in! Every Saturday night at 10:30 pm Eastern time.

>

> Sundays

> Arthritis Support chat with InsightHostKen at 9:30pm Eastern time. Please join

us!

> Interested in hosting a chat? Have a chat suggestion? Well email us, we can't

read your mind!

>

> The complete chat schedule can be found at

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/community/chat/schedule.html.

>

> ---------------------------------

> Cooking With Char!

> Char@...

> Char Le Fleur

>

> Hello! Hello! It is a guaranteed white Christmas in Iowa this year. Monday

we got about 18 inches of snow. We haven't had a snow storm like that in a long

time. Reminds me of winters when I was a kid, back in the 50s. I remember one

winter the snow drifts were so tall, we used them for sledding hills!

>

> But we have a column to do, so lets stop this walk down memory lane, and lets

get cooking!!

> As promised, we have more recipes for entertaining from our Wooster hostess

Donna. All of these recipes were served during her cocktail party.

>

> Pickled Baby Carrots with Dill

> 1/3 C while wine vinegar

> 1/4 C honey

> 1 TBS whole mustard seeds

> 1 tsp salt

> 1 lb. baby carrots

> 1 TBS fresh dill or 1 tsp dried dill weed

> Whisk first 4 ingredients until well blended

> Cook carrots in boiling salted water until tender crisp (about 5 min.)

> Drain well and add carrots to dressing.

> Cool to room temperature.

> Cover and chill overnight

> Bring carrots to room temperature and stir in dill and serve

> (Can be made 5-6 days in advance and kept in refrigerator until ready to

serve)

>

> Mexican Clam Dip

> 12 oz. package of cream cheese (at room temperature)

> 1/4 C green chile salsa (salsa verde)

> 1 4 oz. can diced green chilies

> 1/2 C chopped cilantro

> 3-6.5 oz cans of chopped clams-drained well

> Beat cheese till smooth in a large bowl

> Mix in salsa, chilies and cilantro

> Add clams and blend well

> Cover and chill (the day before serving)

> Preheat oven to 350 degrees

> Bake uncovered until bubbly around the edges (about 35 min.)

> Place on platter and surround with tortilla chips

>

> Caviar Pie

> It says right on the copy that Donna gave me, " An elegant appetizer for New

Year's Eve. (Yummy with Champagne.) "

> 1 pint sour cream

> 2 jars supermarket black caviar

> 1 very large onion (chopped fine)

> 8 hard boiled mashed and 2 tsp of mayo to hold them together

> In a 1 in high dish or pie plate-spread the egg mixture flat

> Place the onion on top of the egg

> Spread sour cream over the onion layer.

> Then refrigerate, until just before serving

> Drain the caviar very well in a strainer then carefully spread over the sour

cream

> (GOOD caviar does not need draining)

> Serve with toast points and wedges of lemon

>

> Crab Tartlet Appetizers

> 1 can flaky biscuits

> 6 oz. drained lump crab meat (or use fresh)(if using canned rinse and squeeze

out well)

> 2 green onions chopped

> 1/4 C grated cheddar cheese

> 1/4 C mayo

> 1/2 tsp lemon juice

> 1/2 tsp Tony Chachere Seasoning (Donna-if you are reading this I do not know

what this ingredient is. Can you please clarify for me?)

> 1/3 C drained chopped water chestnuts

> 1/4 C grated Monterey Jack or Co-Jack cheese

> Split biscuits into 3 pieces (the flaky biscuits pull apart in layer very

easily)

> Spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray.

> Mix crab and remaining 7 ingredients

> Fill each pastry with this mixture

> Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes

> (These freeze well-then reheat in microwave or oven at 350 degrees for 10 to

20 minutes)

>

> Mexican Corn Chip Dip

> 2 large tomatoes-peeled and chopped

> 3 or 4 green onion chopped

> 1 small can green chiles-diced

> 3 tbs olive oil

> 1 1/2 tsp garlic salt

> Stir and refrigerate at least 3 hrs. before serving.

> Serve with tortilla chips.

>

> Now THAT should give you some ideas for things to serve for holiday

entertaining. And next week, we will be doing cookies!

>

> If you have comments or suggestions, regarding this column, please e-mail me

at

> Char@...

>

> ---------------------------------

> Notes and Insights:

>

> Happy Birthday!

> What? No birthdays this week?

> Check out all the birthdays at

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/community/birthday/ and make sure to send them

an arthritis-friendly e-card:

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/cgi-bin/postcards/postcard.pl

>

> Holiday Shopping at Amazon.com

> You'll notice we've placed Amazon.com buttons and banners throughout the site.

With the Holidays coming up, we thought many of you might be ordering from them.

If you do, please go there by clicking on a link from our site. Arthritis

Insight will then get a portion of your order total.

>

> Wanna help?

> Having surgery? Starting a new drug or treatment? Filing for disability? Keep

an Arthritis Insight journal so all of our members can share and learn from your

experience. If you want to keep a journal just let us know.

> Write an article! We always need articles on all subjects relating to

arthritis.

> C'mon folks, we can't do this without you.

>

> Gimpfest 2001-Chicago here we come!

> Gimps from all over will invade Chicago next May! There will be fun, food and

a whole lot of laughing going on! It's a chance to meet your online support pals

in person, a chance to get some real hugs from your chat room pals. A good time

will be had by all! For all the details see http://fadedjeans.com/chicago

>

> Enbrel Enrollment

> Remember if you are on Enbrel you MUST register by the end of the year to make

sure you will continue to get the drug. Visit http://enbrelenrollment.com for

more information.

>

> Special Offers for Arthritis Insight Members

> Whenever possible we will try get to our sponsors to agree to discounts and

the like for our members. Here are our current special offers:

>

> Sore No More gel (http://www.sorenomore.com/) will send a free sample of the

pain relieving gel to any Arthritis Insight Community Member who emails them at

dma@....

>

> ---------------------------------

> The AI Help Desk

> Peck & Raven Thompkins

>

> QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Can I eliminate the numerous icons that appear on my

windows desktop?

>

> Yes, you will find that most of the icons on your desktop are shortcuts to

programs. To determine if an icon is a shortcut, check to see if there is a very

small arrow at the bottom left of the icon - it will be pointing upward and to

the right. If you are still in doubt, right click on the icon and then left

click on properties. If the icon is a shortcut, the window that pops up will

contain a tab that says " Shortcut. " (There will also be an additional tab in

this window that says " General. " If you click on that tab, you will see some

details about the program.)

>

> The next step is to click on the start button and then view " programs. "

Compare what is on the desktop with what is listed in the program menu. This

will be a way you can easily access a program if you delete the desktop icon. If

the program is not on this task bar, you can also access it through " My

Computer, " but this is a more lengthy process due

> to clicking through all your files until you find the one you want.

>

> If you have decided that you have easy access to a program without using the

icon on the desktop, you can delete it by right clicking and selecting " delete. "

It will be sent to your recycle bin for later complete deletion.

>

> One of the advantages to keeping the desktop clean is the ability to enjoy

beautiful wallpapers. There are so many available on the internet and especially

at this time of year, your computer will look festive!

>

> FEATURED WEBSITE: http://www.visualparadox.com Over 100 high resolution 3D

computer desktop wallpapers and background screens for a variety of platforms,

free for your personal use. Your computer backdrop says a lot

> about you to everyone who sees it, " oohs " and " ahhs " are a good sign you are

impressing people. Look around and find the background wallpapers that will make

the time at your computer more enjoyable, and get you some " oohs " and " ahhs " as

well.

>

> TIP OF THE WEEK: It is recommended that you never clean your computer screen

with Windex or other comparable solutions. Visit your local computer office

supply store and purchase one of the products specifically for this task. Many

screens have a protective coating and if you use a harsh cleaner, the coating

will be removed.

>

> linda@... and raven@...

> (All p.c. questions welcome!)

>

> ---------------------------------

>

> Weekly News Summary

> Robin Mayhall

>

> Rituximab in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

> New Hotline on Rituximab in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis is

available. (Note: Hotline is the name of a bulletin newsletter from the American

College of Rheumatology, not a telephone hotline as the name suggests)

> http://www.rheumatology.org/research/hotline/1100rituximab.html

>

> Fish Oil And Vitamin E Help In Rheumatoid Arthritis

> While scientists ponder potential new treatments for rheumatoid arthritis at

the American College of Rheumatology meeting in Philadelphia, they should not

overlook potential nutritional approaches, says a Buffalo researcher.

> http://unisci.com/stories/20004/1103006.htm

>

> COMBINATION THERAPY PREVENTS CERVICAL SPINE ABNORMALITIES IN RHEUMATOID

ARTHRITIS

> Whether DMARDs can prevent the development of these disorders has not been

determined.

> http://orthopedics.medscape.com/30857.rhtml?srcmp=orth-120800

> (Requires free registration to access)

>

> RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED MORTALITY ON 10-YEAR

FOLLOW-UP

> In contrast to earlier reports, Dutch investigators found no excess mortality

among patients who had rheumatoid arthritis for 10 years.

> http://rheumatology.medscape.com/30931.rhtml?srcmp=rheu-120800

> (Requires free registration to access)

>

> Techniques for Assessing Bone Mass

> Arthritis Review published an article reviewing and assessing quantitative

imaging techniques used to assess bone mass in those with rheumatoid arthritis.

> http://www.rawatch.com/rawatch/p/community/hnews/HNews.asp?RecID=86

> (Requires free registration to access)

>

> Computer Technology and Arthritis

> Arthritis Today recently reported on computer technology that can help to

reduce pain while using computers on a daily basis. This technology included

voice recognition software, ergonomic keyboards and an elongated mouse to aid

comfort.

> http://www.rawatch.com/rawatch/p/community/hnews/HNews.asp?RecID=83

> (Requires free registration to access)

>

> ---------------------------------

> Cheers and Sneers

>

> Cheers to the FDA! The Food and Drug Administration criticized the Celebrex

commercial that features people identified as having arthritis taking part in

activities such as riding a scooter or rowing a boat in a park. It was set to

music with the lyrics, " Celebrate, Celebrate. Do what you like to do. "

>

> The ad " is misleading because the totality of the images, the music and the

audio statements that you present overstate the efficacy for Celebrex, " the FDA

wrote in its letter, which ordered the company to stop distributing the ads and

any similar material.

>

> Now if we could just get rid of all those " minor arthritis pain " commercials!

>

> ---------------------------------

> Contribute

>

> Have you written something you think our subscribers would like to read? Send

it to Tina@... and maybe we'll use it in our newsletter.

> ---------------------------------

> A Closing Thought

>

> Those are snips of archived posts to alt.support.arthritis made by Lori

Varela. " Listen " closely and take her words to heart:

>

> " Sometimes when I feel so overwhelmed, I go to a busy park and sit on a bench

close to youngsters playing. I close my eyes and listen to them chattering,

laughing, discussing important topics such as frogs, catepillers, best friends,

and ice cream and I pretend for 15 minutes I am again a 10 year old little girl

with just these kind of thoughts on my mind. It makes me relax even though

sometimes it does make me sad....But it does take me away for 15 minutes.... "

>

> " I hope we all will be painless soon, but until then we can share our pain....

and jump in the cyber hot tub to ease those aches. "

>

> " My only rule for my interaction in this group: is to treat everyone with

sensitivity and as I would want to be treated..... "

>

> " I understand the grieving process of giving up the old body and having to

deal with a new (arthritic) body. And it is normal to be mad, cry and scream

(my favorite place is in the shower) and after 20+ years I am still grieving,

but knowing you I think you will find joy in your new adventure by being a mom

and the challenge of getting the things done and doing things you want... "

>

> " I am thinking about you and praying you find the relief and courage you need

to do what you think is the right thing. I just wanted to tell you that I was at

the exact same place as you…before both my new knees. I was scared, in so much

pain (my pain was a 11 on a scale of 1-10), I don't think I slept for months, I

know I cried daily, taking pain pills like candy. I could not walk across the

street and used a wheel chair for most of my business (grocery shopping,

airports, family outings). I had injections, drugs, everything....finally I

decided to bite the bullet and have my left knee done. After the initial

surgery pain, I felt I could fly, dance, walk...sing ... it was such a

liberating experience to be free of that pain. Two years later I had my right

one done...

>

> I think many folks on this list who have had knee replacements would agree,

the only regret is that we waiting so long. "

>

> " The best thing I did for myself is to get a good RD.. who listens, and spends

the time with me. I had the same complaint about stress and was complaining to

him. He said... okay tell me about your average " normal " day and I went through

it all. He said " of course you are stressed... a normal person your age would

feel stressed and tired.... you are going to have to learn to say no and get

some help.... " I guess he had to hit me along side of the head and remind me to

set my priorities and use my energy on those things which are important (my

kids, my mom/dad, and my health). I got a house keeper. I now work from home

100% of the time hehehe I cut my hair really short!!! I don't iron my hubby's

shirt.. they go to the cleaners. My kids have learned to do their laundry (not a

bad thing).... "

>

> " Oh, I disagree a good cry is always refreshing. I have my best crys in the

shower. I can also yell and scream and swear. Then I curl up in my heated bed

and have a good nap. So go ahead a cry!!! "

>

> " . In my case I really have to pick what I want to do (for example: do I

grocery shop or pick up around the house...and in my case I write out the list

and hubby goes shopping and I have hired a gal to come in twice a month to clean

my house.) In other words we all have had to place priorities on what we can

accomplish and be proud and happy with what we can do....My family loves to

hike..miles and miles...well my limit is about a mile. So what do I do? Hike

the mile, sit down with my thermos and a good book.....they usually come back

for me (LOL) when they are finished with their hike. "

>

> " I am grumpy a lot!!! And I hate it. Anyway, one day my daughter and I were

sitting on the rocking chair watching TV and just hanging out. She stretches

out her little legs, and feet, and toes and starts to wiggle them. She

says.. " mommy stretch out your toes and wiggle them! " I said why? And she said

" whenever you are grumpy you should wiggle your toes " ... this really put a smile

on my face.....and I have noticed when I get real grumpy I think about wiggling

my toes and the smile goes back on my face... and hopefully some of the grump is

gone.

>

> My kids are my best medicine. "

>

> Goodbye Lori…we'll never forget you.

>

> ---------------------------------

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