RE: Jenifer from Jeanne

[Guest guest]

Hi Jenifer

I'm so glad that all that made sense, sometimes it's just so hard to

explain. Because the spine is responsible for many things I really have a

lot of problems....Sometimes I pick up a coffee cup and there is no feeling

in my hands. sometimes I get headaches so bad I have to cover my eyes, the

light hurts them, sometimes I cant turn my head from side to side.....All

these symptoms are due to spinal injuries (degeneration)...It almost like a

game when I wake up in the morning..Until and if I can get out of bed, which

by the way I most often do, but I don't know which body parts will work and

which won't.

Now I became disabled in 1995 when I had my right knee replaced and I

subsequently developed and pulmonary embolism...I then applied for ss.

disability in 1996 for rheumatoid Arthritis and Degenerative Joint Disease

( DJD) I was also at that time diagnosed with Fibromyalgia...but it was not

a viable qualifiable disability at that time...I understand it has become

quantified for disability just recently....I did not begin receiving ss.

benefits until 2001. OMG when one writes it out on sequentially it sound

horrible...I sound like if I were to lie down and close my eyes...They would

pronounce me dead..ha-ha..It's not really that bad, I do have good day

too...and I think the bad day helps me to appreciate the good day all the

more...

I have just had to learn different ways of doing things...I know what I can

do and what I shouldn't do...I won't say I can do them...but shouldn't do

them.....I have come up with some very creative ways in dealing with my

disability...My sister says all the time I should write a book about my

creativity dealing with this mess.....but when I have good day there are

just so many thing I want to do and I can only function about two hours at a

time....

There just doesn't seem to be enough time to do everything I want to

do.....I read a lot, not much of a t.v. watcher and I study a lot...I love

learning...right now I'm trying to learn everything I can about this

computer...I am self taught, have never had any instructions, and I have

learned what I know so far from outdated library...I'm not the brightest

star on the planet and being self taught neither the instructor nor the

student is overly bright....but I'm trying to take it slow and trying not to

mess with things I'm not sure about yet......I'm sure having fun

learning....

I've met so many wonderful friends.

And I hope you will find me interesting enough that you will want to pursue

a friendship with me...I would like that very much....Well it is 2:00 a.m.

and I feel as if I just might be able to go to sleep now ....Hope to hear

from you again real soon......Jeanne

P.S. I know for me this is much worse than childbirth was...I had two son's

one weighed 4 pound, seven ounces and the other one weighed 5 pound, 3

ounces....They came so fast I didn't even have time to be medicated....And

just a few days after they were born the pain stopped...This pain doesn't

stop...ever...ever...ever...so there is a big difference....And I also got

to bring a beautiful gift into the world just from having the

pain....ha-ha..

Subject: Re: Jenifer RE: RA

Hi Jeanne,

Please feel free to

express yourself openly with me.

[Guest guest]

Hi Jenifer

No problem, sometimes I answer right away and other time it takes two or

three day to answer, depending on how my body is working at the time. I do

everything I can do...There are so many things I can no longer do that by

golly I'm not going to miss out on one thing I have the opportunity of doing

that I can....I do take sleep pills but my mind just won't quiet down so I

can sleep....I sit her at the computer like a drunk, My mind stops working,

I think It goes to sleep, but my body won't so I have to wait until I'm

ready to pass out before I even go to bed...Usually around 3:30 - 4:00 a..m.

Thank God I have no one who is depending on me...so it just doesn't matter

when I go to be, or when I get up.....

You know you are about the 15 or 20 person who has told me I should write a

book....My sister who is a nurse, has been for 40 years.....When she came to

visit she saw all the gadgets and tricks I have made or use for another

purpose than it was created for.....to help me with my disability.....she

just couldn't believe it..She immediately told me I have to write a

book....On another group I wrote some stories and they told me I should

write a book.....another group I sent some poems I have written...they said

the same thing....I should write a book..

I think the first thing I would have to find is an editor, because my

grammar anymore is atrocious, and my punctuation is even worse....I think I

will just continue learning the computer for now....Then when I get all the

toys that go with it. like a printer, scanner, cd, maybe I'll know enough

about the computer then and I will be able to do something more than I am

doing now,,,who knows...For now I am enjoying making friends and keeping in

touch with them......Hugs to you Jenifer.....Jeanne

Re: Jeanne from Jenifer

Hi Jeanne,

Sorry, I'm poky about responding. Sometimes it takes me a day or two.

I know what you mean about not having enough time in the day, and I even

stay up late, lol! You too, huh?:-)

I love your outlook and that you are self-taught on the computer. I've

never

been one to read manuals. I have never been taught to type.

Years ago, I worked for a Marketing firm and I handled product orders.

One day, my boss gave me something to type and I said " I don't type. "

She responded " Well, you do now. " The funny thing is that it was on an

old

IBM typewriter. I wonder if " White Out " is still being manufactured

these

days, lol!

I can relate to the numbness in the fingers. I had that over a year ago.

The doctor said I had raynaud's syndrome, but then it went away. I find

that

the older I get, the more unusual things that come along. What really

stinks

is to have pain and then get a miserable cold virus that turns into

bronchitis. That's when my cheer goes out right the window. I have

something wrong

with my neck as well, but it hasn't started to cause many symptoms yet.

That

could be the cause of why my fingers would go numb.

You should write a book. Your truth and optimism would be so helpful and

comforting. It's so scary when we first get diagnosed.

I sincerely hope you have a productive and pain free weekend. Keep in

touch

too.

Hugs,

Jen

In a message dated 3/9/2006 1:13:00 AM Alaskan Standard Time,

geni2@... writes:

Hi Jenifer

I'm so glad that all that made sense, sometimes it's just so hard to

explain. Because the spine is responsible for many things I really have

a

lot of problems....