Guest guest Posted August 27, 2004 Report Share Posted August 27, 2004 Hi Galen, No doubt you are very courageous! I think the phone is an excellent idea even if your not living alone because most people are not at home all the time with us PLS folks, right? Was it very expensive? How would you feel about meeting at least two of your neighbors and becoming friendly with them or at least find out more about who they are. Maybe it can come in handy some day, you never know. Of course the other option would be, like you said, moving out, to a more closely populated area. I don't like the idea of anyone living alone. I just don't think it helps even if you are not sick. What about a retirement home? I've heard of some beautiful places. I'm sorry to go on and on. I just wish everyone had access to having people around. Well, anyway, we are here for you. (smile) Take care. God Bless Yolanda Life alone with PLS There is nothing easy or safe about living alone, much less with PLS. I don't have any relatives nearby, not even in the state, not even in an adjoining state. I live down a dirt road, and it would even require a fair hike to get to my neighbors, whom, of course, I don't know, but then, they don't know me either, so I guess it's fair. Anyway, a discussion came up in a paddling group I correspond with about the dangers of paddling alone. I replied that almost every day I stand in a slippery place with water streaming down, and that I routinely take soap into that same hazardous environment, and what's more, I do it totally alone. Boating alone doesn't scare me. Being on a well, I couldn't even count on some curious employee at the water supply wondering why my house was such a heavy user all the time if I fell in the shower and couldn't turn it off. I figure the mail carrier might finally sound the alarm if my mailbox got too full to stuff something else in, but we're talking *weeks*, not hours. I am reminded about the thoughts of a guy going out to surf his first 90 foot wave. He kept reminding himself, " Don't fall. " With PLS, something trivial to others might indeed be life threatening if you are alone. There are no easy (or even hard, for that matter) fixes. You just have to be careful, very careful. All the time. Having said that, I did go down to my local cell phone shop (they are everywhere, it seems) and I got one of those newer cell phones that is GPS enabled, so they can locate the phone. I chose that over one of those alert buttons mainly because it works *everywhere*. No pushing the button when you're in the woods or something and they send the EMTs to your house instead of where you are. I ALWAYS carry the phone now. Even if I go out of the house to check the mail I have it on. At first it was a new thing to learn, but I've had a bunch of new things to learn since PLS entered my life, and it's now just another habit. I've pondered this a whole lot and this is the best idea I've come up with. Well, short of moving, which isn't in my plans -- yet. __ Galen Hekhuis NpD, JFR, GWA ghekhuis@... Illiterate? Write for FREE help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 27, 2004 Report Share Posted August 27, 2004 The phone is practically a give-away (real cheap) if you sign up with some cell phone company for some term (I think mine was two years), but I think you have to sign up with some company for those alert buttons, too. It may be a bit more for the cell phone service, but as I recall it isn't much. I can't talk too well anymore so I don't think I'll be running up any bills chatting, either. As far as meeting my neighbors goes, I can't hardly even see them. I know them well enough to wave at them, and they know sort of what kind of car I have (a white van) but aside from that we hardly ever even see each other. I've thought of some sort of home or whatever, but so far the risks seem manageable so I haven't gone that route. Besides, my long term goal is to move someplace close to a cave, and then have the land available to cave explorers to camp on while they visit nearby caves. Really. >Hi Galen, > >No doubt you are very courageous! I think the phone is an excellent idea even if your not living alone because most people are not at home all the time with us PLS folks, right? Was it very expensive? How would you feel about meeting at least two of your neighbors and becoming friendly with them or at least find out more about who they are. Maybe it can come in handy some day, you never know. Of course the other option would be, like you said, moving out, to a more closely populated area. I don't like the idea of anyone living alone. I just don't think it helps even if you are not sick. What about a retirement home? I've heard of some beautiful places. I'm sorry to go on and on. I just wish everyone had access to having people around. Well, anyway, we are here for you. (smile) Take care. __ Galen Hekhuis NpD, JFR, GWA ghekhuis@... Illiterate? Write for FREE help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 27, 2004 Report Share Posted August 27, 2004 Hi Galen, I own a cell phone and a plan. Maybe I'll ask them about this sort of service. Thanks for the information. Oh boy, you sure are an outdoors person!! Well, I'm glad it's a long term goal and hopefully by then the cure or the miracle will come, right?(smile) Anyway, if the caves bring spectators, why not. At least you are not alone. Go ahead and plan it. Take good care Galen and thanks again for the info. God Bless Yolanda Re: Life alone with PLS The phone is practically a give-away (real cheap) if you sign up with some cell phone company for some term (I think mine was two years), but I think you have to sign up with some company for those alert buttons, too. It may be a bit more for the cell phone service, but as I recall it isn't much. I can't talk too well anymore so I don't think I'll be running up any bills chatting, either. As far as meeting my neighbors goes, I can't hardly even see them. I know them well enough to wave at them, and they know sort of what kind of car I have (a white van) but aside from that we hardly ever even see each other. I've thought of some sort of home or whatever, but so far the risks seem manageable so I haven't gone that route. Besides, my long term goal is to move someplace close to a cave, and then have the land available to cave explorers to camp on while they visit nearby caves. Really. >Hi Galen, > >No doubt you are very courageous! I think the phone is an excellent idea even if your not living alone because most people are not at home all the time with us PLS folks, right? Was it very expensive? How would you feel about meeting at least two of your neighbors and becoming friendly with them or at least find out more about who they are. Maybe it can come in handy some day, you never know. Of course the other option would be, like you said, moving out, to a more closely populated area. I don't like the idea of anyone living alone. I just don't think it helps even if you are not sick. What about a retirement home? I've heard of some beautiful places. I'm sorry to go on and on. I just wish everyone had access to having people around. Well, anyway, we are here for you. (smile) Take care. __ Galen Hekhuis NpD, JFR, GWA ghekhuis@... Illiterate? Write for FREE help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 27, 2004 Report Share Posted August 27, 2004 Over Labor Day I'm headed up to West Virginia (behind Dailey, to be precise) for a yearly get-together of cave explorers. This will make the 38th year I have attended. I've been around caves and cave explorers for a while. Although not known for it's " dry " caves, Florida has a world-wide reputation for having some of the best " wet " caves, and hence some of the world's best cave diving. Believe it or not, people come from all over to dive here especially along the Suwannee River, where there are oodles of caves. I figure a pretty good place to be is near the intersection of I-10 and I-75. Granted, there aren't a whole lot of cave explorers (the largest US organization has less than 50,000 members) but they do travel a fair amount and are always grateful for a place to stay, the cheaper the better. I can't go on trips with them anymore but I think I can get them to look in on me from time to time. At least I hope so. Like I say, it's just a goal right now. >Hi Galen, > >I own a cell phone and a plan. Maybe I'll ask them about this sort of service. Thanks for the information. Oh boy, you sure are an outdoors person!! Well, I'm glad it's a long term goal and hopefully by then the cure or the miracle will come, right?(smile) Anyway, if the caves bring spectators, why not. At least you are not alone. Go ahead and plan it. Take good care Galen and thanks again for the info. > >God Bless >Yolanda __ Galen Hekhuis NpD, JFR, GWA ghekhuis@... Illiterate? Write for FREE help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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