AAAARRRRGGGHHHH!

Once again I began a post, had to leave, hit the “save draft” and now am back and the draft is gone. Such a wonderful post it would have been, all about the fun of having MS along with some even more fun symptoms. But now I forget if I remember it or not.

To begin with, AGAIN, March is MS Awareness month, a detail I’ve, well, face it, I knew in the back of my mind about it but when it came time to sit down and write about it I got side tracked every time. That seems to happen more often lately. Not that I’m forgetful, of course (and if you believe that there’s a blue bridge across the Ohio River I’ll sell you), it’s just that there is too much going on in the world to remember a little thing like the fact that my MS is acting up at the moment.

Sure, as if I could forget that! I was doing some research, or if I call it like it is, snooping for something new on the ‘net this morning, and on Web MD I found some new to me symptoms of this fun disease. Oh, in case you are wondering, I’m not really having much fun with it but trying to put it in a new light that makes it easier to accept sometimes.

Anyhoo, I’ve been one complete itch lately. No rash, nothing to indicate a reason for the itching, just nerve wracking itching all over. Thought it was an allergic reaction to something, so switched laundry detergent with no better results, switched body wash, equally no change, clawed a few furrows in my skin with a lot of results but no answers except practice in creative bandaging.

This morning, on Web MD, I finally found my answer. Itching without a rash or any other kind of reason is a sign of MS activity. I think I forgot to see if there’s an antidote though. Phooooyyy! Oh well, at least now I know why I’m clawing the skin off. Now all I need is a body bandage, which, of course, I would also claw off as soon as it was in place.

I’ve known MS has multiple symptoms for years, probably because I’ve had it for years. The headaches can be debilitating but I’m used to those. Overheating can really do a number on the MS prisoners symptoms, which can lead up to death if overheated for too long. Fortunately I’m cold natured so as long as I stay inside I bundle up in long sleeves and at times even my coat and hood to warm up. I discovered several other icky symptoms that I won’t relate here, even though they really run me ragged at times. When they aren’t sending me down to kiss the floor, that is. While I wouldn’t mind a short trip, that’s not the kind I prefer. At least my bones seem to be stronger now, thanks to the Vitamin D and the Folic Acid.

I’m beginning to wonder if my laptop has MS as well, since it sometimes seems to have a mind of its own. To say it’s acting up at the moment is putting it mildly. But then again, this is the third time I’ve opened it up in the past 2 hours. First time was to look for a photo, 2nd was to eat lunch (which was delicious) and now this time when it opened immediately and right to the correct page. We are getting used to each other after only 3 years of continued use.

This has been a pretty good week. On Tuesday I got a call from my sister who lives in Colorado asking me if I wanted a visitor. Of course I did, and wondered when she would be travelling to KY. She was coming in my door as I turned the phone off! I love surprises like that. She had spent a week with my older brother, helping to take care of him when he would let her. She brought me a couple of photos of him, looking better than anyone has a right to look with his little dog on his shoulder. HUH? He once made fun of his wife’s Maltese, although truth be told, he could often be seen cuddling that little mop! I’m not sure what breed Lacy is, but she is smaller than the Maltese, Sophie. Fits in the palm of his hand, but he does have large hands. He’s looking good in the photo. If I didn’t know he is dying of cancer I sure would never think it when I look at that photo. Meg was on her way back to Colorado but being tired she decided to stop by and see me first. We spent a very pleasant afternoon, going down the hall to visit our aunt as well.

Friday evening, late, my daughter popped in, bringing me some of my favorite Monterrey Spaghetti, a double batch this time. Her hubby was running in a marathon in Owensboro on Saturday and they were spending a couple of nights in town. He stayed at the hotel gearing up for the 13.3 mile race that began at 7:30 Saturday morning. Just looking at that number makes me tired but he runs them a lot. He finished at 10:25 and while the original plan was for them both to come for a longer visit he had to beg off to recover from the run. According to him, this race was better than than the ones he runs at home because we are mainly flat land while Frankfort is hills and valleys. I love the guy a lot but sometimes wonder about loose screws when he runs these races! All of my screws would fall out if I tried, but then I don’t have that many left to worry about. They are on their way back home now, where he will continue recovering from the run. I found a cartoon somewhere that describes my outlook on running: “If you ever see me running past your house, please come out and kill the huge animal that is chasing me”.

So, my daughter walked in just as I was putting the final stitch in her birthday quilt. Her birthday was March 7, but since she was coming in I didn’t get in a rush finishing the quilt. I’m going to attempt to post a photo of it — my 3rd time attempting that today, because I couldn’t remember what I used to take it. Found finally on the Kindle. So, here goes, I hope!

It worked! Of course not immediately, but after several failed attempts to bend it to my will. The Tulip Quilt is twin sized rather than the lap quilt I had intended it to be. Now I want to make another just like it for myself. Time will tell.

Midnight Musings

I have some notebooks that I write down all of the quotes I find. Well, most of them. Some aren’t worth the effort of pulling the notebook out and writing it all down.

My collection grows a little bit every day since I subscribed to a site called “Inspirational Quotes” a week or so ago. A new set of quotes every day makes my day. I just wish I could say something that others would be impressed with enough to quote me. There is a quote I use frequently, said by my brother a few years ago when I asked him a question. “I don’t remember if I remember that or not”, one of the few things I DO remember that he has forgotten. My brother has a Ph.D in Homiletics, and taught at Brescia University for a few years before his health forced him to give up 2 of his 3 jobs, Chaplain at a convent, pastor of the neighboring parish, and professor at Brescia.

Funny thing about that brother. He had a “D” average in school before beginning High School. An IQ test there showed him to have the highest IQ in the history of the school. The former “D” student was just bored out of his skull for 8 years. He tried to teach me how to use the computer way back when I got my first one. Went through all the steps so fast I couldn’t keep up, then told me to “play with it” before leaving. Oh, I played with it alright! And ended up erasing the entire hard drive! Now that takes talent of a different kind! A kind I don’t recommend.

I began this post a few nights ago right at midnight, hence the title. It is now 5:43 a.m. at least a week later and I’m not sure what I was musing about that night, but it must not have been much since I saved the draft which included only the title and moved on to playing as many kinds of Solitaire as I could find, working a few jigsaw puzzles on the computer, colored a picture and did some word games while trying to get my brain to come up with something to write about. It hasn’t worked yet. I am definitely not a genius like my brother.

I do have 3 or maybe 4 quilts in progress at the moment while trying to embroider some flour sack tea towels for my granddaughter. Kinda too much to ever finish anything, but yet they all manage to get finished. I finally finished the quilt I started for my son’s birthday about 5 years ago, and just in time to give it to him this year — yesterday, in fact, letting him know it is for the past 5 birthdays. Fortunately he has a sense of humor.

Now I have to finish something special for my youngest kid who will have his 14th actual birthday next Thursday. He will be 56, or 14, whichever way you look at it. Since he mainly acts 14 I find it easy to treat him that way. But I still say he should have been a girl to really appreciate that special birthday. How I wish I only had a birthday every 4 years! I would be 20 again. Hmmm, 20 wasn’t all that great to be, so being a Leap baby might have a few drawbacks of its own.

The clincher is that my daughter, oldest child, has a birthday one week from the youngest. I call this birthday season, beginning with Feb. 22, ending with March 7, with all of us still wondering exactly how to say Happy birthday to Mike, Feb. 29! He wasn’t born yet on the 28th, and was a day old on March 1. I do keep threatening to call him at midnight to try to get in between the 2 days, but of all the times to fall asleep!

Okay, I’ve mused enough. I’m hungry and have some yogurt and a bag of popcorn waiting for me to dig in. It sounds disgusting as a snack — eating the 2 of them together, but some days it works. Other days it just makes me want to hurl! Oops, too much information there.

It’s another one of Those nights when sleep won’t come; or if it did it didn’t last more than an hour. So much to do and only 24 hours in a day to do it. I’ve heard that sleep is important but how do you sleep when you can’t?

t’You can lie in bed and toss and turn, but I can’You can lie in bed and toss and turn, but I can’t breathe in a bed so I sleep in a recliner with my head elevated. I also have quilts in progress, embroidery projects, myriad pillows, my cell phone, Kindle, TV remote and other items I find the hard way surrounding me. A real nest inhabited by a dodo bird.