@jjwest Yes, I'll send you a big hug! I hope this day is a positive one for you. Blessings, Teresa

Here' a great big hug for you JJ. Do your grandchildren live far away? Also, have you spoken to your doctor about the pain you're still having? Perhaps there is something else that he/she can prescribe for you. Good luck, and maybe you can mention to your children that you'd like to see your grandchildren more often. What about you going to visit them of them visiting you? Take care.
Leslie

BIG Saturday Hug to you. I am fairly new on this site. I was just thinking about how much
I miss seeing my children and grandchildren. I can relate to this and it is something I
don't understand and causes depression. Shame on them, I guess they have their
lives but as Christians "relationship trumps time" As you can see this is what our
society has become and we wonder why our nation is a mess. As the family goes
so goes the nation. I remember sitting on my grandparents front porch with my Aunt's
and Uncle's every Sunday afternoon after the Aunt's prepared lunch. Learning
how to drive a car in the field in front of the farm house. We can't go back but
I told my sisters we will start making the difference with our generation.
So here's a Big Warm Hug coming your way! ! ! ..........Elizabeth

HUGS,HUGS, and more HUGS! I think most of us know about ups and downs and can relate to not seeing your grandchildren. At least I know I can. I don't get to see mine as often as I like. Maybe you can call your son or daughter to work things out. They may have no clue to how you are feeling about this. Now, the neuropothy is no fun to deal with. I have not experienced it but my sister has and she has told me how bad it can be. Can you go to another doctor to see if there is anything else you can do? Second opinion? I wish you luck and hope you are pain free really soon!

Virtual hugs may not be the same as in person hugs, but I can add mine to the others. I'm so glad that I sleep well, as it gives me a break from the neuropathy pain. Our daughter is having her first baby, a girl, in just a few weeks, and my wife is flying out on Tuesday to New Hampshire, to spend a month with her. We live in Oregon, a long ways from our son in Indianapolis, and his 4 year old daughter, and a long way from our daughter, as well. The good news is that her husband, who is in the Coast Guard, is being transferred to Alameda, CA, in July, so we'll be able to see them much more often.

I have sleep apnea, and use a CPAP machine, and take several meds that are drowsying, and those things help me, even though the meds don't do much for the daytime pain.

In April, I'm going to try a spinal cord stimulator implant. I really hope it will help. My feet hurt all the time, from a 3 to a 7. No fun, is it.

Another hug to say goodbye.

Jim

I have a lot of great memories from the "good old days", too, Elizabeth. We are blessed to have positive memories, as there are a lot of people who have mostly bad ones. Memories play a part in shaping us, though, thankfully, they don't have to define us. I think it's good when we can live in such a way that future memories will be good ones for ourselves and our family.

Jim

@jimhd Hi Jim: Please keep in touch with us and let us know when you will have your appointment for the spinal cord stimulator implant. I'll certainly pray about that for you. I have many friends at my church who have had that with very good results. Pain relief is SO important! Best wishes my friend! Teresa

JJ, you have a big warm hug from me. I used to give my grandson "telephone hugs" when my son moved the family to Florida and we were still in Missouri. Noah was only 4 years old and had spent nearly every day with his grandfather and me. He missed us so much and needed hugs from us. So, I will tell you what i told him.
Close your eyes and imagine the person you most want to be hugged by. Imagine their arms around you, and the way they smell and feel. Then put your arms around you, begin to hug yourself and feel the hug getting bigger and tighter to the point you like it. Hold for 10 seconds. Give one last big squeeze and then let go. There, you have a long distance hug! You can repeat this any time you would like a hug. And its being given by the person who loves you most--YOU! Many hugs JJ. Gail B.