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Depression, fibromyalgia and spinal degeneration
Hello. I have Fibro and moderate to severe spinal degeneration, age 69 and husband 78. I've had to let our once per month housecleaner and once per month gardener go due to loss of income. We live in Silicon Valley way beyond our income and due to my illness, can't keep house up.Its trashed. Husband works 3 days per week. End of month is scary financially and husband gets very depressed, sarcastic and a real worry wort. His depression sinks me down like I'm drowning. His company took all medical and vacation/sick time away from grandfathered in employees. I can't take walks due to degenerative back, we have our Christian faith, but I honestly need to get away from my husband sometimes. My best friend and other confidents have died or moved away. Both of us need to have some fun. Our beautiful church and home group of 15 years has disbanded....they were like family. No money, no health...struggling to keep a cheerful and grateful attitude. Our PC doc gives me a mild anti -depression med. Husband is losing his hearing and that causes all kinds of arguments.But doc doesn't give him anything to keep him calm.. There is no free counseling or housekeeping help available to us. I take Advil and Norco for my pain. It's like just waiting for the grave. ---Virtuous69
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Hi, @virtuous69 -- glad your two accounts are now merged.
I'm sorry to hear about all the challenges right now, especially your dear friend who was hospitalized and your husband with his coughing. It's very hard that you've lost two friends to illness, and understandable you'd feel sad.
The dental clinic and the Love, Inc., sound promising.
Will you check back in with us and let us know how you are doing and how your husband and friend are doing?
@IndianaScott hi Scott. Replying your original reply post back to me. Subject hearing aids. you asked if I had checked out non-profit hearing associations so I did Google some information today. Both my husband and I have a RX prescription referral to see an audiologist locally and I need to call up and find out AARP and Medicare if they cover the exams. I know they don't cover hearing aids. But my question is did you go for hearing tests with a licensed audiologist first? Then did you go after the expensive audiologist approved hearing aids, or did you have any faith in the devices that you see advertised in a magazine or on TV at cetera that do not cost thousands of dollars? I'm sure there are some that are good and some that are bad and it depends on your own hearing situation. Lost do the Age or nerve damage or something else. So what's the audiologist makes is it termination the reason for your hearing have you heard/found anything or in your own experience found any of these products that are not thousands of dollars that one can purchase to Aid in the hearing especially around the house and where the TV is on. My husband that fairly sure has background hearing noise but then again because he's almost 80 and also depends on how much of those hearing hairs in the side the canal have diminished and so whether he is mild moderate or severe. If you have any experience with hearing aids that are being advertised as the latest invention from Germany etc. and that type of thing and not these thousands of dollars types I would love to hear from you regarding that.. I'm sending this now before this post flies off into the Twilight Zone
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2 ReactionsGood morning @virtuous69 Dori. Good to hear from you again (no pun intended). My GP did refer me to an audiologist as she considered my hearing loss 'profound' after his in-office tests. Audiologist finally determined my hearing loss was most likely from earlier bouts with spinal meningitis complicated by unprotected hunting as a kid. Although the audiologist didn't say it, I imagine a few too many rock and roll concerts (especially my favorite the Moody Blues -- who are finally up for election to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame I might add) probably helped it along. As they say "We grow too soon old and too late smart!"
This is just my view of the business world, but I don't trust any advertisement more than I would a plug nickel! That said I did go to a couple of the places locally that hosted free nights to try their aids. Extremely expensive and very high pressure, but I never bought those and did discover many that did not really help my kind of loss. And they were free, unless you count the fact they all still send me their materials in the mail 🙂
What really helped me the most was talking with folks who were already using hearing aids and were around my age or older. I remember one pair that did help the fellow told me he hated because they were so difficult for him to get into his ear. Another fellow said he liked his but would recommend them since they fell out too frequently when he was out doing his brisk walking. Unfortunately, and this is just me, I never found a pair that worked when I needed them the most, which was in noisy settings. Luckily my left ear is far better than my right so I now have put my pride in my hip pocket and just say to people "sorry, can I sit on this side of you so I can hear better?' Plus my grandsons now just accept they have to talk to me on my left side if they want 'old gramps' to hear them! The seven year old simply says to me 'now which is your good ear gramps?' after we have been apart for awhile.
Bottom line, again this was just for me, I found adjusting my lifestyle and admitting my hearing loss was easier to deal with than hearing aids and their expense, but that was just me at this point in my life.
Continued strength, courage, & peace!
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3 Reactions@catgic
As I was looking through some posts I came upon this one and realized that you haven't posted in a while. I hope you are both doing well. I would enjoy hearing from you.
Teresa
Today is March 6th and I got lost trying to start a new discussion and I just want to talk group. My question is this time of year February March I get very sleepy and cannot keep my eyes open I do not have the traditional runny nose or Wiley eyes I'm just so sleepy and all I can do is lay down for a bit. I do have fibromyalgia but I don't see how this correlates. Anybody don't they have the same symptoms? Do you know what it's about and what do you do to keep from getting it for me it's only seasonal February and March so I know it says something to do with allergies but without having drips or congestion I haven't the foggiest idea what to do. Any comment most welcome
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1 ReactionHi, @virtuous69 - thinking of you and wondering how you are doing lately?
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1 ReactionHave you had your blood pressure checked during those months? January, February and March used to be the time every year that I could hardly pick my hands up to put on the keyboard at work. My blood pressure would even drop low. Turns out I had Seasonal Affective Disorder. I got a special full spectrum light which made a huge difference. Eventually I moved three hours south and that made another huge improvement. Since you're only affected during those months it's something you could discuss with your doctor.
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