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"Quality of life"......a gift that just keeps on giving.
The 2020 Holidays are over. What was your favorite gift? Was one of your gifts what I call a “quality of life” gift? Was it a new special pillow that made you sleep better? Perhaps you were given something that made your life a little easier like new shoes with a softer sole. Or maybe your family gave you a Mayo gift like the Pain course or a Habit workshop?
It’s never too late to think of and thank yourself for your endurance, generosity, and kindness to yourself. And these may be things that you have never mentioned because you didn’t want to be a burden or a nuisance or appear to be selfish.
I went crazy this year and got three of my quality of life gifts. I’ll share them with you and hope you realize how very important they were and are to me.
1. My MFR therapist began to feel that one session a week was not sufficient. So, we set up a six week trial of 2 sessions per week. The difference in tolerance was amazing. I didn’t have to endure increasing discomfort for 7 days….just 3. And so….gift #1. When I let my family know they found a way to help with the additional cost called a “stocking stuffer”.
2. For over a year I have been noticing more and more pain in my hip. Several years ago, I had an injection which was done poorly and so I wasn’t too excited about trying again. This time I had a chat with myself. “Why, Chris, are you going through increasing pain when there is a solution?” So I gathered my strong determination, had the injection, and am just jumping for joy. And my insurance covered it. Great…..another quality of life gift received and appreciated.
3. My 2021 quality of life gift brigade begins tomorrow when I have my preliminary appointment to fix my arthritic thumb. I can no longer open a jar or turn a key in the door lock. Seven years ago I had anchovy surgery on the left thumb. It is perfect. Now, why have I let the other one reach such a painful stage? I really don’t like surgery but this one is relatively doable and I won’t need too much help at home.
So Happy Holidays to me.
And thank you friends and family who shouted encouragement and helped support my wishes for a few things that just needed to get done.
What items would qualify for your quality of life? Let’s all share and help each other develop our 2021 list of can dos and must-dos.
Be happy and content in 2021.
Chris
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Good for you John @johnbishop. Sometimes I think we spend more time trying to convince ourselves that we don't need a new display because we don't feel our volunteer and personal work counts as worthy. I like that display. And I am sure that your feet like being warm. My feet are like liquid ice most of the time. About mid-morning, the "ice" starts to melt and run down or up my legs depending on whether I am sitting or lying down. Fuzzy socks don't help much. Where did you get your toe warmers?
Thanks for participating in our "quality of life" effort. It seems like many may have benefitted. Start working on your birthday now.
My best,
Chris
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3 Reactions@artscaping, What a thoughtful discussion starter you posed with your Quality of Life Gifts, Chris! It has been both motivational and inspiring to read responses.
I can't remember how to access my "bookmarked" posts? .. nor if I mentioned earlier that one of the most personally helpful and appreciated gifts for me was the challenge @becsbuddy posted early in 2020 of the Let's Go Walking! Although I'd set the new 2020 personal challenge of walking 3x's/week before her post, the benefits of following and sharing on that thread bears repeating because there were days that would have made it so easy to overlook if not from Becky and others' active posts.
Becky, if ever a year called for practicing "more positive thinking" and mantras of encouragement, 2020 has to top the list. Thanks to you and also to the Gratitude, Journaling and other "self-help/expression" threads for providing opportunities to focus on meaningful ways we each can better manage these very uncertain times.
Have you started your new quilting project yet, Becky?
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2 Reactions@ess77, Your post of how extremely limited your use is of both painful thumbs and also the help c-pap nasal pillow provides is truly both humbling and inspirational. Humbling because you just "stated the case" with not a whit of whining..which I would certainly feel justified in doing! and inspirational because of how you "get along" with the accomodations you've found and use to help.
With increasing arthritis? in my right thumb and hand, I've begun to more than ever appreciate all my thumbs facilitate and have so long taken for granted.
Big hugs to you, Elizabeth, for your positive, can do spirit and determination despite the huge obstacles you are confronting! Have you had to re-train yourself to keyboard as well as all the many other "work arounds" you use?
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3 Reactions@johnbishop, Congrats on upgrading to a larger computer screen for the sake of your valuable eyes! For yrs, friends and family urged me to buy a laptop for versatility. Due to the smaller screens I declined and when my fab computer guru ordered and installed my last HP 8 yr old desktop, I was thrilled with the larger 22" screen. Now it is great to learn that larger screens are available.
Had not heard of the neoprene stretchy toe warmers but just did a search and was impressed by the variety offered by Amazon. Methinks my "forever/always cold" toes may be in for a Valentine gift and change from daily fleece lined heavy socks to neoprene warmers. Any specific brand for just "in the house comfort"?
John, I always learn something new and helpful from your posts. Thank you!
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2 Reactions@sueinmn, Because of increasing hand arthritis, I copied your response to @ess77 into a word doc to save for future reference. Thank you for the encouragement not to procrastinate, which I can sometimes be prone to do and also for the types of surgery techniques available.
Like your reports of friends' delaying surgeries earlier, several of mine have had hip replacement surgeries, done the needed rehab and regained much better mobility. However, one refused to do prescribed physical therapy afterwards and now is so crippled she can hardly navigate with a walker. I shudder to think what my life would be if I hadn't agreed to the long p.t. prescribed following my seven fractures several years ago.
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2 Reactions@joybringer1, Smiling because I just looked up the definition of "Luddite" and I am one too!
It is not that I don't appreciate the additional aids newer technologies provide but that with aging, I've become less inclined and more anxious about learning how to use them. I'd heard the term but now know I Yam one and you are not alone!!
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2 Reactions@artscaping @fiesty76 - I found the neoprene slip on toe warmer sleeves on Amazon. They have a lot of different brands but I like these because they came in different sizes which I'm thinking makes for a better fit and less likely to be too tight - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076B3VTRM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00
I also have the stick-on heat pack toe warmers which I place underneath the sleeves if I'm working outside shoveling snow. The stick nicely to your socks but are easily taken off at night - https://www.amazon.com/HotHands-H162080-Toe-Warmers/dp/B07J33BF7V/ref=sxin_9
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3 Reactions@fiesty76 - To see your bookmarks, click on your Profile at the top right of any Connect screen and then click the My Bookmarks tab under your profile description.
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1 ReactionWell, fiesty76, you've done it now. Your kind, understanding and genuine message...your virtual HUG... touched me quite deeply. Thank you. I, as many of us on these discussions, have very little or no support in this journey. You and Sue and John and Merry and Colleen and Chris and Mary and ALL the others whom I now consider 'friends' are my family of support. You'll never know how important you all are in so many lives. In my life. I'm not alone. God bless you all. Elizabeth
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5 ReactionsSue, for years I went to one of the top ortho clinics here, got hundreds of steroid shots in my finger/wrist/thumb joints. I asked repeatedly for some more permanent and proactive help, surgeries of some kind? Medications to slow the process and/or relieve the pain? PT? Nothing. I was told I was getting all they could do.
I finally did have a hand surgery to hopefully increase the use of my right thumb and reduce the pain. Very difficult surgery. No difference at all. Still can't lift the thumb up off a flat surface or use it at as a thumb!
I made the decision they were not interested in solving my problems, they were not interested in treating the arthritis. Nope. About that time, I stopped all shots in joints, as I think they were, in my case, not resolving any issue but temp pain relief. Torn rotator cuff - no surgery to repair as I have a balance issue and the recovery would be too difficult! Humpf!
I refused cervical and lumbar surgery for multiple herniated discs, etc. Got shots for years. Stopped.
That's when I determined to go off pain meds, everything I could, and find the best pain relief and/or repair/or whatever possible......the good Lord soon pushed me to Mayo for MS diagnosis or to determine what was happening neurologically. Praises........I'm now here with you folks, have far less pain, getting true diagnoses and treatment....and, sadly, finding more issues! But, with solutions as well!
Signing off for the day. Very tired and need to rest.....oh, tomorrow will share my Best Buy purchases....HP 17.3" laptop! + other....Blessings, all. Elizabeth
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