"Quality of life"......a gift that just keeps on giving.

Posted by Chris, Alumni Mentor @artscaping, Jan 8, 2021

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

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Aging Well Support Group.

Chris, Alumni Mentor | @artscaping | Jan 13, 2021

In reply to @fiesty76 "What a wonderful post, @artscaping! So happy to read the three "quality of life" gifts you've..." + (show)

@fiesty76

What a wonderful post, @artscaping! So happy to read the three "quality of life" gifts you've given yourself and your courage in taking them on! Way to go!

What you wrote about: "It’s never too late to think of and thank yourself for your endurance, generosity, and kindness to yourself." is such a timely statement because these uncertain times have required personal changes and adjustments that really can and have challenged our coping skills. Your statement brought this home to me the other day during a conversation with my daughter.

I was telling her how stunned and happy I was in asking my doc to refill some daily meds and doc replied she'd just put me on the Covid vaccine list. Hadn't even considered asking for that! Two days later, I was given 1st Moderna!

My daughter, who is much less effusive than I, (sometimes I have to remind her to "gush more" ...laughing, replied: "I am glad because you are so deserving! You've taken great precautions, remained upbeat with sense of humor in place, and encouraged our family through some scary times this past year" Pure Gold those comments!!!!!

With my little family out-of-state and 15 mos since we last visited person-to-person, Zoom visits with them made a huge quality of life improvement for me.

Another real biggie for me was setting the self-challenge for 2020 of taking 3 walks/week and specifying which days. Accomplishing this deeply bolstered my self-discipline feathers because I'd stopped regular walks after the loss of my dog and there were days when I had to push myself out the door.

By far, the single best and happiest occurrence this past year for my little family and myself was their adoption of two hypo allergenic kittens. Imagine waiting 60 yrs as my hyperallergic sil did to finally be able to have 4-legged furry babies! The photos and Zoom times of him and family with Oscar and Ivan
are beyond fetching!

My self-challenge for 2021 needed a back-up in case I couldn't do the primary one of reteaching myself to knit. With arthritis in my hand, I wasn't sure if I could manipulate the needles so thot' a "no added sugar or salt" day/week would be good. Happily after at least 25 yrs I've begun my first new knitting project. While I've restricted sugar and salt consumption for some time, I found the first day of "no added sugar" much, much harder than that of salt.

Perhaps the single most important quality of life effect of this past year was realizing that due to my contentment in being at home more than most and not suffering the anger and anxiety expressed by others I know about city mandates restricting/closing facilities, I do not feel the stress or dismay so many voice.

Thanks, Chris, for prompting an opportunity to take stock of quality of life impacts and to the forum for having a safe place to recount them. Wishing all continued strength and hope in this brand new year!

Jump to this post

Hey there @fiesty76, I am so glad you were able to contribute to our "quality of life" discussion. 25 years without being able to enjoy your favorite activity.....knitting. Now we have to ask to see the results. What items are your favorites? Do you design them?

And just for a laugh...here is my knitting story. My grandmother made at least 2 dozen sweater sets and caps for my daughter. She seemed to enjoy it. So, one year I ventured into the knitting world....some with intricate embroidery and others with fringes and flowers. After a year or so, I noticed that I had never seen a family member or friend wear one.

And the next year.....I took up square dancing.

Find some joy today.
Chris

suzanne2 | @suzanne2 | Jan 13, 2021

In reply to @imallears "@ess77 Hi, What is the name of your watch?. Do you know if the step counter..." + (show)

@imallears My watch is a Virmee- VT3 Plus5490 About the steps. I look at mine today and says I did 12721 steps. I teach kindergarten so i do a lot of walking.I think!!¡@@.@.@

suzanne2 | @suzanne2 | Jan 14, 2021

In reply to @suzanne2 "@imallears My watch is a Virmee- VT3 Plus5490 About the steps. I look at mine today..." + (show)

Sorry about the symbols!!! Accidentally hit the wrong button!!! I really think the steps are pretty accurate. After midnight it starts over again and I am moving my hand around and no steps are recorded! Considering how much I move my arms when teaching I don't think the steps reflect those numbers!!!

avmcbellar | @avmcbellar | Jan 14, 2021

In reply to @artscaping "@suzanne2 and @lacy2........now that's a great quality of life gift....$12 a month for music you can..." + (show)

Hi @artscaping. Thank you for sharing. The tongue drum sound is very nice. It reminds me of the handpan. Have you heard the sound of the handpan instrument? Each has a different sound but similar. Here is a video of Tim Tom of Australia playing an axiom. He is featured in many videos. I have met him several times.

Enjoy!

imallears | @imallears | Jan 14, 2021

In reply to @suzanne2 "@imallears My watch is a Virmee- VT3 Plus5490 About the steps. I look at mine today..." + (show)

@suzanne2
Thanks, I will look into that brand. These devices are great motivators.

FL Mary

suzanne2 | @suzanne2 | Jan 14, 2021

In reply to @imallears "@suzanne2 Thanks, I will look into that brand. These devices are great motivators. FL Mary" + (show)

@imallears they are! It may have detected a heart issue with me. Wearing a heart monitor for 2 weeks.

Chris, Alumni Mentor | @artscaping | Jan 14, 2021

In reply to @avmcbellar "Hi @artscaping. Thank you for sharing. The tongue drum sound is very nice. It reminds me..." + (show)

Thank you @avmcbellar. Different sound and quite engaging. I love these instruments and their “masters”,

avmcbellar | @avmcbellar | Jan 14, 2021

In reply to @artscaping "Thank you @avmcbellar. Different sound and quite engaging. I love these instruments and their “masters”," + (show)

Glad you like the unique sound. You are welcome @artscaping. Tim Tom is a musician who plays different instruments. I learned about the handpan through him when he visited me 3 years ago and played the handpan.

JK | @contentandwell | Jan 14, 2021

In reply to @colleenyoung "A quality of life gift that I received this year is a new FitBit. A year..." + (show)

@colleenyoung I had a Fitbit Versa before my Apple Watch and for me, the activities that I did were just not tracked well so I returned it (they had a very generous 90 day policy if you bought it on their online site) and got the Apple. I love my watch and it really does goad me on to meet those goals. I went about 190 days of meeting my goals and then couldn't one day before Christmas and since then I have missed two more. I do think exercise trackers help a lot with incentive though. My watch was not tracking my heart rate well (it had it over 200 a few times!) so my son bought me a heart rate tracker that syncs with the apple watch. I have spoken to the Apple people a few times and they called yesterday and said there will be an update that should solve my problem very soon. I have been very impressed with their service.
My first fitness tracker was a Misfit and I loved it but it got sort of wonky as it aged. Their C/S people were great though. Right now I think they are reworking their devices.

Regarding the step count, I can be in the kitchen, working hard, and it will say I haven't moved! I guess your arms have to be swinging for it to be recognized.
JK

Becky, Volunteer Mentor | @becsbuddy | Jan 14, 2021

@artscaping i gave myself 2 quality of life gifts! No Fitbit, though. One gift is to train myself into more positive thinking and it’s actually helping. I repeat a mantra the therapist taught me, when I go to bed and when I’m out walking. Course, it helps that our weather has been really, but cold. Went out this morning to bright sun, a clear blue sky and 30degrees. Gorgeous! And I bought myself two quilting books to help me get back to quilting! SO, I plan on a good year!

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