Kate's On Line Journal

[cheesecake]

Happy Birthday Kate's Online Journal! The beer is for Dogger cuz I heard beer is the only way to get the man to show! Four years, really unbelieveable. Amazing the levl of connection you can feel to "Virtual friends" who are really strangers.

I have to say, I am celebrating a bit as the CRPA is out of markup in Committee and is going to the floor for possible attachment to the NIH appropriations bill. Absolutely unbelieveable.
Thanks to each of you here that I have met, talked to and emailed back and forth. It is nice to have a third family.
CC

[kate]

I've finally chosen my all time fave set of posts . . . you can read 'em yourselves if you go to page 50 and start at the top with Martha's little rant in post #491. Here's the reader's digest version:

martha:

I want to scream. And have a fit and throw a tantrum. (Scarlett, this is how it's done!). Julian NEVER checks his skin. I guess I haven't been too good about it the past couple of weeks while I've been sick. So this morning I find what I think is a stage 2 pressure sore on both sides of his butt crack (that's a technical medical term). Big mother. The skin hasn't broken open yet but a couple of spots look like it's about to. I constantly ask him to sleep on his side sometimes and he won't. I ask him to check his skin and he doesn't. Now he's going to have to stay in bed on his side(s) and I'm going to get to play step 'n fetch it. I hate this SCI crap. Other than staying off of it, is there something I should be putting on it to heal it faster. PLEASE.

See, I love this. The technical medical term, the step n fetch it, the frustration with the whole damned mess, and the shout out for help . . . bernadette replies a couple of hours later, same day:

cheesecake:

I emailed you a pressure sore consumer guide PDF file from PVA. Very good tips. Since Julian is diabetic, it is imperate that he seek medical care/evaluation immediately. Diabetics are slower to heal. Make sure that his protein levels are high, via a good diet

Now that is some very nice support--realtime information shot right into your inbox . . . but we get way, way past that. Dogger addresses the deeper issue, which is that martha's husband MUST stop sleeping on his back:

dogger:

if he wears a pyjama top to bed , sew a pocket in the back of it at about shoulderblade level [ somewhere above his sensation level ] .put a tennis ball in this pocket , discomfort will stop him sleeping on his back .

Ah ha! Lovely simple solution, which martha even finds humorous . . .

martha:

Dogger, no pj top so maybe I'll attach some velcro to his back below the break line where he won't know. The tennis ball will stick to velcro I'm sure!

Well, I'm not sure how you attach velcro to somebody's back (martha, did you ever pull that off??), but anyway here's debra's comment:

lilsister:

Hey Martha, then your man would have THREE balls! Okay, okay, I'll get back to decorating the christmas trees, just had let Martha know that now I really, totally, like am sending positive vibes, man!

Which prompts poor martha to fill us in on some more of what's bringing her down . . .

martha:

Does anyone here have a sick sense of humor like mine? ---- I took the puppy with me to run an errand today so she wouldn't have a chance to eat any more of the furniture while I was gone. She puked all over the car. Who knew she'd get car sick? ------ Did I mention a couple of weeks ago the world's most docile golden retriever decided to go wandering, bit a jogger and had to go to doggie jail for 10 days and pay a $500 fine? Now that's bad enough, but the jogger he bit is our Village's First Responder EMS head guy. I'm sure he'll really be anxious to hurry to our house in the middle of the night the next time I call 911! ----- They say lightning never strikes twice, but in a repeat of what happened last xmas season, a bird committed suicide into my windshield at 70 mph on the freeway shattering the windshield and scaring the crap out of me (not covered by insurance of course). ---- Stay tuned for the appliance, household, people and work stories!

I know everyone has problems and stressors -- so how do you all keep it together and seem so sane all of the time????????

Well, that last question was too much for me. I knew perfectly well I wasn't sane, and keeping it together was out of the question.

kate:

Sane??? Us, sane??
Martha, honey, no way. Debra is right--there's no solution except to keep telling yourself someday you'll laugh. In the meantime, thanks for making US laugh. If you get a nice, nasty photo of the sore, let us know. Maybe you could set up a slide show for the big darling. I can see him lying on Dogger's tennis ball, staring at an image of his own butt cheeks . . . cosmic justice.

Then debra has an inspiration!

lilsister:

I just got one of those great ideas!!! A Pad to put under a loved ones butt that emits a siren type noise (or a pink gas) every hour to remind them to reposition. We might have missed out on all the millions that the velcro inventor got, butt maybe our ship would sail with this.

And together we've done the impossible--made this godawful freaking thing bearable again.

martha:

Actually I am laughing and that's what scares me! Is this the beginning of the insanity?

Thanks for the ideas and the words of encouragement. Guess I won't kill him yet

Hoo, boy.

[marmalady]

What was that sports show liner - 'The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat'. We've known them both - what a roller coaster ride this has been!

A very special thank you to Wise for providing a place for family to grow, and learn, and laugh and cry together.

And the most thanks to you all, who have shared your lives, and laughs and sorrows with us here. I hope that if even a little glimmer of our 'hope despite all odds' gets through to newer members, we'll have succeeded!

[lilsister]

Kate, that is vintage! Obviously I was bogarting the pipe, poor Martha! When things get a little hairy I still find myself thinking of you guys. Obie, I was quite devastated to learn that you think before you post, that had never occurred to me! But at least it spawned the pipe and the three ball turn. This journal has been a lifeline that keeps on giving even though we have all gone pro by now. Jackie, I second that motion about gratitude to Wise for providing us a place to practise our peculiar brand of humor and shoulders to cry on. Martha was the Laugh Queen for sure and didn't you always want to just sit down with a cuppa and discuss a book with Vicki? We always admired Kate for her bravery under fire in the Politics area and Jackie will always be the Earth-Mother-of-Kindness. I have met Cheesecake, a quiet dynamo of knowledge and wonder when Obie is ever going to pass that Chardonnay over here. So many we haven't heard from and are yet to learn of. I thank you all for being there, for being strong, for being human. Deb

[dogger]

I must have missed this fine suggestion .

Originally Posted by LilSister

I just got one of those great ideas!!! A Pad to put under a loved ones butt that emits a siren type noise (or a pink gas) every hour to remind them to reposition. We might have missed out on all the millions that the velcro inventor got, butt maybe our ship would sail with this.

As a potential money earner it has great possibilities , instant tycoon status ! But as a device to stop men sleeping on their backs ....forget it ! C'mon ladies , you all know that us men are simple creatures who seek entertainment that is pretty basic . And farting is right up there with the best in our entertainment highlights . Now anyone can let rip a few mediocre farts after consuming 20 or 30 beers and eating a few healthy , light snacks like half a dozen chilli dogs . But to be able to let fly with a foghorn like wail , combined with a cloud of coloured gas [I think you should pick a different colour than pink] from the buttock region on demand ; that would impress every man lucky enough to witness such a cultural experience . It would require a couple of more cartons of beer while serious discussion on such earthshattering topics as tone , duration , battery life and whether electronic assistance should be allowed in such a traditional , male bonding arena . I'm sorry , but this type of innovative device , if it gains acceptance , will only encourage more men to join the snoring brotherhood and sleep on their backs .

PS. Perhaps you could also market a product that uses the pink gas and a slightly more feminine audio level that is aimed for to capture the ladies market . Victoria Secret's might be interested in retailing this model .

[marmalady]

So I'm sitting here listening to the new Beatles Love CD - where IS that pipe? Dogger - did you say something? )) I've just figured you out - you're the Sgt. Pepper of this Lonely Hearts CLub Band! ))

[cheesecake]

Hey Marm,
How is the CD? I have it on my Christmas wish list. Thany plus U2 and the new Paul McCartney CD.
ROFLMAO, Dogger is the Loney Heart!

[marmalady]

The CD is just AWESOME!!!! They've played with the voice track and music some, but it's all Beatles!

Cheesecake - We have an FES bike for sale; other than posting here (and there are already 2 others I see on the exchange forum) - any suggestions on where I can offer it?

[cheesecake]

Originally Posted by marmalady

The CD is just AWESOME!!!! They've played with the voice track and music some, but it's all Beatles!

Cheesecake - We have an FES bike for sale; other than posting here (and there are already 2 others I see on the exchange forum) - any suggestions on where I can offer it?

Email me and I will see what I can come up with. PM me if you need the address. Good to hear about the music.

[dogger]

Originally Posted by marmalady

So I'm sitting here listening to the new Beatles Love CD - where IS that pipe? Dogger - did you say something? )) I've just figured you out - you're the Sgt. Pepper of this Lonely Hearts CLub Band! ))

Me say something ??? NEVER ! I'm just sitting here quitely minding my own business . I've been pretty much speechless since reading this !

Originally Posted by Obie

And by the way I thought I'd let you know if y'all is good .... I might even be willing to let you borrow my red spandex jumpsuit or my Marilyn Munroe "sparkly skin tight burthday gown" (if it was for the right occasion )
I do believe I can picture dogger in one of them right now

I don't think I'm quite built right for a red spandex jumpsuit or a sparkly birthday suit !

PS. Cheesecake , have you finished laughing yet ?