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61

Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: Farm Journal - 2025

« Last post by lighter on October 26, 2025, 09:20:35 AM »

Ahhh, Amber.  Currently I learn all the differences between using ways unsanded grout and sanded....
on mosaic tiles....
with tiny half dots....
that keep coming loose.

I plan to grout the entire bathroom today.  Yesterday I finished the wall and flooring beneath the vanity....so we could get it in place, before storms beginning tomorrow.

I'm glad you're feeling optimistic about you ur eyesight. I was half blind, and didn't realize it.....just rubbed and rubbed my left eye, thinking my view was obstructed, not gone.  Everything is better, post op.  Just needed to let my poor brain adjust, and Bob's your uncle; )

Lighter

62

Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: Farm Journal - 2025

« Last post by Hopalong on October 25, 2025, 11:48:15 AM »

To-dos. Trying not to make a to-do of To-Dos.

hugs
Hops

63

Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: Farm Journal - 2025

« Last post by sKePTiKal on October 25, 2025, 10:24:49 AM »

He's been really sweet through all this. And a lot more caring than some other. He lets me babble all my thoughts; puts up with my frazzles and talks me down again. He knows.

Hol's been a bit too wrapped up in her own stuff to show up. She does care & offers to do things to spare me crap & tedious or heavy work. But she's holding down her own fort too. Is OK. Cody got back from a work/family trip so I haven't seen much of her the last couple days.

I know I probably won't have perfect vision after all this, without glasses - but I'll take what I can get. When I was still tiny, Gramma always asked me to thread her needles for her. I can still thread my sewing machine - but a lot of it depends on the color of the thread. High contrast is easier to see right now. And I did get 2/3's the way through assembling a new console for the front door entrance. Lighter - 'coz of some wild hair, I went with French Country!! But it's solid wood, which is unusual in flat pack furniture. A whole day spent on the floor, bent in weird positions that rival alien insane yoga. The temp glasses are pretty helpful.

Things are ok here. What are youse guys doing this autumn?

64

Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: Farm Journal - 2025

« Last post by Hopalong on October 25, 2025, 12:39:30 AM »

Ahhhh, yessssss.

Milk it for all it's worth, I say!
Let B earn his keep...not that he hasn't, in pain or out.

It's a nice thought though, you lolling on the couch while B waits on you hand and foot and Knuckles plays with your toes.

hugs
Hops

65

Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: The island

« Last post by sKePTiKal on October 24, 2025, 12:25:33 PM »

Hey! We're "vintage"!

As long as I don't have to wear those awful 80s shoulder pads in jackets again!

I'm not hoping for any skin improvements from the collagen, but the better digestion and bone/joint and other benefits are starting to show. I'll start doing some resistance training this month - the collagen is touted to help with building some muscle strength back. I don't feel bad about missing a day with it either. I think the effects are cumulative over time. I've been using Great Lakes brand; Amazon carries it and for 2 of us, 32oz lasts over a month - so for you, 16 oz should last that long. That's only about $30 on Amazon. My vitamin is at least double that now!!

66

Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: Farm Journal - 2025

« Last post by sKePTiKal on October 24, 2025, 12:15:23 PM »

The new temp glasses are helping a lot with the blurriness Hops. I'll be able to drive, except when my eyes are dilated and immediately after the surgery. Info I got was 24 hrs immediately after surgery before I can drive. And that's a perfect opportunity for B to chivalralously "take care of me". Which I have no objections to. Done it for him, often enough. He'll probably cook that day too. Escort me, if I attempt to go up/down stairs - most likely quarantining me to the couch.

I will enjoy the extra mileage I'm getting from that reflex, while I can!  <wink wink> <giggle>

67

Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: Farm Journal - 2025

« Last post by Hopalong on October 24, 2025, 11:58:19 AM »

An enormous YAY for Kay! Professionals like this make dealing with our aging bodies so much easier. Well trained, clear communicators, believers in informing and empowering us.

And particularly YAY for you, Amber. You're doing an amazing job of rational research and I'll go out on a well-focused limb to say again, I think you're going to be VERRRY happy with this change. And if I'm wrong I'll eat worms, promise.

More likely, when my turn comes I'm going to return to this post of yours for perspective. Thanks for sharing your process with us. And please be careful driving. Or better, maybe don't drive until afterward?

hugs
Hops

68

Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: The island

« Last post by Hopalong on October 24, 2025, 10:22:53 AM »

I was thinking of giving it a try, Amber, but my wallet was relieved by this study's conclusions. I https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002934325002839#sec0011

I don't pretend to follow the innards of meta-analyses, nor do I make heads nor tails of the methodologies and charts. But I do grasp (usually) the abstract, discussion and conclusions.

My skin is thin, dry and getting random small agey-bumpy things that make me feel like a mushroom log. But I think for me, it's got to be topical. I have an Rx for 12% lactic acid cream that does help a lot when I remember to use it!

Lighter, are you possibly wearing your joints by working them too much? Or too hard? Would hate for you to wind up needing replacement joints...every time my hips hurt I mutter an oh, no but I'm holding up okay. My joints have been UNDERused for five years, so the answer's clear.

Stay well, y'all! What would I do without my online oracles?

hugs
Hops

69

Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: Farm Journal - 2025

« Last post by sKePTiKal on October 24, 2025, 09:06:15 AM »

I forgot to add, the tech said doc will let me know from all these tests, which lenses I'm a candidate for. So some may not help at all, considering all the activities I want to indulge in, at my whim.

I'm aware I want magic, given a lot of the glowing reviews I've seen. But I already know that's unrealistic and am willing to adjust to a new way of seeing - as long as I'm seeing. And with the old glasses I had, it was so bad I was seriously considering taking myself off the road. The temp prescription is helping enough, but there is still a little bit of time required to get used to them. And I won't need them very long. First doc did tell me to expect needing another pair shortly after the surgeries.

So, I'm just interested in doing all the due diligence on maintining my sight, as expeditiously as possible. Before the dark months.

70

Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: The island

« Last post by sKePTiKal on October 24, 2025, 08:54:55 AM »

Yep; stairs (ready made stairmasters) let us know just how much we need to work to stay in shape! I've got to shuttle all the pieces of a flat pack console upstairs this morning and start assembling it. It's all wood, but goes together same as IKEA stuff.

B and I are starting to add collagen to our routine. He's noticed his legs feel more stable and responsive; I'm getting a vague sense overall of an improvement. Apparently (I didn't know until another herbalist mentioned it) we lose collagen as we age. And it's required to rebuild cells that wear out. I went for bovine proteins, free of all the usual crap. Just add 2 scoops into hot or cold drink a day. I didn't notice any difference until about a month after starting it. Helps digestion, skin, bones, muscles, etc.