Recent Posts

71

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

72

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

73

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.

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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.

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Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: The island

« Last post by lighter on October 24, 2025, 04:15:31 AM »

I'm trying to forget hot month renovations
  Lordy, I was strong as an ox.

I'm not feeling very strong, just now.  The up and down stairs, carrying tile, has me whooped enough to feel relief we ran out of time to get vanity and granite installed yesterday.

At least it's cool here.

Lighter

76

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

« Last post by lighter on October 24, 2025, 04:11:55 AM »

So sorry you're on the struggle bus, Amber.  I remember a first bad doc experience.  Trouble driving, bc vision, but I wasn't made aware of mono vision pros and cons, particularly the cons.

The brain does adjust, and you'll do your homework, no doubt.

Will be ok.

Lighter

77

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

« Last post by sKePTiKal on October 23, 2025, 12:59:21 PM »

Yesterday was s'posed to be my first surgeon appt. I was still 15 mins from town when they called - saying he had an emergency and I could reschedule or meet with the technician instead. I didn't know any of this until I'd arrived at checkin. I don't answer the phone in the car, and i already don't see great!! My new glasses (temps) were ready for pickup and I had 5 minutes to get to the other appt. I need whatever improvement they offer.

The whole drive in was an anxiety tornado. I already don't see well. Ended up behind a truck that was spitting some oily substance onto my windshield. He drove mostly below 40 mph the whole way. Where the highway turns 4 land I was finally able to get around him. It NEVER takes me an hour to get to town, except yesterday. So I was already a grumpasaurus and flustered beyond belief, trying to juggle my stuff, the 10 pages of forms to fill out - and then signing the two I missed.   <rolling eyes>

I got passed to one tech, who ran me through a couple new to me, eye tests then she passed me to the real technician. Kay assists during surgery, and turns out she lives in my county. She put the worst of my unexpressed and expressed fears to rest. She heard me, when I said all this stuff was brand-new to me and not knowing what to expect was the worst. She did great explaining what goes on. Did some more typical eyechart tests - gathering info that the doc would need anyway and she DIDN'T dilate my eyes.

I told her thanks - big thanks - and that my day just got a whole lot better. I'm scheduled to see doc next week and firm up dates/times for surgeries. New glasses help me see a little better - but they're funky at the far reaches of my peripheral vision. They are helping with depth perception a bit.

First surgery is scheduled 1st week of November, and I can have the second on the Monday after, if I like. Not the wait of a couple months, as the first eye doc suggested. I would rather get it over with and then see what I can see, after I heal up. And if I still need glasses after the surgery, so be it. Kay gave me a few brochures on the different kinds of lenses they can insert. Trifocal, distance or close up, or a new UV lense that is customized with light exposure. I'll be able to decide after he goes through the pros & cons of the UV ones. The others i understand pretty well.

To drive, I need distance vision.
For all the sewing, art stuff - I need clear closeup vision.
In the intermediate zone, that's how i know where I am in space relative to everything around me - and also where my vehicle gauges are, etc. So I'm kinda leaving toward the the UV lenses, right now. I know it'll take some more appts after the surgery. But the sales brochures don't mention any negatives and there are always tradeoffs. I'm asking the doc about all of these.

I need to find out just how much astigmatism (if any) I have going on too.

I'll probably dig around online & see if people are sharing their experience with these lenses.

78

Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: The island

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

I can't imagine staying there in summer either!

79

Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: Mindfulness and codependence thread

« Last post by lighter on October 23, 2025, 09:10:16 AM »

As trash and recycling trucks pick up today....
I can feel clean sunny spaces open and smile at my soul.

SO.

GOOD.

The trailer's almost full.  It's time to stop gathering stones, and let them go.

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Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: Adventures in renovations... again

« Last post by lighter on October 22, 2025, 12:54:14 PM »

The basket weave marble tile floor just went in yesterday.  Contractor and I beaten up....feels like I've been rolling in Jujitsu class for a week.  Up and down stairs.  Hands hurt from cutting tile....so dry.  Feet have been cold and wet too long.  Carrying heavy things.....up.  Down.  Up.

So, today contractor giving his knees a break.....he was bleeding pretty badly yesterday.  So hard on his knees to lay tile.

He's working on the vanity, which I think he enjoys.

Will be done soon and he'll move on to driveway jobs and two house builds.

We're ready for a break, I can tell, but he'll always come when I need him.  I'll always call when I do.

Have to put black pencil trim in floor. Finish bullnose around shower niche and lay bottom row of wall tile THEN grout.

Vanity should be here in the morning, with granite top.....to paint vanity?  Or not to paint?  Maybe DD23 will learn how to paint on this job?

I feel pretty good on timeline.....guests arrive on 30th.

The neighbor's house, however, is a dusty cluster foch.  I intended to put guests there, over Halloween, but her contractor has ONE worker there, not every day, and is 3 weeks past his promises finished date, with no noticable attempt to finish till my d next month. 

I always called that neighbor the "nice neighbor" bc she really IS too nice.  Contractor weaponized her empathy with a lie about worker being ill.  New worker said the guy was fired for working too slow.

Oh well....will make it work....and have access to her 2 fridges, when needed.

Lighter