Where is everybody?

[glennab]

Hi Volunteers

There have only been a couple of posts in the last 3 days.  Where is everyone?  I'm lonely!

GG

[milanab]

well i have checked the forums off and on this week.  have a son home sick again...started out as a virus now bacterial bronchitis  this is the 5th day of school he has missed in 2 weeks.  got his first ever B on a report card because of missing time to get some things done at school. that just made him feel worse. he is in 9th grade, all honors classes and the first time he has not gotten an A.....to me the B would be great but not to him, he is such a perfectionist.  trying to keep up my dads spirits, he has had cancer,diabetes  and suffers with major depression.  all of his tests have been great but for some reason he is going down hill.  he can shut his system down like turning off a switch.  there is no convincing him that he is doing great  4 years after being given months to live!!  prayers are welcomed.

good  news - there is a new volunteer among us that is a fellow stock photographer acquaintance of mine.  he emailed and asked how to sign up...  i thought that was really great. 
 
i am plugging along with a photo i have had waaaaayyy tooo  long.  gotta spend time on it. 

[Kenny]

Hi Glenna, I'm here :P

My wife is an insurance agent and I got "volunteered" to help rearrange the office. I have to go pick up some new furniture today and take it to one of the other offices.

I hope to get back on my regular schedule in the next day or so  :)




Milanab, I'm sorry to hear your dad is having tough times right now. I'll be sure to keep him in my prayers. I also suffer from Major depression, along with PTSD. I know what it's like. I've been hospitalized with it numerous times. I've been where your dad is now mentally.

Pass this along to him: none of us are assured of tomorrow. We only have right now. Try not to spend your present time worrying about the future. Or the past, for that matter. You can't change the past, and no amount of worrying is going to change the future. The only thing that can change the future is changing the present. Encourage him to get up and do something. Go for a walk, play a card game. Anything.

You sink into depression one step at a time. You have to come out of it the same way. Tell him not to worry about how fast he's recovering, as long as he keeps taking those steps. He'll get there. If I can come back from an attempted suicide 4 years ago to where I am today, anyone can do it!


Kenny :)

[milanab]

thanks kenny.  i am glad you have done so well.  unfortunately with my dad things don't sink in so well. he knows these things he just can't focus on them.  he has had shock treatments in the past and been under 2 mental health counselors care for years.  his brother and we suspect his sister both committed suicide so i know the devastation it can bring.  thankfully no matter how far down he has gotten he has never considered it.  he has survived several heart attacks, a nervous breakdown and cancer.  he has survived all of these things only to let the fear of another doctors appt or not being able to program the dvd recorder shut him down.  he is 76 now and understandably weaker physically.  i pray for the power of a sound mind as the Bible promises i think in 2nd Timothy, I know God has the ability to break through even he wall that my dads mind can put up. thanks again

[Ausimax]

Hi Glenna,

I'm still here, your luck hasn't changed yet! Have been tied up with other things for a few day, and we have been having a lot of storms lately, so the computer hasn't been on a lot.
Not complaining though, we have had 50mm (2 inch) of rain in the last 7 days, the most rain we have had in any month since January, our "Powers that be" have finally discovered that Global warming may not be just a myth, and the experts of all things climatic, have declared we are having a "one in one thousand year" drought.

Sorry to hear of your travails, milinab, these things always seem to inflict themselves upon in multiples, just to test your endurance I think.

Kenny, know what you mean, got caught up in one of those jobs yesterday, wife started doing something so I asked if she needed a hand, to which she replied NO, so does stupid say " well as long as you are OK darling, I will go an play a round of golf" oh no, idiot has to ask again, and then spent the rest of the day involved to the eyeballs, oh well I don't play golf anyway. :D

Max

[glennab]

Hi!

I had a great on-and-on anon rant going and got booted off because my time ran out.  Now I'm pooped and need to go to bed.  I'll try to remember the gist tom'w and hopefully throw all of you some encouraging words!

Pleasant thoughts and love to all of you.

GG

[cmpentecost]

I'm still here!!  I JUST set up my computer in my new office (with doors, to keep the cats out!).  The construction clean up crew is still here, and the moving truck arrives on Monday to deliver all of our household stuff that's been in storage for 8+ months.  This is a dream office for me, with lots of desk space and storage, and view of the mountains.  I count my blessings every day! :loveit:


Chris

[glennab]

Hi milanb, kenny and max

Maybe I can stay online long enough to reiterate what I'd started last night.  I'm glad you all posted.  I really was getting lonely.  I obviously spend a lot of time on the forum and consider all of you friends.

milanb:  I hope your son is recovering from his illness.  And a straight A student upset about a B!  He should be proud!

As for your Dad, he sounds like a very tough guy to have overcome so much at his age.  He also could be proud.  However I know what depression does to a person's will.  First of all, it's usually caused by a chemical imbalance, so it's a physical malady rather than a psychological one.  Some are brought on by extreme life circumstances (probably the case with your dad) and some people (like me) are born with it.  When I was younger I'd be nearly paralyzed with it at times, but I had no idea I was dealing with depression.  Basically I'm an optimistic outgoing person (I was runner-up for class clown my senior year of high school) and I'm very happy with my life, yet if the depression takes over I'm so low I do actually think about suicide.  I keep mine under control with meds, so for the past 15 years, I've done quite well.  A couple of years ago I decided I so hated taking the pills (I despise drugs) that I stopped.  Within a week I was about as low as one can get.  Needless to say, that's the last time I'll do that!  I got an enormous "I told you so" from my doctor.

Anyway, has anyone suggested that he try antidepressants for a while?  Sometimes it can be a short-term bout and will go away fairly quickly.  But I can't say enough about the efficacy of the right meds when depression takes over one's life.  It really can mean the difference between life and death as well as affecting the quality of one's life.

Kenny, I'm amazed that  you're coping with depression AND PTSD.  It must get rough if you've been hospitalized.  Are you able to get any relief with meds?

Here's my theory:  most of the people I know or have heard about who are depressed tend to be very artistic and very intelligent.  Think of all the great artists who are or were "nuts" and the public figures who are now admitting to a life-long fight with depression.  Given the artistic, intellectual and altruistic nature of the people who work within OPR, I wouldn't be  at all surprised if there is an exceptionally large number who battle with mental issues.  (We don't have to take a poll!)

I've been told and have read that depression can be fought with exercise, but for crying out loud -- people who are depressed can barely get out of bed, much less run around the block several times! And there's nothing worse than people trying to cheer you up! Don't tell me to smile when I'd like to wring your neck for no particular reason other than that my brain doesn't have enough serotonin!

Okay, enough of the rant.  Gads, can't anyone get that old woman to stop?

Anyway, I'm bereaved that you're all going through so much, but I think you're wonderful.  I don't know about you, but I find working on the restorations therapeutic, so hopefully that'll help us all get through whatever we're coping with.

milanb, please give both your son and your dad a huge hug for me.  And I'm sending one to you, too.  And to Kenny (and Dread Pirate Junior!) and Max!  You're all the best!

GG

P.S. Chris, you must have posted at the same time I did.  Enjoy that new office.  And the new house.  What an adventure!  Glad all's going well.

[cmpentecost]

If bragging rights are allowed, I should take a picture of my office for all to see.  I am SO excited about it.

As for depression...yup, been there, done that, and find I do very well on my "happy pill".  I have a family history of depression.  Interesting what you said about the artistic often experiencing depression.  Our cabinet builder for the house is experiencing major depression, and his wife, who is a weaver, has experienced the same.  I also consider myself very artistic, so perhaps there is something to be said for that.

Back to the boxes..........

Chris

[glennab]

Chris

Bragging rights are obligatory.  Please share photos of your new office.  I promise I'll try not to be jealous!

GG

[Kenny]

Hey Glenna.


I'm on a couple of meds and they help to some extent. I still have to be careful what I do to avoid panic attacks. The depression is ongoing and I have my good days and my bad days, but the anxiety is what really affects me. I do pretty good so long as I stay away from crowded places or walmart. I'm not kidding about walmart, I have the worst phobia of that place  :funny:

My social anxiety is bad enough I'm almost agoraphobic. I still try to do what I can and get out when I can, though. I have no problem interacting with people online whatsoever, so that's my main social outlet.

I would post a picture of my desk, but it's a total geek desk. Hardcore computer geeks such as myself usually have the worst looking workspaces. Mine is like I like it, though. I just use a big old desk so I have plenty of room for all my stuff. I set up our house as a wireless access point and my computer is the main server. This means I have lots of extra stuff on my desk. Oh, the life of a nerd... :funny:

Anyway, enough rambling.


Kenny :)

[glennab]

Kenny -- the panic attacks and agoraphobia must be part of the PTSD.  Is that war related?  I don't know how old you are, but were you in the Gulf?

My husband had PTSD to some degree from Viet Nam.  Fortunately, he's managed to overcome most of it -- especially the anger.

Honestly, I don't know how any of us survives the afflictions we're handed.  I got agoraphobia from my mother, so when I was younger I was a mess.  I didn't drive until I was 27 -- wouldn't even make phone calls. What snapped me out of most of it was my son.  I felt he deserved a functional mother, so I forced myself to get out and do things until I got to the point that I could go most anywhere without being uncomfortable.  Most of the people I know now don't believe I was that disfunctional.  I'm pretty assertive and self-assured in my old age. It was a long, slow, painful journey.

C'mon, I want to see what a "geek desk" looks like.  It would be interesting to see each other's work space.  Might be a good thread to initiate.  You first!

Later!

GG

[Kenny]

I wish it were war related rather than what it's from. I had some really bad things happen to me as a child.

Anyway, I've come to terms with it and I've learned to live the best that I can :)


Geek desk, huh? Hmmm... my desk is neat at the moment so I might just start that thread :P

[glennab]

Kenny -- You're not alone.  Both hubby and I are products of child abuse, and we managed to break the chain, as you have.  I'm going to give us all kudos for overcoming that.  Takes beaucoup strength.

Best to you, special guy!

GG

[Ausimax]

Looks like you are holding the whole show together on your own Glenna, only two posts yesterday, and both by you, the forums would wither and die without you.

Thought I had better come and give you a hand, been a bit tied up for a couple of days, had a storm the other night tore the roof off my porch, so I have been engaged in replacing the roof, Oh the work! Oh the expense! Anyway that is history and I am back in cyberspace, ready to impart all my knowledge (got a mop and plenty of postage stamps ready). :funny:

Max