One is silver and the other's gold!

[Fancy1959]

Does everyone remember the old song from our childhood that goes like, " Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other's gold!"

The simple expression is my way of saying that I miss all my old friends that have long since got their feet on the ground when dealing with their MS or other personal or family related issues and do not participate in the chat room much anymore. I pray everyday that everyone understands we're still here and it's still the same extended family that will be here to offer support, suggestions, and smiles to everyone no matter how gloomy your day is. Then I would also like to welcome all the new members that have joined our family in the last year. Once again we're always here to offer support, suggestions, and smiles to brighten up your gloomiest days. We're the same folks and it's time we get back to our roots and remember we're one big family and support one another by answering each other questions and post. It only takes a minute or two to two to answer a post and it sure is nice when you have a question that people respond back to you so let's do it across the board! I need to set a better example myself as I have been dealing with various health issues and have been hit in this in the chat room at best.

Of course it's always important to take care of yourself first but let's make time for our old friends and our new friends and remember our extended family here is worthy of your time whenever you can give it a few minutes here and there. I hope everyone takes care of yourself and I look forward to speaking to many of you soon. Until we speak again please take care of yourself and your loved ones and remember together we are stronger! Fancy.

[MarkUpnorth]

Nope, (I don't remember what I did the day before some times, Especially meals that I didn't make a menu for. But wait, I can always check the recipe stack if I haven't filed them yet! But, I remember you! So where were you the other day, when I had an all out battle to what I thought was going to be the end (for me), with my 6+' barberry. And much wider than a Bear. I came out on top though, but wound up looking like someone who just got in a cat fight with hundreds of ferrel cats! Blood everywhere. (mine) The scratch marks will show for months. But, the barberry is now a pussycat at less than 2' in height, and back down to a manageable 3' in diameter, with all the deadwood gone. (10) lawn bags packed as full and compacted as tightly as I could get them! Okay, there were a few weeds I pulled in there as well! I'm taking a vacation.... No, I'm leaving all those bags in front of my neighbor's house who is on vacation thtough next garbage day!

[Fancy1959 in reply to MarkUpnorth]

Mark, I've been there and done that but usually I fight with wild blackberry bushes or rose bushes Etc. Even the nasty had yarn trees have spikes on them and I used to hate to have to mow around them because I'd always wind up bloodied when I finished. I love the idea of putting the garbage bags in front of your neighbor's house of course only if it's not a good neighbor! LOL! I went into the hospital but beginning of April with a severe reaction, very negative reaction that I had to my second round of my shingle vaccine. It's set my immune system off but my Ms was kept in check and had no changes according to the MRI we took. Yay for ocrevus! It's taken quite a toll on me though and my strength is still not as good as it was prior to my 3 Day Hospital stay with the negative reactions I had. I remember about six years back when I was still very active in Boy Scouts trimming some BlackBerry and Wildrose briars off the bank of a pond at summer camp and actually written my arms to shreds. They didn't want us to bring gloves or work clothes or anything and I refuse to let the boys get down in and let get them torn up. At least my experience allow me to avoid some of the torture that they would have experienced but mine was still very bad. So I feel for your Barberry Adventure and let us hope that we don't have to get in fights with them anytime the rest of this decade! Thanks for checking in. As always it's great to hear from you! Fancy.

[MarkUpnorth in reply to Fancy1959]

Thanks for scaring me. I need to do the double dose of shingles vaccine, which I've been putting off because of cost. Not that I won't still do it, or the measels revacination for people our age.... Glad your out of the woods so to speak regarding your reaction.

Regarding the bags and garbage day, they have me taking out the garbage on garbage day, I'll just add some landscaping bags, so at least I can get out of the driveway, if I have to, and I can split it up so it doesn't look like it all came from 1 house.

[Beckylp54 in reply to MarkUpnorth]

Hi MarkUpnorth

I Love reading your posts! Definitely made me laugh and I definitely needed IT. I wish I was witty like you. I'm glad fancy brought you out to say these wonderful words of yours. And love the comment back by fancy.

Love this family blessings becky

[Gma06]

It’s the Girl Scout song. As a former scout leader for both my girls and then my granddaughter, the song never goes away from my brain. Hehe

Make new friends,

But keep the old.

One is silver,

And the other, gold.

A circle's round

It has no end

That's how long

I'm gonna be your friend.

[Beckylp54 in reply to Gma06]

Hi Gma06

I was a girl scout leader to my oldest daughter but brought my younger one too at times. I don't remember the song. I don't remember things because of my MS and I mess things up in life. Then people don't let me do things. It's very sad and frustrating to ME! I'm trying hard to fit in somewhere in life.

[Gma06 in reply to Beckylp54]

I understand completely. I am still involved with scouts but I often forget a lot of things. Very frustrating!

[Beckylp54]

Hi Fancy1959

I'm not an old friend but a new one. I've had a MS diagnosis since 2009 and I'm still struggling with how to have a peaceful life living with this crappy MS!

I don't know how to put in words how angry I am with being stuck in my situation forced to live a certain way. I know I am blessed but life is short on this earth and I try to live each day to my fullest! UGH I choose love over hatred but I get angry and frustrated because of how I'm treated by others.

Thanks for listening. Sorry for my selfishness. I am blessed. Becky

[pamgarner in reply to Beckylp54]

I hear you, anger and frustration is sooo easy,I have been cleaning my bathroom for 10 days!1st you clean the fixtures and I have 3 cabinets to clean, then the floor,wash towels, and then it is time for fixtures again ! no wonder I am exhausted after doing this.this use to take me maybe 1 hour...aawwww, the good old days

[Fancy1959 in reply to Beckylp54]

Beskylp54 and pamgarner, it's Fancy back. I understand your anger and frustration as I sometimes find myself in the same situation. I watched young people an older adults just walk down the sidewalk talking to friends with not a care in the world and I get so jealous of them being able to be that mobile without thinking about it. Frustration sets in then and I become upset with my situation in regards to this horrible monster we live with.

It's at this point that I stopped myself and think how lucky I am to have MS. Yes you heard right I said we are all lucky to have MS. I've written this post a couple different times and in different ways but the gist of it is that it could be so much worse for us and we have to think about that which we are lucky for. No I don't feel lucky for my Mobility being down next to zero, and I don't feel lucky about my level of exhaustion and reduced level of activities and reduction in all the things I love to do but I do feel lucky to get out of bed each morning!

Think about the picture I'm now going to present to you. I had two sister-in-laws both diagnosed with cancer. My first sister-in-law was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and we lost her a year-and-a-half after she was diagnosed. My second sister-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer and despite the whole family of Jack Ting she went in per her doctor's advice and did a lumpectomy when they discovered the cancer. Well you guessed it, slightly over 3 years from date of diagnosis we lost her2 breast cancer that had spread to multiple organs in her body.

Our future might not be the one we ever thought we would have or planned even a few years back. But we have a future and we humans are nothing if we are not adaptable. So find what you can do and enjoy doing it. Find new hobbies that allow you to continue with them despite your limitations. Lower your expectations and understand that you're not lowering them for yourself but for your MS.

I have three young adult sons and I feel lucky that I will be able to see them be married one day and hold their grandbabies in my arms. I feel lucky that I have a good man that I'm married to that helps to take care of me when it can and as much as he can and I will be able to grow old with him. I feel lucky to share experiences with all the family and loved ones I have in this chat room and help where I can. This chat room is a gift to all members and the wisdom and years of experience shared by so many is absolutely priceless.

So old or new Becky and Pam jump right on in and keep asking your questions and sharing your experiences because remember no matter how we look at it together we are stronger and quite often smarter! Thanks for the reply and I hope this made sense to you! Fancy.

[Beckylp54 in reply to Fancy1959]

Hi Fancy1959

Thank you for response! You are absolutely correct in your thinking. You have experience with sooo much you have had to live with in your life.

I too have had cancer. The Lord has blessed me and I have been cancer free since 2-11-2011. The surgeon removed my thyroid 3 cancer tumors.

Radiation after but now I on Synthroid. I lost my mother suddenly in 2008. In 2009 had a severe exacerbation with my MS which diagnosed me. 2010 in the hospital again docs thought I was having a heart attack. It was an injury from a car accident years ago that screwed up my neck. Anyways I AM truely blessed. My Lord HAS ALWAYS been by my side!

God's blessings to YOU

❤becky

[CalfeeChick CommunityAmbassador]

Fancy1959 Great post! Thank you!!

[MarkUpnorth]

Okay, 22 days ago.....seems like a lot longer? Where are you? Talking about how important it is to post? I may not post much, but I do reply probably more than I should. Since this thread is about dead.......time for you to let us know what's going on with you. Come on back!