Lived Experience Forum

[Shaz51]

hugs @Owlunar

It will be good when your regular GP is back

[Owlunar]

Thanks  @Shaz51 and @Zoe7

I will be glad when my GP is back - actually he is there today I think but booked out with his patients - I will see him on Friday

The interview with the other doctor didn't go very well - I thought we were going to talk about getting a second opinion - it didn't turn out that way - he had his own hobby-horse to push and eventually I said

Ï am listening to everything I am saying but with respect - I don't think you are listening to me"

Actually I am not sure he heard that - but still - I said it - and I was in a lot of pain and it was not the best time to argue - 

He had different ideas about different drugs and I mentioned to him I had a lot of allergic reactions to drugs and he looked at the computer and saw that I am and it seemed to soothe him a bit - I am afraid of trying new medications

It seems to me that people only have their idea on what less to take and don't realise or count it of value that I have a history of reducing titration. I have even quit smoking - a long time ago - surely that shows I am in control of myself

Regardless - of that being rough - in a short time I will be going out to enrol at the U3A - Western Philosophy - that sounds interesting - I did Philosophy 101 and enjoyed it

And of course - life is never settled or peaceful - we al get that - I had another council change today - at least this one suits me - oh boy - and this doctor thought it had to be troublesome going to the clinic twice a week - the council gives me far more chaos

There has to be a better wayI have to get a wriggle on - just finished brekky and feel coffeed-up right now

Dec

[Zoe7]

It will be great to be able to see your usual doctor on Friday then some of the added stress from this present doctor and his views will be lifted. Your normal dr knows you well and knows what you have been through so hoping everything goes 'back to normal' for you @Owlunar Pain is hard enough to live with without new people thinking they know better than what you know works!

[Shaz51]

It will be great to be able to see your usual doctor on Friday, I agree @Owlunar xxxxxx

[Owlunar]

Hi @Shaz51 @Zoe7 

I will be glad to see my own doctor tomorrow - I have had too many different ideas pushed at me lately - and I guess I know my own priorities - and my own doctor knows me - and he has been supportive since I broke him in when the doctor I'd had through the worst of my chronic pain issues retired - 

It feels as if so many doctors seem to know better - and two things come to mind

You don't flog a dead horse - no one gets anywhere with that

And you don't flog a willing one either - who needs to break someone's spirit?

All along I would say I have been lucky but I have had my battles too. There are times when I feel really tired deep down inside. I think that's normal. I have rung Life Line more in the last few weeks that I have for years - actually it's two weeks since I was at the pain clinic and I feel exhausted and yet I still plan my own life - 

Yesterday I enrolled at the U3A to discuss Western Philosophy. I have been reading a bit of philosophy over the last few days - interesting to take a lot at modern philosophy - seeing as I have read the ancients - I am wondering where we jump in at this course and I am looking forward to it but wonder if I will fit in and where - 

I remember my first class when I enrolled to take English Expression as a mature age student to start my HSC - there were about 30 people there - mostly women - and as the tutor went around the room asking people to speak briefly about why they were there I thought my own reason - I was bored stiff at home and wanted to study something was really lame - and I forget what I said when my turn came

I'm not bored now but I want to have an outside interest - I feel encouraged that I went to enrol in spite of the heat - and it was hot yesterday - and it's cold in the Northern Hemiphere - well - it's January

Always - every year - I feel my spirit lift when February arrives - it is New Year for me actually - though this year January has passed quickly

Thanks for the support everyone - it has been rough for a while now and yet I will continue - - I'm looking forward to the class next week

Dec

[Zoe7]

That is so great that you have enrolled in the course @Owlunar  It will give you something to do and a whole new group of people to meet and talk to about things that interest you.

It will also be good to see your normal doctor tomorrow - it does take time to build that relationship with a professional and it makes it so much easier if they are on the same page as you - as this dr seems to be with you.

Hope today is a good one for you 

[Owlunar]

Thanks @Zoe7 

I have had a busy week and so I am not surprised that I have a headache after the heat - it does affect me more than it used to when I was a sprightly young thing in my 60s - things do change

So I have just washed my hair which might help the headache - and thinking about some stability with my regular GP feels like a huge relief - today I am taking things quietly as Friday is a busy day

There are many things to study at the U3A - I will see how one class goes and how much work is entailed at home - I need to have my eyes tested because of the headaches - it could be eye-strain though I think it's related more to dry-eyes - which I treat - but I should get it checked anyway - my BP is okay

I hope things go well with your teaching Zoe - and that you find out your classes soon - I hate uncertainty - feeling sure that other people have the same feeling when things are up in the air - how wonderful if life ran smoothly and how dull

Thinking of you - and btw - you have kept me going over the last couple of months

It's much cooler in Melbourne today - we had thunder late yesterday afternoon and then in the evening - a huge windstorm too - really violent - and my plastic birdbath weathered it well - and alas - the birds haven't found it yet

So - I am planning to read - re-read - what the ancients had to say about the macrocosm and the microcosm - let's not return to philosophy with so much forgotten and remember also Descartes - cogito ergo sum - I think therefore I am - I certainly think a lot so I am sure I exist but then - isn't existence a major part of philosophy? 

I hope so 

Dec

[Zoe7]

I think therefore I am @Owlunar  - it is a great line to ponder on - especially in regards to MI. Those of us that overthink does that makes us more present or less present.... just something to mull over.

I think you will do wonderfully in whatever courses you take - and it is great that you are continuing to expand your knowledge in both newer areas and those already undertaken previously.

Getting your eyes tested seems like a good idea. I know I need to do the same but haven't gotten arouond to that yet. I also need to go back to the dentist but holding off on that until I am back at work and money is okay again. Most of the dentist is covered by my private cover but I can't even afford the gap at the moment, Really tight with the little money I do have until next oay day - and my mortgage is due the day before I get paid so I need to make sure that is left untouched. 

I am so pleased I have helped you in any small way over the last couple of months - you have helped me so much in the entire time I have been part of this community - it is wonderful that we can all help each other out but it is also nice to hear sometimes that we are making a differencein each other's lives 

Still no news re work here and after a less than helpful call from my father I have had to take meds to calm down so this afternoon I may need a sleep also. Snuggled up with Toby on the couch now waiting for the effects to hit me - hope that happens soon.

It is much cooler here too and we had a little rain. The smoke haze has lifted since it rained so hoping it had an effect on the fire areas too. It has been pretty bad in Tassie over the last week or so - so many areas burnt out but thankfully no lives lost - alerts have gone out quickly and many have evacuated - some buildings lost and a lot of the wilderness area burnt out. It is pretty bad south of Hobart.

It would be wonderful if life ran smoothly - hope is a good thing there I suppose!

[Appleblossom]

Yes the fires in Tassie are a huge concern. Stay safe @Zoe7 

The floods up North are also on our minds. Hugz @Shaz51 

@Owlunar 

Hearing you about doctors who do not listen or get it that you have done your homework, and are trying to do the right thing with your own health and meds etc.

Love your line about "not flogging willing horses either".  Sadly I have been in those positions.

Enjoy the philosophy course.  There are some good ones around.

I hope you are all doing better. Sorry, I have been away.  Glad I can finally put some time into the forum. Cheers All.

[Owlunar]

Hi @Zoe7 

I have been thinking about overthinking and what it might mean over the weekend - I am sure that's really only a problem when someone starts going over and over a decision - otherwise it might be a case of making sure all bases are cover when we make a decision - 

Right now I can't make up my mind about going away - my choices so far are limited by fire - Gippsland is a tinderbox right now with news everyday and I have so many new apps in my computer that I might be overthinking the fires but then - I have already seen a bushfire up close and have no desire to see that again - and you have them in Tassie too

Could be seeing Adelaide or Perth - the north doesn't look exciting with all the rain - I might be overthinking all of that but it doesn't feel like a problem - anyway - perhaps the more I think the more I am - I don't know but I am reading a lot of new philosophy right now and it's a wonderful idea to go and converse with other people about the things that interest me - this should be great

The dentist does cost a lot of money - I need to have my annual check-up but I have seen the dentist since my last check up - I was grinding my teeth when I went to Hobart last year and one of my wisdom teeth was "traumatised" and I couldn't touch it with my finger - that's gone away now but yes - I need to put that on my list along with seeing the optometrist - but my eyes haven't been so dry lately - maybe reading hard-copy is easier than the computer - but yes - I will be going there as well

The last few weeks have been tough - and you have been there consistenly - it has meant to much to me and learning to lean on other people isn't an easy lesson - and among all the hard parts a person I really cared about had to leave - I guess you know what I mean - and there wasn't really anyone I could talk to about it at the time but there were lots of sub-text messages around for me to know other people had that figured out too - I was actually very surprised when all of that blew up but I guess that happens on-line quite a bit

Our on-line friendships are every bit as valuable to us as our friends in the real world - I value everyone - when a person doesn't go out much for whatever reason then the on-line world opens up and it can be a wonderful place

I did read the forum over the weekend - one of the new games I have with my new computer is one of those that tends to have a very active role in our lives for a short time - this one is lots of different pictures where I am hooked into finding items in the different pictures and scoring - it is starting to wear off - however

I did read about how you are waiting to hear about a position for work and it is rather late to let you know so you can prepare - are they making it hard for you? It does sound like that - and your father - I understand - it's a long time ago now but my mother would ring me up or say things that would get under my skin - Bambi's mother had it right - if a person can't say something nice then it's better to say nothing - so you have your father saying so much and the HR person not saying enough - that's tough

It would be wonderful if life ran smoothly - and I do believe that life was meant to be easy but in the Garden Eve was bored and ate the forbidden fruit - in the same place I would have done the same - I think - I'm pretty sure

It was good seeing my own doctor - he approves of my plan and I am sure with his help I will cut back some of my medication and make a change when I am ready - that is to take  a different medication to replace one I will be cutting out - I am prepared to work on this but talking to the other doctor at my clinic was an exercise in maintaining my dignity - we all need to do that - to stick to our own opinions - afterall - the other person is and why should we bend over easily to opinions counter to our own?

Anyway - it is cooler in Melbourne today - I really need to get a new phone because mine has almost given up - I can use it as a phone and that's all - but today doesn't seem to be the day to go out and brave the crowds in the shopping mall - I need to take it easy today - the heat yesterday knocked me out again - I am really tired today

All the best Zoe - and also - for your job - holding onto everything by the skin of your teeth isn't fun - I hope you learn today what you will be doing

Dec