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Author Topic: Feeling overwhelmed  (Read 11523 times)

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Offline Mac37

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  • Posts: 4
Feeling overwhelmed
« on: March 08, 2021, 02:09:29 pm »
Hi, everyone. I seem to be wrestling with a lot lately - little things can add up. Dry eyes, worsening neuropathy in my hands and brain fog. After 30 years poz, I guess this can happen. 

Are there a lot of us? Do others find this happening or is this maybe just a bad stretch? Over the years, I have faced reactions to the meds - diarrhea, fatigue, even lactic acidosis and toxic mega colon which meant a total colectomy and six years with an ileostomy bag.  I’ve always seemed to pull out of it and continue on. Now it seems to be catching up with me, though.

I’d love to know if other long timers are struggling with similar things

Thanks,
Scott

Offline Tonny2

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  • Posts: 3,168
Re: Feeling overwhelmed
« Reply #1 on: March 08, 2021, 04:50:19 pm »



        ojo.          Hi Scott, I’m sorry you are feeling this way, I’ve been living with hiv/aids for 34 years, although, for eight years I didn’t know I was positive, until I was dying of pcp in 1994. I’m dealing with neuropathy, i’m legally blind, my right eye is blind and i get so much pain, so bad that I’m thinking in getting it removed. Besides all my health issues, there are still other issues sin life that are more of a burden for me, but, I’ve always tried to be positive about life, I always think that somewhere there are people in worse situation than mine and most importantly, I said to myself that I’m still breathing and enjoying my family, friends and life itself...so, don’t give up, it’s ok to feel overwhelmed once in a while, but it could have been worse, not being around anymore...strength my friend...hugs

Offline Mac37

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  • Posts: 4
Re: Feeling overwhelmed
« Reply #2 on: March 08, 2021, 05:11:52 pm »
Thanks, Tonny. We all had friends from the early days who aren’t here with us any more, that’s for sure. Who would’ve thought we’d still be here 30 years later! I certainly never did.

Sometimes it just gets to be a lot. Thanks for the reminder to stay positive.

Hugs

Offline OneTampa

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,021
  • "Butterflies are free."
Re: Feeling overwhelmed
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2021, 09:45:33 am »
Understand.  Am over 35 years Positive and also shut the door in the face of the "Death Notice Server".  A few medical and mental challenges but still kicking.

It appears some of us have a very strong Survival Skill.

Best to All,

OT


"He is my oldest child. The shy and retiring one over there with the Haitian headdress serving pescaíto frito."

Offline StupeLupe

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  • Posts: 2
Re: Feeling overwhelmed
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2024, 02:18:05 am »
Thats a tough one, all the chemicals for the brain are produced in the colon from fermentable fiber, when i had brain fog I saw a hiv specialist shrink and he prescribed low dose ritalin and that helped, but the thing that really cleared the fog was nicotine, my mom had alzhiemers and cutting edge treatment is nicotine patch, but that would make her puke her guts out so I started 2 marlboro red short cigarettes a week with her and that bought her 8 months of independence and my brain fog vanished, you need to get continuous glucose monitor and test sugar spikes with white flour aka bread pasta muffin etc rice, potato, corn, and anything that spikes over 150 has to be cut from your diet

Offline Tonny2

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  • Posts: 3,168
Re: Feeling overwhelmed
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2024, 02:13:33 pm »




              ojo.            Hello everyone!… I also have those kind of feelings, feeling overwhelmed specially now, if you have read my thread, my mother has been the pillar since my diagnosis in 1994 and she Is still with me after 29 years, obviously now she will be90 years old in June
And now, have to take care of her and sometimes  is a little bit difficult with me being legally blind. The other day she fell down and I came downstairs to check on her and I almost step on her because I didn’t see her on the floor. That makes me feel frustrated, but we have to do what we have to do, we just keep fighting together taking care of each other.
Now that we are positive, we got to be more positive because we are not only dealing with a chronic condition but also, we are getting older and, if we want to keep living some more years, we have to keep fighting… I read a lot about the stoicism philosophy, and I think it has helped me to keep going strong, even with my  disabilities. Like yesterday, my mother needed a medication and there was nobody to help me taking me to the pharmacy, which is around 12 blicks from my house so, I went with my dog to get my mother‘s medication to the pharmacy, it was an adventure But I made it back safe and sound.… It’s OK to feel overwhelmed once in a while, but I think that we need to keep fighting because it we did it back in the day when there was no hope for us, now, for those who didn’t have the chance to be around, I think that we owe them to keep going… Humble opinion… Virtual hugs for every Friday

Offline Grasshopper

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  • Posts: 756
Re: Feeling overwhelmed
« Reply #6 on: May 26, 2024, 10:01:47 am »
WOW....you did WHAT ?????......walked 12 blocks rondtrip  ...wow.....just WOW.....from me an applause and deep bow for what you've managed to do.

Offline Tonny2

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  • Posts: 3,168
Re: Feeling overwhelmed
« Reply #7 on: May 26, 2024, 11:43:52 am »



               ojo.             @grasshopper, yes, 12 blocks each way , when you  are almost blind, one eye with only tunnel vision and seeing everything blurry and foggy, bad cornea, and walking on uneven sidewalks, crossing busy streets, dealing with dogs, it was an adventure, thankfully when I got into the pharmacy, where I couldn’t see anyrhing but the
De Pharmacy’s employees helped me get my mom’s meds…I guess I have to keep going places so I can’t start losing my fears…I walk my dogs, well, now just one dog, around the block several times a day, although I know the route pretty good, uneven sidewalks, where to dock down because of tree’s branches, wrc., etc., you know how bad somebody has it and did you put yourself in his/her shoes… thanks for replying… Hearts.



Ps Forgive my typos

Offline Tonny2

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  • Posts: 3,168
Re: Feeling overwhelmed
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2024, 12:09:38 pm »



               ojo.          @ grasshopper. By the way, I was carrying my blind eye in a glass jar as you suggested on previous post. (I got my blind eye removed on march 19) and sadly, I’m still having the same pay. I used to have before the surgery…. it is what it is. Life goes on…hugs

Offline Grasshopper

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Re: Feeling overwhelmed
« Reply #9 on: May 27, 2024, 03:17:23 am »
My aunt was warned by her surgeon about the possible phantom pain if her blind eye were to be removed. She still has the eye in, causing continuous infections in her tear ducts. She is also very vain ...at the age of 70....and worries about her appearance if the eye were to be removed. She eventually lost sight in both eyes, but only one is problematic. I am not the one walking in her shoes, so I have decided not to bring up the issue anymore and just listen. Next Friday I'll be crossing the Atlantic again and will see her soon.
Hang in there....if life gives you lemons make lemonade  ;)
« Last Edit: May 27, 2024, 03:27:30 am by Grasshopper »

Offline Tonny2

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,168
Re: Feeling overwhelmed
« Reply #10 on: May 27, 2024, 11:01:11 am »



          ojo.             @ grasshopper, thanks for your reply. As a matter fact, the reason why it took me so long to get rid of my blind eye, is precisely the possibility of the phantom pain but, The pain that  I was getting was unbearable and daily so I decided to go under the knife. Now, after two months of my surgery, I am getting pain,, the same page that I used to get before the surgery, but it is not that often. Tomorrow, I will see the surgeon and see what he has to say.… Now, I’m not sure if I want to get a prosthesis or just wear an eyepatch and look like a pirate. I have a friend who wears an eyepatch and looks cool. My friend lost his eye since he was a three years old baby. She got an inoculation surgery. I think the surgeon took the whole eye out in my case, it was an evisceration, where they just took the iris, pupil, and the inside of my eye leaving just the sclera in, The white part of the eye.… Well, it is what it is, let’s see what the doctor says tomorrow… I am sorry I said that somebody has to be in somebody else’s shoes to know to really know what he/she is going through. Again, thanks for replying, and have a good trip. I think you live somewhere in Europe, don’t you?…hugs



PS. please Forget My typos my vision got worse and I couldn’t go back and check the post

Offline Grasshopper

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  • Posts: 756
Re: Feeling overwhelmed
« Reply #11 on: May 27, 2024, 11:42:28 am »
No offence taken regarding the "shoe" remark. In my talks with her I was kind of pushing her into getting the eye removed. But I realised that its she that has to live with her disability. If her "looks" are the only thing she has left to hold on to...who am I to say different.

I was born and raised in The Netherlands and live near Amsterdam. My parents now live permanently in Curacao, and I have an aunt living in Aruba. I travel two to three times a year to the Caribean to visit them.
« Last Edit: May 27, 2024, 11:46:19 am by Grasshopper »

Offline Tonny2

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,168
Re: Feeling overwhelmed
« Reply #12 on: May 27, 2024, 12:20:44 pm »




           ojo.           @ grasshopper… Wow!, It must be nice to go to the Caribbean… enjoy…hugs

 


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