Spring is in the air here in the South (USA)! I love Spring, honestly I just love seasonal changes no matter which Season, they all have some really neat things going on. But Spring, with its cool mornings and warm afternoons is heavenly. If you’re in my neck of the woods you also need to deal with pollen and lots of it. I am allergic to most everything in my environment except animals, go figure. When I was first tested my allergist was trying to warn me that we may need to get rid of our dogs and cats. Well we probably only had Gladys and Trouble back then and I don’t think Molly had entered our lives yet. But I was quick to say I was not getting rid of whichever ones we had. She was very kind, and very insistent. Lots of folks are allergic to animals. I am weird, I fully acknowledge it all the time. I was not allergic to dogs nor cats but yes to everything else. I did not get allergies until I moved to this part of NC I call home. The allergist said she came to the area because it is the top contender for allergies due to the various flora and us being in a catch basin so to speak from the mountains and of course all the things growing in the area. I just told the PA the other week that we have an abundance of white oak when she said I was allergic to trees, I believe I’m more allergic to white oak than some others. Doesn’t matter really, still on the same meds, still get the flu/cold/bad allergy reactions this time of year. I still love it with the trees budding out, the different colors at the end of the limbs, sunlight reflecting on the different colors of bark, pops of green from the conifers which I’m guessing are Southern Yellow Pine for the most part, although there are some small cedars I can see from the patio table. We have a pine that is absolutely beautiful. It stands straight with no limbs for about 25’ - 30’ up I’m guessing and then a top of beautiful deep green that only conifers in the pine family get. It reminds me of a soldier or sailor standing at attention. There’s no twist, nor bends to it rather a beautiful specimen that’s been growing for decades in the poor soil. I wish you all could see it! That along with the beech trees that are still holding on to their brown leaves which look golden when the sunlight hits it is stunning. It does a soul good to be able to just be in the moment and not have a care in the world. Try it sometime!
We did have two young deer without their mother that came right up to the end of the back steps the other day. Too young not to have the doe around but old enough that they’ll be okay, hopefully. Ms. Barks A Lot aka Nina, didn’t say a thing as the three of us watched out the back door. We were very diligent the dogs not bark at the young deer at the other house and it seems to have worked. They also aren’t to bark at children which is helpful when the school bus stops across the street. We should have taught them not to bark at cats, UPS, FedEx and Amazon delivery trucks as life would have been much quieter at this place. LOL
I’ve had this saying stuck in my head the last few days. Does that ever happen to you? Back when I took my Psychiatric Aide class at Pacific State Hospital, that the State of CA decided they weren’t going to let us have a certificate and we had one week to learn the CNA stuff, our RN instructor always had a saying “If if’s and buts were candy and nuts, the world would be a lot sweeter, nuttier place.” It was his way of reminding us to not get caught up in them and to come up with a plan of action to work around with the patient and their issues. It is a good reminder as some things we can control and some we cannot. But by simply stepping back and looking at the whole, we may be able to come up with a workable plan. We worked in the children’s unit who had various diagnosis. Back then most children with Down’s Syndrome were sent to State Psychiatric Hospitals as were many children who were born with various issues both genetic and other. One of the girls would always throw her food at whomever was trying to feed her. She did that to me and I ended up with green and brown mush all over me. I stepped back and looked at her tray which was mostly on me now. It was all pureed and as appetizing as a pile of mud. She simply wanted real salad and not pureed food. That’s all it was and we never wore her mush again. Seems no one had worked with her in the years she’d lived there and we were all determined to teach her to speak some simple words. Chip, our RN Instructor helped tremendously in choosing which words were doable for someone who can’t speak, “no” being one. He also helped us in teaching her to point to what she wanted. There is always a way for all of us to learn something useful, we just have to be willing to learn and to practice.
Some of us were sent to one of the adult units for a day. It’s the day I learned to use ASL for sit. A tall gentleman had picked me up by the collar to his 6’+ height and signing away I went for him to sit. But he couldn’t see me sign as I couldn’t get my hands up high enough. He finally looked down and there my hands were going as fast as I could do the sign. Apparently he was considered violent, but he just wanted to see me. I’m really glad he decided to put me down. He also decided he was going to run interference between me and the other patients I had been assigned to. Hard to look at the forest when you have a tree standing in front of you. The Charge Nurse decided his actions were because I had signed “Hi” to him. She had forgotten to tell us not to interact with him. Whoops!
Why am I sharing this part of my teen years? It’s because of Chip’s saying “If if’s and buts were candy and nuts, the world would be a sweeter, nuttier place.” What does that saying mean to you? Now for the welcomes!
@AprilFoolsDay2025 is out in California. Kris had a craniotomy to clip an 8 mm aneurysm. In the early part of 2025 Kris found out that she had an unruptured 8mm supraclinoid Internal Carotid Artery aneurysm after having a CT scan for pulsatile tinnitus. Within 1 ½ months of the diagnosis she had the craniotomy. The surgery caused some nerve damage which resulted in ptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid) and double vision which took several months to clear up. Kris shares that after 11 months, she believes she’s finally in the clear! Kris describes herself as a fun loving (a.k.a goofy) person with a type A personality and is finally learning to slow down in life and take her foot off the gas pedal a bit.
@MartyJane58 is up in Maryland and also has had a craniotomy for a left ACom aneurysm recently at John Hopkins and is still recuperating. Martha shares she’s retired.
@mike29 is in Virginia. Michael has been diagnosed with 2 aneurysms both in the Internal Carotid Artery. He’s already started a new topic found here Questions, two aneurysms one arising from each of the cavernous ICA segments
@Kcast ends the welcomes for this week. KC is up in the Northeastern part of the United States. She had a cranial embolism (clot that breaks lose and causes an ischemic stroke)with stents. KC shares she had thunderclap headaches in January and was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm the same month. She had Vascular embolism in February and three stents were used. KC has been experiencing migraines ever since, sometimes with aura-light sensitivity. She is currently on dual blood thinners and not allowed NSAIDS. KC is looking for support.
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Have a great week everyone! Remember to hydrate, eat protein, rest as needed and absolutely practice your relaxation breathing! Our thoughts are with those in the Middle East at this tumultuous time, please stay safe.