Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,407
S/C/G: 217/179/142
Height: 5'2
Mary, since my MIL passed away I have hosted every holiday, by choice. It seemed that the family was going to fall by the wayside and everyone was going to go their own way without her. I started to host because no one else offered to and I didn't want any family member to stay home alone on a holiday because they had nowhere to go. So I invited everyone to come if they had no other plans. If they came OK, if not OK. I never went all out, just did what I could with only DH to help me. There was always plenty of food, but it might not be fancy. Then the kids decided that I shouldn't be doing it all every holiday and they said they were going to take a turn. The problem is, they don't like Uncle Mark, who can be very strange, but he never hurts anyone, just has some weird ideas and behavior. But he is alone and he is DH's brother, so I always invite him. Sometimes he comes, sometimes not. When the kids hosted Easter and Thanksgiving they didn't invite Mark. They didn't care if he sat home alone with no holiday dinner or family. That made me angry, but I don't have the right to tell them who to invite to their home. We decided that we are going to go back to hosting every holiday, and all will be invited. I think you can put up with someone you don't like for a couple days out of the year. It's not like he's drunk and disorderly. It's a lot of work and I get really tired, but I have cut back and just do basics, and anyone who doesn't like it can go elsewhere, or pitch in and help. I know your situation is different. I know you have others that host sometimes and also bring a covered dish to help out. But you should just do what you can do and make it as simple as you can and not put too much burden on yourself.
I'm thinking my bil and sil will not come to our house for Christmas because we didn't go to their house for Thanksgiving. I will have to see if my step-daughter knows what they have planned. In a way, I prefer that they don't come. They bring their own alcohol and they both drink a lot, then they drive home like that. I'm always afraid they will get into an accident and we will be responsible because they did the drinking at our house. DH will not tell them not to drink or limit them in anyway. It just scares me.
Sandy, there's not very many things that I'm good at, but I admit I am a great baker. I have learned over the years what ingredients and brands work best for me. When my kids go to a party or get-together they ask me which cookies are mine because they won't eat other people's baked goods. When it comes to cooking, its a different story altogether. LOL I have a few things I make well, but also a lot of flops.
Karen, I'm confused. I don't know much about computers but DH told me that the newer computers don't need modems because they are only needed for dial-up, which most people don't use anymore. But of course, I might have misunderstood what he meant because I am very technically unsavvy. LOL
Gayle, I think since you have started this new way of eating healthier your body is rebelling against the M&Ms. In the long run, it's good that you get that headache because that will keep you away from them.
It's been a busy day. I finished hemming mom's pants last night and got her Christmas package ready to mail. I waited a bit this morning after getting up, to go to the post office, hoping that the time (9:30) I went was maybe after people had gone to work and there wouldn't be a long line. Well, I didn't guess right. The line, I think was the longest I had ever seen it. So, I decided ~ no way, was I gonna stand there for who knows how long. I left and planned to come back later and hoped the line wouldn't be as long. I went back about 1:30 and the line was still kind of long, but not as bad as it was in the morning. I really wanted to that package mailed, so I stayed. Surprisingly, the line moved along fairly quickly. Glad to get mom's package on the way.
I had a cooking day today. Made a pot of soup. The last kind I made, we liked really well, so I made that again. Made a Quinoa casserole. I left out the spice the recipe called for that we didn't especially care for the last time I made that dish. I liked it better this time. It is supposed to be an alternative to macaroni and cheese. And more roasted vegetables. I kind of like doing it that way ~ spend one day cooking a bunch of stuff, then all I have to do for suppers is warm something up.
The lady I like how she cuts my hair was working today, so I went and got that done.
Worked on Jason's jacket (replacing the broken zipper). The one side didn't come out like it should, so tomorrow, I need to redo that. Hope it goes ok, so I can finish that and get it back to him.
Carol Sue ~ I think you're probably right about the reason for the headache after the M&M's. The way you do the meals for the holidays sounds like a good plan. You wouldn't be able to enjoy it very much if your wore yourself out from lots of cooking. When we did get together, I told Sara she was the matriarch now and I would be her assistant. I have never been an “in charge” kind of person ~ was always more comfortable being the helper than the leader.
Karrine ~ I hope you can get your computer troubles figured out. I can understand why you are frustrated. I was lucky and that afghan pattern I mentioned ~ I found on the internet, so no cost. I find a lot of things, craft ideas, patterns for crochet things, recipes ~ by way of the Pinterest web site. And that helps too, I can save them there and only print them when I decide to use them.
Sandy ~ we did what you suggested ~ the disposable plates etc ~ one year at the holiday. And it was nice not to have to clean up all those dishes and just enjoy spending time with people. Hope you didn't get too tired with your long day today.
Mary ~ hope your bladder infection is clearing up and that your diabetes med starts working like you hope it would. Hope maybe your kids can help you out a little more with the cooking and all for your gatherings. Please take care of yourself.
Maddie has one more full day and just ˝ a day of school on Friday, then off all next week. We're trying to think of some fun things to do. Maybe the zoo if there is a sort of warm day. And there is a seasonal ice skating rink that she has been wanting to go to. Maybe a day trip somewhere.
It has been a nice sunny day ~ a bit chilly, but that is better than those blistering hot Texas days. I'll take it.
Finished mending Jason's jacket. Worked on some Christmas cards. Just have a few more to do. I had a lot of years when I wanted/hoped to get some sent out, but was working and was too tired and ran out of time ~ then was gonna send a new year greeting just to stay in touch ~ but my talent for procrastination messed that plan up and before I knew it, it was Christmas time again already. I lost track of a some of the people I knew. I have re-connected with some of them thanks to finding people with Facebook.
My head has been kind of achy all day, but finally is better now. No M&M's this time. Maybe that isn't what did it the other day. I sort of remember other months where at a certain time of month, I would have headaches for a few days in a row ~ and it wasn't because of chocolate. My sister feels that the phases of the moon have something to do with it ~ more achiness in general around that time. Or the barometric pressure. Nasal stuffiness usually goes along with the headache ~ so who knows.
Maddie has only ˝ a day of school tomorrow. Wonder what adventures we'll have tomorrow?
We babysat overnight and the parents plane was delayed twice so they weren't picked up until almost 7 pm tonight. I have a table being held at Walmart I will pick up tomorrow (if we like it..haven't seen it)...it will be for the kids on Christmas Eve and esp Christmas Day dinner. While the kids were here, I didn't accomplish a thing toward the holiday but did enjoy them. We baked Christmas cookies (frozen variety) and the kids decorated them and we played a new game and had a lot of laughs...mostly at me...as it was a memory game and I should play it more often. I got better than I expected though as I played. Even the kids were proud of me...I think the oldest esp was feeling kinda sorry for my poor memory.
Glynne - Don't think I'm going to get to Christmas cards this year. I'm the opposite of you...while I was working, I was able to send out cards but now I can't get to them...second year now none sent.You're doing a lot of things for family...that's nice and I'm sure they appreciate it. I have had no more spasms even though haven't taken anymore of the OTC so not sure it is an infection or just spasms. I was watching the Farxiga commercial and it mentioned my symptoms as possibly being adverse reactions to this drug.
I don't feel it's helping my bs much either. The itching is better though there a little. Tomorrow I take the other pill. But tomorrow I go to my urologist. I'll tell her about all this and she may check me.
Carol - I honestly don't stress over much anymore, however when I've got big meals to plan anymore I do until I sit down at the table. I don't verbalize it except to my dh before the holiday but I shouldn't as he doesn't appreciate it! It just seems to put pressure on him. When I saw how much it was affecting him, I prayed and asked for wisdom for what to fix...cause see, I was stressing about what to fix...my mind was blank even about what I served last year on Christmas Eve for the most part! Still can't remember, but I felt like I was to fix the little turkey roast I bought, make a casserole...haven't decided between beef spinach lasagna and Taco casserole...but probably one of those, a veggie tray and cookies. Suddenly peace about that...but I still am a little anxious about getting everything ready...usual cleaning, shopping and prep of foods, even some wrapping still to do. Will continue to pray and I'm sure I'll settle down when it starts to roll next week. The stress is because I tire easily anymore...just don't have the energy I used to have, so I worry I won't get it all done in time mostly. I always have but still I worry I won't. It was so nice when someone else was fixing the meal and all I had to do was show up with a dish or two. Appreciate all your supportive comments.
Another thing bothering a little is that my son is going to be moving out soon. Of course we always knew his being here was only temporary, but it is not easy to see him leave. He will only be about 30 min from us though. It's been good having him here but somehow I feel some things I'd hoped to accomplish haven't happen...like it's left undone or something. But he's an adult and I have to trust He will find his way and I am proud of him in so many ways.
Family issues at the holidays would be rough I'm sure. Usually we don't have that problem, but you may remember we did last year. So far this year looks like those involved are working things out and we will all be together, so I feel blessed.
Carol/Karrine - I have a modem...it is a wireless modem, so the only wires attached are to the DSL/outlet and the power. Maybe you could call it a router?
Sandy - I don't like to eat off paper plates, even the nicer ones but I might consider it for Christmas Eve since that's the most casual meal. Thanks for the idea as I hadn't thought of it. Good for you on eating well. After three or four days of eating fairly well esp in the evenings, I've eaten terrible today and yesterday! My bs was a little better this morning but haven't tested since.
Off to bed now. Hopefully I'll get more done tomorrow but it's not promising because of being out to Walmart, doctor and maybe nail place. I need a whole day at home to clean and bake.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,407
S/C/G: 217/179/142
Height: 5'2
Mary, I didn't know a router could be considered a modem, but I think you might be right. My BIL wanted a computer he could use on dial-up and in order to get that he had to buy an older refurbished computer. DH just said the newer computers no longer have modems inside. We have a router that I use when I download ebooks from the library. Also we have a router from the cable company as we have TV, Internet and Phone from them.
I used to use good plates every holiday and still do, but one year my BIL told me to use styrofoam plates for Christmas since the meal is more casual, so I do that and my family is OK with it. I don't think I would do it for a more formal sit-down dinner. Certain kinds of foods don't do will with disposable plates. My DIL has a set of casual reusable plates she always uses for company. She has some very good china she got as a wedding gift but I've never seen her use it.
I have a set of cloth napkins that match my one good tablecloth and I have matching napkin holders. My brother in law told me not to use them anymore but just get paper. LOL He said they were too nice to use for wiping his mouth.
My Christmas card list is getting shorter and shorter. There were some people I used to send cards to but I felt that they only sent me one because they got one from me so I dropped them from my list. Now it's mostly family and a couple close friends. I was sending a card every year to DH's elderly aunt who lived out of state. Finally I quit getting a card from her, but I still sent one thinking she was just too old to send them anymore. Now I found out that she passed away in 2010. So I have been sending cards to some strangers who now live in her house and I guess they are just throwing them away. I had my return address on them, but I guess they didn't bother to just have the card returned to sender. They will not be getting cards anymore. LOL
Gayle, I think it's so nice that you do the needlework. It's supposed to be relaxing. I should get back to it. Maybe after the holidays.
I was getting headaches every day for a while. Usually I never get them. I found out that it's a side effect of the new BP meds I take and after a week or so they stopped. I guess my body is used to the med now.
Mary I did hear of that side effect from Farxiga. You may have to stop taking it, especially if it isn't helping BG much.
I was never one to enjoy entertaining. I get nervous about everything turning out right, and I worry that my house isn't nice enough. Every holiday I get stressed out on the day, thinking that everything isn't going to get done at the same time, and keeping things warm. Getting the table set, etc. I know I could do that ahead of time but I never think of that. My mother-in-law did it every holiday for years, at least 30 years after I joined the family. She never seemed to worry about anything. She had things that didn't turn out right and she just laughed it off. Now I'm realizing that my company is just so happy that I do it and they don't have to do it that they don't care. So as long as my house is clean and there's plenty of food to eat, I'm going to relax and not worry about it.
I just remembered my dd gave me back my Christmas dishes since I seem to be the hostess again. Don't know where I'm going to put them afterwards as I've filled their space with other stuff now but I will use them for Christmas Eve...mostly to make memories for the grandchildren. I do all this stuff for them to remember..whether they will I don't know. Of course some I also do for my children to try and preserve some of our traditions I guess.
[BMary[/B] Funny how we Mothers will do things and assume they mean a lot to the kids. From my adult kids I'm discovering they hardly noticed!!! Ouch.
Now I'm doing special things for the moment and to please DH. Seemed to take some pressure off of me.
When we have a special dinner I use my hand made pottery dinner set that DH got for me about 20 years ago. I used to hold my breath as I put them on the card table for 4 more people rather than the more sturdy oak table that held only 8. Now that DGS is taking over and has plenty of room, I forget to use the pretty stuff for just DH, Pat and I. Need to change that.
Carol Hope those headaches stop as your body get's used to the new meds. Strange that the new people in your aunt's home didn't simply put "return to sender" on envelope and let you know.
Normally I only send cards to out of town folks, except for some shut-ins locally. I'll send letters to our kids and grandkids.
Last few years I even neglected that. I feel more like myself this year with no serious medical or other issues to cope with.
Mary When your son moves out the place will feel empty. We adjust when they move in, or move out. Still will seem strange and I bet you'll be listening for him even when he isn't there.
We received some snow today - not more than a dusting, but the temps stayed as high of 35 deg. Quite different from recent weeks. Enjoyed just reading a very good non-fiction book while Pat and DH went to look at houses to buy for her to use as rental property. Sure glad it isn't me doing that!!!
So many old documents were shredded yesterday that I filled lots of bags. These were things I"ve been afraid to let good of. I feel so much lighter just knowing I made the decision and finished the job. Hanging on to stuff can be a problem, letting go feels like freedom.
Taking a break so here I am again. Went to my urologist this morning and my sample showed no bladder infection. The only thing bad it showed was sugar so she thinks maybe my itching could becaused by my diabetes not being well controlled. I have suspected that of course. As we were leaving I got a call from my oldest gd to thank me for her Christmas and birthday gift. Her dh is still in college so and she works hard to support them. She said he will be finished by summer. She is now working as a marketing director for a new company just getting started and is very busy. Then we went to Walmart and decided to get a 6 ft folding table instead of the one they were holding for us (4 ft). Then dh decided we should get the 6 ft bench to go with it, so ended up spending more than I expected but it will be helpful to have for the kids.
Since I got home I have weekly cleaned the living room. Wiped down the pillows as Halo tends to lay on them and gets them dirty. We climbed three flights of steps in the clinic and with the shopping and cleaning I'm already tired.
Sandy - Yes I will miss my son being here. He complained when I cleaned his room but to tell the truth I enjoyed picking up after him and changing the sheets etc. After almost 20 years of hardly seeing him and never seeing him a lone, his coming back has been such a gift and I will always be thankful for the time we've had. I am hoping he will take Halo with him. I will probably miss her for a while though too. We have just gotten her to sleep good at night too.
Well have to get ready to get my manicure. Wanted to beat the rush before the holiday. God bless and keep you all at this busy time..
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,407
S/C/G: 217/179/142
Height: 5'2
Sandy, my headaches stopped a week or two after starting the meds. Now they are completely gone. I have never been one to get headaches, and I feel bad for those who get them regularly. It's hard to function when you have a headache.
We got that same snow that you did yesterday, Sandy. I was curious to see how Rusty would react to it but he ran out into the yard as if it wasn't there. We have had dogs that didn't like the snow, then some others who loved it and would come back in all covered with it.
Mary, I always think that some of my itchiness is caused by my blood sugar. I've not been as good with it lately as I usually am. I have been thinking that it's the psoriasis that is causing the itch, but I've had that for years and it was rarely itchy. I buy so many different lotions, looking for one that will help with the psoriasis and most of them don't work. I just want them for moisturizing because nothing will cure it. I have one that is Gold Bond for Diabetes. Suposedly, diabetics tend to have drier skin than normal. It doesn't make much different for me. Actually, it helps if I apply a thin film of Vaseline before bed. Taking a shower seems to make it flare up, so I'm better off taking a shower at night then by morning it's calmed down a bit.
CarolSue Sympathy for itching that can drive us nuts. I don't have diabetes, test showed good results, so I don't know what sets my skin itching so often. Last night I was scratching as if I really had ants crawing all over me, sure felt like it. DH got me on of his anti anxiety pills that I reluctantly took, and it worked!!!
Headaches: I was haunted by migraines from time I was pre-schoolers. Some Migraines, some regular, all made normal activity a problem. Now that I am in my 70's I almost never have a headache, even when I bumped my head yesterday. Many time I was bent over waste can nauseated and loosing my meal while diarrhea kept me stuck in bathroom. Family would be celebrating and quite happy. I'd then hide in dark bedroom praying for sleep.
Combination of less hormones and getting smarter to eliminate some of the stress that I could control has me having almost no problems for at least 5 years. Thank God!!!
Mary Your son and the enjoyment you've received from the special extra time with him is so good to hear. Our similar enjoyment of Pat since she moved back about 2 years ago gives us great pleasure. She and DH love to go in her van on various trips for many excuses. Both enjoy the activity. With the house full of kids and the fact she was NOT demanding, I suspect she appreciates the one-on-one time with us now.
Pat is so much help on cleaning up after DH cooks, and helping us in many ways. We are so blessed.
Haven't been exercising but did a little walking today because I had too. Went to Alpenrose Dairy to watch our gs (9)'s dance recital. He and his little girl friend (duo dance) are so cute to watch. This time I was surprised because they danced with others too but they were in the front of the group all the time then toward the end they were brought even more forward to do their duo thing. Trying to stick to my eating plan again and so far doing well..yesterday too. My bs aren't great yet but I can tell when I eat right they begin to come down. Just have to be persistent at it, I think that's the secret to this dieting thing overall anyway, not just because of diabetes. The Food Lovers Diet is based on timing a lot and while I was at the dance recital I realized it was time to eat again and I didn't have anything with me other than glucose tabs, but my gc's nana had a huge chocolate bar and gave me 4 of the little bars from it. I ate them slowly and figured I was not getting enough protein, oh well I'd get some...keyed it into my app and it was perfect for a snack! Maybe not the healthiest option but it worked. That's why I like this plan. I can't stand to be told what to eat and on this I can eat anything as long as it's balanced and within the calories restrictions. I have trouble finding protein I can eat...that's my biggest challenge. I had my pb mocha frappe I made that with added protein and fiber was perfect for breakfast and I really miss it. It costs so much to buy it online and Costco no longer carries it.
My meals so far:
Breakfast - scrambled egg sandwich (1 t. SB and 2 t. mayo), whole wheat 45 cal bread 2 sl, a cup of Trop 50 OJ and a cup of milk
AM Snack - 4 bars of mint chocolate
Lunch - 1/4 large apple, 1 oz cheddar cheese, and chai tea latte. As I said, timing is important with this plan and I went over the three hour time because of our son and his fam coming over.
Not sure about snacks but dinner will be almond chicken and rice.
Carol Sue - when my son was little he had psoriasis although I didn't know what it was at the time. Probably his is much milder than yours. I know it wasn't nearly as bad as some I saw later in life, so made me wonder but that's what the doctor said it was. At the time his was mostly on his scalp and chest. The lesions were probably 1-3 inches long, very scaly. I had no idea what it was and I would pick off the scales in his head because they bothered me...I tried to do it gently but poor thing, it would hurt him sometimes. Its a wonder it didn't get infected! Later on the doctor told me what it was and I stopped picking at it. What helped him was to let him soak in Vasaline Intensive Care Bath Oil Beads. Do they still make that stuff? He'd just lay in the water and the lesions would go away! They'd come back of course. It worked best/easiest for his chest but he was little and liked to lay in the water anyway so I let him. I watched him of course. I think he was somewhere between 4-7 at the time. Eventually he had it less often but still would soak in it when needed. Years after he left home, I remembered to ask him about it and he said he still had it now and then but he would just moisturize it really well for a while and it would go away. Since he's been here I haven't seen any.
Sandy - I'm like you seldom have headaches..had a few bad ones through the years though...but not as bad as your past ones sound. So sorry, must have been terrible. Mine were bad enough...some nausea but mostly could hardly cope with the pain. When possible I just lay down with a cold cloth on my forehead until it finally, thankfully past. It took a long time and if too long I'd get nauseous but not to the point of throwing up. Now usually the only time I have a headache is when I get up, often accompanied by a slight dizziness. I figure it's my bp dropping when I stand (I'm on two meds) but doc doesn't seem to think so. I too feel sorry for people who have to contend with headaches a lot. I have a niece that struggles with them.
Maddie had only ˝ a day of school yesterday. Because she got home early, she came along and we got the grocery shopping/errands out of the way. Mommy got out of work early, and met us along the way and surprised Maddie and “rescued” her from having to accompany us on our shopping trip. Maddie was glad about that and glad to have some extra mommy time.
I finished the Christmas cards this morning. Watched and listened to the music on the movie ~ White Christmas. I love hearing that music ~ it is my Christmas card writing/Christmas present wrapping movie/music. Then went to the post office to mail those and from there ~ to find a couple little things for Corbin's girlfriend for Christmas. I don't know if she is coming over when Sara and the kids come over on Christmas day, but I wanted to be prepared just in case. I remember how nice it was when Steve's family (even though we were just dating at the time) had a gift for me and made me feel welcome at their family gathering. It is fun getting something for someone and finding what seems ~ just the perfect thing for them.
Tomorrow I think I need to vacuum this family room ~ I do it, but don't always pull the furniture out ~ I know there are crumbs etc lurking under them. I don't want Corbin's girlfriend to wonder what kind of place she has come to. She's been here before, but.....well.....It needs doing.
Our house is quite cluttery. Maddie has kind of taken over it and toys and such don't always get put up and the clutter just keeps building.
Been enjoying the Christmas movies that are playing and the Christmas music on the radio station.
I had to kind of laugh at myself today ~ at the outfit I am wearing. I am wearing one of my scrub outfits from work ~ the top, I made is kind of a Christmasy printed cloth ~ it has various different birds (cardinals, chickadees, and others) sitting on pine branches, there are holly berries and pine cones and red bows and ribbons on a black background. The pants are solid black. I thought that I might as well get some use out of the pretty Christmasy top.
Some of you may remember the great scrub tantrum of 2011 (or there abouts) LOL. Our hospital, in an effort to make us look more professional by everyone having to wear the same color and no more wearing of all different colors and prints on the scrubs, took a vote and decided we all (the nurses) had to wear black scrubs, the nurses aids had to wear gray ones. Other departments had certain colors for their areas. Anyway, a lot of us hated those black scrubs (could not figure out who in the world voted ~ and so many to boot ~ that black won the vote. Everyone we talked to/knew, said they hadn't voted for black) ~ it just seemed a horrible color to be wearing around sick/ sometimes dieing people. But they would not listen to us, so black it was. I was quite vocal about it ~ to the point where my boss kind of scolded me ~ said that was the way it was and that I should just quit going on and on about it and be quiet and accept it. They said we could add a hint of color by adding trim to the tops. So, by golly, I knew how to sew and I wasn't going to have my scrubs be solid black if we were allowed to add trim. We were allowed to have a printed top (black background of course so they would match the black pants) for holidays.
Anyway, what makes me laugh at myself is that after all the fussing I did about those black scrubs, that I would wear it willingly. Even funnier ~ I confessed to my boss after, that I had bought a black outfit (black pants, top with black background and a pretty picture on the front, and black shoes to go with it) ~ of my own free will ~ LOL.
Mary ~ looks like you did well with your eating today. Way to go. You can do this. Glad you got to enjoy the time while your son stayed with you. I can identify with your sadness at his leaving. When he moves, will he still be in the area? I can't remember, but isn't it closer than where he was all those years ~ so maybe even though he is moving, you will get to see him oftener than you did for a while there.
Sandy ~ it is nice that you too are getting to enjoy time with your daughter. We need to do some of the getting rid of/shredding stuff like you have done. I joke with DH about that ~ he talks about how it needs to be done ~ I said ~ well, we need to stay home more in order to do that. That would be ok with me ~ it has needed doing for a long time and will feel good when we get some of it done.
Carol Sue ~ glad your headaches went away after your body got adjusted to the new blood pressure med. Glad that Rusty doesn't mind the snow. What kind of needle work do you do/or used to do that you are thinking of trying again? I was trying to do it as a means to keep my hands busy and out of snacks in the evening ~ sometimes it helps, sometimes not.
I have some itching like you all have mentioned. I think mine is because of the colder weather and the heat being on in the house, because mostly, it doesn't bother too much. I have some Aveeno, that is for dry skin and seems to help.
The headaches I have lately, are so much less painful and less frequent than what I had years ago. I think when they were so bad years ago, it was hormonal ~ and coincided with my monthly cycle. They were in my eyes ~ terrible, pounding, throbbing. I was never diagnosed with migraines, so not sure what kind they were, but it wasn't fun. Meds didn't really help, laying down with something warm or cold over my eyes, or a steamy hot shower sometimes helped. So, even though I have them sometimes now, I am thankful that they aren't like they used to be.
Here is a picture of the Christmas print scrub top I mentioned
And a picture of the bottle of Aveeno lotion that seems to help my itchy legs.
Sorry ~ I don't mean for my posts to always get so long.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,407
S/C/G: 217/179/142
Height: 5'2
Gayle, I was reading a message board where all the people have psoriasis and talk about what helps them. One thing was glycerine, and Aveeno products contain glycerine, so I bought some. I like the body wash. It was very creamy and makes my skin feel good, but the good feeling doesn't last long. I also have some Aveeno lotion but I don't notice much difference with any particular lotion. They just relieve it somewhat, temporarily. Jennifer Anniston always has nice skin and she advertizes Aveeno. LOL
I have never been properly diagnosed by a dermatologist, just my PCP looked at it and said it is psoriasis. I have it all over my body, except for my face, neck, hands and feet. Sometimes it's not noticeable, and I keep it covered mostly when I go out. I don't care at home. Some of it looks different and could be something other than psoriasis or a different type of psoriasis.
I remember when you talked about having to wear the black scrubs. That was around the time I was in the hospital for my bowel surgery. They had just made a rule at our hospital that the nurses had to wear royal blue and the aides had to wear navy blue. They were all complaining about it. My mother-in-law was funny. If a man came in to see her she said it was a doctor, if a woman came in she said it was a nurse. One time 2 men came in to help her to the bathroom and she said it was 2 doctors. LOL I've got news for her, they were aides.
My friend's son-in-law is a policeman, and his casual wear is always green scrubs. I don't know why. I guess he's just comfortable in them.
Last edited by Wannabehealthy; 12-20-2015 at 10:40 AM.
Carol Sue ~ that was funny about the "doctors" that helped your mother-in-law to the bathroom. I had a similar mix up one time ~ but going the other way. I was called to my patient's room ~ the patient was being turned and they wanted me to see something that was going on with the patient's skin or wound. One person was one of the aids I worked with ~ the other aid I didn't recognize. Come to find out, the other aid was a doctor. He was one of the good ones ~ willing to help with the patient. He was an Asian man ~ slight build, about the same height as me (which is not very tall) and youthful looking, wearing scrubs. He was one of the wound care doctors. Such a nice man ~ he should give lessons to some of the jerk doctors on how to be nice to people. I don't think he was ever cross with anyone.
Just got home from church and dinner out at Applebees. Their food can be good but it's very rich. I got the fried chicken patty on mashed potatoes with gravy. I ate about 3/4 of the potatoes (I'd been craving potatoes) with a little gravy and about 1/4 of the chicken. Came home, keyed it into Food Lovers and it said not enough protein so am now drinking some milk. So far I've done ok with my eating but I did estimate my restaurant meal so might have been higher and I missed my am break since I was in church. Breakfast was a high protein vanilla smoothie with 1/2 banana and two tablespoons of flax. Dh is going to a meet up with his previous co-workers soon and I plan to start my baking. After that I hope to set the oven to clean as I'll be using it a lot this week and don't want the smoke detector to go off.
Carol Sue - There for a few years dh had a very bad time with skin issues/itching. He tried so many things! A dermatologist gave him Clobetasol and that really helped and in addition he was told to use Aveeno lotion and the shower cleanser (only, no soap) to help with the dryness. He has very dry skin so continues to use it to prevent breakout and for itchiness. He has recently switched to Nutrogena shower cleanser because Costco didn't have the Aveeno. Doesn't seem to make a difference. He does use a supposedly moisturizing bar soap for his face and regular bar soap for his feet but they are both very very dry. I've tried to get him to use creamy cleansers like I use but he doesn't seem to want to.
Carol/Glynne - The same thing happened where I worked...if the male nurse or aid was in scrubs they were a "doctor" to many of the patients. It was funny.
Even the kids were proud of me...I think the oldest esp was feeling kinda sorry for my poor memory. 
It just seems to put pressure on him. When I saw how much it was affecting him, I prayed and asked for wisdom for what to fix...cause see, I was stressing about what to fix...my mind was blank even about what I served last year on Christmas Eve for the most part! Still can't remember, but I felt like I was to fix the little turkey roast I bought, make a casserole...haven't decided between beef spinach lasagna and Taco casserole...but probably one of those, a veggie tray and cookies. Suddenly peace about that...but I still am a little anxious about getting everything ready...usual cleaning, shopping and prep of foods, even some wrapping still to do. Will continue to pray and I'm sure I'll settle down when it starts to roll next week. 
Appreciate all your supportive comments.
but I will use them for Christmas Eve...mostly to make memories for the grandchildren. I do all this stuff for them to remember..whether they will I don't know. Of course some I also do for my children to try and preserve some of our traditions I guess. 