~I Have PVD~

I was asked today if I was a diabetic if that was the reason I lost

my legs.. and it isnt.. I have Peripheral Vascular Disease, which

is PVD. I had never heard of it and I have had nurses training.. I

was diagnosed in 93, just after I moved back to Indiana from

Michigan. I had a bypass done on my left leg, then a year later

on my right, then again I had them both done in 96 then in 97

I had my first abdominal bypass.. Then in 2000 I had the triple

heart bypass followed by another abdominal one then each

leg done again ..this all in that one year..then in 2001 is when I

lost both legs.. This disease is not curable..you can only slow it

down..by not smoking and keeping your cholesterol down and

stress I think is another factor..Smoking is the main one.. I don't

understand why they only associate smoking mainly with lung

or throat cancer..not PVD..Ive never heard mention of it, or any

kind of warning.. I wish they had.. I would have quit.. I quit smoking

after I had my heart bypass..put them down and never touched

them again..only way to do it, but after smoking for 40 years, if

I wanted this PVD to keep getting steadily worse I could keep

on smoking..I chose to quit...

Raelynn smokes..and she and I went to that good restaurant here,

the Oasis..they have a separate room for smokers.. She was

behind me and I said real loud so everyone in that smoking

area could hear me.."GEE, if I had known SMOKING would

make me lose my legs I would have quit a long time ago, I

wonder how many know that you can lose your legs from

smoking" I have to say we got some looks.. but well if it made

even one person quit..well that's a good thing.. I have not the

first problem being around someone that smokes..but I don't

miss a chance to tell them that THIS is what can happen. My

caregiver smokes..Penny, but she does in the kitchen and not

around me..which I told her she could..my only deal was that

she had to keep the ash tray clean and empty and to make

sure the ciggies were out before she emptied it.. She really

doesn't smoke that much.. I wish she didn't but...well she knows

so now she is aware.. But I wish they would make this more

public that this can happen because of smoking..

The lunch lady came today and brought me my 'you name it'

lunch..and before she left I had her turn down my thermostat.

Its so nice out I don't need the furnace running.. I can reach

the thing but I cant see what it says. its just too high up.. So

she turned it down for me.. Penny was supposed to come

today and she called and said she is still sick and that her

grandson is and her daughter and her other kids..quite a few

here are sick.. I think its this warm weather and then people

go out without coats or anything.. that's what does it..then

they get sick.. Penny was sposta come today but I sure

don't want her to come here and give that stuff to me like I

had a while back..that was some nasty stuff..

Chris, the landlord surprised me today and asked if I had any

one lined up to cut the grass etc.. I have called a few places,

but I havent had any luck..he said he would come by and cut

it for me..he has a riding mower so that wont be too hard on

him to just sit and ride..Only thing he didn't say is how much

he is going to charge me for it.. He said if the grass isnt kept

cut that the city will give you a fine and then come and cut it..

I don't need that either.. I should have taken that into consideration

before I rented this place but I wanted out of that shelter so bad,

and I didn't have anywhere else I could go..I looked too ..every

day in that shelter I looked and looked and made so many

phone calls my ear about fell off.. This isnt a bad place but I

just cant do the upkeep.. I bet if I could get outside and had a

riding mower I could cut this grass my self..I think I would be

able to transfer to it ok..its about the same height..and I don't

think they are that hard to drive. I can drive a car ..so why not

a rider mower? I bet I would have a good time out there

cutting all that grass..I bet I would have to wear a seat belt

though cuz I could easily fall off unless I had a special seat

on it with sides.. like what they put around my potty chair and

that would give me more security, be hell to fall off and get

run over by your lawnmower :-) I bet that would hurt :-)

Well its that time again..and I am NOT hungry that's probly a

first! I just really don't have an appetite lately.. I ate that

soup and that sure didn't settle good and I don't want that

again.. I did have some toast this morning though I woke up

hungry my stomach was growling.. toast with butter and some

cinnamon sugar on it..that's good stuff then dunk it in your

coffee....that's one of my favorites.. Im not gonna eat and

just get some tea and watch TV and get away from this

puter for a while so that means time to say my very

famous GORGEOUS WEEBLE words."Nitey Nite" :-)

Y'all take care now, Y'hear? love ya..and thanks :-)

ALways, Lois ****

God Bless you is my prayer today,

I'm so honored to call you "friend";

I pray the Lord will keep you safe

until I write again..