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I know you cannot move and the crime rate is tough, but I sure love Albuquerque.  I won't be going there either, but they have the best hospital anywhere around, Presbyterian.  Wish we were like "Bewitched" and could just wiggle our nose and make magic happen.  (Remember, I never unpacked, so I'm ready to go if I can afford it).  

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1 hour ago, Gwenivere said:

The house is all one level and  I have to get rid of huge limbs that came down in our record snowstorms.  There goes about $400. There isn’t a month that doesn’t go by it seems I get nailed with a big expense.  

Sure hope Kay gets dug out soon.  So hard being alone in yuck situations.  

Gwen: I hear you about the huge limbs.  Yesterday as I was dragging garbage totes to curb for pick up I noticed another limb, a second one, from my neighbor's tree had fallen and broke through the cedar fence.  I don't remember having strong winds Wednesday evening, so am guessing the limb had been weakened from the big snowfall the previous weeks.  And, I am wondering who is responsible for this issue?  When the fence was installed we did share the cost of that fence, but since it is her tree?  This neighbor is not always available to speak with since they have another home up north of Seattle where they spend 1/2 their time.  Oh why do I have to deal with this kind of "stuff"? 

Feeling like Marg right now, wanting to move myself somewhere else where there is a postage stamp yard and NO fir trees.

Oh well, "It is what it is" - and I will have to deal with this yuck situation.  Won't know what until I have a chance to talk with them.  Dee

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My understanding is the limbs and debris is our problem when it lands in our yards.  Seems fence damage should be shared at least.  Trees are great til this kind of stuff.   I’m getting to dislike fir trees.  They’re usually the culprits in power outages too.  This last storm broke a camellia too at my place.  Split a trunk right down the middle from the snow weight.  What a mess!   I’m opting for paying extra to have the debris hauled away as it would take many weeks of hauling the bin out and I can’t do that anymore.  

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3 hours ago, Marg M said:

I Wish we were like "Bewitched" and could just wiggle our nose and make magic happen. 

Oh!  Don’t even get me started on what I would change.  My life back for sure.  My reason for living.  Being loved and him to give it to again.  My sister in law died just 3 years ago and I want her back too.  I don’t mind being 63, but I’d get rid of this back degeneration for 'normal' arthritis.  Did Samantha even have that kind of power?  Where do we find her?  What a waste using that power to whip up meals or run the vacuum!  🦋

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So glad you checked in, Mitch.  I’m going into my 5th year too and empathize with it not feeling any better.  How could it be without them? That we had to watch them suffer plays reruns too often.  Then the good times hurt so much knowing there won’t be anymore.  As I have said before, now we have another day in the year that we never wanted.  Hugs to you. 😢😦

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On 2/25/2019 at 1:49 PM, widow'15 said:

I have a feeling Kay is dealing with more snow.  My daughter lives in Roseburg, OR and they had quite a bit of snow last night and are without power.

We just got our power back after over 8 days without it, still do not have telephone service.  Have not had garbage pickup, mail delivery, no running water (no flushing toilets, showers).  I was buried in snow!  It was pitch black nights all alone listening to trees coming down on my property and the neighbors', snap, crackle, pop, continually, very very eerie!  Never felt so alone and cut off!  I couldn't even get to my coolers, because there was a six foot mound of snow in front of the building/door and my car & truck.  I was truly cut off from the world.  My cell phone doesn't work there but I tried texting my son, it took 30% of the battery juice to send the message and took two hours to send.  I heard nothing back.  I still have not received the texts he sent to me.  Hwy 58 was closed coming/going from town, not that I could get to Oakridge anyway!  The streets full of snow, no sign of a plow!  Neighbors began venturing out, the younger ones checking on the older ones.  People cold, thirsty, hungry.  I'm still dehydrated but am doing my best to hydrate.  I came down with an infection and couldn't get to a doctor.  This happened on Sunday night over a week ago and I felt so isolated and alone!  If George were here we would have shared in the work and it would have been an adventure, but this was no adventure, this was hellish.  I've never worked so hard as I have the last five weeks, shoveling snow, struggling to survive.  All night long for three nights I listened in the black eerie silence as trees and limbs came down, they are all over my property, two broke on Arlie's new fence, and one landed across my driveway.  There is so much snow it's hard to maneuver or walk in.  The cleanup will have to wait until Spring when the snow melts.  Tonight on they predict more snow every day/night...

It was very hard not even having the ability to call for help.

Wednesday afternoon my son showed up.  When I saw him come in the door, I burst into tears and cried, "You're an angel!"  He took three days off work but couldn't get to me because the highway was closed for five days...he had to spend the night in Pleasant Hill, then drive up when they finally opened the highway by appt with a convoy...he was interviewed and him and his Pathfinder were on t.v. but I didn't know any of that, I was cut off from the world.

He set up a generator to give me refrig/freezer...I'd already lost much food because I couldn't get to my coolers, only had one on the deck.  I shoveled snow until my back hurt, he and his friends dug me out but the roads were still too bad to navigate.  26 hours later he had to leave to catch the next convoy out of town.  The generator was a godsend but 3 days later it quit.  Don't know what's wrong with it, I'm not mechanical at all.  I piled everything into coolers again.  The pastor and a friend showed up and dug my car out, although I still haven't taken it out on this, my street and particularly in front of my driveway is some of the worst.  I drove my truck to the church yesterday to do their books, took me twice as long as my brain was near shutdown.  Someone was supposed to show up to look at my generator at 2:30, they never showed.  I'd just gotten everything back in coolers and loaded the fire by flashlight, was reading before going to sleep, and I look up and see lights on across the street!  I unplugged the cords, flipped the circuit breaker box switches, and put everything back in the refrigerator.  I did 3 loads of laundry and a load of dishes before going to bed late that night.  This morning I showered, cleaned house, another load of dishes, cleaned out the freezer/refrig. and got garbage ready for pickup (it's been 3 weeks).  This has been the longest 8-9 days of my life!  I still have to get more wood in and sweep the deck and have no energy to do either.

The storms we've been having are the worst I've endured.  My 42nd winter up here and we've never been w/o elec. this long or phone either.  And I've never gone through this alone either.  I've lost so many trees, the apple trees for the deer...ahh, but it will all wait.  Arlie can't run in his yard anymore, too many limbs everywhere.  Can't even get to the front gate, about 6 ft. of snow on either side of it, in fact he hopped from one pile to the other on the other side of the gate and escaped!  Had to dig the inner pile away from the gate.

This was the heaviest wettest snow...about 4'5" but the weight of about 8'.  There were 1,000 trees down every mile along the highway.

BTW, my son shoveled most of the house roof, couldn't do the patio roof as it's too slippery, did it in about an hour before he had to catch the convoy out.  I'd been concerned about it caving in which just made the popping noises in the ceiling sound all the more eerie!  More snow coming tonight on but I do not trust what the NOAA says, last time it said the storm would miss us and we'd only get 1 1/2", ha!

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My lord, Kay!  I don’t know how you stayed and are staying sane in that mess.  I’m so glad you checked in.  I had no idea the snow was still coming down as we have returned to normal.  Where are you in Oregon?  I’d like to check out what the weather channel says.

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Very dear Kay, it's so good to hear from you ~ I cannot bring myself to click on that "Like" or "Love" button, as your post reads like a horror story. :( I am so sorry to think that you've had to go through all of this alone. Thank Heaven for your son, but oh how you must be missing your precious George. And to think this isn't over for you yet. Needless to say, you are in our thoughts and prayers. Please, please stay safe and warm ~ and let us hear from you as you are able. ❤️

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55 minutes ago, Gwenivere said:

My lord, Kay!  I don’t know how you stayed and are staying sane in that mess.  I’m so glad you checked in.  I had no idea the snow was still coming down as we have returned to normal.  Where are you in Oregon?  I’d like to check out what the weather channel says.

This is my latitude and longitude...if we can believe them...they predicted 1/2" Sat, 1/2" Sun, 1/2" Mon and we got over 4 ft!  Now they're giving us the same little bits and pardon me if I no longer trust them!  The thing is, the storm came down further and heavier than they'd predicted.  I've lost faith in all weathermen.

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-122.41395950317383&lat=43.800093021666179#.WgzaT_mPK70

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7 hours ago, kayc said:

We just got our power back after over 8 days without it, still do not have telephone service.  I was buried in snow! 

Never felt so alone and cut off! 

I came down with an infection and couldn't get to a doctor.  This happened on Sunday night over a week ago and I felt so isolated and alone!  If George were here we would have shared in the work and it would have been an adventure, but this was no adventure, this was hellish. 

Tonight on they predict more snow every day/night...

Wednesday afternoon my son showed up.  When I saw him come in the door, I burst into tears and cried, "You're an angel!"  He took three days off work but couldn't get to me because the highway was closed for five days...he had to spend the night in Pleasant Hill, then drive up when they finally opened the highway by appt with a convoy...he was interviewed and him and his Pathfinder were on t.v. but I didn't know any of that, I was cut off from the world.

More snow coming tonight on but I do not trust what the NOAA says, last time it said the storm would miss us and we'd only get 1 1/2", ha!

Kay:  My heavens how did you ever endure this?  My heart breaks that you had to feel so alone and can only imagine the fear listening to the sounds of trees and limbs falling around you as you sit in the dark.  Your son must have been frantic as he waited to get to you. 

More snow predicted - oh no.😲  Here's hoping the weatherman is wrong.   Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers as you face this "hellish adventure" alone.  Hope you have gotten to a doctor by now.  Dee

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Kay, moving back down in Louisiana was a snap judgement for me.  I could not afford the sentimentality of being where Billy left me.  We were in the mountains (and for Oregon, the Arkansas mountains are just hills), and over a week without electricity, a fireplace that only worked at "blowing out heat" if you had electricity (which we didn't), one time of hearing the trees snap in the distant mountains sounding like gunshots, Billy and Scott both sliding down the hill to the little pond to get water to flush the commodes, and my only job was to feed us three and try to keep us warm.  I could not keep us warm.  Louisiana flatland people were not ready for such a winter in the mountains.  I have no doubt I could not survive the trials you have been put through.  I have a big family I have to help take care of and keep my wits about me (which sometimes I feel is escaping slowly).  I realize sometimes it is  impossible to leave a place because of sentimentality, but if it means getting to a place you and your fur baby can live in a less dangerous situation, it might cause some deep thinking on your part.  My friend is facing leaving sentiment or letting someone else handle the swamp coming into the house with rains.  Once we had strong, healthy men to help us.  I am from the generation that wants to think I can handle most things Billy could, but the simple task of lying to the IRS on TurboTax has me totally stumped.  I won't do it.  I also won't pay over 300 dollars to get back 100 to H&R Block.  If we are left to take care of ourselves, we have to do it.  You have been fighting a valiant fight.  I cannot do what Billy did, so I will give up what was ours to try to live, since I have no choice.  You have to do what you have to do, but  it has to help your two grown children to know their mother is safe in safe conditions.  Just my two cents worth, but know what a sharp mind you do have.  And, you have to provide protection for that strong body of yours also.  I had one small touch of what you are going through, just a tiny moment in time, but you are being hammered.  My best thoughts are given to you.  You are a strong woman.  Lots stronger than this flatland female.  

 

 

 

 

 

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Marg, can relate to your account!  Paul hiked down to the creek at the bottom of my property, below the forest, no clear trail, trees down everywhere, the snow up to his thighs, to get water to flush the toilet...I'd done that when the kids were little and by the time I made it up to the house with the water, the elec. was back on!  He said he's not doing that again!  I tried melting snow in a bucket for flushing but it took two days for it to melt, hmm, I need the toilet more often than that!  I got desperate enough to go out in the snow and prayed no one would go by and see me...I couldn't trudge down too far in it because it was so deep!  I came to the conclusion that hell isn't hellfire and brimstone, it's snow.  Clearly you can see SNOW is a four letter word!  I can't help reacting when I hear people saying they wish it'd snow!  They have no idea in their empty little heads what they're asking for!  It's so much more than hot chocolate and sledding!  My yard is a disaster of broken trees and limbs and it's going to cost me a lot of money to get it righted...come spring.

I also know that an apt. manager would take one look at my dog and shut the door.  And I have no way to move all this stuff by myself.  George was one who could make things happen, he had a way of enlisting help from friends...me, my "friends" are 89 year old women, what help can I expect from them in moving stuff I don't know what it is and can't lift?  Even St. Vinnie's doesn't pick up stuff anymore.  So I stay put, not just out of sentiment, but of lack of options...I'm still paying on this place so can't sell it unless/until it's cleaned up.  I have stuff here from my ex-husband's who was a pack rat and brought home everything he found on the highway, and my son who has 30+ tires, an engine, truck parts, 1 1/2 rooms of stuff, garage full of stuff, etc.  This all isn't mine!  I hope when I'm old enough he'll come back and clean it out so we can list it...hoping also by then I can have it paid off so I can afford to move to another place.  It's not so cut and dried and simple as all that!

 

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3 hours ago, kayc said:

I also know that an apt. manager would take one look at my dog and shut the door.  And I have no way to move all this stuff by myself.  George was one who could make things happen, he had a way of enlisting help from friends...me, my "friends" are 89 year old women, what help can I expect from them in moving stuff I don't know what it is and can't lift? 

So I stay put, not just out of sentiment, but of lack of options...

I have stuff here from my ex-husband's who was a pack rat and brought home everything he found on the highway, and my son who has 30+ tires, an engine, truck parts, 1 1/2 rooms of stuff, garage full of stuff, etc.  This all isn't mine!  I hope when I'm old enough he'll come back and clean it out so we can list it... 

It's not so cut and dried and simple as all that!

 

Kayc:  As I read your response to Marg, I sat here nodding my head in agreement to all of your reasons you are unable to pack up and move.  I just had a similar conversation with my son this weekend when he was  helping me clear away some shrubs, tree limbs, branches that had been blown out of these trees by the heavy snow we had here in Tacoma - nothing nearly as extensive as you had, you poor dear.  As we sat and rested I tried to address his concern about me staying in this house.  He would like me to move closer to where he lives.  More than once I have told him if I were to do that I would not be able to remain  independent to take care of myself; eye injections for macular degeneration, grocery shopping, doctor appointments, etc.,  and just as important, my Maddie,  my fur baby, who is going through treatments.  All of these appointments are in the area where I am familiar driving - no more than 30 minutes in any direction, and no busy highways and only in daylight.

His 50 hour work week keeps him away from home and family plus a commute of 2 hours a day depending on traffic.  Unfortunately for him, I only have him to lean on.  My daughter does help when she can, but due to her chronic back problems and she lives 6 hours from me, moving from this place is not going to be easy.

Additionally, this house has a garage, a woodshop and a whole lot of "collectibles" that belonged to my husband who had he not been taken from me would be in charge of those never-ending chores and decisions, if not done by him, by a contracted worker.  My husband's illness and passing was much too swift, with no time to dispose of things that needed to be taken care of.

I used your phrase "lack of options" just yesterday to my neighbor as we were talking about my needing to move to a place I could manage on my own.  She is facing a decision to purchase another home now or wait to let her life settle down for awhile - her ex-husband will get the house she is living in now.  I guess life can be difficult in so many ways.

As I have been  busily commenting to your post, I looked outside and dang - it's snowing here.  Must be snowing where you live, too?  Take care and am hoping March is going to be better for you.  Dee

 

 

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I did not think of "lack of options," I just did it.  Of course the house was not paid for but I was lucky because we had a yard sale once (my daughter did) and I had a list of phone numbers that wanted my house.  True, we were RVer's, but we had been around there since 1997, not in that house, but long enough it should be home.  No place was home though if Billy was not there.  In those first weeks of delirium I gave everything away, leased the house, and they now own it.  I knew when I woke in the 2:00 to 3:00 am morning time to three police cars and an ambulance in my front yard (could not hear phones, ear buds in my ears) that I was not "home.."  My greatest memory is some scavenger hauling off four garden hose hooked together from my back yard as the moving van was leaving that "I really did not care."  Everything I cared about was gone and I had to get back to my actual "roots" and that meant most all of my relatives live in the family graveyard off this road I live off of, about 30 miles north of my driveway.  Three of us (women that had been lifelong friends, classmates) were going to be prepared to go into assisted living at the same time, we are all in our late 70's now, or at least over 75.  I knew I could not/would not take care of a house.  You know, all I remember leaving in that beautiful house and yards, that is seeing that man take those water hoses.  One of those friends bypassed us and went straight to the nursing home, her late wine nights just did her in.  I honestly used to criticize my mom as a "mean ole woman" because she did not hold on to any of my dad's musical instruments, any of his things.  I signed over all their land and home to my sister who has a "millstone" around her neck.  She cannot afford to keep it up or even buy insurance for it.  There is a water leak we cannot find that has made my mom's room full of mildew and mold and we do not know what to do about that and cannot afford a plumber.  The leak has quit, we have the room duct taped all around openings. I saw a very old woman come out of a once nice home the other day, she still had on her housecoat and layers of clothes.  I don't know if she had electricity, but her house was totally falling down around her.  

If you are younger, and if you are in lots better shape than I am (and Kay, you have to be a Superwoman), then more power to you.  I just know when I had to let go of Billy I was too old to hang on to anything I could not handle myself, and could not afford to hire it done.  

We do what we have to do.............and what we are able to do.  I know many cannot let go of things, and I understand, but I had to.  It was right for me, but I am odd man out..  And I still have some of his clothes hung in between mine and my bottom pillowcase has two pair of his pants and two of his shirts, plus I wear his jackets.  Still cannot stare at his pictures.  What works for one will not work for ten others. 

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I’ve had this suggested to me numerous ties too. When you live in a place for over 30 years it accumulates so much stuff.  The garage is the worst as so much gets thrown out there.  Even our attempt for order out there still works in some, but basically it would be hell to sort out and dispose of things.  We decided we would never move and added the garage and his music studio and new carport.  I look at the interior house and wonder how I would ever choose what to keep or not.  Also the same dilemma, who could help?  We moved in in our late 20’s and I’m in my 60's and the group of friends that helped us move in are older too.  I love our home, even with the painful memories.  The thought of strangers living here kills me.  It’s set up for dogs perfectly.  It doesn’t even look like the place we bought.  We made this ours.  I will either die here or be dragged out kicking screaming if I can’t take care of it.  I’ve had to hire out a lot for help, but we would have had to any way.  My volunteering has shown me assisted living.  An apartment wouldn’t work with the dogs.  It’s a big concern as the years pass tho.

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1 hour ago, Gwenivere said:

 We decided we would never move

There is your answer.  You see, Billy and I, well, I've said it so often, we were not homesteaders so we were getting rid of stuff all those 54 years.  In 1993, 1994 or so I had one of the biggest bonfires you have seen on Lake Bistineau, leaving the place Billy had wanted to live for years and years.  We cleaned off the two acres on the water with a big deck that went straight out and then to the left and to the right.  Big front porch on the house he had always wanted.  We were going to sit on that porch overlooking the lake often.  We were going to fish off that pier often.  We didn't do all that and we lasted four years after the house was built and moved into a 19 foot 5th wheel.  I cried when we got rid of our 28 foot Holiday Rambler 5th wheel and moved into stix and brix.  So see, I am so different from most people on here.  A home, a tent, an RV was only home if Billy was in it.  An apartment fits me fine.  I am "odd man out" and it fits me.  I fully understand people being unable to leave many years of things accumulated together.

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I've been here nearly 42 years and have no one to help me clean out and move.  It's why I haven't replaced the carpet or gotten new furniture.  I'm not superwoman, I can't lift these things by myself.  And my son works upwards of 80 hours/week and my daughter I never hear from and she's steeped in her own problems.  I do what I have to do today and try to stay in today, I can't handle tomorrow.

I, like Gwen, hire out what I must.  I have a LOT of extensive damage to the place as far as trees, shrubs, limbs go and will need to hire help with that, but I'm lucky, I haven't found any damage to the buildings other than the shed that needs to be taken down and rebuilt anyway, and that can wait a while...

Dee, I hope you didn't get too much snow, I got a little over an inch last night, which I've cleared and it's snowing again now.  Sigh...I've never seen a year where it snowed continually like this.  But this is March, and April is coming!  I will remind myself for years to come, if I could get through this winter, I'll get through subsequent ones.  It means I stay home a lot.  I will be glad if/when I get my telephone back!  I can't tell you how appreciative I am to be able to flush a toilet or not have to worry about food going bad, and I can get on the internet!

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Hi all,. I did not feel well Monday morning, nothing specific....just off.  Took my BP.  Fine.  Then I checked pulse....only 44 instead of a regular 75-85.  Had an appointment with eye doc.  Called regular doc and he said to keep my eye appt since he will check BP and pulse.  My pulse was only 40 there,.  Then I went to see my internist,. He took an  ecg and now my pulse was only 34.  He called cardiologist and got me an appointment with cardiologist for the morning.  He was adamant that I go directly to hospital.  By 2pm Tuesday I was operated on and now have a pacemaker.  I was fortunate that I did not have to brood about  it too long,. It is so hard to go through these health issues without our mates.  They kept me overnight and now here I am.  The incision site hurts a lot and I can not use my left arm for much.  I have a good friend who has been a trmendous help and my 2.daughters have been supportive.  One is a cardiac rehab specialist so she knows what questions to ask.  It was a 3rd degree heart bloc.  I am  not as tired as yesterday, so that is very good.  Gin

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1 minute ago, kayc said:

I can't tell you how appreciative I am to be able to flush a toilet or not have to worry about food going bad, and I can get on the internet!

Your willingness to find something ~ anything ~ to be grateful for is admirable, dear Kay. You are an inspiration! ❤️

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Gin, I too have a slow heart rate and they took me off one of the medications.  Kay, I cannot depend on my kids to "move me."  Somehow or other, someone will always know someone and all of a sudden a van is rented, there are usually 2-3 strong men that take you from and to the place you have to go to.  They do not do the work for free, but it is usually someone who needs the money to help.  The other apartment is a mile, maybe less from here.  It will cost me something to have the men to haul things in and out.  But, I have only done this once by myself and I was brain dead when I did it before.  Have to have income tax money to do it this time.  But like I said, we never stayed long enough to have anything of real value, but I cannot depend on my kids to help much.  You have been where you are enough winters, like my cousin on Lake Michigan, you know how to dig  yourself out.  I wish you the best.

And Gin, my cousin was given a pacemaker.  They live on Lake Michigan.  This was a few years ago and he does not get out in the cold now as it makes him short of breath.  Thank goodness for pacemakers though.  I hope this improves your life tremendously.  We cannot bring back "what was" but we can try to be more comfortable with "what is."  Please take care of yourself.  It sounds like you know what you are doing, and know people that help you.  

 

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GIn,

So glad you are okay. Good that you were able to get to the doctor and that the heart problem was resolved so quickly. Hope the incision pain starts to let up soon. Please take care of yourself. We love you!

Karen

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Oh my Gin, I'm so glad you were able to get into the doctors so quickly (that doesn't usually happen).  I'm sure the incision will start feeling better soon, it takes awhile and am glad they were able to catch the problem in time.  I know it is hard without our partner to go through things like that, it's hard enough to go through every day, but Al is with you in spirit and holding you tight.  Keep us updated on how you are doing, take care of yourself and am sending you big hugs!

 

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