I "met" the internet, oh I don't know, about 18 years ago, or so? I mean, I flirted with it to try and tease out information, but it was an unfaithful friend at first...our friendship was so NEW, in its infancy, that it just couldn't give me much at all. At first, I cheated on it. I went to the big old downtown library to spend hours looking up info. Indeed, it was only two years ago, I was spending an inordinate amount of time there looking up info for a friend who was an only child, adopted, but found out he was one of 7 or 8 siblings! It took good old fashioned leg work to look up info that the internet couldn't provide. Ahh, but here I am, back in its safe arms again, my old friend.
So now, we are 10 months into post-stroke. Funny how life seems to be divided into pre and post something. Your life Before and your life After.
Before: Hubby going to work each day, wifey keeping up the house, making the meals, doing the laundry, greeting him hello at the stairs, sit down to dinner, discuss the kids, the house, the movies out you know blah blah blah.
OH MY GOODNESS, IT'S LEAVE IT TO BEAVER AND I'M BARBARA BILLINGSLEY
After: Hubby home during the day, wifey not doing diddly squat with the house, it's not THAT messy. Laundry? Why bother? Hubby doesn't need too many things washed other than jeans, underwear, socks and t-shirts, I pretty much wear my gym sweats (I do wash them often, thank you very much) and son-still-at-home forgets to throw his stuff down the chute, so voila! no laundry!) Doctor appointments every single week, sometimes three or four a week! Knitting! Glorious knitting! And hey, we get Netflix, so let's just settle down into the easy chair and watch a movie or two, read a book, do a puzzle (me: crosswords, him: Jumble) and the INTERNET. Which brings me to the point I was going to make, however circuitous.
The Internet (and I capitalize it, because it deserves high devotion) and I have a Love-Hate relationship. Post-stroke it has provided us with much information that is always at our fingertips.
LOVE IT:
It has helped interpret results, look up tips from other people in the same situation, provided a life-line with friends and family, given me a voice, get silly jokes that make you happy, play games to distract, (Words with Friends, anyone? anyone?) helped us hammer out a food plan, look up home remedies such as turmeric for inflammation, etc.
HATE IT:
Now that DH is experiencing some horrific new symptoms that we cannot figure out, we turn once again to the Internet.
OMG It's ALS!
OMG It's MS
OMG It's another stroke!
OMG It's a brain tumor
OMG It's Ebola
OMG It's It's It's It's .....fill in the blank
I HATE you, you stupid faithless cheating hard-hearted disgusting so-called friend. But hey, here's something!
I LOVE you, you wonderful tool, you amazing purveyor of all that's good. Why, your suggestions that it is statin-related could certainly be true! This might be an answer! Oh you adorable thing, you!
I HATE you. What do you mean this could be permanent? You wretched wretched thing.
How could you give us false hope only to dash it on the rocks of despair?
I am just betting that in Leave-It-To-Beaver Land, they didn't have this to deal with! No one ever died in LITB Land. No one ever became disabled, or went blind or had a headache, nor had dirty clothes nor anything other than a spotless house. No one had a stupid box with flashing lights and screen to stare at (well, maybe the television) that made their lives happy and miserable at the same time.
Another day, another doctor and test. Please Internet, the info you gave me is sending us to the doctor once again with another thing that may or may not pan out. PLEASE don't let us down! Please be the answer! Please oh please, be my friend again. I will love you forever. I will never be angry at you again, I will never turn my back on you, please oh please, be right this time.
Hey, there's this Nigerian Prince who wants me to help spend his fortune! OMG. This IS good news. And this nice lady says I have just won a $7900 Master Card! Things are looking up.....
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