Hello

[Guest guest]

Hello Everybody:

I can't seem to do it without you guys so I am writing tonight while I am

again trying to get sleepy. I always go to bed tired and within 10-15

minutes my mind starts going 90 miles per hour and my legs start moving all

over and so I get up and check the e-mail.

Again, thank you for your kind words and thoughts. It was another difficult

day for me. I was crying on and off. My cousin wrote me tonight from

Atlanta. Her father was my dad's brother and he died of cancer in about

1986. She talked about the stages we go through when facing the possible

death of a loved one. I have never hit anger though and probably never will

as far as my dad is concerned. He is 83 and has lived a rich full life and

very active life. To see him so unable to do anything except eat, shower,

sit, use the bathroom and sleep is quite hard. He does laugh and joke alot

though. Maybe he is trying to help us as well. I wish you could all know my

dad. You would all love him as most everybody has/does.

Elaine, I am glad that you made it through your surgery ok. Now the healing

process begins. I am glad your daughter is there for you. I hope you will

be up and around and feeling better soon.

Michele, thank you so so much for your message. It was so so kind. You are

going through a great deal of your own grief. You are quite a wonder to be

able to extend yourself to me as you have. You too are angel on earth. I

wonder where you get so much love and strength from. It must be in your

faith in God. Tell me more about your other child with downs syndrome. I

have said before, they are so so special as was my little cousin. He lived

into his 30's but died from a bowel obstruction a number of years ago and was

severely retarded so would not have been able to handle himself with a

colostomy bag. It was a blessing. I remember how he used to come up and

just hug you real hard and smile. He only learned to walk, use the bathroom,

dress himself and eat. He needed alot of care. He was deaf so he could not

learn to talk. At the time he was born, very little was done with down

syndrome children. Perhaps he would have had a better chance if he were born

now.

Saturday we are going up to the farm and having Christmas with Ed's family.

It will be good to get away for a couple of days. We are all staying at the

Holiday Inn and will have a pool and pizza party that night with Ed's

brothers and sister and their families. We have some little children in the

family so that always makes it special. We will be back on New Years Eve and

are going out to dinner with my stepson and daughter-in-law and her parents.

I will enjoy that. Maybe we will then catch a later movie or something.

Did I tell you I also got a bread maker for Christmas? I am so so anxious to

try out my first loaf of bread. I love homemade bread. I will probably eat

the whole loaf myself. Ed likes that awful store white bread with all the

preservatives that never gets moldy. I cannot help to think it must be doing

horrible things to your insides if it never gets moldy. It must be filled

with chemicals.

Has anybody ever tried the diet plan? I was it one late

night on an info commerical. I love that guy. He is so full of positive

energy and seems to really care about people. His plan seems to be so easy

like Weight Watchers used to be and only a fraction of the cost. WW meetings

are now $9.95/week. I think it is way too much plus I do not have a nearby

meeting to attend. I remember when the cost was $4.00/week and I thought

that was alot for what you get. I also hate weighing in every week. It can

be demoralizing. The question is, can you lose weight while still on

Prednisone? Has anybody had success with this?

Well, I guess that is all. Good night all.

Love, Jeannette