It COULD get worse

[Mimi]

We all have our troubles and problems and we all know it is not the troubles and problems that befall us, but it is the fact that we do not llie there but we get up and walk on.  D W I've got a few years on you, but you have the wisdom that God grants us oldsters.  To share with others the things that you are thankful for makes us all pause and remember that things could be worse.  Except for the grace of God, none of us would be here tonight. I have two children and as I write this they are not speaking to each other. Thanksgiving was sad without my son and Christmas will be even sadder but things could be worse.  They could be gone for good and I am thankful to God that I al least have both of them still here on earth.
I pray God will touch their hearts and bring them back together in love and
I pray that all of my IHD friends will find peace and joy this holiday season.
Let me cry today Lord
With tears you've given me
To wash away the pain
And leave sweet memories.

Mimi
   

[Pam]

I'm not a very religious person. although I do believe. When I go to bed at night I am thankful that I made it through another day and  all I ask for is the strength to face whatever comes tomorrow.
Pam

[willowtreewren]

I believe in many wonderful things - the goodness of most people, the love that we share, the beauty of nature, that life is worth living. But, I don't believe in a god that would allow people to suffer.

Even so, I live a rich and rewarding life.

 

I also believe that it is equally all right for me to share my beliefs as it is for those who to share theirs in these threads. 

[fc2821]

I believe in many wonderful things - the goodness of most people, the love that we share, the beauty of nature, that life is worth living. But, I don't believe in a god that would allow people to suffer.

Even so, I live a rich and rewarding life.

 

I also believe that it is equally all right for me to share my beliefs as it is for those who to share theirs in these threads. 

  I also believe in your right to share your beliefs. Though I believe that God has helped me deal with all I have had to deal with in my life.

[looneytunes]

DW and everyone else, thank you.  What a  great thread for me to read today.  It has been a tough week for hubby and it's been wearing on me.  So reading this and remembering all the things I have to be thankful for has been the best RX I could have been given.

[HubbysPartner]

It's good to hear all the positive comments, and I agree that things could be much worse.  I just lost my mom last week, but she lived a good long life and I have lots of wonderful memories to comfort me.

My husband is on dialysis, but I still have him with me and he feels much better since starting.  We cherish each day we have together.

I have three wonderful children who actually don't think I was crazy to give up my life and move 7 states away to marry a man they didn't know.   

I have a great job and the best boss EVER!   

Finally, I have found a great group of supportive friends on IHD.

It could be much worse.

[tyefly]

   Yes   Life could be worst that what it is....  And when I think that it is..... someone comes along and brightens my day...     That someone is me......  beleive it or not.... but I am usually the one who gets sick and tired of thinking negative and I will find many things that bring me happiness... when I just take a break and sit back and take a  long look at life  and find out that I am not doing my part.   I am not living life... just going thru the motions....  So  its time to get living.....  There are certainly many more things I want to do in life  and if I get just some of them done .. well good for me......     

      Plus  I have good friends here on IDH  who kick me in the butt from time to time......    not to mention too many names.......   

[del]

I realized tonight that things could be a whole lot worse. We had a Christmas party with out weigh in group tonight and one of the leaders had breast cancer a few years ago and it has gradually spread to the rest of her body and now is in her brain.  Her face is puffed up from steroids and she is bald from treatments and most times she doesn't know what she is saying.  She is so sweet and would never say anything to offend anyone but know she does. People just go along with her because she doesn't remember 10 minutes later what she has said. She would be so offended if she realized some things she said.  She missed the Christmas party the last 3 years because she was sick but she was determined to go this year.  She enjoyed herself and most people gave her a hug and a kiss before they left. I know her and her family would be so happy if there a treatment for her like dialysis.  I think this will be the last party she will be at with us because I really don't think she will be alive much longer. There was a few tears as people left the party tonight.  So yes things can be a lot worse. 

[jbeany]

My own doctors didn't expect me to live through my complications from my transplant.  I'm alive, with a kidney and pancreas that are both working perfectly.  The hole in my intestines healed long before the docs figured it would.  I'm back on regular food, after two months without anything except a sip of water twice a day to swallow pills.  I'm home, and slowly regaining muscle tone, even if I keep forgetting that I can't stand up when I sit down on the floor!

At any point in the last few months, things could indeed, have gotten worse!

[dwcrawford]

And for that JB, we are all thankful.  Too bad we can't have a least of sip of Stoday's precious wine...

[galvo]

jbeany

I can relate to your not being able to stand up when you sit down on the floor, though in my case it was back when I was guzzling the devil's mouthwash!

It's great to hear that you're on the improve.

[RightSide]

Some doctors I've consulted, agree that things could be worse with me.

For example, I consulted a cardiologist as part of that hospital's evaluation of me for a kidney transplant.

The cardiologist said to me:

"I'm a cardiologist.  We cardiologists treat patients who are REALLY sick" 
[i.e., not like you malingering kidney patients]

and later she said to me:

"Compared to the heart transplants we do, we cardiologists consider a kidney transplant to be just a lifestyle change"

[fc2821]

Some doctors I've consulted, agree that things could be worse with me.

For example, I consulted a cardiologist as part of that hospital's evaluation of me for a kidney transplant.

The cardiologist said to me:

"I'm a cardiologist.  We cardiologists treat patients who are REALLY sick" 
[i.e., not like you malingering kidney patients]

and later she said to me:

"Compared to the heart transplants we do, we cardiologists consider a kidney transplant to be just a lifestyle change"

That was just plain rude   

[dwcrawford]

Somewhere there is a thread "stupid things ignorant people have said"

[willowtreewren]

Today I was listening to Diana Krall sing some lovely holiday melodies while wrapping gifts for my staff and family. My husband is sitting nearby getting life sustaining dialysis. I will later go to an invigorating book club discussion followed by dinner with intellectual peers who are important to me. I live a rich and fulfilling life.

I am in a warm house, with plenty of food, I have a job that is meaningful to me, so a few hours of dialysis each day is a minor bump in the road.

It really could be worse. Much, much worse.

It really helps to remember all the good things in life.

[del]

I feel the same way aleta!

[jbeany]

I love Diana Krall, too!


I get a bit polllyanna-ish sometimes.  The glad game works if you can make yourself laugh (preferably at yourself while you are at it.) 

My hair fell out and I had to cut what was left short.  At least it doesn't take me half an hour to blow dry it anymore.

I couldn't eat for 2 months.  At least I skipped out on the insatiable appetite and subsequent weight gain that comes with the first few months of steroids.

A warped sense of humor is always a good survival tactic.

[petey]

Good idea for a thread, DW.  As always, you showed your wise and sensitive side by starting such thought-provoking discussion.

My husband has been through so much over all these years.  None of it has been easy, but through it all, his mantra has been, "I'm lucky.  There are many others in far worse shape than I."  Not only does Marvin say this, but he lives it, too.

As his wife and his caregiver, I've been through a lot, too.   My road has been bumpy, scary, and sometimes seemingly impossible.  Somehow, I've managed to make it through, too, and -- with him -- live a full, busy, productive, happy life.    Even though I have been known to teasingly tell Marvin that he's "high maintenance" and sometimes have -- again teasingly -- threatened to trade him for a goat and then kill the damned thing, I am lucky that Marvin is still alive and that our marriage has survived trials and tribulations that many other marriages could not have endured.  It could be worse -- I could be a widow or I could be living a life without the man I love, adore, and am so totally devoted to.

Aside from the obvious blessings of being warm, not hungry, having friends and family who love me despite my faults and weaknesses, and living in a free country, I am also full on the inside -- in my soul and in my heart.  Truly, my cup runneth over.  There are many others in the world who cannot say that, and that, to me, would be so much worse than what I have.

[willowtreewren]

Had a hard night tonight with Dialysis. More alarms and problems than we had ever had before. Plus a huge leak from a loose cap that probably ruined the carpet. So I came here to remember....

It could be worse!

Carl was never in any danger. We didn't have any blood-letting. Tomorrow will be another day and the clean-up process can wait until we have had some sleep.

Yep. Things could be worse. Thanks so much, Dan, for this place to come when things aren't feeling so good.

 

[tyefly]

     Sounds like a bad night last night.... but today  Aleta will be much better.....   I am sure of it......

        For me   I had a great night last night ON    D   and  no cramps  and they only had to take off 1.6 k  as I have been watching how much I am drinking and eating.....    life is good...... with no cramps.....

   I think about the lost mountain climbers here on Mt. Hood in ORegon...    I hate to here about lost climbers.....  esp this time of year.....  we lost three    climbers  just a few years ago.....  I am sorry for the families...   But I do realize that people need to do what they love and sometimes their are risk....  I need to remember to continue to be passionate about the things that I love... and do all I can and enjoy life even if they are risk.... 

[greco02]

This poem says a lot.....if you could just get through today....AND I stopped saying 'how much worse can it get' years ago because I found out the hard way, it can ALWAYS get worse. 


http://www.nhal-anon.org/Just4Today.html

czg
 

[dwcrawford]

Oh yea, it COULD get worse.  And when it does, just remember that it COULD get EVEN WORSE than this.  More than likely there are people who have already found out how.  Like your Poem.

[fc2821]

Oh yea, it COULD get worse.  And when it does, just remember that it COULD get EVEN WORSE than this.  More than likely there are people who have already found out how.  Like your Poem.

Dito! 

[willowtreewren]

You know, if we never had any bad days, the good days would not mean as much to us!

 

[dwcrawford]

Trying to take my own advice here... often my own advice is even hard to take.

I have been in a nearly total depression for the past several days .. not feeling well, dialysis not going well, sick friend, and don't really know what it is above but I just sit, get on this silly  forum site and argue about god even though none of it is rational, cry at the TV even commercials...but

The images of Haiti after the quake (well even before) make me realize it really could be worse.  Hell, I could have all this depression and be in Haiti under a collapsed building or something, or roaming the streets looking for food, water or family.  Now I simply cannot stop crying as I watch the images.  I've done what I can by contributing to the Red Cross (cash seemed most logical to me) so for at least a day or so, I need to stop watching.  If you can't disconnect you can't help (I believe) and you just get in the way (your thoughts at least).  If you can't disconnect just a bit, you can see the hope and beauty on the other side.