Happy Birthday to me....

Gem, You moan, whine, cry.... whatever you need to do, ANYTIME, hon! Regarding fibermalgya (I KNOW, I misspelled it, I'm too lazy to scroll up to copy it, lol!)... there was just something on the news here last night about people having great results, using something really 'common' and over-the-counter, and now I'll be darned if I can recall what it was! If it comes to me, I'll email you offlist. Hugs and prayers for you and Matthew! Noreen

OH, Gem, that sucks, big time! I hope that you get this straightened up soonest.

Hugs and prayers, Katherine

Noreen, If you find it, could you send it to me, too, please, as Keith is in misery right now. TIA Hugs, Katherine

Thank you, Katherine. I've got the phone right here beside me waiting to hear back... she asked for my phone number and said that she'd contact my caseworker, so I am assuming that she (or my caseworker) will call me back to let me know what's going on. However, if I don't hear by 4 PM I may call back again.

*hug* Gem

Yes, that would be great Noreen.

I can sure sympathize with Keith, Katherine. I *was* feeling okay this morning, but the stress has gotten the fibromyalgia flaring up again. I just hate how it can do a complete turn-around within hours. :o/ If I

*ever* hear back from Ontario Works I am going to go use my shiatsu chair pad to try to relax my back a bit.

Gem

Oh by the way, the Shiatsu Chair Pad that I have can be found on the following site:

write up about it is here:

Oh Gem, I'm so sorry you have to deal with all this crap, and on your birthday of all days. I see that it is almost 4 already now (though maybe you're in a different time zone?) so hopefully you have heard from them and they have figured it all out but if not, definitely call. Sometimes things do not get through to these people without constant reminders!

Good luck and big hugs, LauraJ

Thank you, Laura! Actually I *just* got off the phone with my caseworker. I had to call back... when I got through I spoke with the same one I spoke with earlier and she said "Oh Irene hasn't called you yet?" Then she went to her office to talk to her and said "One of us will call you back." A couple of minutes later my caseworker called back and apologized for not calling sooner. In any case, my cheque will be ready tomorrow... but I have to go into the city to get it (because it takes 48 hours? to be deposited into my account), and while I'm there I have to meet with her and sign a release for the dorky court order thing that they claimed I had said I WOULDN'T sign.

What really gets me is... if there was/is something that *could* hold back your money, why don't they send you a letter or call and say "If you don't do **** your assistance COULD be suspended." That would make things so much easier and less stressful than to get a letter saying that your assistance IS suspended because you didn't do ****. :o/

Anyway, I'm just glad that is sorted out... until they find something else that hasn't been done. Not that I get a LOT of money anyway, but at least it will cover a couple of the more important bills until Matthew's next paycheque comes in. *sigh*

Now I can finally go eat... I haven't eaten all day. In a hurry to get to the doctor this morning and then way too stressed to eat since I got back home and read that letter. Where's Casper? I may have to chew on his leg until I find something in the fridge. LOL Just kidding of course, but he's such a patient little guy he'd likely put up with it.... well, for a couple of minutes anyway, then he'd be telling me off. hehehe

Gem

Oh, Gem, what a relief! I have had knots in my stomach for the past couple of hours, just thinking about what bureaurocrats can do to people. I hope that your life will get on an even keel this year.

Hugs, Katherine

Katherine and Ruth, a friend of mine with fibro is on amitriptolene (sp) I understand that it does help her. It is prescription though.

Gem, so glad that things are sorted out! and at least Casper has short hair! Can you imagine gnawing on Minnie's leg? LOL

Thank you, Katherine! From your lips to God's ear!

Yes, good old government workers. This isn't the first time they've pulled this crap. I got one of those letters another time (but not the day before the money was supposed to come in) because "You didn't submit your doctor's appointment card" when I actually *had*. Good thing I still had it in my wallet... I went in the next day and photocopied it AGAIN, and added a note to the side of it saying "this is the second time I've submitted the same appointment card, but just in case it's lost again I am holding on to it". I knew for a fact that I had submitted it because I had attached a note to it asking something and my case worker had called me to tell me the answer. Didn't get it, huh? :o/

Like I said, if they would send something out giving a warning that the money could be suspended if you don't submit something (or whatever the case may be) it could save a lot of stress from happening. But then, what do they care... they aren't the ones being stressed about it.

Gem

Been there, done that... can't use it at all... it actually could have killed me! :o/

Someone I know takes four 10 mg pills per day, so I mentioned it to my doctor who told me that he didn't want me taking that much medication (I love my doctor, he knows that I hate medications) but we would try ONE pill per day to see how it would do for me. It is an antidepressant, you know... my mom took them after her second stroke and they helped her a bit and she never had a problem.

When I took the first one I got 2 hours sleep and had major cramping in my stomach (like the gall bladder symptoms that I've had before, only without the throwing up). I didn't take anymore for a few days because I blamed that reaction on the fact that I had just had a flu shot the previous day. So the following week (day before my next doctor's appointment) I took another one so I could let him know if it helped. This time I only got 1

1/2 hours sleep and was throwing up all night with excruciating cramps in my stomach all night long. It knocked me for such a loop that Matthew had to stay home from work the next day to help me move, and get things for me.... I was in such horrible pain all that day. The pains lasted (but I was able to move) for the next four days, so I got Matthew to stay at his friend's place in the city so he could take the bus to work and have a decent meal when he got home from work, and I could stay home in bed or on the sofa. A few days later (when the pain started tapering off a bit) I went to the store for milk and the girl behind the counter asked if I was okay. I said "Why, don't I look okay?"... she said "No, you look terrible. Are you sick? Are you going to be alright?"

When I went to my doctor the following week and told him what kind of reaction I'd had, he was surprised. He said "I've never had any patient have a bad reaction to this. Guess you won't be taking it anymore. I'm just glad that we decided to try you on ONE pill instead of four like that friend of yours... you would be lucky if you just ended up in the hospital after that much."

Gem

LOL!! I am so glad everything worked out! Yes, they definitely should have done more to alert you. It is unfortunate that these things which are such a huge issue in our lives are just a routine part of their job to them. Now go get something good to eat and spend some time relaxing with that massaging chair pad of yours. I hope you feel better now that the major stress is relieved and you can actually enjoy your birthday!

LauraJ

This reminds me of a problem we had with the water company last year. We got a letter (taped to our front door) threatening to turn our water off the next week since we hadn't gotten some valve replaced that they claimed they had told us about. I live in a condo with 3 units, 5 people and not one of us had ever heard anything about said valve. After some frantic calls it turns out that they had come to our building and told a contactor that was doing some work in our basement about the valve. And that counted as alerting us? So we made arrangements with a plumber to get the work done and let the water company know when it would be done. Then we got another letter saying our water was going to be shut off the next day since we hadn't gotten the valve replaced. More frantic calls to get them to hold off. We get the work done and call to let them know and thought the whole thing was settled. A week later we get yet another letter saying they were going to turn our water off if we didn't get the work done. ARGH!!! At least they actually admitted that that one was their mistake - every other call they treated us like delinquents despite the fact that they had never communicated to us what needed to be done. The funny thing is that their slogan is something like "customer service is our #1 goal." Hm, seems like they could work a little harder on that then!

Anyway, once again, Gem, I'm glad everything worked out for you!

LauraJ

Keith is taking that now, Norma, to help him get a restfull night's sleep. Other than that, it isn't doing much. What does it do for your friend?

Hugs, Kather> Katherine and Ruth, a friend of mine with fibro is on amitriptolene

And so many of them just don't seem to care, do they? Not all, but a significant number. And many of those who *do* care have their hands tied by red tape. It is a lose-lose situation, I think!

Hugs, Katherine

What a horror about the water being turned off, Laura. I'm glad it worked out, but too bad they didn't own up to their earlier mistakes too.

Thank you, I'm more relaxed now... and Matthew is cooking spaghetti for me for supper. He says he's cooking because he couldn't afford to get me anything... but he *did*... he paid for my emissions test on the van, and also for my license plate tag too. If it hadn't been for him paying for them, I wouldn't have them. :o)

Gem

Well she just said that it helped. but the next time I see her I'll ask her.