My Journey Towards Better Health

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maggiedemi

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But if she ignores the warning that's right on the bottle (about not using it long-term), I don't think she'll pay attention to anything else :/.
And the warning about not giving it to people with gastrointestinal blockage. She was playing with my life.

Here's the list of side effects for that:
Activated Charcoal: Uses and Risks
It caused constipation, which was very dangerous for me because my doc was trying to do the opposite. And the black stools made him think I had cancer, because he didn't know she was giving them to me.

Keep walking. That’s your path to regaining strength. Even if you just walk the same route repeatedly. Not only is it good exercise, you get vitamin D from the sunshine!
There are miles and miles to walk, but I'm afraid of wild animals. It's mostly forest surrounding our house. No sidewalks, so have to walk on the road or grass. Probably during the day I would be safe from coyotes though.
 

Willowy

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Can you get pepper spray? It's fairly inexpensive online, or even at Walmart (if it's legal in your state). Works great against dogs and coyotes and other smaller wild animals. And bad guys of course. But if you have bears you probably need special bear spray. Then you can go walking alone without worrying too much.

OK, I looked that up---apparently, in New York you have to buy pepper spray from an in-state licensed firearm dealer, which is pretty dumb. BUT, you can buy dog spray or bear spray online, no problem. Well that's stupid. But fine, play their game. This is the brand mail carriers use, works great:


And this is the brand I bought, nice wristband, very small and portable:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002E6RERU/?tag=&tag=thecatsite
 
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kashmir64

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My vacuum weighs about 30 lbs., but it's a Kirby. I wouldn't try to vacuum just yet, you need to heal a little more.

To me, it sounds like your mom is suffering from depression. But I'm no expert. She needs to seek professional help, but I don't see her doing this without a court order.
I try to take care of my elderly mom. She's had a heart attack and breast cancer and will be 76 in a few weeks. She still helps with vacuuming, dishes and cooking. She has even helped me catch lizards (for my snake) and even tried to clean the litter boxes. I say tried because I had to show her how to use the sifting boxes.

My point is, your mom is not too old, it sounds like she's given up.
 

tarasgirl06

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Yes, it's electric. The brand is Fagor. It has several cool sounding buttons on the front.



Activated Charcoal Capsules. It made my stool so hard and black that my doctor thought I had a cancerous mass and was going to operate, until I told him she was slipping me these pills. Here's the link to them. It even has a warning on them not to use after gastrointestinal blockage. She had no business giving them to me.

https://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-activated-charcoal-260-mg-90-capsules

Warnings:
It is not intended for long-term use. Activated charcoal may interact with or reduce the effectiveness of certain medications, such as birth control, drugs for blood pressure and syrup of ipecac. Pregnant or lactating women, those with diabetes, hypoglycemics and people with known medical conditions (including gastrointestinal blockage) and/or taking drugs should consult with a licensed physician and/or pharmacist prior to taking this supplement. May temporarily darken the stool.
Seems like your dad may not be the only one who'd fit the nickname :think: My gosh! She wants to help. But she's not helping.:gaah::nono::sigh:
Jcatbird Jcatbird have you ever boiled beans in one? Sounds like maybe they'd be better off in a regular pot and then used, cooked, in the crockpot? I've never had a crockpot or pressure cooker, so IDK. kittyluv387 kittyluv387 has some good questions there.
I was concerned about lugging around a big heavy vacuum, too, and the Dirt Devil I have is light enough not to be a problem. I have a sunken living room so I have to haul it down the step and then down into the room, and then back up when I'm done. The vacuum has all the tools on board, too, but it is well designed. It's not made now, but dirtdevil.com has some nice vacs on their site that are similar. Their prices are great, too, compared to those expensive brands, and mine does a great job. It's bagless, too, which is what I like, and I buy backup filters and belts on the site for when those need changing.
 
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maggiedemi

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But if you have bears you probably need special bear spray.
I've never actually seen a bear come out, but I know they are in there. I'm probably just being a big baby. I saw a coyote in the backyard once, but he didn't try to attack anyone. He didn't even try to attack the bunny that was in the backyard at the same time. I'll take my dad with me and then hide behind him if I see a wild animal. :lol: There is a lot of traffic (big trucks) during the day, so that probably will keep wildlife away too. I probably won't go on the forest trails that @foxxycat was talking about though. I'll just go on the 2 roads in front of my house.
 

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tarasgirl06 tarasgirl06 A crockpot acts as just a regular simmering pot so you can cook anything that takes longer in there first and add other things as those have gotten tender.

M maggiedemi The road may not be safe so maybe walk beside it. You’ll be surprised how quickly you push the grass down and form a path that is easy to maneuver. Same thing in your yard. If you are worried about animals, stick to open areas for now. The pepper/dog spray is a good safety measure. I carry a hefty stick. Like a cane but it has a wrist strap. The two things together should make you feel more secure. Making a lot of noise as you go usually scares off any wildlife. You can sing as you go! :) You can also have your Dad walk with you. It would be good for him too.
 
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maggiedemi

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I'm jealous! Wish we had walking trails around here.
You can have them, I probably will never go in there. I'm like a city girl stuck in the country. I would rather go for a walk on the sidewalk or in the stores 30 minutes away. :lol:

In all likelihood, the wildlife is more afraid of you than you are of them.
Glad to hear it! :)
 
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maggiedemi

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The road may not be safe so maybe walk beside it.
Do I have to walk with traffic? It would be much easier to walk towards it, that way I don't get run over. They fixed the old road and now they send these huge trucks down it all day long.

I carry a hefty stick.
Good idea, we have plenty of sticks.

You can also have your Dad walk with you.
Yeah, I definitely won't go alone.
 

kittyluv387

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You can have them, I probably will never go in there. I'm like a city girl stuck in the country. I would rather go for a walk on the sidewalk or in the stores 30 minutes away. :lol:



Glad to hear it! :)
I’ve always been more of a city girl too but as I’m getting older I’m seeing the importance of physical activity. A tiny bit of an incline would be nice. You would love where I’m living then. Right across from the mall! I can see the Macy’s building from my apartment windows lol.
 

DreamerRose

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Do I have to walk with traffic? It would be much easier to walk towards it, that way I don't get run over.
I don't think you have to walk with the traffic. It's much safer to walk on the left side of the road. You can see them, and they can see you better. I would do it that way until a cop stops you.
 
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maggiedemi

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Right across from the mall! I can see the Macy’s building from my apartment windows
Yes! That would be perfect for me. The mall is 30 minutes away. Not many stores left in it though. :(

I would do it that way until a cop stops you.
I never see any cops out here. I doubt they would care where I walk. :)
 

kashmir64

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I wouldn't worry about the wildlife too much. Unless you are messing with them or they are rabid (very rare), they won't bother you.
I used to have a cougar that was in love with my old car. Many times I would go into the carport and he was sleeping on the roof of the car. "backing away". He would then just get up an saunter off somewhere else. I also have a bear, he just does his bear thing, wolves, coyotes and I've seen the badger den, but badgers are nasty, so I don't go near it. - and this is just on my property.
Wildlife is beautiful as long as you don't mess with it.
Give a bear a wide berth though.

Edit: BTW, you are supposed to walk against traffic.
 

Talien

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Probably during the day I would be safe from coyotes though.
Coyotes will not attack Humans aside from extreme circumstances, like if they are rabid or have young nearby.

If you are really concerned about wildlife though, take some of those bang snaps (you know those little paper things with gunpowder in them that you throw on the ground) and pop a few if anything gets too close. As has been mentioned, pepper spray is another good idea but it's a lot easier to get ahold of snaps.
 

rubysmama

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Thanks for the soup recipes. :redheartpump:
Soups are easy to make, good for you, and can be frozen and thawed/reheated for future meals.

I just asked her if she had her B-12 checked and she said she couldn't remember. So that's something to look at, thank you. :)
It may not be, but you never know.

Dad is called Rockhead because he always does things the exact same way every time, but expects a different outcome. It's also because he makes rock hard homemade bread and refuses to listen to any tips from anyone. He just keeps making the bread the exact same way, hoping it will improve, but it's always hard as a brick! :lol:
Love it. Your Dad seems like a great guy!

We have a crockpot
That's great you have a crockpot. Is it a large one? If so, they're perfect for making soups.

Here's one that's easy that I make often: http://www.kraftcanada.com/recipes/zesty-minestrone-104589 (I use less pasta, and skip the parmesan cheese)

Jcatbird Jcatbird have you ever boiled beans in one? Sounds like maybe they'd be better off in a regular pot and then used, cooked, in the crockpot?
Just wanted to comment on cooking dry beans in a crockpot.

I've soaked the white pea beans overnight, then put them in the crockpot to make baked beans, and it works fine.

I've also soaked both chickpeas, and black beans overnight, then put them in the crockpot with water and cooked them for several hours and it's worked well. I do find, however, it's just as easy to buy a can of beans if I'm only adding some to a recipe.

However, I have not cooked red kidney beans in the slow cooker, because in order to cook them in the slower cooker, they MUST be boiled for 10 minutes first on the stove, otherwise there is a chance they won't reach a high enough temperature and could make you quite sick by eating as few as 4 beans. So for me, it's really easier to just buy canned red kidney beans.

Here's a link with more info: Why Cooking Kidney Beans in Your Slow Cooker Can Make You Sick

Edit: BTW, you are supposed to walk against traffic.
Maybe it's because we didn't have sidewalks when I was a kid, but which side of the street to walk on was one of the first things I remember learning.

 
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maggiedemi

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That's great you have a crockpot. Is it a large one?
Yes, it's huge.

However, I have not cooked red kidney beans in the slow cooker, because in order to cook them in the slower cooker, they MUST be boiled for 10 minutes first on the stove, otherwise there is a chance they won't reach a high enough temperature and could make you quite sick by eating as few as 4 beans.
Thanks for telling me. I didn't know that. :eek2:

Maybe it's because we didn't have sidewalks when I was a kid, but which side of the street to walk on was one of the first things I remember learning.
Yeah, that makes sense to face traffic, so I can see what's coming. I don't know why they re-routed these huge trucks down our country back roads. It seems dangerous. :headscratch:
 
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maggiedemi

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One of my stitches in my stomach oozes every morning after I take my shower now. I'm so worried. I don't want to go back to the hospital and my lady doc can't see me until Oct. 10th. I put a gauze type pad over it with medical tape. Any tips?
The staples are out and the scabs fell off. I'm so worried that my guts won't stay in!
 
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