[Anonymous December 14, 1996 at 8:55 pm Post count: 93172]

#1166718

Bruce,
I’m so glad you wrote this message. It was like getting pushed into action.
It’s so much easier to sit around and feel sorry for myself, although I know
I shouldn’t be. You always seem to make me see things in a more positive way.
It must be all that talk about rock climbing. Hopefully, I’ll have enough
energy to do active activities soon. Thanks.

Caroline

[Anonymous December 14, 1996 at 9:38 pm Post count: 93172]

#1057702

Watch out, Bruce is in one of his moods again to rant and rave at you all! Must be a Graves’ attack.

I seem to be hearing a lot of VICTIMS of Graves’ disease on here lately and it actually gets me upset. Are you a VICTIM of Graves’? If someone calls me a VICTIM of Graves’ “THEMS FIGHTIN WORDS”!!!! and I’m liable to insert my foot somewhere unpleasant. (size 9 pointy-toed cowboy boots at the moment)

I REFUSE to be a VICTIM of this disease. Being a victim is a real good way of avoiding responsibility for your own life (does work good on my mom sometimes for money tho). I have Graves’ disease, and always will probably, but I will not be its VICTIM. Expressing yourself as a victim is socially acceptable of course, and if your spouse or family doesn’t understand, being a victim they can understand. BUT at the cost of your aliveness and overall well being.

NONE of us feels great all the time, even those without a disease, if you know someone that is happy all the time, I question their mental stability. (or they are a good actor) I’m hearing healthy people all over complaining about how depressing christmas is too, don’t blame it on the disease.(ok, ok am bummed sometimes too!)

If you are a victim of the disease, then you are totally powerless in how it affects your life. Not being its victim, I (yes me) gets to say how my life is gonna turn out (maybe just for this moment). Power over your life lies in your speaking, I live, breath, fart, you name it as a non-VICTIM and by golly my life is great, and yes I have this disease thank you very much.

Listen to how you express yourself, and let it all hang out (I’m a child of the sixties, think that meant something then)

Love to all, Bruce

God, this gets my adrneline going more than blind rock climbing

[Anonymous December 16, 1996 at 11:02 am Post count: 93172]

#1166719

Right on!!

[Anonymous December 16, 1996 at 1:19 pm Post count: 93172]

#1166720

Bruce,
I would have to agree you with 100%. I think what you wrote can be said for
all the punches life hits us with. We all must deal with things we have no
control over, but we can direct how these things effect our lives.
Where I have diffeculty is in deciding how hard to push. I’m planning
a project at work now. The project will take about 21 days/10-14 hour days.
The work will also be very hard emotionally and physically. When I get
frustrated with GD(why am I in the small % who just can’t shake this),
my doctor tells me that part of the problem is that I
let it go on to long, I didn’t face the music, and tried to live without treatment.
(I also had no money and needed the work.) The work I did for 6 months before I
went to the Dr. was the same kind of work this project is now. I remeber
feeling ill all the time and doing a lousy job most of the time. But I kept pushing
because I was in this great deniale(even tho my was growing).
I didn’t want to be a victim, so I just
told myself to be strong. I wasn’t being strong, I was just stupid.
Now I don’t really trust my judgement. Getting better has meant that I’ve had to
pay far to much attention to how I feel. I know I feel better than I have in awhile,
but I’m just not sure if I can handle the project. I’m nervous on the 10th day
I won’t be able to move. I’m still hyper, but I don’t want to put off
this work, it’s very important to everyone involed. It’s about furthering the out cry
for the mentally retarded and their care. There’s an institution my uncle lives in.
It’s in danger of closing due to “lack of funding”,bull fritters, 200 helpless people will
be homeless. Shouldn’t I be able to push myself? My Dr. just shaks his head and says,
“take it easy, rest”-that just drives me nutts!
So guess what all this long wind was about is, how do you know your ready,
if you’ve been taking it one day at a time?

Thanks for listening,
MichelleD

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