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Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

  • 1.  Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-20-2019 11:59
    Hello to those who might read this! Making a long story short, I believe my heart circumstances have caused me to be extremely frightened,depressed, angry and possibly fallen into PTSD. Not to mention continued incomplete diagnoses that seem to grow by the day. Phantom and/or real pains,migrating and changing. I will be contacting a psychiatrist this Monday 4-22-19. My story............. 2007 at age 45 2 stents placed in my LAD. No apparent heart attack. February 1st 2019 4 more stents placed in my LAD. Right branch is 60% blockage. Still no apparent heart attack. I am living with a time bomb in my chest, and dearly would like to connect with some one that has conquered the fear of death (if that is possible). Or someone who has been in my situation. Surely I have seen every You-Tube video on heart health, and all these so called wise doctors continue to contradict each other. Can we actually reverse plaque build up, or at least stop it? I do not want to take Plavix and a statin for the rest of my days,considering they very well may have terrible, if not fatal side effects.I also have a 14 day monitor on for suspected a-fib type disorder,what else could go wrong eh? Well, signing off here for now ! I live in the Washington D.C. metro region in Montgomery County Md.  Thanx,  Jim

    ------------------------------
    James Phillips
    Rockville MD
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-21-2019 07:28
    Hey James,
    I have a few thoughts for you. I’m surprised that you would have this many stents in your LAD but the positive thing is you haven’t had a heart attack! However, you might want to research an excellent heart hospital and surgeon in your area and discuss the possibility of bypass surgery. It is a very good surgery that lasts for many years. They might also be able to address the Afib issue at the same time.
    Also, there was one who overcame the fear of death. His name is Jesus. The Psalmist said “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me”. So I pray for you that you open the heart of your soul to Jesus Christ and he will be with you and give you peace regardless of the outcome.
    Living with heart disease is a journey. Be strong, take courage and don’t let it prevent you from living. One thing that I have seen volunteering is that there are a lot of people in far worse shape than I who get up every day and take life by the horn and carry on.
    Love living,
    Dale

    Sent from my iPad




  • 3.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-21-2019 08:25
    Jim, Not gonna lie to you,it sucks,but it does get better. June at age 48 I had to have a triple bypass due to an aneurysm in the widow maker+ 2 other blockages. I was in good physical shape+have a physically active job. I went thru all the crap you just listed depression,anger,fear+freaking out every time I felt something in my chest. As far as statins I had bad reactions to them and they finally figured crestotr works best for me, something about the way it absorbs into the body+less side effects.
    My Dr.explained there's alotta of depression that goes w/heart disease and that I should talk to someone,I found this forum instead and quickly realized I'm not the only one and life does go on,she prescribed an anti-depressant which I'm in the process of weaning off. I caught myself thinking "why me" but that's BS thinking.Its been 10months I kinda have a new "normal"but it's acceptable to me,and I didn't let this be at me.
    Hang in There
    Dave





  • 4.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-21-2019 09:55
    ​James-
    If there is one thing that I have learned from reading people's stories here, visiting them in the hospital as a MH volunteer, and from my own experience it is that people can make amazing recoveries from the most dire-seeming medical situations. STAY POSITIVE. (Consulting with a therapist, as you plan to do, is a good place to start.) It has been eight years since my own multiple (will-he-make-it; won't-he-make-it) surgeries, and I continue to marvel at how well I feel and how active I am. There are no guarantees of course, but the odds are in your favor.

    ------------------------------
    Bob] Levin
    Berkeley CA
    adelbob@comcast.net
    ------------------------------



  • 5.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-21-2019 15:08
    Hello Robert, And thank you for your response, I am encouraged to see that you are very active after having multiple surgeries,that is great for you and a comfort for me to further explore the idea of possible procedures if necessary. This forum, and the people I have been in contact with over the last two days has been more beneficial to me than most of the information I have come across in total in the last month !!! I will keep posting things as they occur, if that might be a help to some one else. In His grip of Grace,   Jim Phillips

    ------------------------------
    James Phillips
    Rockville MD
    ------------------------------



  • 6.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-23-2019 08:55
    I am a day late to this conversation but my first open heart surgery (Mitro Stenosis) was in 1981.  I am now 81 and counting.  My artificial mitral valve was installed in 1992.  You can do the math for the age at which I was diagnosed.   I am president of our local MH chapter and very active as a visitor.  Your life is in front of you.  Don't be embarrassed to seek professional help.  Anyone with a life threatening illness begins to see their own mortality and the effect that it might have on the future.   If I had been born thirty years earlier I would not be here today. 
    Philip Winsor
    Aiken, SC

    ------------------------------
    Philip Winsor
    Aiken SC

    ------------------------------



  • 7.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-21-2019 10:09

    Good morning and Happy Easter, Jim. I must confess that I've never worried about my heart problems, although concern has definitely entered the picture a number of times. I was a runner, worked out with weights and probably ate better than 95% of the people on this earth. I had a little a-fib but on July 31, 2006, I suffered a heart attack, my wife rushed me to a hospital and I was then life flighted to St. Luke's in the medical center in Houston. I had a double by-pass ( 100% blockage in the widow maker and 90+% in another) and have scar tissue on 20% of my heart. Since that event I've had 3 cardioversions, an ablation, a pacemaker, an aneurism repaired, both knees replaced, and now have been diagnosed with stage 3 prostate cancer. Through all of this I've kept the attitude that God is totally in charge of my life and I've turned it over to him. I've been a visiting member  Mended Hearts for 10 years and when people hear my story many realize that after heart challenges that there is a lot of life in each and every one of us. Hopefully this will help you in some way and perhaps calm your anxiety. Remember HE IS RISEN for each and everyone of us.

    Don

     

    mdh25211@att.net

     






  • 8.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-21-2019 14:13
    Hello Jim, I realize you had a busy day and as I scanned the letters you've received so far you have received some very good information. It sort of reminds me of the question" should I get a second opinion.? I'm Dr. Bill, not a medical doctor, a Dr.of Philosophy,a retired teacher and a heart patient. I had triple bypass at age 71 in 2002, and aorta stent in 2013 in the been living with prostate cancer with watch and wait since 1997. You mentioned that you were "living with a time bomb in your chest" and you had concern about the fear of death. Don't we all? If you look at the back your birth certificate there is no guarantee. Read on ...... 

    Reviewing some of the other letters I noticed that Dale talks about the heart disease is a journey and he suggests be strong, take courage and don't let it prevent you from living. Good Idea

    Dave is closer to your age and he's got the thoughts about "why me", again an eternal question with no answer.

    Bob from California stresses to STAY POSITIVE with some thoughts about a therapist and he talks about being active. has anyone suggested cardiac rehab for you.? You have to stay active hospital-based cardiac rehab is the safest approach. Looking for people to talk to? You'll find them in hospital-based cardiac rehab.

    All good information. When I had my bypass my wife and I were planning to go to Ireland in June 2002 to play golfall arrangements were made in November 2001. Surgery took place at the end of February 2002. The doctor recommended Cardiac Rehab I started as quickly as I could. Three months to the day of surgery we were on an airplane to Ireland and the golf course were waiting for us. I walked and carried my clubs for 10 wonderful days.When I returned I started as a volunteer in Cardiac Rehab and joined chapter 179 , Mended Hearts. I put in eight years as the President Before we had to move to Maryland.I'm still playing golf regularly but I had to back off my ice skating routine last year. I'm 87 now.with  my target  to live to the age of 101. Will I make it? good question, no answer. The point is you are in charge. If you want that bomb to go off and let the depression get to you always remember you're in charge.

    I'm now living in Elkton Maryland up near the Penn/Del.borders. I am familiar with Rockville area, a family member lived there for a while. But I did find for you Mended Hearts Chapter 94 in Washington area.  The President is Norm , phone number 202-607-5448 with an email address is skiesnorm@gmail.com..

    ------------------------------
    Dr Bill
    Ryan. PhD.
    Elkton MD. USA
    443 485 6266[
    Mended Hearts Chapter 179. Past Pres.
    ------------------------------



  • 9.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-21-2019 15:37
    Hello Bill, I thank you so much for your response. I currently attend cardiac rehab 3 days a week. Second visit to them as I attended in 2007 after the first two stents were placed. This go around is a little different. I think that a visit to a shrink is in order , this time it does not seem as I can shake the fears as easily. I might be causing some of my own physical problems because of the mental ones. My B.P. was lower than normal pre and post workout, and yet my pulse was high. These have not been the case up until this past Friday 4-19 . So Monday if my vitals are off again I will discontinue rehab and get an appointment w/ the cardiologist. In relation to my statement on death, I think I might not have been clear and that's my fault. Death is not the concern as much as the process, which is something I will have to grapple with. It is the process,that stinks. I know where i am going after this life, I just do not like how we get there haha ! Any way thank you again for your response to my email. It is an encouragement , and sage advice of which i am grateful. In His grip of Grace,  Jim Phillips

    ------------------------------
    James Phillips
    Rockville MD
    ------------------------------



  • 10.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-22-2019 19:52
    Sounds like you are already heading in the right direction Jim. I had an afterthought that you could post in your book. My phone number is 443 485 6266.  When you want to bounce something off the wall I am as close as a phone call 24/ 7. I have an answering machine to keep the robo calls out but when I hear a human voice I answer if I am home.  if toy call on a warm sunny day, a golf day I will return all calls ASAP  The same applies to E Mail .....wa2dnd@earthlink.net. Dr Bill.................

    ------------------------------
    Dr Bill
    Ryan. PhD.
    Elkton MD. USA
    443 485 6266[
    Mended Hearts Chapter 179. Past Pres.
    ------------------------------



  • 11.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-21-2019 14:17
    James, I can appreciate to feeling of foreboding and depression. Get professional help if you feel you need it. My first event was in 1990 at age 53. I got the help I needed from family. My daughter mentioned Dr. Dean Ornish and his works to me. He recommends a vegetarian approach to diet, meditation, group support and moderate exercise. At that time I could not find a support group based on heart health. My daughter and son were already vegetarians and that helped. I made it 16 years before my next event. I had slowly allowed fish and oils back into my diet and paid for it with getting my bypasses clogged, A stent gave me another six years before that stent became clogged enough that I needed a stent through that stent. The formation of the heart damaging plaque can definitely be slowed or stopped with the Dr. Dean Ornish approach. Fortunately for me, One of the local hospitals had started a class based or Dr. Ornish's intensive cardiac recovery. I joined the class and then assisted in the formation and running of a support group of graduates. Our group kept going for three years before most of the members had found that they wanted to do other things with the time they were giving to the support group. I miss that support group and now I am back on my own. I am a member of Mended Hearts and attend the monthly meetings.
    My recommendations for you are. First, search for a support group. I recommend checking with local hospitals for support groups and especially ask about a class based of Dr. Ornish's studies. Second, any one of Dr. Ornish's books is a great help for diet and life style. Third, rely on your doctor's tests to determine if your life style and diet are adequate in preventing plaque build-up in your arteries. Fourth, get support wherever you can, family and friends church groups or professional support groups. There is a Dr. Ornish page on Facebook.
    Life isn't over. You can survive. Giving in to depression isn't an option. I've heard all the negetavies about statins, I have taken them since before my first surgery in 1990. Yes, I had to work through "heavy legs" and other symptoms from statins but they are the best medicine can offer. Some people are lucky enough that with a healthy lifestyle, they don't need statins. I not one of them. I have a family history of high cholesterol, heart disease and strokes.
    At a minimum, you should get one of Dr. Ornish's books. He has been in the business for about 40 years, runs a clinic, has done a lot of research and pioneered work to Medicare to support his "Intensive Cardiac Rehab Program."

    ------------------------------
    George Howard
    Hurst TX
    (817) 282-2403
    ------------------------------



  • 12.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-21-2019 16:21
    Hello George, Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences with me. Wow that's a lot of info,thanks. I have browsed Dean Ornish's info along with Dr. Esselstyn,Dr. Mercola , Dr. Furman , Dr. McDougall and many others. I have lost 20 lbs. during this fiasco and that could be a result of loss of muscle mass, and trying to go vegan, and depression. I will adopt a complete whole food plant based diet in increments. That 20 lbs. is too much weight to lose. I need to regain my strength and muscle mass (somewhat). Some doctors claim that plaque regression is possible, and some say no. Curious what the truth is !! The hospital you referred to is in Texas right? Here in the D.C. Metro area , alternative cardiology seems to be taboo. Hoping a continued health and healing for you George, you seem to have the type of attitude I am trying to adopt. Thank you again, In His grip of Grace  Jim Phillips

    ------------------------------
    James Phillips
    Rockville MD
    ------------------------------



  • 13.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-21-2019 15:44
    Although I have not faced your exact circumstances, I find great advice and support in this group. I hear your frustration and fear and know that others in this group who are more knowledgeable and experienced will be able to address your issues better than I. Yes it does seem that advice, especially that gleaned from Internet searches can seen contradictory and confusing. I’ve found that letting others in this group know what’s going on will benefit you. Also turn to your medical team, tely on them to guide you.




  • 14.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-21-2019 16:32
    Hello Rancy, I agree with you that the connecting with the group has helped a lot. I believe that as a whole the people in the medical field are trying hard against some big problems, both in numbers and complexity. I give a shout out to our doctors, nurses ,EMTs PoPo and Fire and rescue. They have tough jobs. I thank you for your care in responding to my email. Every person that responded to me is on my prayer list including you Rancy !!! In His Gip of Grace  Jim Phillips

    ------------------------------
    James Phillips
    Rockville MD
    ------------------------------



  • 15.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-22-2019 15:33
    Hi James,

    I am 68 years old and had a heart attack and quintuple bypass surgery nearly 15 months ago, survived a two week medically induced coma after surgery and have not feared death for many years.  Although I obviously was not pleased to have a heart attack or be told that I needed immediate, emergency bypass surgery, I was at peace with what had to be done, including the risk of death, both before and after the surgery.  Actually, I don't really regard death as a risk.  It is a certainty, and nobody knows how much time they have, even if they are perfectly healthy right now.  All we can do is fully live each moment that we are blessed to receive.  So, I think you're on the right track seeking professional help in dealing with your fears and anger.  It is quite possible to overcome any fear, including death, and it also is possible to reach a place where you feel a sense of gratitude to all who helped you, including friends and family as well as health professionals, and for every day to have the gift of life.  I know that I'm living on borrowed time, and what once bothered me I now regard as trivial as I experience each new and glorious day.

    A couple of additional thoughts -- I, like probably every heart patient on this site, have had my share of pain, discomfort and restrictions as a result of my coronary artery disease, which is ongoing and a condition with which I will have to live for the rest of my life.  I also, however, have gone from having to learn how to walk and feed myself again, to running, going to the gym, doing handstand pushups, pullups and pressing more than 100 pounds overhead, all in one short year after surgery.  I'm not yet up to the level I was before my heart attack, but I've travelled many miles, literally and figuratively, since I got out of the hospital.  And I'm not the only one doing these things.  You can google some websites about heart athletes.

    As to medications like blood thinners and statins, yes, there are potential serious side effects, but these drugs, along with beta blockers, low dose aspirin and others, are taken by millions of people every day, without major side effects, and it is what keeps them alive.  I consider them my lifeline.  They have allowed me to continue doing the things that I love with the people that I love, including giving back to my wife for all she went through and all she did for me during the time that I was unconscious and incapacitated, and watching my only daughter, who I love more than life itself, graduate high school and begin attending college.

    What I have experienced over the last 15 months has opened me as a human being far more than I ever thought possible, and I am grateful for having had this experience no matter what the future brings.  I know that you can get there too with some hard work and support.

    Finally, if you are dissatisfied with your current medical care, look for alternatives.  You're located right outside Washington DC and lucky to have some of the finest medical care available nearby.

    All the best,

    Ira ​

    ------------------------------
    Ira Reid
    Hoboken NJ
    ------------------------------



  • 16.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-23-2019 09:07
    Hello Ira, and thank you for your response to my email, yes many have shown concern to me through this format and I am grateful for the support. I will be attending a forum in Virginia this coming Saturday. The future can be bright, but right now I have to get the meds right because since the stents were placed, I have what seems to be neuro related symptoms hard to explain. So I continue on and hope my visits to the doctors will be fruitful. In His grip of Grace,   Jim Phillips





  • 17.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-23-2019 09:23

    Hello James, and thank you for reaching out.  As the several responses to your initial posting shows, you have taken an incredibly important first step by reaching out through this forum.  We have a very active Mended Hearts support group here in the DC metro area, which meets monthly at Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park MD (not too far from you).  Call me directly at (202) 607-5448 and we will get you fully connected regarding upcoming meetings (next one is Sunday May 19 at 4 pm), as well as to volunteers locally who have faced situations similar to yours, and much much more.

     

    We are also glad to hear that you are coming to this Saturday's regional cluster meeting at INOVA Fairfax Hospital – we'll see you there, and there will be numerous participants who have gone through what you are going through now.   Thank you for reaching out, and we look forward to shaking your hand Friday !  Give me a call anytime.

     

    Norm Linsky (Chapter 94 immediate past president)






  • 18.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-23-2019 11:09
    Well written.  Covered all the basis. Feel the same way since my second aortic valve replacement  in 1996. I am 87 yrss old.

    ------------------------------
    Donald Duman
    Redmond OR
    3606011774
    ------------------------------



  • 19.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-22-2019 19:36
    Hello James,
    I see some other folks have given you some good feedback. I will chime in as well.
    You will find that a common thread running through all of us is that we are all aware of our mortality. One of my biggest realizations was the fact that I did not die from my heart condition. Instead, I had a Quad bypass and had to work my way back to what I felt like was a normal life.
    I am glad you are seeking assistance with your depression. I have been seeing counselors and Psychiatrists for years even before my bypass. I am on meds to assist with that as well as all my heart meds. You are not alone there.
    I wore a monitor for 4 weeks and it detected my afib and I now have a pacemaker that was put in about 18 months after my bypass. because it did not act up on a regular basis it was hard to find. Yours might be the same way. Some symptoms are very hard to find because they are not consistent. 
    One of the things that makes me feel better is I really trust my Cardiologist. I can not stress enough how important that feeling is. I changed doctors right after my surgery because I wanted that feeling of trust and confidence. It helped me and my family recover quicker. 
    As far a Statins go, I can't take them. I have reactions to everyone I have tried. As a result, I have to take an injection once every two weeks. It works, I have no side effects and I had a drop of over 80 points in my cholesterol. 
    I also spoke with my doctor and I only take 1/2 a Plavix every day. I still have to be careful about cuts and scratches but it has helped.
    I won't go into all of them but I take 17 pills per day now and I do not care. It is worth it to be able to see my Grandaughter growing up. I retired from work and my wife and I are now traveling full time in our RV seeing whatever we can and enjoying life. I only have to see my Doctor every 4 months instead of every 2 weeks as I get better.
    The one thing you have to do is get over the fear of death. It is going to happen to all of us eventually. You will go when it is your time to go. Just relax and heal your body and your mind.
    I worked with a volunteer at St Mary's Med Center that had a 5 X bypass at age 80. He turned 96 this last year. He is a WW II vet. He was in B 17's over Germany and had 3 planes shot up and he also became a prisoner of war. He is still kicking and just takes each day one at a time.
    You just keep doing what you are doing. Ask for help when needed. Find a Chapter of Mended Hearts and go to the meetings. You will see folks with conditions worse than yours who have recovered just fine. They will be more than willing to share tips with you about coping and adapting. 
    Sorry to be so long winded and I am not trying to preach. You just need to know your fears are normal and you have methods available to you to get assistance.
    You take care and remember we are here for you to talks to. 

    Richard Short
    Chapter 395 





  • 20.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-22-2019 21:41
    Thank you, Richard, that was beautiful and true.  I think of us when I read the St. Crispan's speech from Shakespeare's Henry V:

    " He that outlives this day, and comes safe home, Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,
    And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
    He that shall live this day, and see old age,
    Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours, And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.'
    Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars, And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.' Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
    But he'll remember, with advantages,
    What feats he did that day....
    We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...."

    The metaphor works, James.  There is much about which we may be proud.  We all of us have been tested and have triumphed over adversity.  We who have survived are brothers and sisters.  Welcome home, brother.

    ------------------------------
    Ira Reid
    Hoboken NJ
    ------------------------------



  • 21.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-23-2019 09:59
    Hello Richard, Thank you for your input in responding to my email. I now have enough evidence of many people leading productive,joyful lives with CAD and the associated illnesses. I have noticed the common thread that most of the responding people have been older than myself and have coped better. This is encouraging. I'm curious to see how this conference on Saturday of Mended Hearts goes !! May the Lord bless you Richard,  Jim Phillips





  • 22.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-23-2019 10:09
    James, without going into a whole lot about my surgeries, I'm 43 and have had my chest opened 3 times in 15 years. I currently am seeing a counselor and have found that alot of cardiac patients have developed PTSD and it goes undiagnosed alot of the time. I joined this group trying to see if it was something wrong with me, the dreams, the fears, the panic everytime I felt something not right in my chest. You are not alone, nor will you ever be alone. It is tough but you can and you will beat this. You are making the right decision by going to see someone. I know how hard it is, to feel that panic everytime something doesn't feel right with your heart, to close your eyes at night and that fear set in because you're wondering if you will wake up in the morning. It does get better James. And from what I have seen so far, there are a long list of people who are always there to speak to in this group. Utilize every possible avenue you have.

    ------------------------------
    Charles Capien
    Prior Lake MN
    ------------------------------



  • 23.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-23-2019 11:27
    ​I just read something in a Wounded Warriors email.  It applies equally to us as heart survivors. 

    "Every day is an Alive Day."

    For those who may not be familiar with the term, an Alive Day is a day when you survived a life threatening situation, whether in combat like those who were in the military and who coined the term, or those like us who were and are confronted by our own mortality on a daily basis but who live, who struggle, but who live and thrive.  We are still here. 

    I was thinking that my Alive Day was February 12, 2018, the date of my heart attack, but then I realized that February 13, 2018, the date of my bypass surgery, also was my Alive Day.  But what we have is a chronic condition, so every day since then also has been an Alive Day.

    I treat my Alive Days as days for quiet reflection and gratitude.

    Happy Alive Day.

    ------------------------------
    Ira Reid
    Hoboken NJ
    ------------------------------



  • 24.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-23-2019 18:14
    Thank you Ira for the saying from Wounded Warriors,and also Charles Capien for your your sound advice,wow your situation is a tough one indeed. I have learned so much from quite a few people in the last few days, and are grateful for the courageous souls that have posted responses. I am so thankful. I will hopefully be confident enough in the future to help some one else. God bless, Jim Phillips





  • 25.  RE: Attempting to cope and connect,support group(s) ( actual face to face) if one still exists

    Posted 04-23-2019 19:17
    I thought I had posted on this thread a day or two ago, but I never saw it appear. Well, me and computers...

    Anyway, much of what I had to say has been covered, but having had my own will-he-make-it; won't he make it surgeries, and having read and heard the stories  ​of other people here and those I have visited as a MH volunteer, which have been even more wrought, I can only reaffirm the possibilities of amazing progress and the benefits that can come from such, albeit not to be wished for, journeys. It's been eight years since my worst times, and I can still literally smile at each step I take. When I visit the supermarket and recall that walking its aisles for fifteen minutes a day were once the extent of my exercise... At 77, I feel great and am fully active.

    ------------------------------
    Bob] Levin
    Berkeley CA
    adelbob@comcast.netRobertRobert
    ------------------------------