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Margeaux, I hope you are able to get on top of that sinus infection! I'm not sure why some people get them worse than others, other than the fact that some people have smaller drainage systems than they should.

In working at the Asthma and Allergy Clinic that I did for 4 years, so often people would have surgeries, to put in "Windows", to help the drainage system. It does work, if you are one of those who often are hit with the Dreaded Sinus Infection! Gosh, I remember people coming in, who were holding their faces on hot pack, in So Much Pain from the pressure and Headaches! I hope you aren't one of those type sufferers! The sinus wash is really important, so keep that up! Sinus infections SUCK! Get well soon!
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I know I've mentioned this a few times already on this thread (sorry!), since I know we have some sinus-issue sufferers, myself included... but I started putting 1-2 small drops of tea tree oil in my sinus rinse saline water, and it's done something helpful long term for my issues. It's a broad spectrum antibacterial/fungicide.

I personally still need to make appointment with ENT doc to try to figure out why my mucus has been so problematic (too dry, bloody... not right... for years now, ever since mold problem here at house). I believe that the drop of tea tree oil is helping. The little bit of blood doesn't show up every day anymore, just random. Making that appointment is at the bottom of a long To Do list, though. "Someday."
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Sharyn, I have trouble with service manuals sometimes, too. With so many people out in the world putting videos online now, there's a chance that someone has videotaped themselves doing any given mechanical repair and put that video online. This particular battery setup was an unusual enough placement that a mechanic had made a video showing how to swap it out. It was perfect help to be able to watch someone do the removal in a 10 min video. :-)
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I believe I'm loosing my mind also... Hot difficult to do when you come in 2nd rate .... Too many responsiblities... Does anyone else have a hard time trying to think straight at times??? My mother tries to make me her slave... while then trying to make me feel guilty for not doing her bidding ... I'm so exhausted...
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D*mn... spel check...
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Yes my brain also acts up,,, today I lost a word.. told hubs I think I am getting ALZ!! Can;t wait to go back to work so I can have some conversation that is about something other than TV and politics! (MOM)
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My mother has really screwed with my head... All my holidays were a loss (after putting so much work I to them).... I feel like my whole life has fallen apart (no hubby or kids to help)...
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Heart, I sympathize so much. I had a couple of things happen within a few days of each other that started during holiday time at bro's house, and I think it sent me into a small tizzy from which I've yet to fully recover.

I tried to make my peace with it all today by calling my dad and talking over a few things. The bad news is -- my mom stirs up drama for no good reason. The good news is -- my dad seems very content and has no issues with me continuing to handle his personal bank account for time being. He doesn't want to get a new bank account down in new place right away. *shrug* What can I do?

What's going on Heart? Just more of the same?
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Thanks Ali... The "more of the same" is me doing all the work... no one else is around... Christmas was the worst... with my mother laughing on the phone with my brother's telling them how great is was that she has family... and "that's all 'she' needs"... made me feel like sh!t, as she and they all left me out again... My mother makes it sound like she's a mother/woman Goddess... I'm so tired of catering to her... I used to think that we could go 'out' in this life feeling an 'appreciation/thankfulness'... you know... just feel some kind of a somewhat 'positive' closure... but, it's never going to happen... and... I'll never, ever look at Thanksgiving or Christmas again... like I used to... I used to love them and be such a happy person... now, I'm so, so empty inside... what a way to start a new year... Also trying to make some major decisions in my life... and, it's been so difficult for me to think straight...
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... my mother is going on 90, so at this point I just have to 'ride it out', but it's so depressing to me...
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Being totally taken for granted is depressing and it sounds like that's how you feel! She does not mean she appreciates you as part of the "family" that is doing the work, just the ones who visit and take advantage of you doing all the work?

THAT's the sort of thing that makes people like us buy ourselves our own Christmas and birthday presents (if we have a minute and a dollar to do it with, that is...) and on the plus side, focus more on the religious meaning of the season instead of the "family" part. Hoping there are brighter holidays in your future!
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Thank you V... I have to 'believe' in a higher power, otherwise there is absolutely no meaning for me left in life... My 'family' is obliterated... while my mother could have been an advocate for gettting her sons to 'appreciate' what their sister has done for her (basically, given her a wonderful, quality of life.... as older people would usually never have... like concerts, baseball games... via live, or streaming... 'Her' Cubs won last year... and, I even had them send her a happy birthday letter... But, she was most cheerful when her son(s) would 'finally' call so,she could immerse her'self' in it with the sons (who very, very rarely visit)... it's been a tough, long haul... I think the gradual deteriation of what I 'assumed' a mother's behavior would be like has kicked me black and blue (from the inside out).... it's been a tiresome road... a sad road... one that I don't want to remember... but, I'm forced to... because this has happened in my house that I generously shared to no avail... sorry, I'm just disgusted and disappointed ... Even though I had a disfunctional family growing up and this came back to haunt me, I expected my mother to be more of a mother... that I've found she is not capable od nor can ever be...
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Heart, (((Hugs)))!!! I can understand your feelings. I hope you can find a way to make some time for yourself daily just to breathe and spent 15 minutes doing something positive for yourself. I know it is tough to do.
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Ali, thanks for the info about videos. I will have to look at some for projects I need done.

What a day this has been. I got very angry with rude girl today as she was on a mission and very rude with how she talked to me. So responded back with the tone and volume answering her question and I ended it with ...and, DO NOt TALK TO ME LIKE I AM YOUR DOG!!!!!
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Ali,
Tea tree oil, aka melaleuca oil is ototoxic.
It is contraindicated (anything but normal saline) in anything you may be using in your netti-pot or to wash out your sinuses.

Toxic to your ears....lose your hearing?
The ears are connected to something...eustacian tube, nasal passages, throat, sinuses, o dear, I don't remember....please look into your practice of adding 1-2 small drops to the saline solution-The person I checked with said no one does this. Even then, that would be too much.

For sinuses, a good chiropractor gave hubs oregano oil (also cures ear infections), but you rub a drop on your hands and smell it, breathe it in holding your hands over your nose and face.

Did someone recommend this to you? Can you look up ototoxic and tea tree oil?
Interested to find out from you....it was someone else who said it is ototoxic.
We did go over this before, but I forgot the outcome....is it considered ok?
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I found many references to using tea tree oil for sinus problems, however it is to be used as a vapor, not used internally. I found this warning from live strong:

"The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine warns that tea tree oil should not directly be used internally or swallowed, as it contains many toxic chemicals. Applying this oil to the skin may also cause an allergic reaction in some cases. There is not a recommended dosage for tree tea oil, as it is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration; however, the Mayo Clinic advises that tea tree oil products should not be used for longer than one month at a time."
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Thanks, guys. No one recommended, and I'm happy that you guys actually, you know, RESEARCHED the use of it. I was fairly desperate for something to help my ongoing nasal issues, and the drop of tea tree did something. I don't use all the time, just sporadically, but I'll stop using altogether and look for safe alternative.
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I know aestheticians sometimes recommend tea tree as skin antiseptic for both bacterial/fungal issues, so I assumed it was safe to use in a very diluted mix for sinus wash. I need to research, obviously. Thanks again.
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Ali, I did see home remedy site saying to use it as you were. I honestly don't know just how safe it is but several sites recommend it.
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MyBIL called yesterday AM, hubby and he talked for over 2 hours, about what, I have no idea, but hubby did mention to him, that he and i are Planning some changes to Our lives in the future, that will affect where their Dad lives.

BIL jumped on the bandwagon, saying he would talk to his wife about having the Old Man come to a poe-dunk in Arizona, to live with them. YEAH RIGHT! first off I'm p!ssed that hubby even mentioned anything to his brother at this point, and secondly, my FIL would NEVER go to live with this Son, 3rd, FIL won't travel by plane, and the furthest FIL has driven in the past 4 years is 10 minutes, to the Dr's office, and BIL has not spent more 5han an hours time ALONE in the presence of his Dad in over 30 years! Does he honestly think that he could ride in on his White Horse, at this stage of the game?

It shear Madness, but he has since called 3 more times, and wants to discuss this further with hubby sometime today.

I TOLD my husband to SHUT THIS DOWN! The Old Man is our responsibility, and has been entirely, for 13 years! This is a Quick Buck Scam, that has gotten into his brother's head, just like every other Scam he has pulled in his life! I would Never stand for it, but it is Amusing, that brother thinks he could get his Dad to go along with such a plan.

BTW, this is his 9th wife, as I've proven researching on Ancestry...., and even in the 6 or so years he's been married to this one, they have moved many times, and currently live in and manage a Motel! So the are quite nomadic to say the least!

I will SHUT THIS DISCUSSION MYSELF, TODAY! its rediculous, and hubby never meant for it to go like this, its justbthe nature of his brothers thought process, to see that ther is some potential "PAYOFF", that he could scam off an elderly Father, oh he would Love That!

Hubby was interested to see how fast he jumped on this idea, but brother went into hyper drive, thinking that this would even be a viable option, which it is not, as the Old Man has enough wits about him to have FREE WILL!!!

I'm just so d*mn Mad at this point. GOD, what an idiot, both of them!
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BTW, this is the BIL (the only one), who has been a scammer and Con Man, his entire life!

In the past month, his phone calls have all been about him having an Aortic Anyurism, that requires major surgery, he is s/p 2 open heart surgeries, and has gone on and in how he could die in this upcoming surgery!

He's an idiot! Grrrr! I don't know why my husband even said anything, except that he thought he has a responsibility to tell his siblings when we Do Place his Dad. But why he jumped the gun and said anything, was so stupid! He said it just came up in the course of conversation, and I get that, I guess, but now we need to deal with the Fall-Out! Men, can't live with them, can't shoot them! Ugggg!
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I have proven today that "handy" and "stupid" can coexist in same brain, at the same time, lol!

I'm off from job today. (That situation is winding up, I've helped to catch them up on backlog of work due to a medical issue that one of main office staff had last summer... they're fine with me taking off, so that works well as I have people in and out of house right now, 2 different contractor people here just today. I think the only reason my current employer used temp agency to staff was because of legalities? They were concerned if they hired someone for temporary position, they could be sued. I don't know much about it but I suspect that's why they went through the agency that I had applied with. Anywho...)

I decided to patch upstairs bath hot water spigot while plumber did shower hook ups in basement. Water would be off, I do my repair, he does his. I've done this patch a few times already. Spigot is old, needs drilled out and replaced, in lieu of this I replace a washer every 3-6 months until it gets chewed up by the metal and hot water combo, and fails again, resulting in hot water leaking constantly into tub.

At one point I need to clean a piece, so I turn on sink tap and plug drain. Oops, that's right I forgot, water is off. I go on about doing the patch as best I can. I finish up, put things back together, go down to basement and am talking to plumber dude when I hear and see water coming through basement ceiling.

Oh no! My patch must've failed horribly and now I have genuine plumbing emergency! I run to turn off water main, glance again at ceiling and notice -- that water's not dripping by the tub connections, it's from toilet area. I run upstairs and -- I overflowed the sink, running it into the toilet area, where it dripped through onto some storage stuff, that's now laying out all over basement to dry.

Handy? Sure. Absent minded goofball? That, too.

Hope you guys are having a great day!!
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Ali, Your basement is doomed. Why do people have basements?

You do have a good sense of humor about it though! A plumber dude in the basement? Handy, and you had a plumbing emergency? hmmmmn.
What does this dude look like?
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Did you know the full moon is on Thursday?
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Send, he's been here before. He works for the rehab company, and is apparently the company's default plumber/welder, though he works in other capacities most of the time. He also happens to be person that is "recruiting" me to work for the rehab company. He did ask me about my issue, but it wasn't a real problem. Any ol' dummy can flood a sink if they turn the tap on, plug the drain, and leave it that way. ;-)
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Yes they can, Ali. One is not dumb to have that happen.

And who has not ever overflowed a sink?
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Is he available?

For plumbing I mean.
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Much sympathy on the household "disasters", Ali!

We had heavy, wet snow last night and this morning, but now it's pouring rain and almost 40* - recipe for a huge, wet mess. Will have to watch our basement and roof.
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Available? Plumbing? Too funny Send! Lol!

You can fix my "pipes", Anytime! Lol!

Oh Alli, when it rains, it pours! Glad it wasn't a disaster!
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Stacey, Missed your recent post about scammer Bil!
Can you change your phone number?
Ridiculously insane-Bil needs your hubs help with an aneurism/surgery-and in the farthest reaches of his evil imagination, now wants to scam his own father.

Hope that both you and your hubs do nor even mention this trick to your Fil, protecting him from the stress of it all. He is old, doesn't need this, and neither do you!

Hubs may think he is strong, smart, but has been stronger only because he has you. Recommend to stop all this by cutting off communication with 'those toxic people'. It has not helped that hubs is now sharing your lives with a scammer, proving himself weak in this area. So sorry that this has threatened your home and relationships. You are rightfully enraged! And concerned.

Yes, shut this down right now-get call blocking too. But go easy on hubs-not coming between him and his brother, imo. Just teach him to not share anything about you, your marriage, future plans, never say your name to Bil, never say 'My wife', never say: "She" to your Bil. That will help a bit, because you have rights too.


In case there is doubt that I do not have enough experience with this...my former psychiatrist walked me through it years ago.

Don't tell him you are shutting down communications, just become too busy to talk, gotta go, can we call you later? Distract, change his subject of choice often, have noise or a disturbance in the background, say: "Oh, gotta go, Pops is calling-he is our top priority...etc. Bye!

Oh, the phone is acting up-cannot hear you-all you later when it is fixed.

If you tell him, due to his nature or illness, his calls will become more urgent, more aggressive, more manipulative. Now, have that gentle, but firm talk with your hubs.
Bless you today, Stacey.
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