We do have the air filters and we bathe out dogs because they go outside, but for me, the pets keep me from being isolated. There have been months when I was unable to do anything, but stay in bed. The pets kept me company. My husband has to work to pay the bills. We had pets before my injury and I wouldn't have been able to give them up. The doctors also thought the pets helped me from being lonely and isolated when my husband was at work. In the early years of my SCI, he worked 60 to 80 hours in fast food (yes 80 hours). I never left the house unless he was with me because I was not able to drive at the time. He gave up decent salary a few years ago to take a job, for basically minimum wage, so he could be at home more to take care of me. Now, he works 40 hours and we watch our spending a lot. We still have out pets and they still keep me company when my husband is gone. We don't have kids and we don't have any close relatives living near us to help with me. The pain meds are messing with my thinking. In the paragraph, I wrote "work" instead of "drive". My brain isn't working.
Candle "Scars remind of us where we’ve been, they don’t have to dictate where we are going." ~David Rossi of Criminal Minds *********************************************************************** ________________________________ From: "wheelch...@aol.com" <wheelch...@aol.com> To: silverstre...@sbcglobal.net; quad-list@eskimo.com Sent: Thursday, December 1, 2011 7:50 AM Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] germaphobes Weird, is not so bad sometimes. Self-preservation is important when one is prone to infection, bacteria and viruses. Allergies are another major issue as well. I'm surprised that you also keep pets. Just by the nature of the beast, pets collect and harbor. If one is required to spend a lot of time at home, an electric or passive device should be considered. Air cleaners remove 99 percent of harmful, dust, bacteria and virus. Best Wishes In a message dated 11/30/2011 7:24:00 P.M. Central Standard Time, silverstre...@sbcglobal.net writes: I get sick a lot. It was then the doctor explained that washing my hands would help me avoid some of the sicknesses that I used to pick up. I have not had the flu (cannot get the shot because of an allergic reaction) since I started washing my hands a lot. I also keep alcohol hand sanitizers in every room of the house. I have a bottle at the door so people coming into the house can use it to sanitize the germs off their hands that they are bringing in to me. > >My husband never uses the one at the door, but he does wash and sanitize his >hands when helping me with pressure sores or other wounds that I have. He is >fearful of my ability to land an infection faster than anything. We have dogs >and cats so he tries to help keep the pets clean, but you won't get the dogs >or cats to wash their paws every few hours. I also know that the dogs and >cats will lick me and I know they often lick their fur and bodies with the >same tongue so we just try to keep our home as clean as possible because you >cannot sterilize any life form to prevent germs. > >So with me, it is kind of the opposit. I wish people were more likely to wash >their hands, but it is because of problems with infection (MRSA, UTIs, flu >and colds, plus other bacterial infections) that I have had in the past. > >My first days back home after my immediate stay in the hospital because of my >SCI, I had gotten the flu so badly that I actually requested going back to >the hospital. I could not move without pain, even fell with my walker trying >to get to the bathroom, and ran a fever so high that at one point, I was grew >confused. The doctor at that time said he could not readmit me just because I >had the flu. Another doctor since then said that I should have been told to >go to E.R. for an exam to determine if medical assistance was necessary. >Instead, my husband had taken time off work for a few days to take care of >me. Then after he returned to work, he saved up all his time for lunch and >breaks so he could come home to check on me. > >Finally, I was to a point that I was strong enough to move without all the >shaking and trembling. My husband would call home and check on me. If he felt >that I sounded bad, he would run home to make sure I was okay. > >I'm sure people may think that I am weird or too concerned about germs, but I >know what can happen to me when I get a "simple" virus. I don't get offended >like people are afraid to touch me. If I felt that, I would say something to >them because that is horrible. I wonder if you helper had someone like me >where they had to be careful about germs and are not careful with everyone. > >Candle >"Scars remind of us where we’ve been, they don’t have to dictate where we are >going." >~David Rossi of Criminal Minds >*********************************************************************** > > > >________________________________ >From: "hellodav...@aol.com" <hellodav...@aol.com> >To: quad-list@eskimo.com >Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2011 5:36 PM >Subject: [QUAD-L] germaphobes > > >Does anyone here live with a germaphobe - or are you one? My son, whom I >love to death, is living with us for a few years now and washes his hands >incessantly. After he touches me, a paper, the dog, a dirty dish...... he >washes his hands. When he cooks, he spends nearly half his time (ok maybe a >third) washing his hands. I know that cleanliness is next to godliness, but >sometimes he makes me feel like a rolling germ-bomb. He's a great kid, and I >know this is better than the opposite but...... is it just me? >AZDAVE > >What some call health, if purchased by perpetual anxiety about diet, isn't >much better than tedious disease.George Dennison Prentice > > >
