I am Lutheran (ELCA) and we use leavened pita bread for communion.

I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard. OMG! Absolutely hilarious!

I really thought I was the only one who felt this way. One perk of the pandemic was that no one ever came over.

@kbutton and @KatieJ Thank you both very much! This is helpful and I will definitely follow through. Happily, the cortisone shot and wearing a brace to bed have helped a lot. Such a relief. While not completely gone this is a very manageable level of sore (not actual pain). The swelling is almost all gone, and my range of motion is improved. I have a whole new level of empathy for those living with chronic pain. It is really hard to imagine how horrible it is until you experience it. I am so happy to feel better today.

@Pawz4me Once cancer has entered the game everything changes doesn't it? I am glad that your husband has been stable and radiation took care of the bone met. I pray he stays stable. It is just scary and affects every corner of your life. Thank you for the Tramadol info. I will definitely look into it and also make mental note to mention it the next time I see my dr. It is very reassuring to hear your rheumatologist's thoughts on bracing and that it has helped you. Hopefully I will get the same good results. The cortisone shot has already started working and I am in less pain than I have been in weeks. I am sore and have some pain but it is such a low level and truly I forgot how good life good be without such horrible pain. Your poor MIL! I feel awful for her. I agree that my dr is a keeper. He did my carpal tunnel surgery (both hands) a few years ago, which is the reason I have a hand surgeon in the first place. It has turned out to be such a good thing and I am grateful for him. I've had to see him a whole lot this year and he has never once been anything other than wonderful.

My gosh I am so sorry for all that you are dealing with. Not only is it a whole lot, but it is a whole lot of pain. I saw my ortho hand surgeon this morning and we talked options at length. First of all my x-ray is just awful. Not only no cartilage but the bone (ball) has already "dug" a rut into the straight bone beside it (forgive me, I can't for the life of me think of proper names right now). He is very much against surgery. Neither of the two options are reliably good and he says both can lead to further issues. He also said that depending on how things continue he wants and MRI to ensure nothing else is going on (my guess is he is wondering about bone mets from my breast cancer). But there is nothing at all to lead either one of us to think this is anything other than osteoarthtritis based on my symptoms and his exam today. He is not an advocate of PT because he believes that it is "like throwing gasoline on a fire" and will just inflame the joint more and lead to more pain. As for a rheumatology referral, he doesn't think that will help much either (and agreed that getting in is unlikely at this point) due to the type and location of the arthritis and the fact that everyone's hands are kind of tied due to me being unable to take anything with an NSAID in it. So the plan right now: he gave me a cortisone shot (we discussed this at length as well and I fully agree it is my best option and my risk is very low) and he also is going to have me wear a brace at night to prevent me "using" my wrist that could be irritating it so much during the night that it is leading to a lot more pain during the day. He also recommended CBD oil (he wasn't sure of a brand, so if you have one, please point me in the direction of where to get a good one). He said his patients have had a lot of good luck with CBD oil (ugh, just realized, he does mean applied directly to the painful area right?). His hope is that a cortisone shot several times a year will help with the pain and swelling. He was very empathetic to how painful and bad this is, especially given my age, how quickly it came on and advanced, and the fact that for wrist arthritis there just aren't the good options that exist for larger joints. Back in September at my physical I did ask my primary where to go to get help with this and he said my ortho hand surgeon. When I have asked older ladies that I know where they go for arthritis help they all threw up their hands and said getting good help for it is hard and they kind of fumbled along in the dark and went to whoever was willing to help them. So for now, this is where I stand. I do appreciate you taking time to help me and if you think of anything else, please share with me. I am also going to spend some time on the Arthritis Foundation website and see if I can get any good info/help there.

I haven't had a cortisone shot in my wrist (have had several in that hand for tendonitis though). He did mention when he diagnosed me about 3 months ago that, based on my x-ray, some surgeons would rush to surgery but that he believed it could create more problems than it solved and he didn't think it was something to consider yet. Tomorrow I will call and make an appointment with him. Thank you for your advice.

I have osteoarthritis in my wrist (outer aspect, no cartilage at all). I am in pain constantly and losing range of motion. I use voltaran, tylenol arthritis (can't take NSAIDs), and a wrist heating pad. I do basic exercises gently to try to keep range of motion and not stiffen up. But nothing is helping. The heating pad feels fantastic but I can't keep it on all the time, obviously. I have a glove recommended by the arthritis foundation that I sleep in. Do I just go back to my ortho hand surgeon? Is there anything I can do? Is this my life now and I just have to accept being in chronic pain? I thought about asking my dr to refer me for PT. Would that help or just be a waste of time and money? I am miserable and so tired of hurting. If I move it the wrong way the pain is almost unbearable.

Same here. Sigh. Same here.

In my humble opinion they have to have some connection to dementia and truly understand it. It feels so personal and much more than just an ad. It is a short story.

Yes, my teen and I both cried. It is beautiful. I'm glad you shared it here in case others haven't seen it. It is a must see.

You are amazing! I am thoroughly exhausted and need nap after just reading this! It sounds so lovely and special (not to mention delicious!).

What a special gift you have! It is so pretty too, just beautiful.

What a great story! It is a beautiful set, she did a great job painting them. You have a real treasure!

This is easy. Buy a few books for her classroom for Christmas. If not that, as someone else suggested, tissues/lysol/wipes for the classroom. No way am I giving cash for a present to the teacher. But donations to the classroom are typically very appreciated. Usually, I would buy the books during the school book sale which benefits the school and then the classroom, all with one purchase.

This is perfect. It just feels very right. This will be my WOTY. For POTY I found a post in last year's thread about "Let It Be" (the Beatles song). I can't remember the poster that talked about it, but think it was @BlsdMama maybe? Anyway, she had a link to the article, and it was powerful and spoke to me. It is also a song that I have always loved. Thank you! Edit: I went back and looked, it was @Pawz4me who had the link to an article about "Let It Be". So thank you officially to Pawz4me for the article and the idea.

You are so inspirational. I am in awe of you.

I looked back at the thread from last year and it looks like I didn't pick a word for this year. This year (and last year) have been hard and painful. Years of losses and struggles on multiple fronts. I have never felt more alone and lost than I do now. Does anyone have a suggestion for both a word and a phrase for this next year that may help me in every way (yeah, that's a lot to ask for a word and a phrase, I know)?

This has been my year too. Actually, the last 3 years have been this way. But last year and this year have been absolutely brutal. I hope 2024 is better for both of us.

That makes two of us.

Absolutely! I will never give it up either. It looks cleaner, nicer, and more readable. Obviously, I feel the same way about the Oxford Comma.

That window is beautiful and I agree you need to take advantage of it. They make lower "benches" with cushions on them. You might find one that would fit just under the window and hopefully the length of it too. It would provide options for seating but also to lay on and read a book or to put a game on and kids sit on floor to play it if they want to. Another option is a short bookcase that would fit under it and possibly several together to go the length of the window. For books, games, puzzles, etc.

Congratulations! This would fill my bucket as well. I am happy for you.

This is what I would love too. If you find a way to hibernate till Easter, please let me know.

That is exactly what I am looking for! Thank you so much.