Myasthenia Gravis Support Group
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a neuromuscular disease leading to fluctuating muscle weakness and fatiguability. The hallmark of myasthenia gravis is muscle weakness that increases during periods of activity and improves after periods of rest. Although myasthenia gravis may affect any voluntary muscle, muscles that control eye and eyelid movement, facial expression, and...
Hello everyone. I wasn't on the forum for very long last year when things started getting topsy turvy in my personal life and I just sort of fell off of the Daily Strength grid. I'm back because I need to just talk. I'm trying to get out of my isolation.
My husband died last month of congestive heart failure and I am now in the process of moving in with my oldest son and his family. They are great kids and I feel very blessed to call them mine. They actually bought the home that they did with the expectations of me living with them eventually. We just didn't think it would be this soon. Jimmy's heart was getting worse but the doctor assured us he had numerous years left. He was 74 years old though (18 years older than me) and still working full time. I think stress had simply worn him out, and he died in his sleep.
So what do you do with so many years of accumulated "stuff" that you have to reduce to 2 rooms? Between the stress of this, and this god forsaken heat and humidity in Houston, my MG has just about flattened me. Don't really know where I'm going with this. Just tired and needed to vent to others who know exactly how I feel. Thanks for listening. Meredith
My husband died last month of congestive heart failure and I am now in the process of moving in with my oldest son and his family. They are great kids and I feel very blessed to call them mine. They actually bought the home that they did with the expectations of me living with them eventually. We just didn't think it would be this soon. Jimmy's heart was getting worse but the doctor assured us he had numerous years left. He was 74 years old though (18 years older than me) and still working full time. I think stress had simply worn him out, and he died in his sleep.
So what do you do with so many years of accumulated "stuff" that you have to reduce to 2 rooms? Between the stress of this, and this god forsaken heat and humidity in Houston, my MG has just about flattened me. Don't really know where I'm going with this. Just tired and needed to vent to others who know exactly how I feel. Thanks for listening. Meredith
Good Luck
Chuck
God bless you.
Downsizing: right now, my wife and I are doing the same sort of thing.
And we have found self-storage units, to be really helpful.
We were lucky, we found a local self-storage place, inexpensive - and it's the kind of place, where you can drive your vehicle, right up to an overhead door, for easy access.
(Years ago, we even stored two-thirds of the contents of our house, in a 10 x 25 unit unit - during a renovation. We hired a moving crew, for a half-day, to move the furniture. The rest we moved ourselves, filling the entire unit, from floor to ceiling. (Watch your local Big-Box store, for sales on big plastic tubs with covers.)
We don't rent the storage-unit for very long. We just use it as a tool, to help with the job of sorting. (5-months is the longest we ever rented a unit.)
The storage unit is useful, as a place to keep items for a while, especially if you are unsure about what to do with them.
We had a relative stay with us, for most of the past year. So we rented a small storage-unit at $39 a month, to allow for extra room in the house.
We never missed anything, that was stored over the winter. So we know, now? Almost everything we stored away - can be given away. (We even gave some items already, to the people who rent the storage-unit, next to ours!)
When you are ready, hold a yard sale. (That appeals more to women, than to men, I think.)
Then call your local Goodwill, and have them come and get anything left over.
You can try the 2nd-hand dealers and haulers too, but I've never used that kind of service. Yet my brother just used a 2nd-hand dealer, and was very happy with the results.
In a way, part of your situation - is that you are too young, to be placed in this position of downsizing.
It's okay. Yes - it's hard at first, but then it seems to take a load off your mind.
Decades ago, my parents also went through this process, when they began to spend winters in FLA. Here's what I learned from them:
Keep the things most precious to you.
Give away specific gifts, to specific individuals that you want to receive them. My folks found out? That they never missed what they gave away, and their most precious items, they had with them.
Well, you get the idea. And you'll probably be more creative about it all, and find better solutions too.
- Ross
Next like Ross said rent an inexpensive storage unit for the short term for decision pieces you can't make yet. what about then putting on Craigslist a moving sale with everyone invited to go room to room of your house to shop, but definitely with family there for security reasons. That way you don't have to move anything outside and people can come on several days. Take photos of whole rooms to put on craigslist. I know this sounds overwhelming, but if you set up your new space first you will feel less abandoned. I hope this helps!
When you get down to the stuff that won't sell, be taken by family, and you'd hesitate to donate due to condition; rather than toss it, try Freecycling. You post what you have, and people arrange to come take it away. The stuff just has to be free. You wouldn't believe what people will take and repurpose. I've had people pick up non-working power tools and lawn equipment, doors with dents, used tires, dead washing machines. It sure beats paying to have it hauled away!
Houston has a group: groups.freecycle.org/HoustonFreecycle/. Something I've also see FreeCyclers do is that on the day of their yard sale, they post to the group that there will be free items at the curb ONLY, starting at a particular time (after the end of the yard sale). They then pack away what they would like to donate, and haul everything else to the curb for the FreeCyclers and drive-by pickers, with a sign that says, "FREE ITEMS, AT CURB ONLY." That night, they pack up whatever wasn't taken for the trash.
Mary
I'm so sorry to hear of your loss.
Downsizing is a massive undertaking not only physically but it can be emotionally taxing as well. Add MG and you open the door for crisis.
Check with your local hospice for volunteer support. Even if you did not receive hospice services you may still be eligible for volunteer support through their bereavement department. They may be able to assist with the physical side of sorting and moving items.
The MDA also offer volunteer services; I'm not sure what they might offer.
If you are in a position to hire someone you might consider the rent a wife or occasional wife services. No jokes. There seems to be a resurgence of household services.
First and foremost, take care of yourself.
Larissa ;)