Winter journaling: Sam, Carol, Jess, Prairie_north, Jim & everyone

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Other threads are getting long, so I start a new one.

Roses are not as important as friendships and family, and helping others. I post so others benefit from my experiments and dumb mistakes. Most important, I want to keep the exercise-pledge going, plus letting Carol know that I pray for her weight loss everyday.

Taking care for ourselves is more important than roses.

Feeding roses the best nutrients teach me about taking care of my body. I notice the cow manure with antibiotics and salt killed beneficial bacteria in my garden ... with bad result on all plants. I notice that fresh, uncooked matter like alfalfa hay were best for roses. I see how all the animals go crazy when I topped roses with used almond solids.

For the winter, how we can take better care of our soul, our mind, and our body? Any thoughts as to how we can sleep better, eat better, exercise more, and be happier?

Thanks for any tips or links, quotes, or fast & easy recipes !! A bouquet for your enjoyment, with Golden Celebration, Crown Princess Mag., Pink Peace, Evelyn, and Annie L. McDowell (small pink cluster):

Featured Answer

rosecanadian

8 years ago

Straw - Zephyr means "gentle breeze from the west." Here are some more pictures,

This is Jellybean - my older poodle

This is Zephyr, my youngest

Here is a garden shot

from L to R

Big Purple, Ch-Ching, Peter Mayle and New Zealand (a rose I'm getting rid of this year)

And here is Toffee - the middle dog jumping over the stick I'm holding. As you can see, I need to lose weight. :)

This is Yves Piaget

This is a delphinium.

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Comments (92)

jessjennings0 zone 10b
8 years ago
Thanks for your prayers Strawberry Hill. Life feels so much better for me now that I am part of this forum, the discussions, the prayers, the roses, the wonderful people...

I am happy to hear that your daughter feels better and I will pray that there will be a supportive group, prepared by God, for her.

Then I found this on the internet and just wanted to share it with you and everyone else here.
strawchicago z5 thanked jessjennings0 zone 10b
User
8 years ago
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Carol: Some doctors mistake phytoestrogen (God-made & natural) with chemical estrogen (man-made). My Swedish mother-in-law grew up drinking tons of cow-milk (zero flax, zero soy), and had a mastectomy at 40 year old. No history of breast-cancer in my family of 9 girls (I'm the youngest girl), nor in my Mom nor Dad's side ... we eat tons of soy-products in Vietnam & zero cow milk. I got curious about phytoestrogen (occur naturally in plants) versus chemical hormones added to cow milk .. found this article from Cornell University: "A diet rich in phytoestrogens has been proposed as a way to decrease breast cancer risk. Some, but not all studies show that women with a diet high in phytoestrogens, including vegans (who eat no animal foods) and women who eat diets high in soy products, have lower rates of breast cancer. Why is this so? Most phytoestrogens are not stored in the body, but are quickly broken down. Phytoestrogens are weak estrogens, and may prevent stronger human estrogens from binding to the estrogen receptor. If the weaker estrogens bind to the receptor instead of the stronger ones, there may be less breast cell division. Women with diets rich in phytoestrogens also excrete more estrogens into their urine, and have lower blood estrogen levels. Some studies have shown that women with a diet rich in phytoestrogens have longer, and hence fewer, menstrual cycles. All of these factors may contribute to reduced breast cancer risk." http://www.envirocancer.cornell.edu/FactSheet/General/fs10.estrogen.cfm Below excerpt is from Oncology nutrition - Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics " Animal studies have shown that both flaxseed oil and lignans can reduce breast tumor growth and spread, even for ER- cancer cells. This result suggests that flaxseeds may have anti-cancer benefits that are unrelated to any type of effect on estrogen or estrogen metabolism." https://www.oncologynutrition.org/erfc/hot-topics/flaxseeds-and-breast-cancer/ Phytoestrogen is DIFFERENT from chemical hormones injected into cow to make them produce milk longer. An excerpt from below link: "new study out of Harvard University showing that pasteurized milk product from factory farms is linked to causing hormone-dependent cancers. It turns out that the concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) model of raising cows on factory farms churns out milk with dangerously high levels of estrone sulfate, an estrogen compound linked to testicular, prostate, and breast cancers. Dr. Ganmaa Davaasambuu, Ph.D., and her colleagues specifically identified "milk from modern dairy farms" as the culprit, referring to large-scale confinement operations where cows are milked 300 days of the year, including while they are pregnant. Compared to raw milk from her native Mongolia, which is extracted only during the first six months after cows have already given birth, pasteurized factory milk was found to contain up to 33 times more estrone sulfate. http://www.naturalnews.com/035081_pasteurized_milk_cancer_dairy.html#ixzz3uj5y7wGc Havard-trained doctor Andrew Weil, M.D. stated "Among women, milk consumption has been associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer in both the Nurses' Health Study and in a 2005 study from Sweden's Karolinska Institute. Organic milk is better in many respects than conventional milk but still may be full of natural hormones. My advice: cut down on dairy products. Substitute soy milk for cow's milk when possible. Andrew Weil, M.D." From Physicians committee for responsible medicine "In international and interregional correlational studies, dairy product consumption has been consistently associated with prostate cancer mortality.3-7 The largest and most recent of these, based on World Health Organization mortality figures for 1985-1989 from 59 countries and United Nations food balance data for 1979-1981, reported a strong correlation between per capita milk consumption and prostate cancer mortality (r = 0.78, P<0.0001).7 A more geographically restricted study, conducted in 20 Italian regions, found a similar correlation between prostate cancer mortality and milk consumption (r = 0.75, P <0.01).6 http://www.pcrm.org/health/health-topics/milk-consumption-and-prostate-cancer *** From Straw: Agree with all the above researches, I gave flax oil to my kid to improve her eczema (skin-rash). I'm taking flax oil & flax seeds to improve my skin-rash. I develop an allergic reaction to the new batch of fish-oil (really stinky) .. and I still need Omega-3 for my dry-hands.
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rosecanadian
8 years ago
Yeah, we get that every night. Water turns icy in the hose. :)

Carol
strawchicago z5
Original Author
8 years ago
Jess: That's exactly how I feel, echoing what you wrote: " Life feels so much better for me now that I am part of this forum, the discussions, the prayers, the roses, the wonderful people..." THANK YOU for that wonderful blue pic., with the quote "Go to sleep in peace, God is awake." Yes, my life is better with all your friendships: Jess, Carol, Sam, and Prairie_North (hope you join too).

It got cold last night at 30 degree F, or -1 Celsius. Yesterday I picked a bouquet, and when I woke up this morning. the tomatoes were zapped, but NOT the roses nor annuals. Bouquet picked Friday Oct. 16. Pink is Radio Times. Lowest red is Yves seedling (delicious grape-floral scent). White is Mary Magdalene, Beige is Crown Princess Magareta, and rightmost red is W.S. 2000.
strawchicago z5
Original Author
8 years ago
Thank God Bolero and its 16 buds are OK this morning. Pic. taken yesterday Oct 16. That got tons of alfalfa pellets in the planting hole, and topped with some red-lava-rock, plus pea-gravel. This is the cleanest it has been in 3 years. It's short since I moved it early spring (winter almost killed it).
strawchicago z5
Original Author
8 years ago

First time ever getting a near 5" bloom on Stephen Big Purple, thanks to frequent watering with sulfate-of-potash (topped with pea-gravel). We are in a dry-spell, pic. taken Oct. 14. THANK YOU, Carol, for the tip of watering roses well before winter.
strawchicago z5
Original Author
8 years ago
Tchaikovsky bloom in a cluster of buds. Smell really good. It came down with mildew during our last heavy rain, but we are in a dry spell plus watering with alkaline tap (fixed with sulfate of potash) IMPROVED the mildew. Pic. taken Friday Oct. 16:
strawchicago z5
Original Author
8 years ago
Five inch. bloom on Pink Peace, also through fixing my tap with sulfate of potash during this dry spell. Pic. taken Oct. 14, topped with pea-gravel:
strawchicago z5
Original Author
8 years ago
This is the best bloom that I get out of Barcelona (Francis Dreuill) this year, also through fixing my tap water with sulfate of potash, topped with pea-gravel. During times of heavy rain, blooms of Barcelona were lousy: really small, thanks to potassium leaching. It's a tiny own-root, I had seen much better blooms of Barcelona when it's grafted. Pic. taken Oct. 16, smells second to Yves Seedling ... that leads the pack in fragrance.
strawchicago z5
Original Author
8 years ago
Old Garden roses like Comte de Chambord DO NOT like alkaline stuff like red-lava-rock, nor pea-gravel. These old-garden-roses are used to acidic rain water like the old days, and don't like alkaline tap water. It's clean, but the blooms are inferior compared to during heavy rain. Pic. taken Oct. 16
strawchicago z5
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Evelyn pumped out lots of blooms, but blackspotted right after blooming . I should had tested crushed black-eyed pea for potassium & nutrients. Sulfate of potash wasn't enough to prevent BS either. Bouquet taken second week of Oct. I think the soil is made into concrete after years of watering with tap. I'm going to dig that up before Thanksgiving.
rosecanadian
8 years ago
Wow!!! Lovely roses, Straw!!! Your Evelyns are out of this world gorgeous!!! I love your Pink Peace and your Yves Piaget seedling!!!! You are sooooo fortunate to have a red (deep pink?) Yves!! I'm astounded!!!! Gorgeous Big Purple too!!!! Just wonderful!

Oh! I tried out my leaf shredder that I got. It was fantastic!!! I didn't shred leaves, but plant material from my perennial garden. Usually I take weeks to cut everything into little pieces so it will eventually break down into soil. This time, the shredder did everything soooo quickly!! I set the setting for leaves so that it would chop everything really small. The outcome looks like pencil shavings. I just love it!!! Here's my garden how it looks in summer.

Carol
strawchicago z5
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Carol: That looks so nice, truly rose-paradise ... lots of blooms. I like the mix of different colors. Best pics. of pots-garden ever !! If only we have room in our garage for that $150 wood-chipper (original price $500) !! Will have to borrow the neighbor's soon.

For 3 years my pots were healthy until late fall, they break out in Blackspots before I put them into the ground early Oct. Except for this year, thanks to the rose-tissue-analysis .. I was able to maintain the right ratio of nutrients. Here's my 3 pots of Perle'd Or, Cloude Soupert, and Prairie Harvest .. lots of buds which I pinched off. Zero blackspot in all 3 pots ... The secret? Keep the soil fluffy, but have a constant but slow-release of nutrients on top to buffer against rain or alkaline tap. I put alfalfa pellets in the potting soil, topped with pea gravel, and 3-times per week tiny doses of sulfate of potash and gypsum. Pic. taken yesterday, Oct. 16, before frost hit:
strawchicago z5
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I picked lots of blooms yesterday, since frost came last night, down to 30 F, or -1 Celsius. Some bouquets picked Oct. 16. Wise Portia (purple), and Crown Princess Magareta: (orange).
strawchicago z5
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago

Cloude Soupert (light pink) and Barcelona (dark-red). Pic. taken Oct. 17
strawchicago z5
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago

Radio Times rose is the dark-pink. Best scent among the bunch. I like darker-pink Austin roses, since the lighter-pink tend to bleach to almost white in hot temp., or in alkaline clay. Pic. taken Oct. 17.

Jess: Looked through your pics. again. I love the color of Teddy Bear mini, and Tradescant too !! How's the scent on Trandescant rose, and Wedding Garland, and Teddy Bear? Thanks.
rosecanadian
8 years ago
Thanks Straw!! The curving pots into the perennial bed is my husband's idea. I can't design worth squat!! :) LOL I was trying to go for the look of a cottage garden - but the glacial till won't let us get down enough for the roses. Or if we do - they drown in their concrete (glacial till) buckets.

Love your roses!!! Especially Radio Times and CPM!!

Carol
strawchicago z5 thanked rosecanadian
jessjennings0 zone 10b
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Your roses take me to another world, Strawberry Hill and Carol...

ohhhhh they are soooooooooo beautiful..................................

sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...........................how's the deep red of Barcelona, and Thaikovsky is such a beautiful shaped bloom. Your Evelyn's are out of this world Srawberry Hill. And yes, the colors in Carol's lovely potted rose garden is something I also try to create but I have a long way to go. And now the summer is getting so hot it's almost impossible to even try and plant any new plants...

I will have to get hold of alfalfa pellets but that's a 3 hour drive. In the meantime I ordered alfalfa seeds.... :)

The Tradescant doesn't smell like anything (yet), neither Teddy Bear... Wedding Garland is sublime..
strawchicago z5 thanked jessjennings0 zone 10b
jessjennings0 zone 10b
8 years ago

High Flyer opening up - a really shocking red, I wouldn't have chosen it if it was'nt that there were no others available at the time (I had to play in Photoshop to try and get a better version of the color, it came out too pale...) , but now I'm starting to like it, especially next to the pure white of Icegirl Panarosa (first bloom just starting to open). They are both large climbers. Icegirl has a wonderful scent but not High Flyer.

I use the corn flour as a prevention against BS. I prefer white spots and no BS to chemicals and no beneficial insects. Another great idea that I read about in a previous forum by Strawberry Hill :-)...but I still need to buy a grinder to make my own, I'm using the inferior stuff bought at the super market.

First bloom of Queen Elizabeth opening up. she is a strong girl.

Sally's beautiful ivory color just before opening up completely.

I also need and want a shredder like Carol's. that sounds like a dream machine...so many uses in the garden...

how do you fix the hose with Sulfate of Potash Strawberry Hill?????????

The huge pink bloom of Stephen Big Purple is mind blowing. I love your vases...and the photo's...it just beautiful...That is something I still have to get...vases...have none...

In the meantime the mosquitoes are eating me alive...help....I have to spray with poison and they go for the areas I can't reach with that - like right next to my eyes....

thank you both so much for your prayers...

And I feel scared when you tell me about how cold it is becoming over there now...please keep warm and safe ... huge warm hugs ...
strawchicago z5 thanked jessjennings0 zone 10b
User
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Jess,

Yes I will show my winterize method soon in pictures. Now is leave collection time. They sit dry and curl under tarp in bags.

For a month.

Then when it is real cold and the leaves are dry and curly I dump them on the roses light and fluffy like Styrofoam packing peanuts and they stay light and fluffy around the roses.

PS.

Jess you are so insightful in your PS to Straw. I went through the same thoughts and feelings as Jess and Straw. For years this went on. Thank-you Jess for being so understanding.

I wonder if using the chemicals adds to the chances of getting rose Rosette's which is spread by a mite. The fungicides kill frogs. The insecticides kill beneficials. The frogs and beneficials are what eat the mites.

Are all people in SA so cool?

Carol

cool shredder. That's what we call skiing where I live. " shreddin "
strawchicago z5
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Sam: I have the same plan regarding leaves. I plan to get tons of leaves to top my tomato bed. When leaves decompose, the acid-release breaks down my rock-hard clay.

Jess: thank you for those pics. of your roses (red and white climber) ... we don't have those, so I really enjoy your pics. FRESH Alfalfa hay works better than meal or pellets .. so buying the seeds and plant them is better than driving 3 hours. It's acidic when breaks down so it's good for my rock-hard clay at pH near 8, and tap water at pH near 9. Chicago Botanical Garden Experts said please use the same pH mulch as what you are planting .. that makes sense. Roses grafted on Dr. Huey likes it alkaline, so my grafted-Pink Peace likes pea-gravel (pH over 8). But roses grafted on multiflora (like Jess's) like it acidic ... anything greens will do, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ALFALFA.

Dusting with whole-grain corn meal at pH 4 on leaves help with blackspots ... but it's a hassle to grind corn with a grinder. I almost broke my grinder ($200) until husband fixed it. I haven't dust with corn-meal for 2 years, and my roses are most healthy now. Blackspots is a FAILURE OF THE ROOT SYSTEM, so dusting with cornmeal on lower leaves is a temporary bandage, rather than a lasting solution. When the roots don't like something, be it too wet, too dry, too acidic, heavy clay & lack of oxygen, or too alkaline ... roots fail, thus leaves don't get the nutrients and water they need.

I'm digging up a few roses to fix the soil before the ground freeze. It's a lasting-solution which will keep roses healthy for a long time. Below Marie Pavie rose has skinny & small leaves (multiflora parentage), so it HATED pea gravel & red lava. I had to scrape them off, and fixed it with ACIDIC sulfate of potash and gypsum (2 to 1 ratio), it became healthy even with alkaline tap-water. Pic. taken Oct. 16 (cold & dry):
rosecanadian
8 years ago
Here's the link to the shredder I got. I love it! Do use ear protection though.

Sam - I didn't know that about skiing. Cool, man. ;)

http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/sun-joe-shredder-joe-13-amp-161-reduction-electric-leaf-mulchershredder/6000162307797

Thanks for the kind words about my garden. :)

Jess - I love the color of your Sally Holmes!!! Looks so soft and romantic!!

Carol
strawchicago z5 thanked rosecanadian
strawchicago z5
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Jess: Taking Brewer's yeast 3 times a week helped me to keep the mosquitos away. Folks give their pets Brewer's yeast to repel fleas. I use eucalyptus oil and rub on my skin for mosquito repellant, it works better than chemical-spray (cause insomnia). I re-post info. from the link "reasons for not spraying with chemicals."

DEET, the chemical in mosquito spray like OFF, also have neurological damage, causing skin rash and insomnia. See link below "More recent research shows that DEET is a neurotoxin and could have long-term effects. Moreover, DEET may increase the toxicity of other chemicals to which people are exposed. For instance, people wearing DEET more easily absorb 2,4-D, a toxic weed killer that was used in Agent Orange and is now commonly used on lawns."

http://www.nrdc.org/thisgreenlife/1006.asp

The above link lists safer alternatives: " Picaridin: Picaridin has been widely used in other parts of the world, and has been available in the U.S. in a variety of brands since 2005. Structurally based on chemicals in pepper, it appears to interfere with the mosquito's ability to smell its prey. A 20% Picaridin formulation has been shown to repel mosquitoes for 8-10 hours.

Studies have shown that oil of lemon eucalyptus and soy oil perform comparably to many DEET-based products. A recent Consumer Reports study found one commercial preparation with lemon eucalyptus was effective for seven hours. Note that use of lemon eucalyptus is not advised on children under three."

I went ahead and ordered Lemon Eucalyptus mosquito repellant, on Amazon for $8.97, best-seller with 1,039 four-star reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004N59OFU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?&ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

There's another safe product, no odor to spray on clothing, called "Sawyer Permethrin". Some info. from Amazon: " Permethrin is the synthetic version of pyrethrum, which is a natural insecticide that comes from the chrysanthemum flower, and it's non-toxic to humans and registered for use by the U.S. EPA. Sawyer Permethrin Clothing Insect Repellent has been exclusively treating uniforms for the U.S. and Canadian militaries for almost 30 years."

Sawyer Permethrin on Amazon

Carol: Thank you for the link to that shredder ... I'll re-post in the new thread I'm starting. This thread is getting long. The new thread is: "10/18/15 Journal: Things you learned, tips and quotes that help?". Link to the new thread below:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/3447602/m=23/10-18-15-journal-things-you-learn-tips-and-quotes-that-helped
strawchicago z5
Original Author
8 years ago
He's SO CUTE !! Super-adorable. Thank you, Jim, for the update. His face is more precious than any roses. He's a superhero for surviving such an ordeal in the hospital.
rosecanadian
8 years ago
Oh, he looks so strong and healthy!!! Good going, baby Garran!!! His face has so much character to it - his face says, "I'm going to be a good man some day!! How are his mom and your wife doing?

Carol
jessjennings0 zone 10b
8 years ago
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh..................the most beautiful baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what a serene smile he has................................
rosecanadian
8 years ago
Oh, that's so unique!! The eyes look really good!! Ditto with the smile!! My kids and husband always do pumpkins, even though the kids are older now. I roast the pumpkin seeds with a little bit of salt. Yummy!

Carol
jessjennings0 zone 10b
8 years ago
I love that pumpkin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Halloween is a foreign idea here in SA, it's never been done...it always sounded like such fun when I read about it. Plus, we don't have such beautiful huge pumpkins here either...
User
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Jim , maybe you can turn the face of that Jack o lantern towards the Hans dog next door.
strawchicago z5
Original Author
8 years ago
Sam: That was funny !!
jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
8 years ago
LOL... Sam... The warmer weather this week is causing the poor pumpkins face to sink in... It might not last another week...lol
rosecanadian
8 years ago
Maybe put it in your garage??

Carol
jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
8 years ago
No garage here Carol. I might have to carry it down the cool cellar each day...
rosecanadian
8 years ago
Or maybe store a ziploc bag of ice inside it and around it???

Carol
jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
8 years ago
I put the pumpkin in our extra frig....lol...Why didn't I think of that sooner... Thanks Carol your ziploc bag idea jarred my memory....:-)
rosecanadian
8 years ago
Good thinking!!! Sometimes we just can't make a jump of logic. LOL. That will definitely make this a happier pumpkin.

Carol
rosecanadian
8 years ago
This is a copy of the post I made in the propagation forum.

I can't believe it!!!

The rose seedlings (ALL OF THEM) are throwing out new growth. Some growth is nubbins, but I have some actual new leaves!!!!!

I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I took them from outside - where absolutely NOTHING was happening. There were no roots, and they looked alive, but just barely. Then I took them inside and scraped off some of the outer epidermis and plunked them in a mixture of 1/2 perlite and 1/2 seed starter soil. I watered them well. Then I put them in my grow light place...BUT.. I left the lights off and put green garbage bags loosely around the system. I left them alone for about 1 week. Then I started turning the lights on for about 15 minutes a day. I went down today, and I couldn't believe it!! Finally after all summer trying to root them....I did it!!!!!

I was getting SO frustrated.

Thank you all for helping me and supporting me. I am so happy for my friend. She can't afford new roses, and these are incredibly rare roses too. She moved, and couldn't dig up her roses - and now I can give them to her in the spring!!!!

Yay!!! Happy happy rose dance!

Carol

Forgot to say I prayed a lot too. :)
rosecanadian
8 years ago
Here's some photos that I took at the prompting of those in the Propagation Forum. :)

And UNBELIEVABLY.....A BUD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am in seventh heaven for my friend. I have prayed so hard for this. She has been crying over losing her roses. Hallelujah!!!
strawchicago z5 thanked rosecanadian
strawchicago z5
Original Author
8 years ago
Wow! A bud, that's fantastic. I'm happy for you & your friend, Carol. I don't even try rooting indoor, my house is too cold. A warm-mat to set the pots on helps a lot. In my kid's science experiment of growing plants from seeds, the mung-bean was slow to sprout, until we COVERED it, and put that on top of a electric-mat, which gives off heat at the bottom.

Bluegirl posted "Hot beds for fall rooting" in Organic Rose.
rosecanadian
8 years ago
Yeah, they're in the basement, where it's cooler. There's no warm mat. And yet it worked!!!!! Yippee!!!!

Carol
jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
8 years ago
Congrats Carol! Awesome!
rosecanadian
8 years ago
Thanks Jim!!!! I'm still really excited about it working!!!

I have some news about my eyes. I went to the retinal specialist. They put 3 different types of drops in my eyes. I had to pry my eyes open so they could keep going with the drops. Blech.

So he said that I have retinal deterioration. Do I have RP (retinitis pigmentosa - where you get tunnel vision and go blind). He said maybe. I asked if there's a chance I could go blind. He said that it isn't a matter of when, but that I'm probably legally blind ALREADY!!! So he's sending me (in a few months probably) for this procedure that's like an EKG for the eyes. If it shows that I'm legally blind, then I won't be able to drive anymore.

This would be terrible, because I have trouble walking around where I live because of all of the inclines/declines - it's hard on my ankles, and I just got over having ankle tendinitis (a whole year of it). I love driving to the off-leash areas to take my dogs for a walk. It's so much fun.

Anyways, the good news is that he said my vision will get gradually worse - but very slowly. So if I'm not legally blind yet, then I can probably drive for a few more years.

Now, I'm asking for prayers that:

a) I'm not legally blind

b) that I can handle being legally blind if I am.

Thanks everyone!!

Carol
jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
8 years ago
I can relate Carol because I lost my license 5 years ago... (Tunnel Vision but caused by other reasons different than yours...) (Brain Tumor)

I've learned to adapt but its a pain asking others to take you places and can get very frustrating... Not going to sugar coat it...

So I will say tons of prayers for you Carol! God Bless!
strawchicago z5
Original Author
8 years ago
Carol: I pray for your eyesight everyday. I also pray that there's a way to reverse the damage.
User
8 years ago
Me too Carol wishing you can keep sharing roses with us.
rosecanadian
8 years ago
Wow Jim - you survived a brain tumor! That's really hard to do. That is so awesome!!! I'm really happy you were one of the lucky ones! Yeah, losing independence is going to suck. ESPECIALLY with the dogs. I love going for walks in the winter time. And my best friend is on the other side of town.

Thank you all for your prayers and good wishes. Thankfully I have a supportive family. And my kids 20/22 will start the process of getting their driving licences. They're kind of scared. But, hopefully, it won't be too tramautic. I'm thinking here of my girl with Aspergers. She may not be able to drive. But you never know.

Sam - I'll still be sharing roses, because legally blind, thank goodness, isn't the same as being totally blind (which may come - but will be at least a decade away.)

Jim, I may be asking you questions about being legally blind. :)

Carol
aztcqn
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Carol, never give up. I believe, nutrition is key to creating a good chance to improve out conditions. I'm sure there are helpful leads on the net. Here's one I found: Successful Reversal of Retinitis Pigmentosa
strawchicago z5 thanked aztcqn
User
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Good info azcqn about nutrients.

I am not to sure about the bioelectromagnetic therapy. Wow
strawchicago z5
Original Author
8 years ago
Thank you, aztcqn, for that excellent link. An excerpt from your link: "Deficient diets as well as such a bacterial infection in members of a family can make RP seem to be inherited. Apparently these bacteria cause the kidneys to excrete taurine, so that supplementing with taurine may not provide the taurine needed by the eyes. If supplementation with taurine is not working, the specific antibiotic for treating these taurine blocking pathogens is Neomycin."

Very scientific link, thanks for that ray of hope. The researchers also used zinc and antioxidants to treat RP.
aztcqn
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Right, and the studies to back the info is key. The cat research was quite interesting.

I'm quite astounded how important the biodome is emerging to be in managing elusive (til now) diseases. Just the fact that more neurotransmitter receptors exist in the gut than in the brain gives a mighty big clue to it's immense value in maintaining or creating health.

Even where they reside can be influenced by stress, and excesses of food like substances, like sugar.

Yes, I never take anything a doctor says as final, never. There is a lot of info by folks who went beyond the conventional medical walls and found a real answer. Never lose hope.
strawchicago z5 thanked aztcqn