Sleep and Other Purrs Needed (long)

Purrs and prayers that you get lots of good sleep and that things become
better all around.
Jazz & his mama

--

Irulan
from the stars we come
to the stars we return
from now until the end of time
"jmcquown" wrote in message
.. .
Please allow me a little venting and a few more purr requests.

I am having one heck of a time sleeping. I've always had occasional bouts
of insomnia and usually when I sense something like this coming on I'll
take
a valerian root capsule about 30 minutes before bedtime. It works
(usually). My doctor had prescribed Ambien and that worked well without
making me feel like a zombie. But since I an still unemployed and without
insurance I can't afford the prescription. (I told him about the valerian
and he saw no problem with it combined with my other medications, which he
gives me samples of whenever he has them.)

Unfortunately, lately valerian isn't working. I can't get my mind to
'turn
off' and I can't get comfortable. Last night I took two capsules but
literally only dozed, very briefly, and even when dozing was pretty much
aware of everything going on (e.g., cars driving by, the fan in my room -
I
can't sleep without 'white noise'). I tossed and turned to the point of
Persia moving well away from me because I was disturbing her sleep! No
matter what position I was in, my arms ached. (I haven't been formally
diagnosed but at my age I know I've got arthritis - aspirin once in the
morning and once before bed helps with that, but I ran out of aspirin.)

I'm under a great deal of stress. My unemployment insurance ceased in
November. I've had no luck finding a job even though I've been on
interviews and have 2 headhunters searching for positions for me as well
as
going out and applying myself.

My savings are exhausted. As of right now I have no idea how I'll pay my
rent for February. I had to sign another lease in December; the manager
agreed not to raise my rent due to my situation but if I hadn't signed a
lease, I'd be subject to possible monthly increases mandated by her bosses
(out of her control). Then of course there's the utility bill which will
be
due at the end of this month, my phone bill... you get the gyst.

The *fun* part of being me and flat broke is I don't qualify for any sort
of
government aid such as Medicaid, food stamps or welfare. Why? (Grrrrrr)
Because I'm single and have no dependents AND because I have an IRA.
Never
mind that I can't touch my IRA without incurring severe early withdrawal
penalties - why would I want to mess with it? If I use up that money what
happens when I do have to retire?! Ticks me off.

I'm still waiting for a determination on my SSD claim (which I'm pretty
sure
they will deny, at least on the first go-round).

I'm also still worried about John's health after his relapses following
his
surgery in December, although he says he's recovering nicely now.

So, I could use some sleep purrs. Purrs that John recovers completely.
More job purrs/financial purrs. And dirty litterbox offerings to the
people
who designed "government" benefits which are not available to a person
such
as myself who worked hard for 27 years but isn't entitled to squat
because... well, just because.

Jill

CatNipped wrote:
"jmcquown" wrote in message
.. .
Please allow me a little venting and a few more purr requests.

I am having one heck of a time sleeping. I've always had occasional
bouts of insomnia and usually when I sense something like this
coming on I'll take a valerian root capsule about 30 minutes before
bedtime. It works (usually). My doctor had prescribed Ambien and
that worked well without making me feel like a zombie. But since I
an still unemployed and without insurance I can't afford the
prescription. (I told him about the valerian and he saw no problem
with it combined with my other medications, which he gives me
samples of whenever he has them.)


Jill, you might want to ask your doctor about Fibromyalgia (but be
warned, a lot of doctors don't even acknowledge that it exists - you
might have to find out who does if you think you might have it).
Here's a link to a diagram that shows Fibromyalgia "trigger points".
You can do a quick self-test to see if you might have it. Go to
http://hon.nucleusinc.com/generateexhibit.php?ID=4794 and then "poke"
yourself (not hard) on the points shown in the diagram. If you feel
more pain here than when you poke yourself somewhere else on your
body, it's a sign that you may have Fibromyalgia.

Hugs,

CatNipped

Lori, I tried those pressure points... no noticeable discomfort, let alone
pain. Did I mention I also already had carpal tunnel syndrome in my right
wrist and tendonitis on the left? Those *were* diagnosed years ago. These
aches in my arms are different.

At any rate, I can't afford to go to a new doctor right now. The one I
have, whom I've known since he was a teenager (before he decided to become a
doctor LOL) keeps up with all the latest stuff, whether most doctors believe
in it or not. He doesn't charge me for office visits if he can avoid it and
gives me samples when he has them. I could call him tomorrow just to
inquire.

I think I just need something to change in my life so I can get an income
and insurance and then I won't be so tense and stressed. But thank you so
much for your reply. You know I luvs ya!

Jill

"LMarks" wrote in message
...

"Pat" wrote in message
...
Take those valerian caps with a cup of camomile tea, and don't be afraid
to
take 2-3 caps at a time. If you add hops to the equation (the tea tastes
awful so use the caps also) it will work even better.

Cheapest supplements are at www.swansonvitamins.com I have used them for
years. They have a hops-valerian combo 100 caps for $4.49.


Jill - During my father's last illness and for some months after, my
mother
drank camomile tea every night and swore by it. Like Pat, I think it
tastes
pretty bad but I'm not a good judge as I need sugar and milk in plain
tea......Lorna

I meant hops as tea tastes bad, not camomile. But if you make the camomile
strong a little honey and lemon will help. And you should make it strong.

Jill, I can certainly see why you're having trouble sleeping -- I'm so
sorry. I might suggest you try taking over-the-counter Benadryl (not the
brand name, but the generic version -- think it is called diphenhydramine)
as it is an antihistamine that also is a soporific -- it's the ingredient in
several over-the-counter sleep meds. You'd just take it about an hour
before you want to go to sleep.

On the job front, have you thought about signing up with a temporary agency
like Olsen's or Norell? I often did that inbetween jobs because I could
make some money but also set up interviews, and also check out what some
companies/industries were like.
"jmcquown" wrote in message
.. .
Please allow me a little venting and a few more purr requests.

I am having one heck of a time sleeping. I've always had occasional bouts
of insomnia and usually when I sense something like this coming on I'll
take
a valerian root capsule about 30 minutes before bedtime. It works
(usually). My doctor had prescribed Ambien and that worked well without
making me feel like a zombie. But since I an still unemployed and without
insurance I can't afford the prescription. (I told him about the valerian
and he saw no problem with it combined with my other medications, which he
gives me samples of whenever he has them.)

Unfortunately, lately valerian isn't working. I can't get my mind to
'turn
off' and I can't get comfortable. Last night I took two capsules but
literally only dozed, very briefly, and even when dozing was pretty much
aware of everything going on (e.g., cars driving by, the fan in my room -
I
can't sleep without 'white noise'). I tossed and turned to the point of
Persia moving well away from me because I was disturbing her sleep! No
matter what position I was in, my arms ached. (I haven't been formally
diagnosed but at my age I know I've got arthritis - aspirin once in the
morning and once before bed helps with that, but I ran out of aspirin.)

I'm under a great deal of stress. My unemployment insurance ceased in
November. I've had no luck finding a job even though I've been on
interviews and have 2 headhunters searching for positions for me as well
as
going out and applying myself.

My savings are exhausted. As of right now I have no idea how I'll pay my
rent for February. I had to sign another lease in December; the manager
agreed not to raise my rent due to my situation but if I hadn't signed a
lease, I'd be subject to possible monthly increases mandated by her bosses
(out of her control). Then of course there's the utility bill which will
be
due at the end of this month, my phone bill... you get the gyst.

The *fun* part of being me and flat broke is I don't qualify for any sort
of
government aid such as Medicaid, food stamps or welfare. Why? (Grrrrrr)
Because I'm single and have no dependents AND because I have an IRA.
Never
mind that I can't touch my IRA without incurring severe early withdrawal
penalties - why would I want to mess with it? If I use up that money what
happens when I do have to retire?! Ticks me off.

I'm still waiting for a determination on my SSD claim (which I'm pretty
sure
they will deny, at least on the first go-round).

I'm also still worried about John's health after his relapses following
his
surgery in December, although he says he's recovering nicely now.

So, I could use some sleep purrs. Purrs that John recovers completely.
More job purrs/financial purrs. And dirty litterbox offerings to the
people
who designed "government" benefits which are not available to a person
such
as myself who worked hard for 27 years but isn't entitled to squat
because... well, just because.

Jill


Jill, I can certainly see why you're having trouble sleeping -- I'm so
sorry. I might suggest you try taking over-the-counter Benadryl (not the
brand name, but the generic version -- think it is called diphenhydramine)
as it is an antihistamine that also is a soporific -- it's the ingredient in
several over-the-counter sleep meds. You'd just take it about an hour
before you want to go to sleep.

On the job front, have you thought about signing up with a temporary agency
like Olsen's or Norell? I often did that inbetween jobs because I could
make some money but also set up interviews, and also check out what some
companies/industries were like.

Also, you might try looking into merchandising jobs part-time, which is what
I'm doing 'cause of my weird schedule re kids -- it's not a lot of money but
it is something -- the company I work for merchandises books in stores like
K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, etc. Do a search for Charles Levy Co. --
another book/magazine merchandiser is Anderson News Corp.; I also know of
Hershey's (yep, the chocolate folk); Trends (posters); American Greetings;
and Mosaic (movies). Hope this helps you find a few leads. Sometimes, you
just have to start somewhere.

If I can help in any way, let me know. Major purrs for you and your LLL's
situation.
Christine

in article , jmcquown at
wrote on 1/9/05 9:45AM:

Please allow me a little venting and a few more purr requests.

I am having one heck of a time sleeping. I've always had occasional bouts
of insomnia and usually when I sense something like this coming on I'll take
a valerian root capsule about 30 minutes before bedtime. It works
(usually). My doctor had prescribed Ambien and that worked well without
making me feel like a zombie. But since I an still unemployed and without
insurance I can't afford the prescription. (I told him about the valerian
and he saw no problem with it combined with my other medications, which he
gives me samples of whenever he has them.)

Unfortunately, lately valerian isn't working. I can't get my mind to 'turn
off' and I can't get comfortable. Last night I took two capsules but
literally only dozed, very briefly, and even when dozing was pretty much
aware of everything going on (e.g., cars driving by, the fan in my room - I
can't sleep without 'white noise'). I tossed and turned to the point of
Persia moving well away from me because I was disturbing her sleep! No
matter what position I was in, my arms ached. (I haven't been formally
diagnosed but at my age I know I've got arthritis - aspirin once in the
morning and once before bed helps with that, but I ran out of aspirin.)

I'm under a great deal of stress. My unemployment insurance ceased in
November. I've had no luck finding a job even though I've been on
interviews and have 2 headhunters searching for positions for me as well as
going out and applying myself.

My savings are exhausted. As of right now I have no idea how I'll pay my
rent for February. I had to sign another lease in December; the manager
agreed not to raise my rent due to my situation but if I hadn't signed a
lease, I'd be subject to possible monthly increases mandated by her bosses
(out of her control). Then of course there's the utility bill which will be
due at the end of this month, my phone bill... you get the gyst.

The *fun* part of being me and flat broke is I don't qualify for any sort of
government aid such as Medicaid, food stamps or welfare. Why? (Grrrrrr)
Because I'm single and have no dependents AND because I have an IRA. Never
mind that I can't touch my IRA without incurring severe early withdrawal
penalties - why would I want to mess with it? If I use up that money what
happens when I do have to retire?! Ticks me off.

I'm still waiting for a determination on my SSD claim (which I'm pretty sure
they will deny, at least on the first go-round).

I'm also still worried about John's health after his relapses following his
surgery in December, although he says he's recovering nicely now.

So, I could use some sleep purrs. Purrs that John recovers completely.
More job purrs/financial purrs. And dirty litterbox offerings to the people
who designed "government" benefits which are not available to a person such
as myself who worked hard for 27 years but isn't entitled to squat
because... well, just because.

Jill


Purrs, Jill, that you can find something to keep things together soon. I
don't have any big suggestions, unfortunately, but purrs going out.

jmcquown wrote:

Please allow me a little venting and a few more purr requests.

I am having one heck of a time sleeping. I've always had occasional bouts
of insomnia and usually when I sense something like this coming on I'll take
a valerian root capsule about 30 minutes before bedtime. It works
(usually). My doctor had prescribed Ambien and that worked well without
making me feel like a zombie. But since I an still unemployed and without
insurance I can't afford the prescription. (I told him about the valerian
and he saw no problem with it combined with my other medications, which he
gives me samples of whenever he has them.)

Unfortunately, lately valerian isn't working. I can't get my mind to 'turn
off' and I can't get comfortable. Last night I took two capsules but
literally only dozed, very briefly, and even when dozing was pretty much
aware of everything going on (e.g., cars driving by, the fan in my room - I
can't sleep without 'white noise'). I tossed and turned to the point of
Persia moving well away from me because I was disturbing her sleep! No
matter what position I was in, my arms ached. (I haven't been formally
diagnosed but at my age I know I've got arthritis - aspirin once in the
morning and once before bed helps with that, but I ran out of aspirin.)

I'm under a great deal of stress. My unemployment insurance ceased in
November. I've had no luck finding a job even though I've been on
interviews and have 2 headhunters searching for positions for me as well as
going out and applying myself.

My savings are exhausted. As of right now I have no idea how I'll pay my
rent for February. I had to sign another lease in December; the manager
agreed not to raise my rent due to my situation but if I hadn't signed a
lease, I'd be subject to possible monthly increases mandated by her bosses
(out of her control). Then of course there's the utility bill which will be
due at the end of this month, my phone bill... you get the gyst.

The *fun* part of being me and flat broke is I don't qualify for any sort of
government aid such as Medicaid, food stamps or welfare. Why? (Grrrrrr)
Because I'm single and have no dependents AND because I have an IRA. Never
mind that I can't touch my IRA without incurring severe early withdrawal
penalties - why would I want to mess with it? If I use up that money what
happens when I do have to retire?! Ticks me off.

I'm still waiting for a determination on my SSD claim (which I'm pretty sure
they will deny, at least on the first go-round).

I'm also still worried about John's health after his relapses following his
surgery in December, although he says he's recovering nicely now.

So, I could use some sleep purrs. Purrs that John recovers completely.
More job purrs/financial purrs. And dirty litterbox offerings to the people
who designed "government" benefits which are not available to a person such
as myself who worked hard for 27 years but isn't entitled to squat
because... well, just because.

Jill

Jill, I'm sorry you're having all those problems. Purrs and prayers
coming to you.
My brother swears by Melatonin (spelling?) He says it puts him right to
sleep. I was on Ambien for a while when I first got hurt and it worked
well. But I eventually built up a tolerence to it and it no longer
worked for me. And when I tried to get off of it I had a really hard
time. And I'm like you in the fact that I have to use a fan even in the
winter for white noise.
I symathize with you on the govt aid. I wish I could help you out but
I'm struggling too. Just know that you're not alone.

Bob

P.S. In case you didn't get my email, thanks again for the Xmas Ecard
you sent me. Persia is a beautiful girl.

Bob M wrote:
jmcquown wrote:

Please allow me a little venting and a few more purr requests.

I am having one heck of a time sleeping. I've always had occasional
bouts of insomnia and usually when I sense something like this
coming on I'll take a valerian root capsule about 30 minutes before
bedtime. It works (usually).
(snipped self)
So, I could use some sleep purrs. Purrs that John recovers
completely. More job purrs/financial purrs. And dirty litterbox
offerings to the people who designed "government" benefits which are
not available to a person such as myself who worked hard for 27
years but isn't entitled to squat because... well, just because.

Jill

Jill, I'm sorry you're having all those problems. Purrs and prayers
coming to you.
My brother swears by Melatonin (spelling?) He says it puts him right
to sleep.

Thank you. I tried it; when I woke up (even after cutting one of the pills
in half) I was so groggy I could barely function. I guess I'm just not cut
out for it.

And I'm like you in the fact that I have to use a fan even in
the winter for white noise.
I symathize with you on the govt aid. I wish I could help you out but
I'm struggling too. Just know that you're not alone.

Bob

Thank you, Bob. I really appreciate the thought.

P.S. In case you didn't get my email, thanks again for the Xmas Ecard
you sent me. Persia is a beautiful girl.

She *is* And trust me, she has plenty of food, litter, toys... she shall
not want Neither will my lovebird, Peaches.

Purrs on the way for you, too.

Jill

Christine Burel wrote:
Jill, I can certainly see why you're having trouble sleeping -- I'm so
sorry. I might suggest you try taking over-the-counter Benadryl (not
the brand name, but the generic version -- think it is called
diphenhydramine)

Yep, but it dries up my sinuses and causes nosebleeds. (Am I just full of
problems or what?!)

On the job front, have you thought about signing up with a temporary
agency like Olsen's or Norell? I often did that inbetween jobs
because I could make some money but also set up interviews, and also
check out what some companies/industries were like.

I have. In fact, I was contacted by a couple of temp agencies due to my
resume on Monster. The problem with that is, I (unforunately) locked myself
into a specific skill-set. They were contacting me about jobs I know
nothing about and have no prior acquaintence with.

I remember years ago signing up with a temp agency (Pat Parker, IIRC). At
that time I was looking for secretarial or receptionist work - keep in mind,
this was pre-computers or word processors on every desk. Typewriters and
calculators. This guy working there says to me, "Could you be licensed to
carry a gun?" "Yes, but why?" He thought I'd be just perfect for a listing
for a private detective. I gather he'd watched the 'Charlie's Angels' TV
show. No thanks! LOL Maybe that just left a bad taste in my mouth.
Private detective... yeah, right.

Jill

"jmcquown" wrote in message
.. .
Please allow me a little venting and a few more purr requests.

I am having one heck of a time sleeping. I've always had occasional
bouts of insomnia and usually when I sense something like this
coming on I'll take a valerian root capsule about 30 minutes before
bedtime. It works (usually). My doctor had prescribed Ambien and
that worked well without making me feel like a zombie. But since I
an still unemployed and without insurance I can't afford the
prescription. (I told him about the valerian and he saw no problem
with it combined with my other medications, which he gives me
samples of whenever he has them.)

Unfortunately, lately valerian isn't working. I can't get my mind
to 'turn off' and I can't get comfortable. Last night I took two
capsules but literally only dozed, very briefly, and even when
dozing was pretty much aware of everything going on (e.g., cars
driving by, the fan in my room - I can't sleep without 'white
noise'). I tossed and turned to the point of Persia moving well
away from me because I was disturbing her sleep! No matter what
position I was in, my arms ached. (I haven't been formally
diagnosed but at my age I know I've got arthritis - aspirin once in
the morning and once before bed helps with that, but I ran out of
aspirin.)

I'm under a great deal of stress. My unemployment insurance ceased
in November. I've had no luck finding a job even though I've been on
interviews and have 2 headhunters searching for positions for me as
well as going out and applying myself.

My savings are exhausted. As of right now I have no idea how I'll
pay my rent for February. I had to sign another lease in December;
the manager agreed not to raise my rent due to my situation but if I
hadn't signed a lease, I'd be subject to possible monthly increases
mandated by her bosses (out of her control). Then of course there's
the utility bill which will be due at the end of this month, my
phone bill... you get the gyst.

The *fun* part of being me and flat broke is I don't qualify for any
sort of government aid such as Medicaid, food stamps or welfare.
Why? (Grrrrrr) Because I'm single and have no dependents AND because
I have an IRA. Never mind that I can't touch my IRA without
incurring severe early withdrawal penalties - why would I want to
mess with it? If I use up that money what happens when I do have to
retire?! Ticks me off.

I'm still waiting for a determination on my SSD claim (which I'm
pretty sure they will deny, at least on the first go-round).

I'm also still worried about John's health after his relapses
following his surgery in December, although he says he's recovering
nicely now.

So, I could use some sleep purrs. Purrs that John recovers
completely. More job purrs/financial purrs. And dirty litterbox
offerings to the people who designed "government" benefits which are
not available to a person such as myself who worked hard for 27
years but isn't entitled to squat because... well, just because.

Jill


Jill, I can certainly see why you're having trouble sleeping -- I'm so
sorry. I might suggest you try taking over-the-counter Benadryl (not
the brand name, but the generic version -- think it is called
diphenhydramine) as it is an antihistamine that also is a soporific
-- it's the ingredient in several over-the-counter sleep meds. You'd
just take it about an hour before you want to go to sleep.

On the job front, have you thought about signing up with a temporary
agency like Olsen's or Norell? I often did that inbetween jobs
because I could make some money but also set up interviews, and also
check out what some companies/industries were like.

Also, you might try looking into merchandising jobs part-time, which
is what I'm doing 'cause of my weird schedule re kids -- it's not a
lot of money but it is something -- the company I work for
merchandises books in stores like K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, etc.
Do a search for Charles Levy Co. -- another book/magazine
merchandiser is Anderson News Corp.; I also know of Hershey's (yep,
the chocolate folk); Trends (posters); American Greetings; and Mosaic
(movies). Hope this helps you find a few leads. Sometimes, you just
have to start somewhere.

If I can help in any way, let me know. Major purrs for you and your
LLL's situation.
Christine

Jill I know *exactly* where you're coming from as I'm in a very
similar situation myself right now.

Like others, I wish I could help you out, but all I can offer is good
thoughts and purrs and knowledge that something good will have to
happen eventually (or so I keep telling myself). I just hope it's
sooner rather than later for both of us!




Jeanne Hedge, as directed by Natasha

============
http://www.jhedge.com

On Sun, 9 Jan 2005 09:45:13 -0600, "jmcquown"
wrote:

Please allow me a little venting and a few more purr requests.

I am having one heck of a time sleeping. I've always had occasional bouts
of insomnia and usually when I sense something like this coming on I'll take
a valerian root capsule about 30 minutes before bedtime. It works
(usually). My doctor had prescribed Ambien and that worked well without
making me feel like a zombie. But since I an still unemployed and without
insurance I can't afford the prescription. (I told him about the valerian
and he saw no problem with it combined with my other medications, which he
gives me samples of whenever he has them.)

Unfortunately, lately valerian isn't working. I can't get my mind to 'turn
off' and I can't get comfortable. Last night I took two capsules but
literally only dozed, very briefly, and even when dozing was pretty much
aware of everything going on (e.g., cars driving by, the fan in my room - I
can't sleep without 'white noise'). I tossed and turned to the point of
Persia moving well away from me because I was disturbing her sleep! No
matter what position I was in, my arms ached. (I haven't been formally
diagnosed but at my age I know I've got arthritis - aspirin once in the
morning and once before bed helps with that, but I ran out of aspirin.)

I'm under a great deal of stress. My unemployment insurance ceased in
November. I've had no luck finding a job even though I've been on
interviews and have 2 headhunters searching for positions for me as well as
going out and applying myself.

My savings are exhausted. As of right now I have no idea how I'll pay my
rent for February. I had to sign another lease in December; the manager
agreed not to raise my rent due to my situation but if I hadn't signed a
lease, I'd be subject to possible monthly increases mandated by her bosses
(out of her control). Then of course there's the utility bill which will be
due at the end of this month, my phone bill... you get the gyst.

The *fun* part of being me and flat broke is I don't qualify for any sort of
government aid such as Medicaid, food stamps or welfare. Why? (Grrrrrr)
Because I'm single and have no dependents AND because I have an IRA. Never
mind that I can't touch my IRA without incurring severe early withdrawal
penalties - why would I want to mess with it? If I use up that money what
happens when I do have to retire?! Ticks me off.

I'm still waiting for a determination on my SSD claim (which I'm pretty sure
they will deny, at least on the first go-round).

I'm also still worried about John's health after his relapses following his
surgery in December, although he says he's recovering nicely now.

So, I could use some sleep purrs. Purrs that John recovers completely.
More job purrs/financial purrs. And dirty litterbox offerings to the people
who designed "government" benefits which are not available to a person such
as myself who worked hard for 27 years but isn't entitled to squat
because... well, just because.

Jill


Jill, you have my sympathy. I'm always falling through the cracks of
programs, too. It stinks. And insomnia is well-know to my brain, as
well.

Wish I had some good suggestions for you. Here is all I can think of
right now, though:

1. Warm milk and cookies before bed
2. Exercise 1/2 before bed
3. A shot of Irish whisky in warm milk before bed
4. Counting backwards -- sometimes works for me, especially if I do it
in French!
5. Something I used to do when I was much younger -- make up stories
while trying to sleep.
6. Read a boring book before bed.
7. If you can't sleep, get up, do something else relaxing, and try
again in 20-30 minutes.

Sending purrs your way that things go better for you soon!

Ginger-lyn