We've had a hell of a week here. We noticed the soffit (over the kitchen area) in the back of the house was torn down a few days ago. We've had 2 guys here, Tim and his brother Kevin, repairing all the dry rot around the house etc. I'd asked Tim to put the soffit back up for me. He said, "oh sure...no problem". The next day I see the soffit is back down again. Mom had seen a huge furry animal with a stripped tail (racoon) walk past the paladium window the following day. (across the back porch roof) Turns out we've got a FAMILY of racoons living in the attic. Thursday night the noise was SO bad Mom couldn't hear the TV, and I could hear them on the other side of the house in my office. You could hear them moving things and screeching. They're camped over the living room. We made a desperate call to my brother Mark at 10:30 pm and asked to spend the night there. They said no problem, come on up. So off we went in our nightgowns, carrying our clothes and medicine for the next day.

Friday I called our pest guy, and naturally they don't handle that type of problem. I called animal control and they said the same thing. They also told me to call a trapper. So I called several trappers. Prices ranged from $500 to a THOUSAND dollars to get this family out. I told Tim and Kevin my problem yesterday when they came to finish working on the house. Kevin...who's visiting from Alaska...said he'd trap them for me. So he went up in the attic to get them out. He saw the mother, but had nothing to get her with. They left and came back an hour later with a trap. Kevin, who traps animals in Alaska, set up the trap and camouflaged it with palm leaves.

My brother Mark and his wife and son had stayed for dinner last night. As we came inside...around 8pm...I heard something metalic. I'd figured it was probably the racoon coming out of the soffit for her nightly food run. NOOooooo, instead it was Mr. Possum. This morning when I got up I asked my Mom if we'd caught the mother racoon. She said she was too freaked to look. So I went out on the porch and looked into the cage. Sure enough there sits a very unhappy possum. I called Tim and he came over and took it away. Then he cleaned out the trap and reset it up on the porch roof near the big areca palm on the corner of the porch. We've determined this is how they're getting up on the roof. So the areca palm will have to be cut down.

Now we're back in "waiting and watching" mode for tonight. Tim said if they weren't successful this weekend they'd use other alternatives. Works for us! Monday we've got a guy coming out to install tile flooring in the kitchen and laundry. We got the tile from Home Depot at a really good price. We'd searched different Home Depot stores till we got a fair price. (lol) They delivered the tile Tuesday, and after fighting for a few days, we got the grout on Friday. We've got a painter lined up to paint the house the last week of the month. I'll be glad when this is all over with. I'm WAY past my breaking point on my stress meter.

I learned a LONG time ago that you have to try to find a sense of humor. Otherwise the urge to do away with yourself is too great. Of all the doctors I've been to, (trust me there've been a few), they all have remarked on the extent of my FM/CFS/ME.

In the beginning I had assumed everyone had it as bad as I did. But then I began meeting people online, and I realized very few of them were as disabled as I was. I still have to chuckle to myself when I think back on my interview with the disability judge, many years ago. Here I was, sitting in my wheelchair, trying not to cry because the pain of sitting was unbearable. The tears streaming down my cheeks as I answer questions from the judge. After 30 minutes of this he turns and says to his asistant, "why is this women here, she should have been granted SSD long ago."

Many people ask me "how do you do it?", "what's your secret", or "what's your strategy for dealing with FM/CFS/ME". Again I have to chuckle to myself. Does anyone ask a "normal" person what their strategy for breathing is? How do they get through the day? By putting one foot in front of the other....if possible...and dealing with the cards you've been dealt. There comes a point in life where you have to make a choice. A choice of trying to exist, or giving up. Most people choose life. That's the hard road, and the one usually traveled alone.

After 29 I've learned my limitations. ..for the most part...FM always likes to throw you a curve, just to make sure it's got your full attention. I've mourned my youth, my middle years, and even old age. I know my life isn't great, but it's mine, and I choose to enjoy it to the fullest extent. I will not sit and dwell on my losses, nor will I hang out with people who don t believe in me. Many a time I've traveled the road alone because of this, but it beats the misery of people who don't belive it's real. I used to think the opposite of love was hate. I learned long ago that it was indifference instead.

I've survived 29 years with FM/CFS/ME, 15 years in a wheelchair, 13 years in an abusive marriage, 2 heart attacks and I still refuse to give up. At 46 I still have a life to look forward to. And now I've met a wonderful man to possibly share my life with....time will tell.