This is in the "off topic-totally" forum. If we've exhausted the topic of weed control, then we should free to just keep talking wherever the conversation takes us!

Agreed.

What are you guys doing today? Are you properly quarantined? I'm taking the day off from gardening to convalesce. Yesterday, I was using the tiller, and when I was done, the switch to turn it off was on the opposite side from where I was standing, so I leaned over to reach the switch, and without thought instinctively put my left hand out to stabilize myself as I leaned over, and planted my left hand, fully flat on the engine casing of that tiller, with the full weight of my body behind it. OMG I've never felt pain like that. Definitely never been burned that bad.

I went to the hospital because it looked pretty bad and it hurt like hell, so I thought I better get it checked out. The doctor looked at it for like 30 seconds, told me to keep it iced and it would be fine. He didn't clean it, he didn't apply any ointment of any kind, didn't prescribe anything for infection or pain (not even some Motrin), he didn't bandage or wrap it, and basically told me to grow a pair, go home, and get over it. Didn't even give me a fresh ice pack, and by the time I left, the one I brought with me was melted. Won't be going back to that hospital again. Also, i hadn't been to the ER since I started my new job in Texas two years ago, so I had no idea my ER copay is 500 dollars. So I had to pay 500 dollars to receive no kind of treatment whatsoever. I'm going back to Oklahoma for a bit on the 7th, and I have a lot I need to do in the garden before then, but I needed to take the day off today. I'll get back at it tomorrow.

What do you mean, isn’t this the “what makes you want to be the best person you can be thread”

I'm sorry that happened to you. A young man we know got 2nd degree burns when spaghetti water splashed on him. He went urgent care, got ointment, bandaged, debrided etc. Being young, was back in commission in two weeks and he never cried. I'm impressed. I'm a bad sick person.

DC that comment went right over my head.

We're on lock down here. I snuck out to Menards to get mulch and potting soil. There was a rebate, they made mistake but, fixed it. The lawn guy (my hero) was anxious to get to work, so he was here. A dear friend dropped off two N95 masks for us. Yesterday Dani and I cleaned out about 100' of flower bed. Today I finished them and a couple other areas. Jack Daniels Honey and my insta pot tonight. I'll start working in the greenhouse Saturday, WW is sending us bad weather. And that was the day...

Even though I'm not a doctor, this experience definitely made me want make sure I'm compassionate toward people who feel they are injured, never minimize their experience of pain, and apply timely first aid if i am in a situation to do so. I don't think i would have done this even before, but I know for sure now that I would never tell somebody who believes she or he is injured, "it's not that bad, just get over it and get on with your day." So I guess this experience has made me want to be the best person I can be.

---------- Post added at 07:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:12 PM ----------

And it damn sure made me want to be a better person in the sense that if the off switch is on the other side of a piece of equipment, i'm just gonna walk right around to the other side instead of trying to reach over hahahahaha

---------- Post added at 07:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:14 PM ----------

Jack Daniels Honey is the nectar of the gods, although I struggle to be a responsible drinker, so I rarely partake.

---------- Post added at 07:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:18 PM ----------

And we're not on lock down yet, but they are strongly encouraging people to say at home. I think mandatory lock down won't be far behind, but that's hard to enforce, and if i need garden supplies, I think that's a necessary item, and i'm going to get them.

It's been a crappy day. Mostly because of where my head is at the moment. Tomorrow will perhaps be better. Just can't get up the gumption/energy to write or post anything I feel is worthwhile. Today. Meh... we all have those kinda days. Absolutely I wanna keep striving for being the best I can be. And almost ashamed for not having a good day. I have a roof over my head, food to eat, plenty of stuff I could be doing. Folks who love me. For today, I go to bed, and attempt to have my head in a better space by manana. We all have down moments. I'm just sharing one. Guarantee my attitude will shift... it always does, and I count on it.

I have those days too, and I know just how you feel. There's nothing wrong with feeling that way sometimes. I'm thinking happy thoughts for you, and i hope you feel better tomorrow.

I hope you don't think I was minimizing your pain. That certainly wasn't my intention.

Dolly, you come of as a kind, level-headed, caring individual. I don't think anybody thought you were minimizing anybody's pain. I only know you from here, but i'm guessing that you are person who would tell somebody that it's okay to feel your feelings. You don't have to hide them. Let yourself experience the full range of human emotion, and you'll learn from it and become a more compassionate person. And because I think you would say it, I'm going to say it for you:

WaterWitchin, you go ahead and feel your feelings. Embrace them even if they are painful. When we go through tough times, we learn more about ourselves and we come out stronger, so don't be afraid to feel your feelings, and if you want to talk about it, we are here. If you don't want to talk, we won't be offended. You can be left to feel your feelings in peace, at your own pace, in your own time.

---------- Post added at 12:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:46 AM ----------

And on a personal note, I was diagnosed with Bipolar II when I was 19. I was depressed, so i went to a family doctor and told him I was depressed. We talked for about five minutes, and he wrote me a script for Effexor. It was fairly new at the time. I started taking that, and it did crazy things to my mood. I was up and down and everywhere. Eventually i tried to kill myself by driving head on into a tree at about 80 miles an hour. Somehow I was unhurt. But I was committed to a psych hospital for a few weeks. Once I talked to an actual psychiatrist and he took a full evaluation, he realized that I am bipolar, and Effexor is a very bad medication to give to somebody that is bipolar, as it can trigger manic or mixed episodes. That's why I always tell people now, if you are having mental health issues, get your family doctor to refer you to a proper psychiatrist. Don't let your GP treat your mental health. they don't have the expertise. But anyway, I had a lot of hard years. Barely made it through college, did a lot of self-medicating, which of course only made it worse. But over time it got better. Apparently that can tend to happen with bipolar. The symptoms are worse in the late teens and early 20s, but can get better over time. I'm 37 now, and I'm doing just fine. I take Lamictal, which is actually an anti-epileptic medication, but it also acts as a mood stabilizer. That's all I take now, and I feel great. At one point, I was on 8 different medications at once, and it was awful. But I got a better psychiatrist, and everything is under control with that one medication that has no side effects, and I think a lot of the improvement just comes from getting older. So my point is, I understand the depths of human despair, and you're not alone. You can do this, and you will do it, and you'll be better for it after it's all said and done.