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Post by CourageouslyLion SeeksSerenity on Jan 29, 2010 14:53:00 GMT -5
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Rennie, those of us who have read your posts for a long time ... We KNOW you are NOT a hoarder.
We know you are at SOS ... ONLY because you've been brainstorming ways to effectively clean while having physical disabilities.
I started the OTHER thread "Haiti doesn't need our hoarded stuff" ... because I had read the news article and thought that the information would be beneficial to the SOS "community at large". I read the article, and decided to post it on SOS.
I didn't have to title it "Haiti doesn't need our hoarded stuff" -- but I chose that title ONLY because I thought that wording would catch the interest of a large sector of the SOS readership.
When I saw THIS thread about prescription bottles, I decided to link to the other thread, ONLY as a means to link to the article explaining WHY it's difficult for the aid workers to process THINGS right after a disaster.
My intent was for you to read those concepts about clogged ports. So .. i was referring you to the CONTENT of the other thread, (and not its title). I totally realize that RennieEllen is not a hoarder.
As for others replying to this thread here ... perhaps some were not fully aware of your situation. Also, it is possible that some replies here were directed at the many hoarders who might stumble upon this thread, and not at you specifically.
Hugs.
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Post by CourageouslyLion SeeksSerenity on Jan 29, 2010 15:16:41 GMT -5
I found a website where a young man WILL accept empty prescription bottles:
waste-not-want-not.tripod.com/id14.html
He donates them to a community supported free clinic in his area. There is also a link on his website to the free clinic where these donations go. Thank you for this information. I think it would work for people who are NOT hoarders, are mostly in maintenance, ...AND ... have a good organizational system for saving items to be donated -- and a system for dropping off or shipping the items to where they are needed -- REGULARLY -- BEFORE they accumulate into a large pile.. If anyone reading this has such a system ... that works and is effective ... that's terrific. A point to keep in mind is the cost of shipping the items to the charity. Sometimes it costs more to ship items than to just send money. So .... Perhaps a local charity drive could be organized in your own community ... and then one local coordinator could ship them all at once to the prescription-bottle-center? That would save you the cost of shipping the bottles yourself.
For people who are compulsive hoarders, or are chronically disorganized, or are living in squalor ... Throw them out! Give yourself "amnesty" from any obligation to save prescription bottles for donation. Give yourself "amnesty" from guilt at throwing them away. Amnesty is further explained here:takeonestepatatime.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=4090-
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Post by puppybox on Jan 29, 2010 16:58:43 GMT -5
Rennie, please don't use aggressive language like "the accusation that I'm a hoarder". I read the posts, and no one accused you of being a hoarder. They said to hoarders in general, that they shouldn't try to save bottles, as a general principle. They said this in response to your post, but were speaking to all members of the board, not you in particular. You've been at this board longer than I have, so you must like it here. Why don't you give people the benefit of the doubt, instead of being all defensive? Don't they deserve that much? your super bold post was an over reaction.
Also, even if they were SAYING you were a hoarder, which they were not, this is not a board where being a hoarder is considered a moral failing. THERE ARE LOTS OF HOARDERS HERE. would you go to an AA meeting (for example as a friend of someone who was) and say "well, I'm not an alcoholic, DON"T ACCUSE ME OF BEING AN ALCOHOLIC!" ? if someone mistakenly assumed you were an alcoholic too? its the same thing, Rennie. Be a bit more sensitive to the hoarders here please.
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Post by illuminata on Jan 29, 2010 18:03:31 GMT -5
There are lots of hoarders here...I am one of them. But there are also lots of people who read but who don't post (lurkers) who could also be hoarders. Sometimes, we have to put all information out there so that everyone is included. We're speaking to lots of people! I agree with CLSS...we (a collective "we", with "me" included) often have good intentions, but our actions often fall short because of various issues (ranging from ADD to physical disabilities). Good example: I bought two long suede coats on sale at Goodwill for $5 each over the summer, fully expecting to sell them on eBay or facebook and make a little money. They hung in the closet and I never did anything with them. So, I had heard of a family who had a fire and who lost everything. I called the fire station (point of contact) first to make sure it was okay, made up my mind, loaded the van with a bunch of clothes that they needed in appropriate sizes INCLUDING the two coats and also including two sacks of clothes which were supposed to go to my food pantry that had sat on my kitchen bench for a month, and took them to the fire station. But it is yet another illustration to myself that my good intentions often fall short of my expected goals. And since you've often posted in the past about having boxes and sacks of stuff sitting around that you've had problems going through, I wanted to make sure that wasn't the case with the bottles. That's all.
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Post by Rennie Ellen on Jan 29, 2010 19:57:17 GMT -5
First off, I didn't mean to offend anyone. I was just clarifying that I'm NOT a hoarder for the new people. I'm not dissing anyone who's dealing with hoarding issues. So let's not go there with that because that never was my intention.
As for the "having boxes and sacks of stuff sitting around that you've had problems going through", the issue was physical ONLY. Now that I've started cardiac rehab, my strength and endurance are slowly increasing. Now that I have an aide to help me, sorting through things has been going pretty fast and I only have 3 boxes left. Three boxes left in the whole house!!!! I don't think a Walmart sack of empty prescription bottles hanging inside my linen closet is going to jeopardize that.
Second, I guess I felt like I had a great idea to help people and it was immediately shot down. As a disabled person, I face limitations every day and the challenge is how to overcome them. But seeing the relief work going on in Haiti and knowing I'm not either physically or financially able to help, there are times when I feel pretty dayum useless. On Monday as I laid in my bed at Urgent Care, it really hit me hard. In the last three months I've been hospitalized three times. I'm either feeling like crap or recovering from feeling like crap. This is interfering with my volunteering with the outreach ministry and one day I'm afraid I'll have to quit that, too, and end up a shut-in. I just thought the idea of collecting prescription bottles and donating them was a good one. My options of what I can physically do and what I can't are decreasing the older I get, so I have to find ways of helping others that don't involve physical strength or money.
Third, I've ALWAYS typed in bold font since I've been on the SOS board. In chats on AOL and SOS, I type in a bold font because I now wear bifocals and it's easier for me to read. I'm having a bit of trouble reading the non-bold fonts without my glasses. Bold fonts do NOT mean I'm being "verbally aggressive" or shouting, it just simply means I'm getting old. So if my bold font offends you, feel free to ignore my posts.
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Post by illuminata on Jan 29, 2010 22:29:01 GMT -5
I didn't know that you had the sack hanging inside a closet...since I don't live there. I didn't know that you had three boxes left...because I've been gone for a long time and the last I knew, there was still a problem with boxes and the going through of boxes. I didn't imply anything other than the last time I knew, there were boxes and sacks that you had trouble going through...for any reason whatsoever. You can increase the font size of most web pages by going to View at the top of IE (if you use that) and selecting Text Size. It works on this site, I just did it and it makes the font REAL big. We're all in this together...there's really no need to be snippy with people who are trying to be helpful and nice and civil. Nobody is shooting down anything, just pointing out that for some people who hoard, this could be a big problem. For other people who have an organized system in place and who know for certain that they will get the things to wherever it is they need to go, this could a good idea...for later, when proper channels have been reopened to Haiti. Right now, "stuff" would clog the system...but later, "stuff" such as this might be needed. So see? There's no worries, no problems, no big deal, it's all good.
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Post by Butterfly on Jan 30, 2010 2:13:47 GMT -5
... if my bold font offends you, feel free to ignore my posts... Your posting in bold doesn't offend me, it causes me pain. That's one of the reasons why a lot of forums prohibit "bolding" entire posts. Another reason is that even if the poster doesn't mean it that way, an all bold post, just like one that is in all caps, does come across as aggressive. In the past, I have increased my browser font size, as a previous poster suggested, to make it easier for me to read internet pages. The advantage for you is that it works on ALL posts and printed information, not just your own. So, maybe this would help you? I, too, am disabled with severe problems. I bet lots of folks here are. You are not the only one even if it feels like it. Finally, I recognize that you are trying to help. I think we all are. I can't speak for anyone else, but I know that I've been very frustrated when I see the news reports of food and water being available in Haiti but the aid workers can't distribute it due to fear of rioting and escalating violence. Personally, I was very annoyed when my local news station sent two reporters to join the throng already in Haiti. In my mind this was very irresponsible because it took up that much space on the flights every day that would have been much better used for food and water supplies. (A lot of the reporters fly in and out of Haiti on a daily basis so that they can sleep in a country that hasn't been devastated as Haiti certainly doesn't have available facilities right now.) Sometimes, though, the best way we can help is to step back and not cause more of a jam and wait until what we can do will be useful. I think that's all anyone here has been saying.
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Post by gifted on Jan 30, 2010 2:49:32 GMT -5
Hi Rennie,
I really haven't been active much lately. And I am embarrassed at how little I have been aware of what is happening with others here on the board.
But I do want to take the opportunity to say that you are a valued member of this community. And also remind you it is sometimes difficult to communicate in text.
So while it is totally off topic to the original subject of this post, I want to say that I am happy to see you are still an active member on the board, and remind you that you have contributed a lot.
Also, if all of us agreed with one another all of the time, this board would not be as useful as it is.
You have been a real inspiration to me, by the way you have persevered to manage your life despite your illnesses. You have always looked for ways to give back to the community through volunteer work, even though you may not have the health and resources of many other people.
We love ya, Rennie!
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Post by CourageouslyLion SeeksSerenity on Jan 30, 2010 10:12:16 GMT -5
- Hi there ... Just an F.Y.I for EVERYBODY reading here ... (including people who are reading but have not posted) ... There are ways to make the forums more easy on your eyes. If you are a member here, go to the main forum layout menu takeonestepatatime.proboards.comand then click on "Technical Help". At the top of the Technical Help forum are "stickied" or "pinned" two threads: - "How to change "skin" (background color/design)"
and
- "Preview of our skins (color schemes)"
What are these threads about? What is a skin? A "skin" is a color scheme. It includes the background colors -- the "decor" of the forums. It affects only how you personally view the forums. It won't affect anyone else's view of the forums. For most of them, the background color is the most important feature, and some include a design that frames the words. For a few of the skins, the default font color is different. For one skin, the default is light type on a dark background. I think there is one with dark green font on a light green background. I think that one has a red font. This means that if other members have a default skin, they will think they are typing in the default font color (black) -- but that the font will APPEAR in the "skin scheme font color" to a person with the special skin. (however, if someone intentionally types in a special font color, such as orange, it will appear orange in ALL skins.) The threads I mentioned show you how to change the BACKGROUND color of the forum, and once you set that in your profile, you will ALWAYS see the forums with that color scheme. (It will appear that way every time you are logged in, without you having to reset it ... but it will work ONLY when you are logged in). It will be keyed to your profile and not your computer. This means that whenever you are logged in under your own username, you'll view all the forums via the skin you've keyed into your profile, regardless of what computer you're using. Even if it's at the public library. (If you're not logged in, you'll see only the generic color scheme). Examples are shown in the "preview" thread. How to set it up is demonstrated in the "how to" thread. Why do people choose a different skin? - Because they find the colors to be pretty
OR
- because certain color schemes lessen eyestrain, and reduce GLARE.
Yes. Reduce glare.
As this thread you are currently reading is NOT the technical help forum, let's not discuss the technical stuff here. I suggest going to the Technical Help forum for more information ... and asking questions THERE. You might also pose questions on the technical help forum about what someone else mentioned above ... how to increase the viewing of entire forum in larger font. You could ask there how to do it in whatever browser you have. This method works even if you're logged off. And all sizes remain proportional. There are also ways to configure your browser for "accessibility" for people with visual or audio impairment. Again ... let's discuss ways to avoid eyestrain over on "technical help". We all want to find easy ways to view the forums. The moderators might have ideas. There are plenty of "computer-savvy" members who might have ideas, too -- who might suggest things that NONE of the rest us have thought of yet. -
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foxworth
New Member
Joined: July 2008
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Post by foxworth on Jan 30, 2010 10:29:48 GMT -5
I am a pharmacist . I have been on 2 medical missions to Honduras. Because space is always at a premium on these trips , we bring amber zip baggies. 10,000 of these will fit in the space of about 30 prescription bottles.They are not child resistant but are the best solution under the circumstances. But this can be an issue when bottles are reused. The child resistant cap can become worn and ineffective after multiple uses. It is not intended to be reused. Many states forbid reusing prescription bottles for this reason. I have been a lurker on this board for a long time. I don't post due to OCD issues but thought I could give some insight on this issue.
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Post by Rennie Ellen on Jan 30, 2010 14:07:24 GMT -5
I never said I was the ONLY disabled person on this board. Never implied it.
The chats where I frequent, typing in A.L.L. C.A.P.S. means shouting. Typing in bold is a means of expression, NOT aggression.
Again, if you have a problem with my typing in bold font, feel free to ignore my posts.
Now I'm off with a glass of iced peach tea to sort through that box in the bedroom. I want my bedroom to be a perfect stage zero today.
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Post by eagle on Jan 31, 2010 12:17:30 GMT -5
Hey, everyone, please try and be kind to each other here. Things are getting a little heated here.
As a point of interest, thank you to foxworth. That sounds so much more space effective.
Personally, I can't save prescription bottles in any great quantity because neither my husband nor I are on any ongoing medications. The occassional infection might produce one bottle every few years. When our Haitian missionary group spoke to the Women's Club about donating the prescription bottles, I thought, what a great idea, but I can't help for the aforesaid reason. Spacewise and costwise, the small amber plastic baggies sound so much better.
Now, regarding the font sizes and bolding of posts. We do NOT have a policy that forbids all bold type. I do understand people's concerns about different fonts, sizes and so forth. In the past, I was responsible for creating training posters when I was a Nurse Educator. I learned from varied employees that some fonts, graphics and so forth, have vaired effects on different people. Some couldn't read fonts that I used and I had to change some posters to make it easier for them to read. Since my goal was to get staff to the training programs, it only made sense that the more who could read them, the more likely they would be to attend.
However, there are situations where I think it is not quite appropriate to force my point of view on others based on my needs. For example, last night we visited a new restaurant in town and I had difficulty reading the menu because of the font used. Rather than suggesting they change the entire menu and all signage in the restaurant to make it easier for me to read, I asked my husband to help me read it. Why should I expect them to change everything to accomodate me? Wouldn't that be a bit selfish and self-centered? Yes, it would. Besides that, I probably won't be going to that restaurant often because they don't have much on the menu I can eat, anyway. So why complain about something that I won't be seeing much anyway?
The way I see it here, Rennie has a sight issue that she has been dealing with for some time, as does Gigi. It is too bad that neither is able to come to an agreement regarding a solution that will work for both equally.
When my eyes are very tired, I also have difficulty reading the screen on some internet sites, here included. I have used the 'enlarge font' feature of my browser in the past. That has helped to some degree. But I have also had MUCH more difficulty reading when the background creates a problem. For some folks, a dark background is preferable, but for me it makes things so hard to read! Color and contrast seem to be a very personal thing when it comes to a comfortable reading environment.
No solutions there. Just some points of view.
No, I am not taking sides, and I am not mandating anyone change anything.
I am only asking that everyone be kind to each other.
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Post by dailystruggle on Feb 1, 2010 17:33:49 GMT -5
Hello. Just a thought. Rennie, if you like bold, that's fine with me. That being said, couldn't you type it in bold, proofread it, select it with your mouse, and change it back to a normal font so that people don't think that you're being "aggressive"? I suppose that that wouldn't help if you wanted to remember what you typed. (I have a problem remembering what I typed sometimes.). If not, it might help with some people misunderstanding the bold type.
Really sorry to find out about your sight. That would really suck. Couldn't they give you a different prescription of glasses? Also, my glasses have a special coating on them that helps reduce glare when viewing a monitor. You might ask about it. It really helps.
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Post by Rennie Ellen on Feb 2, 2010 12:24:06 GMT -5
I'll try to post one more time and pray I don't offend anyone.
To clear the air here -- when I said I wasn't a hoarder, it wasn't a slam to anyone here who deals with hoarding issues.
In my life OFFLINE, I have encountered people from time to time who, because they saw my disorganization and clutter, assumed I WAS a hoarder and lumped me into that category. I felt validated when the nurse from the in-home agency looked around my home and said it was common for people with multiple physical challenges to have a disorganized and cluttered home. I'd had other housing inspectors in the past (not the one I'm dealing with now) tell me if I'd just buck up/get up off my duff/stop being lay-zee, I wouldn't have a problem with clutter at all. Just because I have a problem with clutter doesn't mean I'm a hoarder.
I'll give an example that I think can get the point across. Dana Reeve, Christopher Reeve's wife, was diagnosed with lung cancer. When the news broke, automatically everyone asked, "Did she smoke?"
No, Dana never smoked. But immediately there's the assumption that because she had lung cancer, she must have smoked. There are many types of lung cancer that aren't connected with smoking at all, but when you hear "lung cancer", there's always the stigma of "If you have lung cancer, you brought it on yourself because you smoke."
I've even had (non-medical) people ask me if I smoked because my lymphoma tumor was located behind my left lung! There's no connection between lymphoma and smoking. But there's that automatic assumption that because my cancer involved the lung, it meant I smoked.
That was why I stated I wasn't a hoarder -- not to put down people who deal with hoarding, but because I refuse to be automatically labeled as one.
P.S. This post also isn't meant to put down people who smoke! So if you smoke, please don't take what I said the wrong way. Although I hope you quit because it is bad for you.
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Post by shopgirl on Feb 2, 2010 17:37:38 GMT -5
I also have to admit, I haven't been following Rennie Ellen's posts as carefully, because after the first paragraph, the bold font just dances around. Not sure why this is! My eyes are not young anymore, either.
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