This has always been a bad list for me.

Do I assume my necessities are taken care of, like food, water, shelter…ect?  Do I assume I have my husband and my pets?  Because if I need all of that, then there goes the 10 things right there!

I was once asked, “You were stranded on a desert island, you were allowed to take all your necessities, you forgot one important item, what would you freak out about?”   My first thought….”I hope it wasn’t my toothbrush!”   Strange thing, if I’m stuck and could only brush or floss, I’d floss.  so what was I thinking?  Take care of those gums!  Silly girl!  I guess I should have said, drinkable water, or something smart like that, but I kind of assume you could find that somewhere.  Am I naive?

So for this question, I’m going to assume I have everything that is necessary for life….I mean to sustain life.  And all my medications and such, including my hearing aid, and glasses. But only list those things I feel I couldn’t live without, even though technically I could.  (and I’m not including my loved ones, or my dental hygiene products, we know how I feel about that, I’m going to assume those are all included, this wouldn’t be much fun if all you read was a bunch of list about, oh I’d take my husband, my cat, my son……)….So let’s have more fun than that.  Yes I think I’ll be listing more, what semi-luxuries could I not live without!    (Please Note!  The Main thing in my life I could not LIVE without is my HUSBAND!  But anyone who knows anything about me, knows that!!)

In no particular order:

• I said no particular order…but this one is NUMBER ONE!!   Massages from Kelly!  She has literally save me in many ways!  I honestly believe I would have had hip surgery again if it wasn’t for her, and I think my headaches, and neck pain would be much, much worse.  When we moved to Durham, I had to give up a wonderful massage therapist I was seeing because the drive was just too hard on me.  I went for a long time with no massages.  Then I decided to surprise my husband with a massage as a thank you gift for the amazing things he does for me.  We randomly found this place and randomly found Kelly.  She has researched my conditions, has worked with me, and come when I’ve needed.  She has gone way beyond what is expected of a massage therapist, and their prices are very reasonable.  I could not live without Kelly.
• Hot Baths – often with Epsom Salts.
• Ice Packs – for those really bad headaches
• My emergency pack for when I have a Meniere’s Vertigo attack.- (filled with bottles of water, wash cloths, plastic bags, emergency meds, a card explaining what is happening….)
• My cell phone for emergencies. – (we must be in a place where I have reception, and I can charge my phone, and I have the charger…no loop holes here OK?) I can’t talk on the phone any longer, but if I need help, it has an emergency button, or I can push one button and call my husband.
• My computer, and a way to power it and hook it up to a network, and anything it needs with high-speed internet. (yes, I’m being thorough there, I’ve seen too many movies where people make a wish like, I want a computer, then have no way to run it.) – I must have access to the internet.  all my friends are in my computer.  : )
• Monkey, Monkey, Monkey – or just Monkey to his friends.  Yes I have a stuffed animal who calms me when the Intracranial Hypertension or Meniere’s or pain from any of my chronic conditions – migraines, pelvic pain, GI issues….ect….   When any of this gets too much. Monkey is there to dry my tears to hold my head. to be a neck pillow, to just be my Monkey.
• Peppermint Lotion. – OK, yes we are getting in to my luxuries now.  At night my hands and feet get very hot.  So I use peppermint lotion to cool them off, it helps me go to sleep.
• Burt’s Bees Lip Balm….or possibly a different lip balm that has peppermint, I don’t really like that Burt’s Bees sold out to Clorox…ewww, but they are still made here in Durham, but they aren’t guaranteed gluten free any longer. However, I had a stock pile, so I think mine are still from the old manufacturing practices….anyone know of a good peppermint lip balm that is all natural and gluten free?  Oh but back to why this is a necessity…..I use it every night before I sleep, my lips are hot and dry, and I cannot fall asleep with them feeling like that, I just can’t…so I must have a peppermint lip balm.
• Vick’s Mentholatum Vapor Rub – oh, yes I know this is an odd one.  But again, in my go to sleep routine.  I have a hard time with post nasal drip.  I will start coughing in my sleep, and making little hacking noises.  If I put a little of this under my nose, it usually takes care of it.  It opens my nasal passages and no more drip.  If I still have it, I take a Benedryl, and it’s all gone. But it’s wonderful that this makes it so I don’t have to take another pill a lot of the time.

You know I thought I’d have trouble with 10….but I could go on….however, I think I’d be going into the territory I said I wouldn’t.

Oh NO!  I didn’t mention any of my art supplies.  I could go NO WHERE without a drawing pad and pens!!! NO WHERE!!!  What to leave off????   Or do I assume that were in with the necessities of life?  They would be for me you know?

Now that will take some serious thought.