And now what did you do TODAY?

[shellylh]

Sorry Larry, hope things get better. 

[acidbasement]

Really sorry to hear that healing is so slow for you both, Larry. Stay strong.

[HeadphoneAddict]

is an ankle joint replacement an option for your daughter, Larry?  The change in my gait from my foot being off by a few degrees has been bad enough on the rest of my body, I'd hate to have a frozen ankle.

That really sucks about not being able to take Aleve or get better pain management.  Tylenol is worthless, in my experience.  Are they keeping you on such a reduced opiate regimen due to potential addiction?  It would seem that helping somebody maintain their quality of life with adequate medication and then slowly tapering off would be a better solution.  

The combination of her AVN of the Talus and her age rule her out as good candidate for an ankle joint replacement.  In her group they have a high rate of failure and redo's that can eventually lead to amputation.  The tibeo-talar ankle fusion really is her only option for losing the wheelchair and crutches.  

As for my opiates, I was on 60mg per day of long acting Oxycontin in the rehab hospital for 2 weeks, and weaned by the doctors to 40mg day upon discharge in January, then I weaned myself to 20mg a day by the end of the month. After that I weaned myself to 10mg once a day in February, and then I went cold turkey on valentine's weekend (I was sick for 5 days).  

Once I was able to do that, I lost my ability to get anyone to refill the Oxycontin long acting meds for as needed use.  But they've also been reducing the short acting med quantities, just like they would with a normal healing person, which I'm not.  So, I can get 30 short acting Oxycodone 5mg each month and that's it, unless I try to find a pain management specialist.

As long as I could take an Oxy at bedtime to sleep through the pain, with an Aleve every 8 hours, the pain was tolerable.  But I'd still have to take an Oxy in addition to Aleve during the day in order to walk at all without crutches for just a couple hundred feet.  Without it I can't walk at all without a cane/crutch, even for short distances to the bathroom.

[jvlgato]

Sorry to hear it, Larry. Awful stuff.

I think you need a pain management specialist. Fibromyalgia and a serious injury from a MVA with continued significant pain which isn't controlled by usual pain treatments? Definitely, a pain management specialist. 

[Wmcmanus]

That's really rough, Larry... it's even hard to read, so I just can't imagine.  Like everyone else, I really wish I knew what to say.  Hope you get your pain meds sorted out soon.

[Mister X]

Went to the garden to check on the Zucchini that was left to do it's thing and ended up with a bucket full of potatoes and cucumbers.

Is it to soon to pull up the rutabagas?

[Dreadhead]

Really sorry to hear that the recovery is going so badly for you and your daughter Larry. I hope that things start improving.

[TMoney]

Ugh. Just looked at my Investment accounts.

The amount of $ I'm sure we've all lost in the past two weeks is staggering.

[MexicanDragon]

Thankfully we're not too terribly old and it should bounce back, but my 401k took a hit on the same day as my largest ever contribution was made to it :facepalm:

**BRENT**

[Dusty Chalk]

That's actually a good thing, Brent, it means you bought all those stocks while they were on sale!  Or was it right before..?

Also, you are way too optimistic.  The reason for this current crash is because of trouble with the world economy especially China -- who are holding a lot of the US' debts.  If they crash, we crash with them, and no-one else in the world is in a place to help us out this time.  We're all fucked.

[grawk]

but if the economy is that fucked, you need fewer dollars because everyone's finances are equally fucked.

[MexicanDragon]

I bought in Friday morning, I believe, sadly. But, it's grown on average 14% the past few years. Not going to be a huge deal, but yes, I would have done better buying today instead.

**BRENT**

[grawk]

you'll be fine.  long event horizon til you retire.  Just keep buying regularly and the dollar cost averaging will do you fine.  

[aardvark baguette]

I'm not going to look at my account.  

 

[MexicanDragon]

you'll be fine.  long event horizon til you retire.  Just keep buying regularly and the dollar cost averaging will do you fine.  

I'm not worried at all about mine. I'll probably die well before I can retire.

Oh, just realized I think I had a biscuit on Friday. Oops.

**BRENT**

[Hopstretch]

I'm not going to look at my account.  

 

Thought it was all in bitcoin, platinum and ammo futures anyway? 

[ironbut]

Very disappointing news Larry. I'm with Jon, you should get a consult with a pain specialist. There have been wonderful advancements in pain management in the last decade or so  (I guess the Gulf wars have had some positive results).

 

Hang tough Brent. Back when my 401k tanked a decade ago (lost about 60%), I consoled myself by figuring that the money I'd contributed was still there. Over time, the total grew back and was the highest it's been last year.

The moral to the story (IMHO), it's really just "on paper" until you start to "cash out". I do my best not to look at the account (especially with such a volatile market).

When you're ready to do something with the account, wait for a high note and switch to the most conservative account available or roll over to something else altogether.

Until then, I think that denial is the method of choice.

[swt61]

long event horizon til you retire.  Just keep buying regularly and the dollar cost averaging will do you fine.  

This! There will be ups and downs, just stay the coarse.

[Voltron]

Of course, if you spelled course with a u instead of an a in such situations, then you would be back on course and would sound much less coarse.  

[MexicanDragon]

I'm not worried about my 401k, there's nothing I can do about it, and like was mentioned above, it'll bounce back before I need to cash out. I try to not worry (too much) about things I can't change these days. Plenty of things to be concerned about re: what I can do something about, such as "which whiskies shall I consume tonight?"

**BRENT**

[shellylh]

Oh, just realized I think I had a biscuit on Friday. Oops.

 

**BRENT**

So it's all your fault!    

I planned to put some more money in the market on Friday but never got around to it.  I might wait a few days... when are you planning to have biscuits again?

[MexicanDragon]

How about this: you let me know when you want to put some $$$ in, and I'll skip the biscuit that day.

**BRENT**

[Grahame]

And in Financial News Today, Brent had a extra Biscuit. Analysts are Pessimistic .

[MexicanDragon]

I had two whilst enjoying breakfast with a friend's mom and watching Fox News blame Obama and BENGHAZI!!!! for the worst fiscal collapse in 300 years.

**BRENT**

[Aimless1]

So I was considering retirement.  Not really, but I'm a lot closer than most of you.   3-7 years depending on many factors.  Dan gave the corporate line.  Keep investing consistently and things will work out for you.  News flash.  Many can't choose when to cash out .... sickness, disabillity, fired.  You may not have the option of when to choose moving to safer investments.  We have savings, liquid investments, 401K, stock market, mutual funds, bonds. etc.  Even so, I'm not ready to retire today ... at least not willingly.

Invest wisely my friends.