Monday, October 15, 2012

Ancestry OCD

I have spent more and more time on Ancestry.com lately. It's as though I am on a mission. I often plan to spend only an hour or so and then boom, I glance at the clock and three or more hours have passed. I have made great headway on my family tree. I was very fortunate that my aunt and cousin had done so much work on my mother's side and are still working on it. My father's side has been another story. I must caution you that if your parents are still alive you need to pump them for any information they can give you. I found every detail helpful. My grandmother always claimed to have Native American blood. She had high cheekbones and she really seemed to know this as a fact. I am spending countless hours trying to prove this now.
I have found her ancestor, James Monroe Poston Sr. who attended a naming ceremony for the Creek Indians (which are called the Eastern Cherokees.) Apparently, the Cherokee nation at that time was mainly in Tennessee. What compounds the problem of identifying WHICH James Monroe Poston he is, or WHICH John Poston his father was, is that at that time there were no social security numbers. There are fathers with brothers who all name their children the same name, who are all born about the same time. There is controversy among families over which ancestor is THEIR ancestor and which is not. I wish I had the money to hire an expert some days.

I have been struggling with my PH medicine and the side effects from it. Once again my stomach is upset constantly. I have tried removing nearly every thing from my diet at one time or another and it seems to make no difference. Each night I find it difficult to sleep with acid reflux a constant problem. I also suffer from insomnia. Three nights ago I slept three hours out of twenty-four. I can't use my breathing machine when that happens and the following day I feel horrible. It takes me a few days to get over such a bad night. I keep hoping that after time my stomach will calm down but I have been on this medicine several months already.

On Thursday I will be going to Philadelphia to see my PH specialist. We need to discuss what the heart attack means as far as he's concerned and whether or not the NJ cardiologist should put me on a beta blocker, something normally done after a heart attack. I have dreaded yet another medicine. The blood thinners and PH medicine, thyroid and diuretics, along with potassium are enough. Trying to remember to make medicine about 8 times a day is frustrating for someone who is tired and oxygen deprived. I do a pretty good job with using two pill cases for days of the week. I rarely miss any doses.

I got to a craft show Friday night. I didn't really buy crafts but there were people selling silver jewelery and I got a necklace I had wanted. It's a Tiffany's knock off at a fraction of the price. I have been trying to buy Christmas gifts to put away a few at a time. Unless something changes this will be the last year we will be able to buy Christmas gifts for our extended families. After July I will have another loss of income which will be significant. At that time I will be transitioned over to Medicare as well. I had purchased some gift cards and cannot find them, still hoping they will turn up. They weren't large ones thank goodness.

Today is the third anniversary of my grandmother's passing. I miss her so much. It is also the birthday of a cousin who has been a part of my life since I was four months old. She is a wonderful person who is going through a difficult time now with her husband's health.
Hoping I can finally fall asleep. I have to be at the periodontist tomorrow for a deep cleaning.

1 comment:

Monsoon Matriarch said...

Please consider finding your local Daughters of the American Revolution chapter. You can find it through the main website:
http://www.dar.org/
They have volunteer geneologists who can help you with your ancestry, especially if you think it may to back to the American Revolution.

Also, if you have a LDS (Mormon) church family history center nearby, they have access to an amazing data base. Best wishes in all