# Help and Advice > Friend/relative has depression support >  I wanted to check in and say Hello to everyone

## stratguy

Hi everyone (Suzi, Paula, jaquaia)!  It's been so long that I couldn't find my old posts! LOL. I hope all of you are doing well!  I'm sure my circumstances have been long forgotten, and I'm doing OK so I won't bring it back up, but this forum was such a great place for me to be!  And I can see that you are all still doing fantastic things for others.  Sooo awesome you are!!!
-Dave

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Suzi (24-05-18)

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## Paula

Hi Dave! Its great to see you  :):

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## Jaquaia

Bloody hell stranger!!! How are you doing? Not forgotten at all  :):

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## stratguy

Hello, Hello, HELLO!!!   I'm doing pretty well! I'm sure you don't remember my specifics LOL!!!  But, I'm still seeing Valerie (the lad that was good for me after the lady that was bad for me. HA!)  The Lady that was bad for me and messed me up sooo badly (Lisa), well, we are still friends on FB and she does comment on a lot of things and at times sounds very emotional but I don't respond much.   I'm sad to say my Dad passed away in February.  He caught the flu that was so awful here (was it bad there as well?) and was hospitalized.  The flu became pneumonia while he was in the hospital. Which became intubation and eventually my sister and I decided that with his DNR clause, we should just take him off the ventilator and let him go peacefully.  It was the right thing to do.  The big, white dog is still big and white and lovely!.  
I'm basically just enjoying life as much as I can.  Trying new things.  Going to as many new places as I can squeeze in.  Which isn't to say that I don't still get the blahs, but now I can be said for a day or so and it goes away.  But I would never have gotten to that point if it weren't for all of you!
How are you wonderful people doing?

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## Jaquaia

I'm so sorry to hear about your dad lovely  :Panda: 

You did the hard work, we just waved the pom poms!

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## Flo

Hi strat! Lovely to hear from you! So sorry to hear about your dad. The same thing happened with my dad and I made the same decision as you. It was good medicine. Glad that life is treating you well - apart from the occasional blip that we all have - and pleased you are seeing lovely Valerie.

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## OldMike

Hi Strat, sorry to hear about your dad, I'm so glad all is going well for you, we all have the occasional blip the trick is not to let it get to you.  :):

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## Paula

Awww any up to date photos of the big white dog? Hes gorgeous, I seem to remember  :O:

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## Suzi

Hey gorgeous! Missed you! 
So sorry about your Dad, but I've always said that seems the kinder thing to do.. 
So you and Valerie still an item? That's cool! How's big white? He's awesome!

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## stratguy

Thanks everyone for the Dad condolences.  It was sad for us but in a way I was glad that it happened so quickly.  He had dementia as you know and it had recently begun to get the best of him.  He had forgotten how to walk and how to feed himself (though he could eat as long as he was fed and he could walk with someone on either side holding him steady).  So I believe the flu was a merciful way to pass.  Asleep and not in pain and not scared.
Well, Suzi and Paula, the Great White is doing terrific! He's put some weight on and looks like an adult dog now.  I will post some pictures. I've been rearranging the house, along with painting and getting rid of a lot of stuff, and I think it has GW a little bothered...  he won't sleep in his bed and insists on laying in the middle of the room and I know that's not comfortable.  But I hope to be done with the house sometime relatively soon and hopefully he will relax.  :(nod): 
Mental Health update: I ALWAYS do much better when Springtime rolls around. I still have days where I try to figure everything out.  Lisa comments on things I put on FB in odd, sweet ways, and of course it makes me feel good. Valerie and I are good.  It's about the same as it was the last time I was on here.  We do things together, but we do a lot of things apart.  But I have gotten used to calling or texting friends (male and female) and asking them to go somewhere with me if Valerie's either gone, or doing something with her church or family. Which is pretty often.  Apparently the Catholic church can keep a body busy! LOL  But no crying jags or weeks of feeling bad.  Mostly just a little stab of pain or sadness every now an again. So there's that  :): 
I'm heading to the gym!  Please tell me how all of you are doing! Love to all!  Dave

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## Paula

All in all, that sounds positive. Im so happy for you  :):

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## Suzi

That does seem so positive! Job front all OK? How's your lovely sister?

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