Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
Comments
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Sure hope all the predictions of Nate stay as they appear now. Can't recall when hurricane season is ' past ' but the last three have been brutal and I'm hoping that we have seen the worst. Glad too that your Mom seems to be holding her own well Carole. I would be surprised mostly about those who keep their hearing for a long time as I think of it as a delicate balance that can be thrown out of kilter easily. Put another way -- how long can those tiny hairs ( cilia I think they are called ) last for the most part. It seems everything has to be exercised in some way for it to work optimally.
I did Ancestry but have to keep going back to read because my memory doesn't want to retain -- but most of my ancestors were from across the pond. Dovetails with always being told we had a little bit of everything -- and a lot of truth to that.
I too think we are foolish for allowing the stock-piling of weaponry. Mainly for that type that operates in ways that is a lot more suitable to military use. I also am tired of those using the 2nd. Amendment to further arguments. I think it is not contextual in todays world -- but had the proper meaning at the beginning.
I'm getting ready to have a really fine day. I was given a gift card for a memorial for a friends deceased sister who loved animals ( just as much as my friend does ) and so every time I go feed the feral group, I envision not being alone in my smiles as the kitties scamper into place to get their ' meals on wheels ' for the day. A really great way it has been for me to start every day.
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I saw my MO this week. I was really hoping to be able to move to bi-annual visits, but he said not yet. I still have stinging breast pain that he says is usually normal however the breast is also very tender to the touch. I am 21 months out of surgery and 17 months from radiation, this should be easing up if not gone all together. Anyway, he said he will speak to the RO & BS before my visits with them in Nov. & Dec.& my mammogram. He is thinking it may be something from the radiation because the skin is thicker in the area where the pain is.
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Teka, Lovely place. I would try to overwinter the begonia as a house plant. Wouldn't hurt to try. It is really pretty.
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Positive thinking is not the destination; it is the journey. An optimistic person
will be constantly challenged--by external circumstances as well as
inner fears and doubts. Always remember that these tests are like
a ladder you must climb. As you move past each rung, your optimism
strengthens and your confidence begins to flex newly found muscle
that you might never have developed otherwise.
Montague Ewards0 -
Poppy -- maybe once your MO speaks with the Dr.'s you will see later on, your visits can slow down. Surely having three Dr.'s putting their heads together will help you get to where you'd like to be. Hopefully some definite answers will come out of all of those visits.
Those Fall pictures are so pretty. I love the Fall colors and a number of the things that happen in Fall --- like apple cider. I just dislike gathering up two acres of leaves. The majority is our own, but we do get a few from the neighbors. Well, having to work hard in Fall probably helps me drop a few lbs. and then when I stay in more in the winter time I have a little time before possible negative effects from lack of exercise.
I hope you are all going to have a good Saturday.
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~IllinoisLady~
I hope so, too. I am surprised that I am still seeing all three, but none intend to release me for a while. I would have thought I would be through with the surgeon, but she is talking bi-annual visits for the next four years & then annually after (until I die?). I'm afraid she may try to keep me forever! The RO also is keeping me for the next 4 years because he is watching for "late side effects" of the radiation. He seems to be watching closely because the breast is still slightly red, although he says the scar tissue from the surgery is "softening nicely". I know I am with the MO until 2020 because of the letrozole. (huge sigh) I guess it will be what it will be. I feel well and the exercise workouts I now do are helping. The MO has told me I look at lot better since last year and my skin tone has brightened considerably, so I will take that and continue on with this journey.
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Poppy, I never saw my surgeon after the couple of follow-up appointments in the following few weeks. I would be tempted to ask her why she wants to continue. I know others here do go on to see the BS later. I went straight to MO.
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My RO cut me loose after I finished rads, but that's because I had a shorter course and the only real SE I had was enlargement of my breast seroma (which has shrunk to pre-surgery size). I'm on a semiannual schedule with my MO (plus Prolia & labs in between) till at least the end of 2020 or the end of letrozole, whichever comes first.. I'm back to annual mammos, but still semiannual with my BS or her NP. Will find out in Jan. if I'm going annual with her as well.
Most trees here in Chicago are still green, though I'm down to just 3 of the original 6 tomato plants, most of the leaves are yellow or brown (I need to crush them and add to the soil or compost), and except for one blossom that started growing a tiny tomato, the blossoms from last week's heat wave have shriveled. Including that tiny tomato, I'm down to my last 17 on the vine, all pretty small. No frost or even overnight temps below 45 forecast yet, so I'll keep the 'maters on the vine as long as they're there. All the green ones I rescued from the deck ripened on my sill, so I expect I won't be stuck with any greenies come Dec. My parsley has gotten leggy and a lot of it is dead--but after culling those stems I'm noticing a few new ones popping up, with small dark green leaves. Basil doing ok, though the holy basil has gotten leggy & spiky. Not crazy about the latter's aroma (hard to describe the undertone but it's sorta skunky/citrusy) but the spikes are keeping the honeybees happy. Thyme & rosemary going great guns. Basically. everything in containers on the deck did well--but down in the garden, not so much. Chives pretty much kaput (the hose doesn't reach that part of the garden; but it's a perennial so it'll be back in mid-spring. Mint got very leggy, but I hardly ever picked it. Birds got all the grapes, so I'll pick & brine the leaves while still green so I can try to make dolmades. Fig tree will take another couple of years to bear fruit. (I didn't plant it, so if it never fruits I won't complain like Jonah--yeah, that "Jonah"--did after the gourd that popped up spontaneously then suddenly withered and died. The night before Yom Kippur I actually dreamt the same thing happened in my garden, only with broccoli and lettuce).
Cloudy, rainy & warm-ish all week--it's 79 as I type this, still T-shirt weather.
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~Wren~
I have had issues with my BS & nearly fired her after the follow-up after radiation, because she tried to tell me I no longer needed my PCP or the RO. She was going to be my doctor of record and would handle all of my medical needs!, but my MO talked me out of it. He just laughed her off & told me to keep on with what I was doing. He would coordinate my care through my PCP, the RO (he actually wants me to stay with him), & the BS. She is considered in the top three for breast surgery & reconstruction in this area & the MO said I would want her if I should need more surgery. I have to admit she did a good job with my surgery, was caring & compassionate the day of, and scarring is minimum & barely visible. When I complained about they way she spoke to me, he told me she could be controlling & opinionated, but to let him talk to her before I made any final decisions. Anyway, she calmed down & back-pedaled when she talked to me after that. She will tell me what I "need" to do, but softens it with "but that's your decision". I can smile when she asks, "Are (PCP) & (MO) still helping me with your care. No mention of RO. Her issue is with the RO. She doesn't like him, but still recommended him to me when her first choice for me was 72 miles from where I lived. She tried to scare me off by saying he was crabby & would be unwilling to work with me. She was so wrong & I let her know it! My MO is aware of all this drama & has said the RO knows how she feels about him & he doesn't care. As a matter of fact, the RO was surprised she had recommended him to me. He is the head of the Cancer Center here. That tells me a lot. I can deal with her now. I will continue to see her until I have finished with the oncologists unless the MO tells me otherwise or she makes me really mad.
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Hi Teka......
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Real success requires respect for and faithfulness to the highest human values--honesty, integrity, self-discipline, dignity, compassion, humility, courage, personal responsibility, courtesy, and human service. -Michael DeBakey
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Hi all,
I miss joining in each day, and hearing about what's happening, but my life is still so chaotic that it's bedtime before I know it.
The good news is that one side of the house has new floors. I really like them, but still cannot put my pictures, candles, etc out because the baseboards have to be painted and installed. There is still more than half of the house to do. I still haven't found a roofer yet. Called the most well known roofing company in the area- their quote was $5-6000 more than the other 2. There are 2 more that are supposed to give me quotes. It's hard because they all say different things, and I have no clue about which is right.
I am shocked by how quickly we have spent the check from the insurance company- which still hasn't cleared the bank yet. We have actually only paid for the flooring so far, but have been getting estimates for the rest of the stuff. I told you I was redoing my closet. I was pleasantly surprised that it is under $750 to do. I am allowing $20,000 for the roof, hoping I don't have to use it all there. I am getting an estimate tmrw about changing 2 of our sliding glass doors on the patio into French Doors. I will have to wait for a definite price on the roof before I can do that.
Ron's brother has been helping him each day, but has to go back to his real job Mon, so Ron got one of the guys he works with on the cruise ships to come help, but he can't come till Wed. Ron said he would do some of the other jobs Mon and Tues, like switch out the TV in the family room that was damaged in the storm with the new one I bought 2weeks ago, fixthe kitchen sliding windows that haven't worked since I redid the kitchen last MArch. I also want him to put my bedroom TV on the wall, etc, etc. The list grows daily.
My niece is flying in Thurs to spend some time with her Dad. I am hoping Ron has the guest room done by then. Her two brothers are arriving 45 min apart on Sat morning, and the four of them are driving straight from the airport to Universal in Orlando for 3 days. It will be the first time in a long time that it will just be the four of them. Usually, there are some if not all significant others with them.
I bought one of those electric scouring machines the other day. I wanted to try it yesterday, and my bathroom floor really needed a good cleaning. It did a very good job, but after you use it, you have to wipe up the wet dirt it has released. I was so excited at how well it was working that I bent down repeatedly to wipe the wetness off the floor. Thank God it is a relatively small bathroom- my back was so sore by the time I finished. I immediately put ice on it. Still a little sore, but better than yesterday. Not being able to bend down makes the most ordinary chores impossible for me to handle.
Hope all is well with everyone,
Anne
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Such pretty pictures, Teka.
I still see my BC surgeon once a year. Actually I see her NP. The first couple of years I went every six months. She and my recon plastic surgeon are the only doctors who oversaw my surgery and recovery. They are husband and wife and share office space.
We were very fortunate not to have any bad weather with Hurricane Nate. Now I wish a cool front would arrive and bring some relief from the heat and humidity. I have outside work that needs to be done.
DH and I are watching the baseball playoffs with interest. We're Cubs fans. This is the only time of year that I watch baseball.
Sounds like your house will be really nice when you're finished, Anne.
Hope Chevy and Cammi and all the other absentees are doing well.
Happy Sunday!
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Hi, I am 67 and being treated for BC. I just noticed your forum and wanted to join it. Best wishes
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SNAZZYIRON.... Welcome to our little corner of BC. Org. Glad you found us. We got here ( many of us ) quite some time ago so we talk about a variety of things and some of our current problems -- because that is all a part of life before, during, and after our bouts of BC. We generally shy away pretty much from politics and religion for the most part because those two subjects tend to cause issues. Thank goodness we are not all alike but we would far rather celebrate each other than be critical of those who don't agree with the two above subjects.
I hope you will feel free to come often and someone will show up ( I come every day for sure to leave a quote ) to chat with you. See you all later.
Jackie
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"It's not the days in your life, but the life in your days that counts." ~ Brian White
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Welcome, Snazzyiron.
I had a terrific day. I had a great workout. I got through the walk & exercises in under an hour. If I was in really good shape, I should be able to do the entire set in 45 minutes (30 minutes of exercising + 15 minutes of treadmill. I feel good about myself if I get it done in an hour. Today, I clocked 53 minutes.
I also went to the eye doctor for my check-up this morning. Retina scan was good, peripheral vision at 95%, no cataracts or glaucoma! My prescription has changed so little, I didn't really need new glasses, but I bought a pair anyway. I was so glad to get some good health news for a change.
AND...a cool front is coming Wednesday. We might have 2-3 mornings in the 60s. I may be able to go back to the pavilion for some fresh air walking. I so look forward to winter.
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I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize.
The first is gentleness;
the second is frugality;
the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others.
Be gentle and you can be bold;
be frugal and you can be generous;
avoid putting yourself before others
and you can become a leader among men.
- Lao Tzu0 -
Good for you Poppy to have had a great day. I was a little on the lazy side but not bad -- just my usual -- not being able to get a few things in better logical order. Good thing I've reached an acceptance stage on that. I don't like it, but I don't get surprised when I SEE what a poor job of organization I might have done. We don't always know what we will be given as issues for us to find good solutions for --- so I'm still working on that one.
I am on the 23rd. going to go back to Nutrition class. It has always been a help to me and since it has been awhile since I 'indulged' I think new rules, advisories and other things have come out that it would be nice to know. The lady who does the class tells me that a lot of 'new' rules are actually happening about a year late. Along with the class comes a 6 week free membership to the gym and walking track. That is something that I could really use. I knew already but her assessment confirmed it, that my muscle mass and fat ratio are pretty much out to lunch ( bad place to be by the way ), and that was one of the things I really wanted to address by going back to class. Due to working schedules for me I so often had to prioritize and often that meant skipping the walking track at least. Bad for someone my age. Regular exercise done with a couple of changes now and then keep a person in far better shape. So -- I need the discipline of a structured class again to get back on track.
Anne, I'm thinking about you too. Even though some of your work needed to be re-arranged, those things from Monday and Tuesday sound like great things to get out of the way. If it weren't for a few problems to overcome we would get a little dull. Well, that made me feel a teensy bit better. Not a lot but a little. Life has ups and downs partly to keep us on our toes --- but golly, sometimes we are at the tips so often. Hope it is getting smoothed out now.
See ya'll later.
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Hi all,
A special hello to Snazzy - I hope you will find good friends here, who will not only be with you during your BC journey but to rejoice with you in the good times, and grieve with you in the bad, but will be there in the everyday ups and downs of everyday life. That is what I have found here and I cherish.
I, for example have 5 grown children, a few of whom, think I share too much. I have found this thread to be my safe place and while they know I am on this site often, they have no way to monitor what I say, which is very freeing to me. Whatever your issue might be, we are here to listen, to support you, and to share our stories of our experience, if we think it would be appropriate.
My life is very chaotic right now. I live in the southern end of Ft Lauderdale, and evacuated for Hurricane Irma. My neighbor did not evacuate, and luckily realized one of my sliding doors to the patio had come off its track and the hurricane was in my house. My guess is she realized it pretty quickly because the damage was minimal or so I thought. All of the house except the master bedroom, kitchen and 2 bathrooms were laminate flooring. There was minimal, but obvious damage to a maybe 2-3 ft area. But because it ran through most of the house, it all had to be replaced. But because the living, room, dining room and office were a different laminate (which always bothered me) I have had to replace those rooms out of pocket. That has happened with several things. They keep telling me they only repair they do not update. I understand that, but for example, we have two solar panels for water heating on our roof. They are at least 24 years old. The whole roof needs replacing, so the panels have to come down and be put baCk up.The company that originally put them up say they will not survive the process. They are too brittle having been exposed to the hot FL sun for the past 25 years. The insurance company says that is an upgrade so it looks like that is another $3300 out of my pocket.
They gave me $1400 to replace the door that came off the track. I would like to replace that one and the dining room door with hurricane strength french doors. Each french door costs $4000. That's a major hit to my pocket- and I just redid my whole kitchen and garage. I am totally overwhelmed by all these decisions, which my husband always made until his passing 5 yrs go.
So, Spazzy, we share our daily lives. Some of us like golfing, or gardening, or pets, or reading or traveling. Some share a lot about everything, others are more private. We all talk about our families, whether it is spouses, parents, children or grandchildren ( my favorite). And, of course our BC journeys. So I hope you will join us in our little group, and let us get to know you. When I was going thru treatment, I was on several threads and reading and posting was such a positive part of my day. Now, I am mainly on this thread, as I am once again living real life.
Several of us have had the joy of meeting face to face. Bonnets is a regular on here and I knew she lived in NY, but really hadn't paid attention to where. Long story short, I was in NY. for several weeks last fall. Bonnets lives in my late brother's town, (one of the reasons for the trip was for his funeral). We realized she lived really close, so one day we met for lunch, another day I went to her house for lunch. As we talked, we realized her brother-in- law knew my brother well enough to be one of his pall bearers. Then we realized her daughter's went to the HS where both my sister-in-law and cousin worked. We realized that her stepson was friends in HS with my cousin's daughter, whose mother-in-law was the sister of Bonnet's sister-in-law!! Amazing!
Hoping to hear from you more,
Anne
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It looked like it wanted to rain all day, today, but it never did. A cool front came in this morning (I thought it was supposed to come in tomorrow). The temperature didn't get above 71 degrees, the humidity dropped and the wind blew all day. I finished my housework and took advantage of the weather. I went over to the pavilion and walked for 20 minutes. I haven't been able to walk outside since May or early June. I used to walk 30 minutes, but could only do the 20, but I'll take it. I plan to go again tomorrow & hopefully Thursday & maybe Friday. The heat and humidity are coming back by the weekend. It may be a week or more before we can say Fall is actually here.
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Hi there, Snazzyiron and welcome!
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In the midst of movement and chaos,
keep stillness inside of you.
- Deepak Chopra0 -
Poppy, your description of yesterday fits us here today. It feels somewhat chilly out of doors and is actually pleasant to step into the house. Because Dh feels temperature so much on his neck --- even during the most outdoor heat the a/c is on 78 -- so since the a/c is not 'cooling' inside --- the warmth remains. It is a nice Fall day outside. Dh said the forecast was rain --- but not according to the one I get from the St. Louis, Mo area. We are 70 to 75 miles due East of St. Louis, Mo here in Illinois and way back when --- could only get STLMO stations. Most people still look there for a weather report. It can be off -- but it is not them in my estimation. Just the terrain right where we live. It is normal to be by-passed in general by the worst weather ( 99 % of the time anyway ). So --- not totally sure about rain, but I do think it will stay on the cooler side today. Not bad for me.
We have a lot of leaves down so maybe I can talk Dh into trying out his new gizmo that fits on the back of the lawn tractor and pulls all the leaves into it. I hope the thing will work. To date -- we have tried a number of things. At our age, it is getting VERY hard to clean two acres full of trees and therefore leaves. Left on the ground all winter and the ground becomes spongy --- and we are hilly here so that is very in-desirable. So I do hope this works out. Otherwise I see hours of leaf-blowing in my very immediate future. I tried to stay away from some of it this past season and concentrate on other needful things -- like my work inside and my job. That was not a success. I was out and doing some anyway, but not quite enough. I am working on hopefully getting Dh some help in organizing our garage which I think will ultimately help. We need to reinstitute the order we once had that has slipped away --- I hope that will make everything better -- for both of us.
Hope everyone is going to have a really good day. I'm amazed to hear the Chevy is dealing with snow. I'm counting myself very fortunate.
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Our leaves are still firmly attached to the trees. The pecans are dropping, but many aren't any good. We have three trees and lost most of the pecans during Harvey. We had a great crop two years ago, so-so last year and very little this year. It seems to go that way. In a good year, I send my brother & brother-in-law about 40 pounds, freeze 10-20 pounds and H sells the rest. It's his 'mad money'. With this 'crop', there will be no sending or freezing; just selling.
Wonderful morning. 64 degrees and sunny. I walked 15 minutes & then drove to the fitness center to do my workout. Waiting to hear from the county regarding a swarm of honey bees we have in our water meter thingy. They've been there for less than a month and already have a good sized honey comb started, but they can't stay. The city won't read the meter while they are there. The meter is on city property, but the mayor said the city won't remove the bees; we are responsible for them. H is not going to argue. Anyway, the county extension office directed us to a county volunteer bee - removal web site and said we should fill out the form and "if the volunteers are interested", they will contact us. We don't want to kill them and have tried all kinds of non-lethal ways to encourage them to move on, but I think we have reached a point where we need bee-keepers.
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VelvetPoppy, send me some of that cool air! I was out grocery shopping today and it is still hot and humid here in south Louisiana. I have been suffering since we got home from MN. I think your cooler temperatures will arrive here by tomorrow.
Welcome, Snazzy. I hope you enjoy being a part of our oldies group. I wasn't nearly as old an oldie when I joined in 2009! The 60's are seeming younger every year now that I'm in the 70's.
I had plans for getting lots of work done today but about all I have accomplished is grocery shopping and portioning meat for the freezer. I had intended to make burger buns but it's probably a little late to start now. And too early to start dinner.
Happy Wednesday to everyone.
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Our dream was to summer up north & winter in Texas when we retired. Life kind of got in the way when we had MIL to look after when FIL passed, S had medical issues when he was young, then college & BC. But all is good. I miss the cooler weather for sure, but appreciate it when we do get it here.
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Velvet, My brother and SIL lived in Okla and wintered in the Rio Grande Valley. They would go down when it started to get really cold and wait for spring to come back. People up here winter in Arizona and spend summers in the northwest.
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Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life.
--Immanuel Kant
Wisdom is not finally tested in the schools, Wisdom cannot be pass'd from one having it to another not having it, Wisdom is of the soul, is not susceptible of proof, is its own proof.
--Walt Whitman0 -
Hi everyone. Today I turned 66, grateful for another year.We had a beautiful sunny day here, though I guess a cold front is moving through tomorrow. I had my free Grand Slam at noon at Denny's with a friend, and a free birthday day at a Mexican restaurant with 2 other friends. Will need to hit the gym after all that food! I'm in the middle.
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