Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?

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  • duckyb1
    duckyb1 Posts: 9,632
    edited November 2017

    As for me I will tell my grandaughters/etc keep your phone out of your bra....not that they ever did it......this is a good read.....image

  • duckyb1
    duckyb1 Posts: 9,632
    edited November 2017

    image

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Posts: 46,506
    edited November 2017

    Bonnets, hope your knee doesn't hurt more tomorrow. Sort of nice being good and young --- it only hurt till you got a band aid on it, and then off and running and the next day you wouldn't even remember what you did. The massage does sound like it was great though.

    Wren wow -- some hills. I think there was one similar where we lived in Ventura, Ca like the steep one you mentioned. I disliked it, but since there wasn't snow there it was more of a nuisance than anything. No homes there -- mainly just business places. I seldom would use the street because I didn't frequent the shops there so no reason to use the street. Most of the streets were nice and not steep at all. Don't know the why and how they managed to get mainly only one in the whole of the city. Maybe early on had something to do with being able to see the ocean. It was one of the nicest reasons to live there as if you didn't live super close to the beach ( not affordable for us ) you could still live close. We were about a mile away.


  • chisandy
    chisandy Posts: 11,646
    edited November 2017

    Wren, I lived in the U. District for 7 years, at the foot of "the Ave," Univ. Way NE. Those hills sure kept me in shape (especially when we first moved there, before I got my drivers' license & first car--half a mile dragging a schlep-cart uphill to the Safeway gave me great, albeit, aching calves).

  • wren44
    wren44 Posts: 8,074
    edited November 2017

    Sandy, I'll bet you were in great shape. That's a really long hill. Not super steep, but relentless in length.

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Posts: 46,506
    edited November 2017

    Do we spread loving kindness? There are many who say that this is our ultimate goal on this planet--to spread loving kindness to our fellow human beings. And when we are able to accomplish this goal, we find that our lives are transformed in the process. We're no longer so strongly focused on things and negative thoughts and feelings, but we've become truly happy, content human beings who love life and living.
    image
    tom walsh

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Posts: 46,506
    edited November 2017

    What a nice day so far though it is cloudy. It is warm as milquetoast outside and likely will bestow some rain on us later. I have enough to do that I won't focus on that much. I start out with my usual of feeding my feral friends but after that will go over to the Dr.'s house and get some instructions on this coming week. I will roughly spend the nights ( and a bit of other time ) with and for the little dogs there so they won't have to go to a kennel. It is always a pleasure for me. I am so fortunate that they only live about three miles from me -- so I can get home for morning coffee --- and spend fair amts. of time here accomplishing things in between seeing that the doggies get out in the play yard and have a bit of human company and direction.

    It is a pretty big house and lots of troubles to get into without some encouragement to play only with their own toys and each other. Now there is only one unretired person there so most of the time they do have human company and I hope that has helped the youngest member of the pack learn to stay away from power cords. I think there are so many puppies who go through the stage of finding power cords to chew and the new little gal has made an attempt or two I think. I'll be anxious to see her size. Everyone thinks she may be smaller than most Yorkies, so we will see today. I think last time I was there ( three wks. or so ago and my face is red over this ) she was only two pounds and was a bit over three months old I think so hopefully a bit bigger. At that time she still couldn't go out alone as there are big owls and some hawks that might have been able to get to her.

    I hope you are all going to have a good day and not too cold for anyone.

  • anneb1149
    anneb1149 Posts: 821
    edited November 2017

    Mornin all,

    Wow, so much to catch up on.

    Judy, you can get wood looking tiles in all colors and sizes. Because we live in So. Florida, we wanted to keep it fairly light. And they were not expensive at all. Ours were just $2.19 per tile. To do the entire house except for the master bedroom, kitchen and both bathrooms cost us about $5000. Labor was more costly. All the flooring stores around here have many choices.

    I started sewing about a year before my first child was born. I was pretty good at it. I made pantsuits for myself, T shirts, etc. I sewed all my DD's clothes from the time she was a baby till we became foster parents. I used to make my girls outfits with matching ones for their baby dolls. I started making a dress fo my now middle daughter for her first day of school. I had gotten to the point that all that was needed was the hem. Five years later, it still needed a hem. Haven't sewn since then. Still have the machine- my daughter uses it as a table in her room.

    Carole, I can only imagine how sad it must be to see your Mom failing little by little. Both of my parents died suddenly, one from a stroke,one from a heart attack, within less than three years. I remember feeling very unsettled- one day they were there,next day they weren't. I was hit harder by my dad's passing because I was very definitely Daddy's little girl. My Dad usd to sing to my sister and I. Her song was "My Little Margie" and mine was always "Daddy's little Girl" I love that song so much, I have adapted the words to sing "Grandma's Little Girl (or Boy) for my grandchildren.

    Last time we ate at a buffet restaurant was at Golden Corral. We were seated close to the dessert area, and my son watched a kid licking the spigot the ice cream was dispensed thru. Yuck!! Haven't been near a public buffet since - and that was at least ten years ago.

    Jean- so sorry to hear of your fall. I have had some pretty bad falls in the last few years. When I get a little off balAnce, I can't regain my balance and down I go. I fell about two years ago and hit just above my ankle on a door frame- I can still see the black and blue mark.

    Here in Fl there are no hills- none. And 95% of our streets run north-south, east-west. It is very boring. It makes driving in or out of the state seem even longer than it really is. The highways are as straight as can be. But, growing up in NYC, we had lots of hills, which I honestly never noticed. What was really funny is when our kids would complain about having to walk to school (one of the reasons I chose this house was that the elementary, middle and high school were all within walking distance), my husband and I honestly shot back to them, saying we not only walked further than they ever had, we had to walk up and down hills both ways no matter what the weather was.

    Ducky, I'm not sure if cell phones can cause cancer. But because I am not sure, I don't carry my cell phone close to my skin. Why tempt fate? It's the same reason I stopped using talcum powder after a shower, or using a deodorant, not an anti-persperant. None of those choices are necessarily clear, but if I can give myself the slightest edge ofnot going thru cancer again, I am going to make those changes.

    Anne


  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Posts: 46,506
    edited November 2017

    Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.

    - Desmond Tutu -

  • wren44
    wren44 Posts: 8,074
    edited November 2017

    Woke to a blue sky with white clouds, NOT scudding along with a high wind. Looks like a beautiful day. Leaves need attacking.

  • carolehalston
    carolehalston Posts: 9,009
    edited November 2017

    The cleaning woman was busy today and she looked just like me. Good reason, since she and I are the same person! I keep thinking I should hire a cleaning woman but somehow I don't do it. I wish just the right person would appear at my house.

    We're back in the 80's with the a/c going 24 hrs. a day. I bought some pretty long-sleeved blouses to wear with jeans. Wasn't that optimistic of me? The stores should sell shorts and tee shirts year round here.

    Bonnets, what a shame to get all relaxed with a massage and then fall. Bummer.

    Happy Monday.

  • bonnets
    bonnets Posts: 737
    edited November 2017

    Yup, discovered a Big bruise on my non BC boob, from the table I fell into!


  • VelvetPoppy
    VelvetPoppy Posts: 644
    edited November 2017

    Isn't it amazing! My cleaning woman looks just like me, too.

    Winking

    I had a service when I was working, but let them go four months after I retired. I couldn't see the expense when I am capable of doing it myself. I think I do a more thorough job than the service did because they had other houses to do beside mine and I can take as long as I need to get it done. I had wanted a private person, but H was concerned about bonding and accidents. I still use the service for heavy cleaning twice a year. They come in and move all of the furniture and get into those hard to reach places, and if I ever get to where I can't do it myself on a weekly basis, I will bring them back.

    We are hot here, too. Upper 80s and humid. I switched out my summer wardrobe for the winter one last week and am having to go into that closet for cooler clothes. I have lived here for more than 35 years and only remember one other fall/winter like this. It was the first year we were married. Thanksgiving was so warm, we ate at tables in the backyard and made ice cream in my in-laws garage that Christmas.

    I agree about the stores. It makes no sense to me to have seasonal items in a place where there are no real seasons other than Spring and Summer. I remember wanting to buy lawn chairs for a Christmas gift and being told they were not available until March because they were a seasonal item. We can sit outside most of the year.

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Posts: 46,506
    edited November 2017

    Appreciation is the highest form of prayer,
    for it acknowledges the presence of good
    wherever you shine the light of your thankful thoughts.
    - Alan Cohen

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Posts: 46,506
    edited November 2017

    Ah -- I know my cleaning lady very well too. If I were around I'd do your house Carole. I was a 'private' cleaner for yrs. in Santa Barbara, Ca. Had some neat clients overall. None were difficult to work for and I mainly enjoyed it all. Some day I'd love to have a service, but have done my own so long I don't think I could have someone w/o my going through first and cleaning so they wouldn't think/know I was something of a slob.

    As to the clothing -- we are okay here though my gripe is that they bring things out a bit quickly ( likely for those buying for their children in school ) and though I don't buy much in stores --- if it isn't close to the season I'm not even interested in looking. I get most of my things at thrift/second chance/consignment/or Goodwill type stores. Mainly as I have no sense of style anyway --- so better to pay a little for my "mistakes" then quite a lot. I have no make-up sense either --- hmmm, somehow I was by-passed for all of that, but I don't think it has made a huge difference ( how would I really know ) in my life. The important thing is that I'm happy over-all and don't miss 'what' I didn't get from the get-go.

  • carolehalston
    carolehalston Posts: 9,009
    edited November 2017

    Good afternoon. Or good midday to all. I'm about to depart and drive the 20 miles to Hammond to Belle Maison Nursing Home where my mother lives. At 1:15 we'll go to the main dining room where bingo takes place at 2 pm. My mother always wants to go early and get parked in her spot. As soon as the cart comes out with the cards, I have to get a stack of the cards for her to look through and make her choices. Each resident can play two cards.

    We're supposed to get some cool weather on Thursday. Looking forward to it.

    Jackie, there are great buys at our Good Will store right across from the entrance to a country club. I should go there more often but it takes great patience, which I lack. I don't even put much time into sales racks where the merchandise is jammed together. The marketing plan now (my opinion) is to overprice new merchandise and put it out with a 25 per cent off or 30 per cent off sign stuck on the rack. I usually buy from those racks but will pay full price if the article is something I really, really like.

    Recently I bought five articles of clothing, a pair of jeans and four long-sleeved blouses that were each priced at $40. But by the time the different sale prices and reductions were applied, I paid $105 for all five. There was a big so-called charity sale that weekend where you donated $5 to charity and got extra percentages deducted from all prices. I don't see how the store, Belk's, can make money at those prices. The jeans are gray and when I got home, I found another pair very similar to them hanging in my closet! I guess I bought them on sale another time. Let's hope I can wear one of them on Thursday when our cool front gets here.

    Happy Tuesday.

  • puffin2014
    puffin2014 Posts: 979
    edited November 2017

    I managed to drink my gallon of golytely without puking and had my colonoscopy this morning - no polyps, good for another 10 years. Yeah!

  • chisandy
    chisandy Posts: 11,646
    edited November 2017

    Yay, Puffin!

    Carole, is Hammond, LA the same town as in the Roches' "Hammond Song?" ("If you go down to Hammond, you'll never come back," based on the sisters' parents warning them not to leave NJ and move down to Hammond to work on their music. Good thing they didn't listen to Mom & Dad).

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Posts: 46,506
    edited November 2017

    How often are you worrying about the present moment? The present moment is usually all right. If you're worrying, you're either agonizing over the past which you should have forgotten long ago, or else you're apprehensive over the future which hasn't even come yet. We tend to skip over the present moment which is the only moment God gives any of us to live. -Peace Pilgrim

  • carolehalston
    carolehalston Posts: 9,009
    edited November 2017

    Sandy, I don't know if that Hammond is the same as the town I mentioned. Hammond is an "ordinary" town where Southeastern Louisiana University (actually a college) is located. It has a street of old-fashioned buildings which once was the downtown shopping. Also a few handsome old homes but not much to recommend it to out-of-town visitors.

    Nearby Ponchatoula is more charming. The old-fashioned downtown has been turned into antique shops and is a place where visitors can spend a few hours browsing.

    I seldom eat doughnuts and they all look enticing to me, even those in large gas stations!

    I have a 10 am appointment to have my hair cut. I decided to skip the gym and have a leisurely morning. This afternoon is bingo at the nursing home. I may have mentioned that my mother now has to be transferred with a lift. The process is causing her a lot of soreness in her midrift area.

    Today is supposed to be cool, in the 60's.

    Happy Thursday.

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Posts: 46,506
    edited November 2017
    We all have to go through the tumbler a few times before
    we can emerge as a crystal.

    Elisabeth Kuebler-Ross
  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Posts: 46,506
    edited November 2017

    Carole, I'm truly sorry to hear about your mom. Since I spent several months with my little Sally at the nursing home here I became familiar with that lift. It always hurt her. It helps the aids with transfers ( sometimes a bit more safely ) but there is a huge ( seemed to me ) lack of support of the spine while it is going on. Some of the aids would bring the lift in -- shut the door -- and then lift Sally up under her arms which didn't affect her nearly as much. That is not the best way since upper arms/rotator cuff areas and shoulders are often full of arthritis and issues can come up --- but it stopped Sally from the need to be 'vocal' when transferred. So, I never said a word when they closed the door -- I was glad. Sometimes the best way is not always the best way for the patient. I do understand there are rules that one should abide by if possible --- but it also bothered the girls that Sally would cry out.

    I hope I haven't upset you by telling you that story. I agonized over it myself the first few times, but wanted Sally's time to be as stress free and painless as possible. Apparently the gals that came in her room had the same notion.

    Cold here today ( heavy overnight frost ) but the sun is out so my spirts are fairly high. It is going to be a good day.

  • carolehalston
    carolehalston Posts: 9,009
    edited November 2017

    Jackie, my mother is extremely overweight to the point she would fall into the medical category of obese. There is no way she could be lifted manually. She has lost the ability to move her feet and cooperate in transfer situations. She is much safer with the lift. In addition to the discomfort, I think it's embarrassing to be assisted in that manner.

    I am looking into the availability of handicap van rentals and transportation services for handicapped people. We need to plan ahead for getting my mother to a family gathering for Christmas.

  • wren44
    wren44 Posts: 8,074
    edited November 2017

    Carole, When I volunteered at a hospital, there were cabulances. I think they were owned by the taxi co. but had a ramp and tie downs for a wheelchair.

  • chisandy
    chisandy Posts: 11,646
    edited November 2017

    Brrr....definitely winter in Chi-town. 24 and dropping as I type this. We did weather-strip the cracks in the front-room drywall, and it's not so brutally chilly now. Of course, I'm wearing a racerback tank under a buttoned shirt under a jean jacket...and have yet to kick off the UGGs I wore to shop. They're predicting light "lake effect" snow overnight and into tom'w a.m. but it won't stick in the city. (NW IN is gonna get slammed, though).

    Starting tom'w night I have to take the CTA train (the "L") into the Loop for rehearsals every weeknight and all day weekends through Sun. Nov. 19 and starting back up Sun. the 26--we move to the theater (one station further south) Mon. night until the end of the run of the show on Sun. Dec. 3. Before I had my knees replaced (and had a permanent 4-yr HC placard) I would drive down there and try to park on the street in HC spots, or in the garage next to the Bar Assn. bldg. But they stopped making HC spots meter-exempt, and the city bought the garage to store its own vehicles. The closest garage to the Bar Assn. is 2 blocks away and (last time I checked) $32. Near the theater, when the Hilton hasn't commandeered the parking lot next to the stage door, if I get there early enough to find a spot I can park for $15. There are cheaper garages nearby, but they close at 10pm and sometimes I can't wash my face, get back into my street clothes and to the car in time after the performance. There are lots for $10 a block or two further, but they fill up fast and are open to the elements. (No fun clearing snow off your car at midnight after you've performed and then partied).

    I suspect I may be using Lyft or Uber a few times. Not this Sunday, though--the Bears are at home and traffic will be brutal. Rehearsals start at 10am on the dot. And next Sat. is the Disney "Festival of Lights" parade down Mich. Ave., and there will be truly inconvenient street closures. My Ventra card (prepaid CTA account) has been getting a workout of late and will continue to do so. As long as I can sit on the train (and reach the door during crowded rush hr. to get off at my stop), and nobody stinky sits next to me (not just the "usual suspects" but people bringing home Indian or Mexican leftovers from restaurants) the ride is sort of relaxing. I pop in my AirPods and sync them to the playlist on my AppleWatch--no telltale cord, no need to even touch my phone. And when I alight, I lower the volume as I walk--and pay attention to traffic (unlike millennials who walk & text, which is about to become illegal in crosswalks).

    I have to be "off-book" on all the music & my lines (such as they currently are--rewrites are inevitable & unpredictable) by tom'w night. We open in 3 weeks!

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Posts: 46,506
    edited November 2017

    The most excellent and divine counsel, the best and most profitable advertisement of all others, is to study and learn how to know ourselves.This is the foundation of wisdom and the highway to whatever is good. -Pierre Chardin

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Posts: 46,506
    edited November 2017

    We have SCAT busses here that are equipped for those who are disabled in some way. It comes with a very minimal cost for many as well. I know one lady who rides it and the cost for her is .25 cents too and from. The busses are also used by the older crowd who have had to give up their driver's license so it makes living around here a lot easier for many people. Those buses go everywhere and lots of older women do their grocery shopping that way.

    It was 27 degrees here last night. Sun it out today though I'd prefer a little brighter. I'm in the middle of my sitting and will finish up sometime Wednesday morning. Haven't had time for a lot around here -- mainly as Dh is having some extra hours at work so I've mainly kept the animals in tow here and done most of their care. At least though I've managed to not let anything slip behind ------ yet. I hope I can continue to keep up.

    I don't mind doing this ( pay is fantastic ) because I think so highly of the family. Dr. B has always been great and his wife ( former nun ) is really easy to be around. I told her I was going to miss her while she was gone and she gave me a great big hug. There are a few people in this world that are just comforting and she is one of them. No matter how bad a day you might just have had when she gets in your vicinity a feeling of calm and peacefulness just appears. Yes indeed, she is easy to miss.

    Hope you all stay warm and happy as possible. I'll be fine as long as good ole' Dr. Sol hangs above me.

  • carolehalston
    carolehalston Posts: 9,009
    edited November 2017

    The sun is shining and today is supposed to be a lovely day. Yesterday was a perfect day for golf or anything else. At 9:30 when we (three other women and I) started our 18 hole round, the temperature was in the 50's and gradually warmed up to high 60's. The sky was a gorgeous blue. Sadly, my golf didn't match the day.

    DH is headed out this morning to a wood turners meeting. I will go to the gym and later on drive over to Hammond to the nursing home.

    My sister called the Council on Aging for our parish and is checking out some leads on handicap van service. We need the type that transports a person in his or her wheelchair.

    Have a good Saturday!

  • bonnets
    bonnets Posts: 737
    edited November 2017

    22 here when we got up, about 24 now. Brrrrr! Beautiful and sunny. Might go to a craft fair or 2!


  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Posts: 46,506
    edited November 2017

    Friends. . . they cherish each other's hopes. They are
    kind to each other's dreams.

    Henry David Thoreau