Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
Comments
-
Hello everyone! I'm a newbie to all this cancer stuff as I just diagnosed this week. Been looking around this forum to see what all was here. So glad to find this thread for older people. I look forward to getting to know all of you on here.
0 -
Welcome TX! Sorry you are joining the "party" no one asks to join. You can find lots of support and information as well as a place to whine when you need to. Keep in touch as you progress through developing a treatment plan and through that treatment. We are here for each other.
0 -
Sunny for now, but rain bands from Isaias roll in as it passes by. We dodged another one. Yay.
0 -
The struggle ends when the gratitude begins.
- Neale Donald WalschAppreciation is the highest form of prayer,
for it acknowledges the presence of good...
wherever you shine the light of your thankful thoughts.
- Alan Cohen0 -
TXWildflower, glad you found us. We have been here awhile. It is one of the smaller threads as well so pretty much we are all very comfortable here. We share a lot -- recipes, rants, successes and things that didn't always turn out as well. Love having and being friends. I hope you will find lots of comfort here. Older people do have issues mildly different from the younger people.
Anyway a big warm welcome.
0 -
Sandy, I'm in Marion County, although two other counties jut into Marion. We are roughly ( I didn't really check distances here ) about 70 to 80 miles from most of the areas you mentioned. We can take off from where we live and within an hr. to hr. and a half be in the next state from us. We are roughly three and a half to 4 hrs. hours or so south of Chicago though if one heads North directly.
Not too hot here today but a mite on the muggy side. Dh is working on cutting up the huge tree limb that came down out of the
Walnut tree out front. What a chore.I went this morning for the first time to care for the cats In Sandoval. How wonderful to see them again. Mooch the old guy just nearly hung on me. I finally coaxed him out on the deck ( screened in ) so I could do my work. I'm exhausted but happy.
0 -
Sandy and Judy - Deepest sympathies on your recent losses.
Sandy - Zoom is pretty easy. I do exercise classes via Zoom daily. Also, if you get stuck, Gordy will likely be a good resource.
We actually managed to have windows open here today until 1:30 pm. It was lovely to have some fresh air breeze through. We morph between rain & sunshine every day lately. Temps ranging from high 70s to low 80s here for the next few days - much better than the 90s!
0 -
Judy, sorry for your loss as well. Losing a mentor is sometimes worse than losing a family member.
0 -
Welcome Tx. I have liked that this is a smaller thread so you kind of get to know the posters, as Illinois mentioned.
Took a half hour hike/walk through a lovely, off the beaten track conservation area after zoom church today with hubby. Not quite as hot as it could be in Maryland in August. I've lost 9 lbs and I'm determined to keep at it for all the good reasons. I'm 5 ft. 1 inches short, so as my cancer nutritionist put it once "that doesn't leave you much wiggle room for extra daily calories without gaining weight." " *Sigh*. But happy to make progress slowly.
0 -
Lovely picture, Reader. It is slightly overcast, but no rain expected. Nice morning and I hope to get in a walk. Since Florida has become the "hotspot" for COVID19, I haven't felt like going to the gym. No one wears a mask, except the people that work there.
0 -
Here is the baby parakeet at 3 weeks of age. It has really grown so fast but still dependent on parents for feedings. Very vocal and very mobile. In the one picture it likes to stay in the corner of the cage and my DD said it looked like a toddler on a "time-out". It will sleep in this position though I do place it in the cat bowl each night. The second picture shows how mobile it has become and the plumage it has developed. The tail and wings are definitiely black with white tinges but the body color is not yet evident; still has white "fluff". It attempts to eat seed from the bottom of the cage but merely rolls it around in its mouth and doesn't swallow. I sure hope the parents decide "once and done" as far as other babies, otherwise I will end up with a house full of bird cages. I have to separate the baby from the baby in about 4 weeks. Enjoy the new photos.
0 -
Reader and Betrayal, great pictures! The green trees look so cool as here we are anticipating triple digit heat all week. The "baby" parakeet doesn't look so babyish anymore . LOL on the timeout!
0 -
Lovely pictures, Betrayal & Reader!
Welcome to the sorority nobody wants to pledge, TXWildflower55 (can I call you "Tex?"). Now that you're here, know that you have dozens (if not hundreds) of virtual "big sisters." Please post your profile info (diagnosis & treatments) as soon as you know them.
"Attended" my ex-boss' graveside funeral this morning via the cemetery's YouTube live-stream. Shiva minyan will be Wed. evening on the temple's YouTube page. The family is allowing people to make appointments individually, but not sure if that's Zoom or in-person. If the latter, I will have to send my regrets, as I am (as are we all on this thread) in a high-risk group. My HK's church sent out a bulletin that socially-distanced indoor services will resume, but nobody over age 60 will be allowed to attend in person (and younger congregants will have to sign a liability waiver against suit for catching the virus). She's been attending online and will continue to do so.
IL's rolling positivity rate crept up to 4% today. Uh-oh. (Still, it's the downstate and IA/suburban IN border counties that are fueling the increase in cases). I can see IN added to Chicago's no-no list very soon, which will be complicated for commuters (the SE side of the city abuts the state line).
Friends have volunteered to run errands for me from the time my brachytherapy plaque is inserted (and then removed) till my depth perception returns sufficiently for me to safely drive. (I had a one-eyed friend who drove for 40 years till she broke her hip). In a "sign of the times," Bob got a notice today that he can no longer renew his DL online--after 70 you have to take an eye test before the expiration date (his is up in Oct.). Mine isn't due till 2024, but I will definitely wear glasses to drive--I already do anyway, though my distance correction will definitely have to be revised.
0 -
When I see someone smile, I know immediately that he or she is dwelling in awareness. This half-smile, how many artists have labored to bring it to the lips of countless statues and paintings? I am sure the same smile must have been on the faces of the sculptors and painters as they worked. Can you imagine an angry painter giving birth to such a smile? Mona Lisa's smile is light, just a hint of a smile. Yet even a smile like that is enough to relax all the muscles in our face, to banish all worries and fatigue. A tiny bud of a smile on our lips nourishes awareness and calms us miraculously. It returns us to the peace we thought we had lost. -Thich Nhat Hanh
0 -
I too love the pictures ladies. Since I live in the front edge of some woods anything that has lots of trees and green gets my attention fast. I love it here and as in Readers pic -- there is a lake to the side and behind us. So I find that picture homey.
As for the sweet little 'keet' I just find the whole thing fascinating. Parakeets require a bit of work but they be much fun to interact with and while our little Bobby was alive he had a lot of admirers. I think the secret to their talking and interacting is to get them at a young age. Betrayal -- your is most definitely young. With patience he could be a first-class talker.
Long day today. To feral cat feeding -- then on to Sandoval for those cats. Then back home her to swallow a bit of cold breakfast cereal. Then in the car to dive to Dh's Dr. Appt. He was so late we finally had to reschedule that and drive on to Marion, Illinois to the V.A. there. One of my hearing aids crapped out. They wanted me to send it in but I said no. I wanted to take it in and see if it were something simple that their techs could find. So glad I did. Turns out a tiny piece of ear wax had lodged over a little hole that needed to be open to complete a circuit.
All was well, but going we encountered two or three major downpours, one accident that snarled traffic before we could get to our first turn on the way. Later on the highway ( we had no idea ) they had scrapped a roadway in prep for re-build. What a rotten ride in a downpour. Finally past that and made it into Marion. Got done and we stopped on the way back at McDonalds drive-thru to get burgers. The first time ever I've allowed anything to be eaten in my car.
Then, we had to traverse the same roadwork on the way home. We did go through a longer back route which let us out closer to Sandoval so we could do the afternoon work of the cats there. Now home and exhausted, but we did well. I'm so pleased I have BOTH hearing aids and both are working just fine. Freak thing -- but I was really concerned if they couldn't be fixed easily here. Good things happen if you know when to say no.
See you all tomorrow.
0 -
Illinois - my hearing aids are from Costco. I went a couple weeks ago for my annual exam. The guy said since they are almost 3 years old to send them in to be checked. Good thing I did - something wasn't right with the right ear and that is the ear I barely hear out of. They put a bigger amplifier in - its almost twice the size of the left one. Now I should be good for a couple more years till I have to replace them. Costco will clean them any time. Glad yours were an easy fix. Being without them for 2 weeks was an inconvenience.
0 -
So not only do I have outdoor critters that include white tailed deer (one mom brought her twins tonight and the other her single birth to raid the bird feeder), foxes, chipmunks, an occasional ground hog, squirrels galore and birds of all types, we have 3 rescue cats (2 older and 1 two year old devil), a dalmatian rescue who will be 12 in November and 3 (now 4) parakeets. I had a bonded pair who are the parents of this new baby and one that formerly belonged to my son. The latter was hand fed so he talks and likes to fly around driving 2 cats into a frenetic form of exercise (meals on wings or so they think). His name is Blue (given his coloration) and he is a talker. He is a "dirty birdy, pretty boy, he wolf whistles and sometimes tells me that he is pretty dirty". I have tried to expand his vocabulary but so far he is not interested.
I will either need to rehome the baby or buy another cage because it (gender not identifiable at this point) must be separated from parents by week 6-7. Not sure what I will do yet but am trying to get it used to my hand which I was not successful with the parents (just didn't have the time when I first got them). They are less flighty now but really do not want to leave the cage to fly. Blue loves flying around the kitchen and visiting the outside of the parents cage where they converse through the bars. Other male considers Blue an interloper so they chatter at each other face to face. It has been interesting to say the least and I guess given the lack of other forms of entertainment (contractors are only annoying, definitely not entertaining), I'll settle for this diversion.
0 -
Betrayal, I love the pictures of the baby bird and watching him grow. Thanks for sharing.
0 -
There is no true and constant gentleness without humility; while we are so fond of ourselves, we are easily offended with others. Let us be persuaded that nothing is due to us, and then nothing will disturb us. Let us often think of our own infirmities, and we shall become indulgent towards those of others.
Francois Fenelon0 -
Good day here. Almost feels coolish after the heat we have experienced. I love it when I have to leave a lt. jacket in the car because I may get too cool. Having lost 25 #'s the hard way does allow me to feel temp. changes better though. I did put a pound back on since I've been home recuperating and not moving around near as much. I'm a lot more active now w/o having to drag the cath. around so maybe I won't jut balloon back up.
Got thru yesterday fairly well and was so tired I managed to be able to fall asleep and stay in my own bed overnight till morning. I had been waking up and moving back to the recliner. Little steps but hopefully that may hold now. I made my bed sort of perfect for me. I bought a firm mattress and then put a 2-inch gel foam memory pad on it. I get the firm w/o the hard so I am happy. My issue was the broken arm from last yr. made it more comfy to sleep more on my rt. side. This yr. the operation was on the rt. so it has been tricky to find a way to lay that doesn't irritate lt. arm or rt. side. Hmmm. But it is minor for the most part and it will work out.
Hope you are all having a good day.
0 -
Betrayal - Love the baby bird pictures! Looking more like a bird now. So cute.
Tx - so sorry you had to join us, but glad you're in the right place for support in whatever comes your way.
We're in the Cape, loving beach weather with social distancing. We've ordered take out 2 nights, and then cooked at home 2 nights. We made a great shrimp scampi from local fish market next to our favorite restaurant.
Tomorrow we're heading to Martha's Vineyard, my nieces daughter will be 11 at the end of the month so it's our birthday treat.
Tropical storm slammed our home, street flooding, power outages, etc...I think 3.5 " of rain. But out here on Cape Cod we had overcast skies, wind, and only a small downpour. We were lucky!
News tonight mentioned another state that MA will require a 14 day quarantine if they visit. Hoping we're safe keeping masks on, washing hands and using a lot of hand sanitizer. Doing our best and seem others here are too.
Be safe, enjoy the week.
0 -
CindyNY, Sounds like a pleasant trip. I hope you won't have too much storm clean up when you get back.
IllinoisLady, You have been through alot, but it sounds like you are making good progress. I am glad you no longer have to deal with the cath and sleeping all night is a good thing. I have a "my pillow" mattress topper and sleep well.
Hope all have a pleasant day.
0 -
As if we did not have enough on our plate trying to get our house returned to its former condition from the damage inflicted in October, the skies opened up yesterday in torrential downpours. So with no gutters on the house the runoff from the roof did not eject into the underground drainage system we had installed at great cost several years ago. Our finished basement had only suffered minor rain damage from the October storm but yesterday it became a swamp and despite my DH and DD using shop vacs to suction it up, they were unable to keep up with the deluge. The basement has been a temporary storage area for items from the master bedroom and living room that were too fragile or too expensive to store offsite. My insurance company did not provide access to offsite storage and if we wanted it, it was on us, plus they do not insure anything stored offsite which is another reason we have had to resort to temporary storage onsite but we never expected it to be for 9 months!
Fortunately they were not in the path of the water and were moved to a dry area. But the laminate flooring was destroyed in the office areas. The water was coming through the joints as we walked on the floor. So the basement will now require a major renovation with all the flooring being removed (duPont no longer makes this flooring) and several walls will need to be removed due to water damage as well. I am beyond overwhelmed with this additional project since all the other projects are in the transition stage and not close to finished. So once the upstairs is finished and we can reassemble rooms (every other room in my house has become a temporary storage area for items from rooms under repair and it looks like I am a hoarder), the basement will have to be totally emptied so they can replace the floor and walls. We also lost power and have a backup generator which is still running at present. So we have huge dryers in the basement right now to mitigate mold development. Again, I need a Calgon moment and a good stiff drink.
0 -
Betrayl - sending hugs - your plate is definitely over flowing!
0 -
((((Betrayal))))
0 -
((((Betrayal))))
0 -
Balance is the key to my serenity. I attain balance by listening to my inner wisdom and to the wisdom of others. There is no situation in which I cannot find a point of balance. There is no circumstance in which I cannot find inner harmony. As I ask to be led into equilibrium and clarity, I will find that my answers come to me. I am wiser than I know, more capable of right action and attitudes than I yet believe. In every event, I seek the balance point of God's action through me. -Julia Cameron
0 -
Betrayal -- thinking of the Morton's Salt ad -- "when it rains, it pours". I so hope that things will turn around quickly and at some point un-fold rapidly to the repairs being all done. In the meantime many hugs and wishing for some peace of mind in-between these challenges.
0 -
Very good morning here as it was in the high 50's. Made it nice in Sandoval. The deck was perfect -- cool enough for the cats to lay in the sun and view the yard's happenings of lots of birds and some cat visitors from the front of the house checking on how the other half lives. Busy morning on the way home with a stop at the bank and then on to Aldi's for some supplies. No bread for toast if I didn't stop. They had great strawberries on sale so those and some blackberries came home with me as well. We are off to a good start.
Hope you all have a good day.
0 -
Just logged off my first Zoom meeting (I was late because it turns out my default browser doesn't support audio, so I had to log on from Chrome)--it was a "shiva minyan" for my mentor/ex-boss. (A shiva call is a visit to the mourning family during the week after burial; the "minyan" is a quorum for a service, led at the mourner's home). Still trying to get the hang of it--in the middle of everything the rabbi emeritus texted me to ask if I was okay--by the time I figured out how to reply, all I could type in was "Hanging in..." before the host ended the meeting.
Lost another mentor, from my other occupation, on Monday: Michael Peter Smith, possibly the best songwriter in folk music, who passed away at 78 after a short struggle with colon cancer. Most of you are probably unfamiliar with original folk music, but for those of you in the know, he wrote "The Dutchman" (the best-known version of which was recorded by the late Steve Goodman). He also wrote the score for the original musicals "The Snow Queen" and "The Grapes of Wrath"--the latter presented by Steppenwolf Theater Co. and then on Broadway (for which he got a Tony nomination). Other songs of his you might want to check out are "Spoon River," "Vampire," "The Ballad of Dan Moody," "Panther in Michigan," "Cuba," "Blazing Guns," "Sister Clarissa," "The Last Days of Pompeii," and the hilarious "Dead Egyptian Blues" and "Famous in France." I was lucky enough to be part of the Chicago folk scene when he was in his prime--my band covered several of his songs, and I even parodied one--as well as studying songwriting with him and opening for him. If there's such a thing as immortality, his songs are his piece of it.
0
