Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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So sorry for another delay. Betrayal. For too many, this is the year that whatever could happen, does. Sending hugs.
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Betrayal - WAY too much on your plate. It's a bad Murphy's law story. HUGS
Sandy - upsetting to be dealing with so much loss during the pandemic. HUGS to you as well.
IllinoisLady - you sound like you're getting around great and recuperating well!
Storm - my niece is w us on vacation. Her home lost power which meant her sump pump wasn't working (I've mentioned battery backup) and she has water in her basement. Her mom/my sister was watching the house but was at a loss as to what to do. In addition, she has a leak around her chimney that allowed water to get down to her 1st floor linen closet. It was being repaired next week, after we return from vacation. She is stressed knowing so much needs to be done as soon as she gets home. Add in she is a school counselor who now has to return to work 2 days next week. Originally no one returning until Sept; texts called for people to start this week.
So yes indeed, when it rains it pours. Put our hip boots on, its been a crazy 2020.
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Betrayal, OMG. That is terrible. Cyber hugs
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I had my bowel resection on the 31st, luckily the surgeon was able to do it thru a scope. I was discharged 2 days ago, have only needed Tylenol every 6 hours. Sure glad they gave me a walker with a seat, my legs have felt pretty wobbly. Thought I had things ready for coming home, didn't realize I wouldn't be able to bend over to get things out of lower cupboards. I should have brought things down to countertop level before I left for the hospital. I also hadn't realized I wouldn't have the stamina to be cooking for myself. Sure miss Lew, he always took such good care of me when I was sick. I placed an online grocery order yesterday that my neighbor picked up for me, so now I have some torn apart rotisserie chicken from the deli that I can make sandwiches out of. I also signed up for the Senior Meal service starting tomorrow. Since I'm in quarantine they'll bring my noon meal directly to my apartment.
After breakfast this morning I took a shower and washed my hair, which felt really good but took the oomph out of me and I took a nap afterwards.
Temps in the 70's today with a nice breeze and no humidity, feels good sitting in my recliner.
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Puffin: Speedy recovery and remember this is still major surgery, independent of the approach. Listen to your body and take it easy.
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Puffin, Sounds like the surgery went well. Give yourself lots of time to recuperate.
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Puffin, I know exactly how you feel. Hope your good solutions after the fact help you get a handle -- and rest, rest, rest. Last night I slept for 8 & 1/2 hours. Could hardly believe it. It is good medicine. Take care. Speedy recovery.
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Puffin, as others have said, take it easy and listen to your body which it sounds like you are doing. Glad to hear you are home.
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Puffin, glad to hear the surgery went well. Joining the chorus to tell you to be good to yourself and let your body tell you what it can & can't handle, and when. Rest up!
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Betrayal - Gosh, you sure do seem to have a lot going on. Calming thoughts coming your way.
Puffin - Joining in with the others re: glad to hear surgery well & wishes for continued recovery. Healing thoughts & gentle hugs.
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Puffin, I join the rest. I am glad you are home and recovering. cyber hugs to you
It was 1 year ago that I found the lump.
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If you're able to be yourself, then you have no competition. All you have to do is get closer and closer to that essence. -Barbara Cook
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petite wishing you well too through this milestone.
Going to be warmer today. The temp. won't be so bad but the humidity will also increase so not thrilled about that. I am it seems now able to sleep all night in bed and not have to get up and return to the recliner. I am grateful.
Having nothing special planned -- just the normal/usual and that is wonderful as well. It is always nice to feel normal. It would be so much better and will be when we finally have a vaccine for the covid. Hoping with all my heart we all stay well.
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Accidentally rolled over onto my stomach incision during the night. The stabbing staples reminded me that wasn't allowed yet.
It's supposed to be humid and close to 90 today so I went out at 6:30 with my walker to check on a couple flower beds. My Turtlehead plant that I brought from the house is just starting to bloom.
I signed up for the Senior Noon Meal delivery, will get my first lunch today. Since I'm still in quarantine they'll bring my meal right to my apartment. Wish I'd signed up sooner. My neighbor brought me a slice of homemade peach pie yesterday, yummy.
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Well, in spite of Covid, I had to drive down from Ontario to Ohio (I have dual Canadian-US citizenship, so I can cross freely, although when I return to Ontario I'll have to quarantine for 14 days) because my sister Gail, whose daughter Jenny was severely brain-damaged in a car accident many years ago, broke her hip. They have paid caregivers for Jenny, but it's tough to staff 24-7 and Gail's been covering some of the shifts. Well, she won't be doing that for a while, so Aunt Paula to the rescue. (Back in 2013 I spent 3 months down here when Jenny's main caregiver broke her ankle and couldn't work, so I know the drill.) Anyway, I live in this little city in northern Ontario that has had a grand total of 3 Covid cases (all recovered) and I had to come down to a spot where infections are increasing. I'm being neurotically careful with hand-washing and social distancing and mask-wearing, mainly because I don't want Jenny to get sick. She had ARDS several years ago (long story) so she's really vulnerable to anything lung-related. I also worry that, if the case load down here gets really high and they have to start triaging patients, she'll fall at the bottom of the list because she's physically and mentally so impaired that she's considered "expendable."
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(((((Ping Pong)))))
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Puffin, take it easy and slow. Listen to your body at all times. Have a good recovery.
Pingpong, sending hugs.
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Pingpong - How wonderful that you can help out your sister. Be safe!
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I echo the others Ping-Pong. You must be such a blessing to your sister. Hope you as well as the entire household there are able to stay safe and healthy. Hugs to all.
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(((Paula))). Hope all turns out OK for you, your sis and niece.
My problem is minor in comparison. Yesterday the anesthesia nurse at UIC called with screening questions--she said I can take Xanax the night before the insertion surgery, but not CBD (because there's no research as to how it'd affect anesthesia--in fact, no medical research about it, period). Problem is, that I'm about to run out of my Xanax Rx--Bob tried to call it in for me, but CVS won't fill it w/o evidence of an office visit (they're treating it like an opioid now; unless it's to discourage writing a script for a family member). So I called my (late) PCP's NP's office and requested she issue a refill, and certify my call as a "telemedicine visit." Just got a patient-portal message that it's been approved--but not sure if that "approval" was by CVS or the office. I asked for 1mg rather than 0.5s, because the price would be the same but if I break them in half, I could make each refill last twice as long.
Not just that, but I was informed that upon arrival I will be rapid COVID-tested. If positive, they'd do a second test (a la OH Gov. Mike DeWine yesterday). If that, too, is positive I would have to delay my surgery for 2 weeks--as well as isolate myself for 10-14 days (with my house's layout, easier said than done). And that runs the risk of mets getting a head start on my brachytherapy. (Would probably need new scans & bloodwork, because if the tumor has spread, there's no point in burning it away).
IL's new-case count topped 2K for the first time since May, with positivity rate jumping to 4.1. It's almost completely downstate and in the 20-29 age group. Stupid clueless entitled brats.
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Yijes, Sandy, if it is not one thing it is three others!! Already in residence in your pocket, so fingers crossed for negative test.
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CVS did fill my Xanax Rx once my PCP/NP called it in. They were just being snotty about doctors prescribing psychoactive drugs for family members. (They never gave him grief over my blood pressure med). The PCP/NP's office confirned that the only way to park there is with the valet--street parking is nonexistent due to the plethora of apartment buildings w/o garages.. Ugh--no thanks. I don't even trust rideshares any longer.
Got my pre-op instructions from the ocular onc's NP--and they say to have an adult >21 available to drive me home, I will be given a parking-structure validation sticker, and that I am allowed one visitor; but the anesthesiology nurse said yesterday that I would have to be dropped off & picked up. Confusing--will ask on Monday. They also want me to drink a non-red sports drink the day before. Huh? What's wrong with water? Guess they want me to boost my electrolytes. Any nurses here to clue me in?
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Sandy, my guess would be electrolytes, too. Just one? If so, then you can go to water.
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Oh my gosh, you guys. Wishing so many of you smoother sailing. If Covid wasn't enough! Sending hugs.
Sandy, I don't think Ken could prescribe narcotics for me 25 years ago even with a last name like Clark which one would have thought might slide by.
Marge
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A little friendship, a little sympathy, a little sociability, a little human toil. . . is needed in every nook and corner. Therefore search and see if there is not some place where you may invest your humanity.
Albert Schweitzer0 -
Coming late today -- just busy and getting some reading done. Did get final path. report on my cancer. It was papillary cancer. As well. it remained in the low-grade category ( papillary is VERY slow growing ) and was concentrated in the ureter only. No trace was found in the kidney that was removed and the tumor did not invade anywhere else ( not in the bladder ) so I think all will be fine. It was good news to me. One of my breast cancer tumors ( the one that was actually known about ) was a papillary cancer. That was the one that had been seen on mammogram and biopsied. For anyone new here, during the lumpectomy to remove it, the surgeon lifted out some dead tissue from a bruise ( what originally got me checking the area at all ) and while feeling around to make sure all was well actually discovered a second tumor and it turned out to be , unlike the slow growing papillary tumor, a fast and aggressive growing type. So, that changed my diagnosis which is below my signature, and gave me the 6 mos. of chemo as well as 7 full weeks of radiation.
Nice today but we have a bit more heat. Sounds like it will be warmer in some of the days ahead. We may be in one of those back and forth periods just like we seem to have been doing with the rain. Still, it feels nice to me. There is a small breeze that helps blunt the heat. If you are not out in direct sun it feels all right.
I hope you all have a wonderful day.
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I'm just catching up ...
Puffin - may the force be with you! Take it easy.
PingPong - a blessing to your sister having your help. Stay safe.
Sandy - I'm anxious for you. It just feels like it's taking a long time.
We arrived home safely today. Cape Cod felt like a blessing being on the beach - even though we were in FL for months, we wouldnt go to one, no social distancing nor masks. We'll miss the cape.
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Bob is back to doing the ghetto-adjacent hospital this weekend (and coming home at night because the hotel near the hospital is in a cases-rising suburb and getting lax about disinfection & distancing)--and though he isn't seeing confirmed COVID patients he has to do "rule-outs" on all his cardiology patients who are showing respiratory (yes, even seasonal allergy) symptoms. The 15-min. tests are only for screeing asymptomatic people (like me); those with symptoms get PCR tests that are taking 5 or more days to process. So all those cardio patients must be considered infected until proven otherwise. And if either of us tests positive or shows symptoms by Thurs., my procedure will have to be postponed, risking tumor growth (and necessitating re-ordering of a new, bigger plaque, which will take another 10-14 days) and even metastasis. Ragweed pollen is already in the medium-high category (and molds are high), so I'm going to have to hide or lie about my allergies. One sneeze or sniffle while I'm waiting for surgery, and I'm disqualified--even with a negative test, low body temp and nice high pulse-ox.
So now--at 1:35 am (he got home at 1am and I had to make him dinner, since there's no food for staff at the hospital)--I have to dash upstairs to the bathroom before he has to take his cleansing shower.
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Good morning, ladies. It is a pretty morning with lots of birds. It was pleasant to sit on the back porch with a cup of coffee and the newspaper. I saw the largest Southern Fox Squirrel I have ever seen. It was bigger than my cats. Hope everyone has a pleasant day.
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Sandy, That sounds SO complicated. Fingers crossed that all goes well and you get the operation as scheduled. I think I either have caught a cold (how?) or am having allergies. No way I could fake it along enough.
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