Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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I've been feeling kind of fluish with all the smoke polluted air everywhere. Don't think the air is going to get any better for at least the next week. Hardly anyone is out and the park is empty. On the positive side, all this inside time, almost 24 hours a day, has been kind of relaxing and given me quite a bit of time for projects I have put off doing and also lots of time for just loafing around without having any guilt. That part is nice!
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Hope your AC works (and no power outages), Cowgirl. There is rain forecast this week for CA, I hear.
Bummed out that we will probably be back in lockdown once temperatures cool off enough to force people indoors again. We did make it through lockdown from March through the beginning of June (well, except for Bob, who has to work regardless and can't do it all by phone from home) by home cooking and takeout/delivery (groceries and meals). So because I get to walk, dine outdoors at restaurants when the weather permits, occasional pharmacy and grocery trips (usually on the way back from dining out) and get my personal care (nail, foot, med, dental) appts., this summer hasn't seemed very "quarantine-y" for me. I haven't found masks & social distancing to be burdensome, and handwashing has become as much of a habit as brushing my teeth after meals (the latter of which I've been doing ever since starting Invisaligns 18 months ago). No travel has also meant no packing & unpacking, no planes to catch, no long drives, etc. Fully hunkering down from Nov.-next May will likely be difficult but not impossible. At least our landscaper can shovel and salt our sidewalks. And we have a house with a porch, yard and deck. If we were confined to a studio or one-BR apt., it would likely be a different story. I find NYC (and downtown Chi.)-dwellers likely have had a far more difficult time since March. They might be used to "hunkering down" again...or it might be the last straw for them.
I miss only the hugs, in-person contact, choral singing, seeing live music & theater, and especially being able to perform with a duet partner. I'm okay with virtual audiences should I begin solo online "gigs;" but there are NO software programs that allow two people to sing and play simultaneously live (only recorded separately & synched--which sort of defeats the purpose of performing if it can't be in the moment). Amazing that the internet has become sophisticated enough for foreign trolls to surreptitiously manipulate, but nobody has come up with a way to simultaneously perform remotely without delay & echo issues! It's been so long since I'd gone to a theater to see a movie (even pre-pandemic) that I'm disinclined to return to one for the likely short interval before it's forced to close again. There are no films out good enough for me to be willing to risk my or Bob's life. (Live music venues and theaters are unlikely to return until after the pandemic becomes just endemic, and even then many will not have survived the long hibernations).
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Thanks Betrayal!
I too think I'm a genetic loser but BC (both chemo and AI's) excellerated the hair thinning. Have used Nioxen and take Biotin. Is it helping? Don't have a control group so don't know.
I had my very first acupuncture this morning. I am already excited about how I feel. Have had several surgeries for osteoarthritis. Yesterday my hand doc (who did carpet tunnel surgery) said he couldn't give me any more cortisone. Encouraged me to try it. Both wrists and knees feel much better already. And my plan F supplement will cover it!
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The fires in the west are disturbing. I've offered my FL home to a friend & his family. They live south of Portland, and I'm hoping they're ok.
The roofer never showed. The carpenter said the wet wood in basement can't be ignored but can wait, nothing spongy - need the plumber to fix leak asap. Carpenter may get to me in 4 weeks. HA! Mason should have estimate to me by end of day tomorrow, we'll see.
I think we hit 73 today, beautiful day out. Tomorrow should be similar. We've got to get the slate into the ground for the walking path - before, well before it gets so cold at night that digging will be an effort.
First day of remote learning at my house starts Monday. We have no instructions as yet, nor a class schedule. They sent email indicating by Sunday something should get sent. I yi yi Lucy!
MCBaker - I hope you heal up soon. It's hard to eat much of anything w/o chewing.
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"The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."
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Good morning, Ladies. The power went out for a while and messed up the internet. Nasty day as Sally moves through the Gulf. Much rain expected and slight storm surge in this area. Looking at the radar, the bands will start rolling through shortly. I guess we might have some power outage again. She is suppose to slow and strengthen as moves toward Louisiana.
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((((petite)))) Hoping all is well.
Our tv, phone and internet was out most of the day and well into the evening hours yesterday. It was something that went wrong away from here, but close enough to cause us to have to go w/o till repairs were made. We were not having storms here at all so who knows, but I was glad to get it back. I was happily reading when we finally could turn on the tv again. We have limited channels right now. I'm seriously considering Hulu -- mainly for the variety. If anyone has any of these streaming services I'd love your input.
Having a quiet day here. Hope you are all fine and having one too.
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I have Hulu. I mostly got it for my niece, she loves watching the kids movies. I've watched some adult series, it's nice to watch multiple shows in one sitting.
If I'm not mistaken you can try it free for 30 days. My original was at .99 cents a month; after one year it went to $5.99 a month; and most recently they offered it at $59 a year with pre paid savings. Check it out to see if you like it.
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I have Hulu. I got it for my niece to watch kids movies. I've also watched a few adult series.
I think you get 30 free trial. I got into a special at .99 cents a month; after 1 year it went to $5.99; then they offered $59 for a year if I prepaid.
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Illinois Lady - We ditched Cable TV in February, got an indoor antenna to pull in local stations (ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS + others - strength of signal depends on where you live vs broadcast signal) and went with Hulu at $5.99. We also added an $8.99 Starz subscription. We just took advantage of the annual Hulu price. Hulu has most programs available the day after they run on broadcast TV, with the exception of CBS and certain other networks. So, you will want to check the networks on offer to see if they suit your viewing needs. There is a more expensive Hulu Live. We already had both Netflix and Amazon Prime. You can add just about any other subscription you may want to Amazon Prime (Acorn TV, CBS All Access, Showtime, HBO, Starz, etc.) and Hulu also has more add ons than just Starz. We donate to PBS, so already have access to their "Library" through something called Passport. We use Chromecast to "cast" our programs from my laptop to the TV as we do not have a Smart TV. I also watch a lot of things on my laptop. Please let me know if you have any more questions.
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I haven't tried to "cast" anything from my computer to the older smart TV in the front room--my laptop is a Mac. The front room TV has built-in Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime; but since it isn't an Android OS (like the one in the den) I can't use it for Disney+. I am definitely not a fan of watching stuff on a laptop, much less a mobile device. We got Disney+ (watch it in the den) for "Hamilton," but I have no desire to watch animated or Marvel stuff. We were going to wait for the live-action "Mulan" to stream free in Dec. (no way am I paying $20+ extra on top of the subscription fee to see it now), but there's a huge controversy over it not only having been filmed in the part of China where as many as 2 million Uighurs were killed or persecuted but Disney actually thanking the gov't of that province in the credits!
The only theater-only movie out right now I want to see is "David Copperfield," but I'm not sure I want to risk my health to go see it. I'll wait for it to come out on DirecTV PPV.
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Thank someone for something. Go out of your way today to acknowledge the generosity of a person you know. It doesn't matter if you have known this man or woman your entire life, or have just met him or her and don't know if you will ever see the person again. Thanking them for a service rendered, or a favor given, or for help of some kind will enlarge your personal community to include yet another person. Thanking someone builds community as well as friendship. It makes even the most insignificant encounters, like a stranger holding the door for you at the deli, all the more meaningful. It's a way for two people who will probably never know each other's names to connect, even for a moment. -Alan Epstein
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My current streaming preferences are running towards international streaming services. I love Acorn which is mostly British and its just terrific. Since I've watched a lot of the series on Acorn, I now have Britbox which is BBC. Love it. I also have MHz which is international and has series/movies from about 15 countries. I absolutely love crime/detective stories. Since I threw out my TV several years ago, I now only watch on my MacBook and really like that I can see the subtitles very clearly. My hearing is so bad, even with my hearing aids turned up, that I need to be able to stop the movie several times so that I can get all the subtitles. This in no way diminishes my enjoyment of watching a series.
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I use name brand Arimidex from Eagle Pharmacy. Have been on it for 15 months with just a little leg and finger stiffness( but I'm 86.) I had blood tests this week,was worried that there would be SE's I wasn't aware of and, lo and behold, it was in the lipids and a smidge in the glucose which was 96. LDL Cholesterol was 102, Triglycerides 58, but Cholesterol had risen 30 points to 222. However, the shocker was HDL, the good cholesterol, was 108. That is really really high and there is some confusion in medical journals as to whether it is a good thing or whether it is associated with cardiovascular problems and with- gasp- yikes- BC. Report says my CHOLESTEROL/ HDL value is <0.5x Avg Risk. I have been on 10 mg. Lipitor for about 12 years. It does worry me the unseen stuff these anti estrogenic hormones do.
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It takes more courage to reveal insecurities than to hide them, more strength to relate to people than to dominate them, more "manhood" to abide by thought-out principles rather than blind reflex. Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles and an immature mind. -Alex Karras
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keywestfan, I tried to post earlier, but it seems to have gone off into cyber space. Hope I am not posting twice. I had the same thing happen with my Cholesterol, but my labs this time are normal, without any med changes.
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Letrozole raised both my glucose & LDL/total cholesterol and sent my HDL plunging from the 90s down to 65 (not awful but not as protective, especially for women). Crestor lowered my LDL/total and triglycerides, and restored my HDL to the mid-80s. As to very high HDL, there are two things associated with it. One is that it is sometimes a sign of high alcohol consumption; the other is a matter of how large the HDL "particle size." It's the large HDL particles that "mop up" the bad lipids so they can be excreted; small particles aren't as effective at that. Usually, a low-to-normal triglyceride level goes hand-in-hand with large-particle HDL (the actual test of particle dimension is very expensive and not all labs do it).
Still no word on my eye biopsy path report. Three possibilities: either it was so inconclusive that it had to be farmed out to a more sophisticated path lab; the sample was too small to analyze; or (gulp) the ocular-onc is afraid to tell me lest I go into a deep funk over learning my birth certificate's projected "expiration date." Complicating matters is that not only have the nurses at UIC Hosp. gone on strike, but they've been joined by custodial and even some clerical staff. Elective procedures (including cataract surgeries, vitrectomies, imaging) have been canceled for the duration; and the surgeons have to work with agency nurses (even in the O.R.) with whom they're unfamiliar (& vice versa). At least the strike will end Saturday.
Meanwhile, my vision in my R eye is improving nearly to the point it was before this all started. But there's still that one pesky piece of undissolved "absorbable" suture sticking out my eyeball and irritating my eyelid. The sutures are supposed to take 4-6 wks to dissolve/absorb, and Mon. was 4 wks. I also was told to wait 4-6 wks post-op to get re-refracted. I think I will buy a pair of +3.0 drugstore readers, as my prescription readers are only +2.5 and I still have to squint to clearly see the tiny-font numbers in my NYTimes double-acrostic puzzle books. (I like to do those with a fountain pen--I use pencil only for diagramless crosswords).
Yesterday was our first Zoom meeting for the Bar Show (this year it's called--duh--"Change of Venue"). Plan A--record individual parts at the Bar Assn.'s studio--is off the table, as the engineer who runs it already has his hands full and his and the space's hourly rate is too steep (and this year, the show has no budget available). So Plan B will be to record parts individually at our homes or offices (in front of a green screen if possible), over a soundtrack pre-recorded by the accompanist and played over a speaker. Then the scenes will be edited together and backgrounds added. 9 is the maximum number of performers per scene (and even that's a stretch--it was necessary for the demo video of the Supreme Court, which took 3 weeks to cast, score, shoot, and edit together). To do even one full-cast number would cost upward of $500. We will be getting our assignments soon (we've been promised we'll each get to be in at least one scene); meanwhile, that SCOTUS video goes live online next week, and there will be one video per week released until Election Day (when the writing team will have to kick into high gear and the entire show will be written, recorded and released en masse).
For the first time in the 90+ year history of the show, there will be no charge to see it: it'll be up for free on YouTube. We can't put it up on the show's Facebook page, because--acc. to my duo's social media consultant--beginning in Oct., FB is about to knuckle under to ASCAP/BMI/SESAC and forbid posting of videos and recordings of "cover" songs, upon pain of having the page taken down and the account cancelled. Yes, parody--which our numbers are--is "fair use," but there have been new cases challenging and seeking to narrow the definition of "parody." And as I said, we don't have a budget so we can't pay royalties. We are taking up a collection to pay the director, accompanist & band, and wigmaster--everything else is wholly volunteer (we're doing our own costumes & props, and the cast member who does our graphics is also doing the editing). At least we won't have to find venues & buy refreshments for "after-parties."
The first video going live this week is a "teaser" montage of stills from past shows, with "We're Still Here For You" (parody of the theme from "Friends") sung & played over it. Will let you know when & where to watch it. I don't think I'm in any of those stills, but they go by so fast...
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Good morning, ladies. It was a beautiful sunrise, but now clouding up. I spoke with one of my BFF's whose son is in Pensacola. They have been without power for hours and the yard is flooded and full of debris. She will keep me posted with any updates. Thoughts and prayers to anyone dealing with storms and fires.
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Over the years I have come to believe that life is full of unchosen circumstances, that being human has to do with the evolution of our individual consciousness and with it, responsibilities for choice. Pain and joy both come with life. I believe that how we respond to what happens to us and around us shapes who we become and has to do with the psyche or the soul's growth.
Jean Shinoda Bolen0 -
What a dichotomy. Fire all over three states in one place, on the opposite side of the U.S. at the bottom -- way, way too much rain from a hurricane. It has been cooler here which is very appreciated. Nights and early mornings feel cold and I put a sweater on most mornings to go to Sandoval. Some possibly positive news on that front. My friend's daughter is hoping to work out logistics around Thanksgiving ( first time she can get more time off ) to mover her mother home. My friend wants to be home -- she has not been happy with what she sees as pretty much institutional living. Breaks down to nothing much to do but sit all day. That is not my friend who enjoyed a lot of activity. Her eye sight is still not the best, and she would likely neve drive again, but she is okay with that. She has lived in her small town all of her life and beweep new-found friends and life-long friends her needs could likely easily be met were she at home. Possibly with one medically trained person checking up on her once in a while to be determined time-wise.
All else seems fine. Taking one of our cats to the vet. He seems fine, his hair feels good, but he has been punk for a week now. Doesn't want to go out where before he begged constantly ( and he is and has been indoor/outdoor since we took him in, He lays around and only displays interest while eating. Otherwise he does what cats do a lot of which is dozing -- he is just over-doing it. I'm wondering if he can get something like West Nile because other than an almost total change in habits he seems fairly healthy. Hopefully we will know something today .
Hope you all have a great day.
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Illinoislady, Hope your kitty is all right. Both of mine sleep a lot.
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How old is that cat, Jackie? Older cats can develop inflammatory intestinal issues, which makes them lethargic but voracious about eating (because they're not absorbing as much nutrition from their food). Sometimes they'll puke from hunger pangs--or from scarfing down too much food too quickly. Staying indoors will help them, as it reduces their exposure to parasites and soil toxins such as pesticides and industrial waste runoff (yes, even in a semi-rural area). Happy has had IBD for over a year & a half--he rejects his prescription wet food, so we give him smaller amounts of Friskies, Fancy Feast or TinyTiger more often. Both my kitties have been indoor-only since we adopted them (Happy all his life, Heidi since she was picked up off the street at 6 mos. and fostered after having been badly injured by a dog or other ferals). They know how good they have it here, and Heidi still remembers what lurks outside.
Had my derm appt. this morning and the dr. was delighted to see no sun damage and no new freckles. Some "stress eczema" but I can use topical creams for that. She thinks that perhaps the reason I don't have a path report for the ocular melanoma may be that dueling pathologists may differ as to whether it is even a melanoma or a pre-melanotic nevus; or that the needle biopsy couldn't get enough cells. She has two other ocular melanoma patients and says "they're doing great."
Next up: mani tomorrow, Rosh Hashonah (online) this weekend, MO and chest CT early Oct.
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IllinoisLady- I hope your kitty is ok too.
Sandy - good information from your dermatologist. We're all hoping for the best.
Its been a very busy week. Masons worked for 3 days, completed foundation work. Plumber fixed cast iron pipe into PVC within 2 hours. Roofer never showed. Tomorrow I'll call a handy man we haven't used in years, in hope he's still doing it. Pool covered, chemicals in, no more swimming. Offically I have to lower the water, put in the skimmer plug, and clean out the filter before it's truly closed. But the worst is behind us.
Temperatures dropping here fast, especially over night. Next couple nights in the 30's.
Remote learning at my house w 11 year old niece is challenging. I have no idea how anyone could work while they do this. We did "common core" math today. I think it was stressful for me not to just multiply and have an answer. Only 3 days down...hahahah, I go to bed early and now I most certainly know what day it is. Can't wait for Friday. Tee hee!!
Those of us up north, get your winter woolies ready, because baby it's cold outside!
Blessings out to all - fires, floods, health challenges. HUGS
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Hit 80 today but didn't run the AC or ceiling fans. Here by the lake it's still 71, going down to the low 60s but staying there all day tomorrow. Tomorrow night we may even have to turn on the heat. Already swapped my Bermudas for jeans--will have to start wearing long sleeves again, jean jacket, maybe even a down vest over it. But next week will be almost-summer again. Next wine dinner at Cellars is in late Oct.--almost certainly entirely indoors (4 nights, 25 people/night in a place that pre-pandemic could handle 100). Bought lanyards for my masks, since I will have to wear them whenever not actually eating or drinking (by law, even at outdoor dining).
I'm not afraid of takeout food, nor of outdoor dining. You can't catch COVID from food itself, and when I bring it inside I disinfect the containers and the surface I've put them on--just like when I get groceries delivered. If you're afraid of catching the virus from the kitchen prep cooks, then you should logically be afraid to get anything delivered, which is crazy. Wear your mask, keep your distance, wash your hands, disinfect high-touch surfaces and keep your hands off your face.
Nothing in life is risk-free, regardless of the virus (and even mets). At our age, life can and will eventually kill us (to paraphrase Warren Zevon). Cars & buses jump sidewalks and into storefronts. Carjackings, shootings (whether deliberate or caught in crossfire), wildfires, house fires, floods, tornadoes--then there's heart attack & stroke, broken hips from falls, other infections & sepsis, yada yada.
We have to decide what level of risk we will accept--but in this day & age, those choices must take into account risks we may pose to others.
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Fairly good news on Buddy. He has some sort of viral thingy -- no name yet. Dr. was waiting on report from us in three days. I think we'll report tomorrow. She said he should show improvement ( she gave him an antibiotic shot before she brought him back out to us ) in three days. He was basically improved the minute he got out of his crate. He started walking around and looked with longing at the door. He is not going out though.
He is eating with gusto which is good as he has a capsule to be broken open and put in his food. Also a syringe of meds for the next 5 days. We will get ( by phone of course ) with Dr. Britt and see what she wants us to do since we don't have a history on Buddy. He is a beautiful boy of about 10#'s at the moment -- orange and white -- huge fluffy tail which is usually up in the air. He loves to chanse squirrels and like any cat very patient and enourmously quiet until they come down out of the trees. It looks like he will be okay. The vet told me that while the size of the cat is something of a hazard in that they can get ( at times ) really sick, REALLY fast, the up side is that they can also recover at times almost as quick. Sure seems to be happening for Buddy. Our estimate is that he is approx. 2 yrs. old so fairly young.
Another long day for me.
My own Dr. phone appt. went well. She will set up a mammogram for me and later a colonoscopy. Only the second one in my life. If it is "clean" then I likely won't be required to have any more she said. I am 75. In fact, I was waiting to have the second test just as I broke my arm and could not do it then. The first test found nothing -- but even she felt we should have a " comparison " and they will at the same time I do the colooscopy, put a tube down my throat and look at the bottom of my esophagus.
Seems when I broke my arm and came up with other items from the CT scan -- they may not be the issue it seemed back them. The lung nodule shrunk and is staying shrunk. The esophageal thickening as well as the annuerysm were not even mentioned with the last CT. So, they are not as issue at this point and may never be which is what Dr. Neely told me. While they still need some monitoring to an extent -- it is possible that it is not something that I ndeed to feed deep concern over. We have passed the yr. mark since I broke my arm which is when the first CT revealed the extra problems.
So hoping that all stays well. Also sending hope for the weather to settle on both coasts and relief for all those who have sufferred damanges or losses of any kind.
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Amen to the weather wishes, Jackie! And good news re both your telehealth appt. & Buddy. At only 2 yrs. old, he has still all nine of his lives remaining. (Happy is 13, and Heidi 15). From the description, sounds like he & Happy may be doppelgangers but for Buddy's bushier tail.
My next 'scope isn't due till 2027, when I'd be (knock wood) 76. So maybe because I have a few diverticula they may move it up to 2025. Or not. Bob's 2 yrs. overdue, since he had polyps, but is understandably skittish considering the last time out his colon got perforated and he had to have a foot of it removed and sewn back together. (TMI). I reminded him that this time he can get it done by my GI guy (head of the dept. at NorthShore Evanston Hosp--the system's flagship) rather than the SW side freestanding endoscopy center that perfed him or the failing little faith-based hospital to which the Chicago Fire Dept. EMTs took him (Evanston Hosp. was considered too far north, so St. Francis was as far as they were willing to go) and tried to "medically (mis)manage" him until one surgeon said enough was enough and operated. Getting the EGD and colonoscopy together (while you're out cold on propofol) is the smart thing to do---that's what I had for my first baseline "screeener."
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Good morning, ladies. I woke up early thinking I was starving. Had an English muffin, fed the cats and might go back for a nap.
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I am the one and only me. I may not think of myself as a creative person, but I know that I have unique talents and skills to share. For instance, art may appear on a canvas, or it may appear in a meal prepared with love. Some hands sculpt clay or play a musical instrument, and some gently hold the hand of a child. Wisdom can be found in books, but it can also be found in quiet conversation across the kitchen table. I am creative in my own unique way. As I more fully express who I am, I bless others, and blessings flow back to me. I am creative, productive, and open to divine inspiration. I give my gifts to the world. -Unattributed
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Sounds like a nice day today. No more than 78. I haven't felt much for humidity the past couple of days either. Glad of that. Lots to do but with no humidity I always feel much more energetic. Still thinking about other tv services. We did get our Charter bill reduced a while back to $150.00 for our bundle so we have time. Just that in order for that to happen ( lower bill ) we had to go to only accessing 10 channels. We don't watch as much as we use to, but 10 channels is a bit skimpy. We needed some planning time though so we are still glad we did that. No need to rush into things now.
Deer are starting to roam through the yard now and they are such a pleasure to see. They will be changing their summer color to a lot darker. To me they are beautiful animals.
I hope you all have a delightful day.
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Hi ladies, I have been reading back but just cannot keep up with the prolific writers here! I see good news and some sad loss; and some in treatment (which will be tough but eventually good when it's done!).
The weather here has cooled a bit. We definitely have the smoky haze for the past few days. I am about 80 miles east of New York City. The smoke is from the western states and is very high in the atmosphere. I have not seen the sun today. When it does appear, it is through a haze, or very red-orange. Hurricane season is still in full force; but fortunately, nothing significant has hit Long Island so far. I can't forget that hurricane Sandy was a Halloween storm. While power was being restored, an early November snow storm had arrived bringing more trauma. But we survived!
Jackie, I am glad to hear your Buddy is doing better. And your medical reports sound good overall. You have fewer things to worry about now!
I have been hitting all the medical specialists this summer...still need pulmonologist. I also need a colonoscopy. My GI doctor from 2018 erred greatly when he mistook my ovarian cancer symptoms for irritable bowl syndrome. It cost me months of valuable treatment time. He had tried to do a colonoscopy but couldn't get past a blockage. I did not understand until many months later when I became an emergency. It was 2 years today (9/17) that I left my job at 9:15pm in discomfort, and two days later I was in the ER. It was the beginning of a journey I never imagined.
I am 17 months out from chemo and doing OK, and am grateful for the remission. But I still need that colonoscopy! Am searching for a trustworthy GI doc who can carefully navigate the areas of my 3 intestinal resections.
We are approaching the last week end of summer...it was a beautiful summer here on Long Island. Many beach days and evenings have filled our "quarantine" hours. I am grateful to have a green yard and a deck, birds, turkeys, deer, rabbits, a resident groundhog, and a peaceful neighborhood.
I'll keep "reading back" to catch up on your wonderful posts.
Joan0
