Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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Yeah, go visit your kids sometime. Had trouble sleeping last night. Will go back to bed when I feel sleepy again. Could have been dehydration. I got a small skin tear day before yesterday. I don't know if it will reattach yet. I haven't looked at it for 18 hours. I see very little oozing from it now, so I suppose that it is on the way to healing. Right hand=mastectomy side=rip is right hand=right hand looks a bit bigger. Don't know if I ought to call and ask about edema.
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Neither circumstances nor surroundings can bring contentment. Only by fitting ourselves to meet conditions as they are, calmly and courageously, may we hope to reconcile ourselves to our position and conditions of life. -Fred van Amburgh
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What I thought (perhaps correctly) were symptoms from smoke inhalation turned into a respiratory virus and I went to the walk in clinic in Park Rapids on Saturday. The doctor prescribed an antibiotic and an inhaler. I was doubtful about the antibiotic but have been taking it and using the inhaler with a spacer. I am getting better. The hacking coughing has lessened. At my request I had chest x-rays, which showed the beginning of pneumonia.
I learned that what I have is "going around." After a bout of double pneumonia in 2019, I know the danger of letting a respiratory virus run its course.
Meanwhile the heat continues. Our "getaway" from Louisiana summer heat and humidity has not been a big success. Rather an exchange. Up here we have drought instead of almost constant rain at home. We do have days with less humidity. We couldn't exist without the two a/c units in our camper.
DH went to the gym and is on his way to Walmart for groceries, then will stop at a produce market for fresh vegetables. We're hoping he can score some tomatoes.
Wren, you have my sympathy. I would hate a lot of outside noise.
Jackie, I didn't know about brush dryers. I use a hair dryer in one hand and a round brush in the other hand. Drying and styling my hair is a chore because it's very thick. I have an appointment for a cut on Thursday and am optimistic that I will feel good enough to keep it.
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Good morning. It is hot and muggy. I hurt myself getting out of the pool with an 8" x 2" scrape on my thigh, a bruised knee, and nearly ripped off my big toe nail. It hurts to sit. On a lighter side. I have thin (thanks to Arimidex), straight hair and use the blow dryer to puff it up and some spray to keep it that way.
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Wow, petite. Thinking about you. Hope it all settles soon. Carole, my daughter has every thick natural curly long hair. She says with the same dryer I bought ( turned out to be just like hers ) she can do her hair in a half an hr. Knowing her hair -- that seems remarkable. The first time I did mine it seemed to have taken a while, but I was learning. It probably wasn't more than about 12 mins. or so. My hair though longer is thin and fine and I definitely needed something that would ( like the big fat brushes ) lift my hair and puff it up a bit.
First time out -- my front looked great -- the back was just so-so and flatter than I had hoped -- so I need more work in that area -- but I was amazed. I have had some issue with hair drying and definitely the curling iron with my previously broken arm. I am not good on doing the right side of my hair since I have to depend on the left arm more. With the new dryer/brush I didn't have a problem. I'm pretty close to maybe this next time getting a very, very loose body perm if any at all and continue with the length which I think is almost perfect for me. I thought I'd had really short hair the rest of my life. I don't know if I explained -- during the worst of the covid I did not get regular cuts, perms etc. My hair got long and I thought it helped a little with the fact that yrs. ago with my stroke some of my face dropped and didn't go back. Not a huge problem but in addition I had a goiter from yrs. ago which left a bit of a lump where it had been. Between the dropped skin/tissue from the stroke and the goiter -- I sometimes feel a bit "odd" looking and the longer hair seems to hide it a bit. Well, likely none of my friends could give a care at all, but I tend to feel less awkward.
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Jackie, sounds like you're being successful with the brush dryer. Whenever possible, I'll have to examine one in a store. I have been scheduling haircuts at 5 week intervals but I may shorten that to 4 weeks.
Petite, sorry about your accident. The injury sounds painful.
I awoke this morning with no sore throat and did not cough much during the night. I had planned to take a walk this morning but so far it's not walking weather outside. While we were still in bed, a thunderstorm brought rain and hail and it's dark outside with the threat of more rain. DH decided not to play golf.
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Tall order at times.
Once we are destined to live out our lives
in the prison of our mind,
our duty is to furnish it well.
- Peter Ustinov0 -
Continued hot and sunny here (80's) for the rest of the week. I don't remember ever going this long without any rain at all. Yesterday was wonderfully quiet. The talkers were not out and the construction project was waiting for an inspection so no hammering. I feel at least a little recovered.
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Very hot and humid day here today. My day off and I am thrilled there is plenty of indoor work. I'm tearing apart my bedroom closet and choosing some things that will not return there. That said, I have other items to go into the empty spots, but they are sm. dressers w/o much in them. I have so much to go thru I have chosen to leave some things alone in order to take care of some of the bigger items and those that should go asap.
I think it is due to be about 107 this afternoon with the heat index. Pretty toasty. I think we will go out for something later somewhere because I'll be too tired to want to cook and I am out of ideas anyhow.
Wren, glad to hear it is quiet for now in your neighborhood. The older I get it does seem that consistent noise feels pretty intrusive. Then again I will admit that basically living in the woods as we do it is usually mainly quiet here. The neighbors on one side have moved to Fla. and the house is empty. Neighbors on our other side have been on vacation in another state but only use their cabin for very short week-end periods so no one there either. We are usually hearing riding lawn mowers, but it is only annoying when it is cool enough to be outdoors. As hot as it is today I doubt anyone would even bother with lawn mowing. Maybe early morning -- but not now.
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Jackie, happy belated anniversary! It's been weird here--on the one hand, hard to believe it's been a week and a half since my overnight jaunt to NYC to see a Colbert taping with my sister (except for the fustercluck of a train ride home from O'Hare, it was fun). On the other hand, it seems hard to believe it was only a week and a half ago. My ocular oncology appt. was a bust--the ultrasound scanner was broken so they couldn't measure the tumor (though the onc says that from what he could tell from the OCT scans and the loupe, combined with no symptoms, it looks stable). So I have to come back next month anyway. (We had switched to a bimonthly schedule for my peace of mind, but to no avail. Only hope Medicare covers the next appt. & scans). Had to get fitted for new orthotics--the ones I have are only 2 yrs old but my pronation has gotten bad enough that the arches flatten when I stand on them--even though I'm 40 lbs. lighter than when they were made. Not covered by Medicare, either (I'm not diabetic), but I only get one pair of feet per lifetime.
Petite, ouch! Sometimes I feel as if we should all have those construction-paper "autumn leaves" on our front doors that hospitals & nursing homes put on the doors of rooms of patients they deem to be "fall risks." And now COVID cases are spiking again (even in blue, mostly-vaxed northern IL), so it's back to wearing a mask indoors in public. Oh, well, it was only about a month since the mandate was first lifted, so it hasn't been hard to get used to wearing one again. Have always worn one on transit and to doctors' & dentists' appts. anyway.
I've dealt with those combo brush-dryers, but with my long fine & thin yet frizzy hair they don't seem to work as well for me, not even that pricy Dyson AirWrap with all its attachments. The ones that rotate as they dry (I bought one when I lost the use of my left arm after surgery for a couple of months) are tangle hazards. Those brush dryers seem to work best on short to medium length (mid-neck) hair. The ones with the best reviews are by Drybar (a round one and an oval one) and a much cheaper one by Revlon--in fact I've seen reviews that top-rate the Revlon. What I use is a blow dryer with nozzle, set on its lowest heat & speed settings with a round vented brush, then flatiron. (Careful with those vented round brushes, though--the bristles can scratch your face). What takes forever is having to clip up sections. I did put up mirror tiles opposite my bathroom mirror so I can (sort of) see the back of my head. That and sectioning (plus patience) seems to be key in being able to do a sleek blowout. (I found, though, if I blow dry my hair without flatironing it and then go to bed, I wake up looking like Albert Einstein). The key to making the blowout last a week--besides using dry shampoo every other day or so--is to bend over, brush all my hair to the top of my head and then clip it up with one of those double-jointed plastic "alligator" hairstylist clips; and also to sleep on a silk-satin pillowcase to reduce friction. In the morning, all I have to do is unclip it, run my fingers through, and shake it out before smoothing it with a soft boar bristle brush. (I also have a small ionic heated smoothing brush--lower heat than a flatiron--to smooth out any unwanted crimps).
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Good morning, ladies. The scrape has turned into a nasty bruise. When I went to get out of the pool, the top step on the ladder broke and then the last 2 broke on my way down. I am not sure what caught my big toe nail, but the bolts and remaining fiberglass pieces are what scraped my leg. The steps needed to be ordered and should be in Friday.
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Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. . . . The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves, too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now. -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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(((petite))) hooray for new steps. I'm going to be working on my room again today. I hope to get all the way through. I had no idea I had so much stuff packed in there and it is going to be such pleasure opening up my spaces. Trying to decide whether to take down my bed and thoroughly wash everything now or wait. I do have major wash-ups for other things so I may save the bed for later.
Going to be really humid ( index for heat 109 ) again today. Trying to get my sil to not work in the yard, but he did listen and go out early. I think it is already awful out there. I have to go feed ferals and help the lady friend in town. I am trying to gently encourage her to do a bit more for herself. She could do it and knows it because she sometimes mentions it. I am not upset about doing what I do, but I fear for her deterioration which doesn't have to happen now. She is just three yrs. older than me. Always 'wonders' how I do it. Well, first you have to truly decide that is what you want for yourself. I hope I can convince her that she can do much more than she thinks.
Hope you are all going to have a good and safe day.
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With the hairdryer brush I have to use “It's a 10 - Blow dry, miracle blow dry styling balm" OR even though it would look styled, it would be a frizzy haired style. The balm truly is a miracle for my hair. The stylist in FL turned me on to it and now I order straight from the company.
We've had some rain today after yesterday was beautiful. Overnight cool down allowed windows to be opened. It's 69 and damp.
Packing up for our Cape Cod trip, feels like we're taking everything but the kitchen sink. The rental house still is requiring all your own bedding & towels which started last year from covid. Also it looks sunny but low 70's. Which means bring warm clothes so when the wind blows through we won't freeze. Being we aredriving I'm even putting in my fuzzy robe! I can use it as a throw if not wrapped up in it.
Sandy re orthotics, I get a new pair about every other year. Not covered by my insurance either, I pay $500 a pair. But without them I notice the lack of support. I usually take the old ones and put them in my yard sneakers - sneakers I no longer wear but to putt around in the yard or to mow the lawn.
I also received a bump in my pension check for cost of living. Total $17.50 a month before taxes. I'll try not to spend it all in one place, HA, but I will take it!
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Cindy, I know what you mean about the beach being cold. I take my lined parka to the beach and a sweater to put under it. The water is too cold to get in IMHO.
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The air quality today is in the "red" dangerous category. Even healthy people without breathing problems are advised not to spend a lot of time outdoors. In order to be effective, masks should be the N95 quality.
It was bad yesterday afternoon but dh and I did the mowing. I use a self-propelled small mower and he uses a large riding mower and also does the trimming, which really makes things look nice.
He has bad sinus congestion now and I am feeling better. Yesterday was my last antibiotic pill but I continue to use the inhaler.
Jackie, I'm amazed at how much organizing you do year after year.
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All my experience of the world teaches me that in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred the safe side and the just side of a question is the generous side and the merciful side. -Anna Brownell Jameson
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An early morning storm has passed through. Likely to have more pour-downs some time thru the day. Nice to have a couple days off. I will spend them refining my work in my bedroom that is done and finding a spot to put all the give-away materials.
Looking forward to enjoying corn on the cob. We had it for the first time last night from this yr.'s crop. My cousin has a friend that raises it for his farm and it is such great corn. This yr. it is white and yellow. This was a feature of my growing up yrs. For 14 -14 days in summer my mother would stop by a field ( with the owner's permission ) and get corn for our supper. Not sure where I will get the sweet field corn if my cousin can no longer get it from his friend. I so look forward every yr. and this yr. especially it is pretty pricy in the stores.
I hope you all have a really good week-end.
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I miss corn on the cob--especially the bicolor version so sweet you can eat it raw! It's a total no-no on even a low-carb, much less keto, diet. In 2015, just before my BC dx, we played the WI Sweet Corn Festival--and they sent me home with not just a paycheck but a dozen ears of corn!
Petite, really give arnica montana gel a try. Boiron or Arnicare are the brands I've used. Not only is it soothing, but it actually helps fade bruising,
Cindy, when I was getting Brazilian Blowout keratin treatments, I had to seek out shampoos that were both sulfate-and-sodium-chloride free, So many so-called "keratin" brands have salt--which dissolves the keratin! I ended up alternating between It's a 10 and Giovanni keratin shampoos & conditioners. I gave up on Brazilian Blowouts because of the possibility that even if it no longer contains formaldehyde per se, when heated to the temperature required to flatiron it in it may release formaldehyde. I made that decision not just because of my ocular melanoms dx (my onc says that didn't cause it, but still...), but because my scalp and neck sweat when I sleep. And sweat contains...salt. So the frizzies came back faster and faster each time. I tried gadget after gadget--even that pricy Dyson AirWrap--to no avail. Frizzy, frizzy, frizzy. Even if I managed to get my hair to look good when I styled it (unable to see the back of my head), if I slept on it without putting it up I'd awake with frizzy waves in all the wrong places (a style that may be popular now, as "beachy waves," but never looked good on me). And when I did put it up in a high ponytail with the ends secured by a "butterfly" clip, when I awoke I'd have a ridge or bump in the back that no amount of flatironing seemed to tame.
Meanwhile, I tried product after product--EverPure "cleansing conditioner," Elvive "8 Second Wonder Water," the entire Living Proof line, even the "K12" protein leave-in serum, to no avail. Then one day in June I went to Ulta to buy one of those Dyson Corrale straightening irons (apparently, the AirWrap doesn't do everything after all). The salesman, who is also a stylist, told me that the flatiron I have (CHI) is still state-of-the-art for my texture of hair and there was nothing wrong with my $80 Rusk dryer; and what I needed instead was better technique and one more product. He sat me down and demoed Drybar's "Liquid Glass" spray-on serum on a section of hair he'd moistened and then blew dry--it was sleek and straight. I asked him what I needed to do to get those results and he replied that a concentrator nozzle for my dryer, sectioning--and patience--are the keys. Unfortunately, they were out of stock on both concentrators and the kind of clips necessary for sectioning. (I then got both on Amazon).
The next day i decided to try going to a recently-reopened branch of the Drybar chain (due to the pandemic, drinks are no longer served), basically to see what makes them tick and try to get pointers on how to style my hair straight and keep it that way between shampoos. They used Liquid Glass shampoo & conditioner first, then the Liquid Glass serum. I watched the stylist blow my hair dry--she used more tension on a larger round brush than I'd been using. And she had the flatiron on a higher heat setting. I decided to buy that brush, the shampoo & conditioner, and a sturdier set of clips than what I'd gotten on Amazon. I also realized that the ionic heated smoothing brush I'd bought at a Manhattan Rite-Aid wasn't doing the job--so I bought the smaller travel versions of their "Crush Brush" and "Tress Press," which take up less space in my luggage and are dual-voltage.
Since my own stylist used a Dyson Supersonic dryer, I went on Dyson's eBay site and bought a refurbished one for half price, with all the attachments and the same one-year warranty. My first attempt was good--except the bristles on the big fat brush scratched my cheek. But when I woke up the next day? The telltale creases at the back of my head had reappeared. So I went on YouTube and watched a whole bunch of videos as to how to style long hair straight and keep it that way--and all of them said you have to be able to see the back of your head. (D'OH)! I ordered a set of stick-up mirror tiles and put them up opposite my medicine cabinet. (Being plastic, they're sort of distorted but if I move around I can tell when my hair is straight).
The videos also mentioned that for everyday brushing of fine hair, I should use the softest boar-bristle brush I could find, so I bought one; and that for sleeping, a high "momme" (thread count) silk pillowcase would cut down on frizz-producing friction. Found both on Amazon too. And flatironing after drying is essential--and for that you need to section and see the back too, as well as comb each tress, firmly grip the iron closed, and pass it in one smooth motion to the ends, not repeating. And always finish with a shine product for the ends (and a light-hold spray for humid days)
Finally, I learned that I was putting my hair up at night all wrong. The way to do it to avoid the dreaded back crease is to lean all the way forward, gather it all into a loose pony, very gently twist just the ends and secure it with one of those professional alligator clips. I've been doing that for a month now, and it works. The only problem with all of this is that for long frizz-prone hair it's incredibly time-consuming for an amateur like me. My biggest problem before was trying to dry and flatiron too fast, without sectioning, in a steamy bathroom. For my hair, from shampoo to final flatiron can take nearly an hour. So I obviously don't wash my hair more than every 5 days at the soonest. I use dry shampoo if it begins to look a bit lackluster; and I wear a good watertight bonnet-style shower cap each day. (One of the reasons your stylist can always get sleeker results? The shampoo stations are in a different part of the salon from the styling chairs--so the stylist doesn't need to contend with steamy air).
Postscript--when I went to get my roots done and hair trimmed a few weeks ago, I found my stylist wasn't using his Dyson--he had to send it in for repair. I asked what kind of dryer he was using in the meantime, and he replied, "a no-name, from the drugstore." It's all in the technique! (I guess that's why our moms went to the salon once a week for a "wash & set," and slept in rollers or a bonnet in between visits).
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In our rough and rugged individualism, we think of gentleness as weakness, being soft and virtually spineless. Not so!Gentleness includes such enviable qualities as having strength under control, being calm and peaceful when surrounded by a heated atmosphere, emitting a soothing effect on those who may be angry or otherwise beside themselves, and possessing tact and gracious courtesy that causes others to retain their self-esteem and dignity. Instead of losing, the gentle gain.Instead of being ripped off and taken advantage of, they come out ahead! -Charles Swindoll
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Had quite a day yesterday as we started with major rain going on. Able to go out late and do my feral cats and later on it got fairly dry. Enough so that we thought to go to the store. You might know -- before we were done it was raining again. We chose to make a dash with our cart to the car rather than cause a traffic jam by the exit door. It is difficult to load your car when you are rushing to get out of other people's way and there are cars lined up behind you awaiting their turn. We didn't get as wet as I thought.
This morning is nice and starting into a cooling trend. It will be nice for a few days and then go back to hotter than we'd like I think. It is as always the humidity that we don't welcome at all. I had a busy morning with making breakfast for all and doing all my work, then making a peanut butter pie for tonight's dessert. I'm thing making BLT's for an easy Sunday supper. We don't do that too often, and it will be the first time this summer for it. Maybe some pea salad on the side.
I hope you are all having a great Sunday.
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Sandy, I just love reading your posts. So interesting and I always learn something. You could make anything fun!
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The a/c is malfunctioning. The guy will be here at 7:30 in the morning. It is finally 80 degrees.
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Hi all. I’m fairly new to this site , but wanted to add myself to the older group😊 I’m here to share, listen and whatever comes that any of us need. I live in Katy Texas so would be interested if anyone is close to the same city
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Welcome, a-friend. Other Texans are here, but I don't know how close to Katy they are. We represent a lot of states here, but we are a smaller group than a good number of the forums and threads you will find at BC.Org. It is quiet on the week-ends most times but a bit better during the week. It is good for people like me as it is easier to keep up ( which is sometimes still hard for me ) most of the time.
We talk about almost anything save for politics and religion. A light mention is okay from time to time but we want to keep things that might cause hurt feelings or even anger from diluting the enjoyment we get from sharing a little ( sometimes a lot ) of our lives and getting help and suggestions when we get stuck on something. Please feel free to jump in and share any time.
By the way -- I did make my P-Nut Butter Pie for tonight's dessert. It has been way too long. Almost half of it got eaten at supper.
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Hello a-friend and welcome. I live in Houston and am being treated at MD Anderson. I know Katy very well.
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Welcome, a-friend. I have heard of Katy, TX, but have not been there. My dh and I travelled quite a bit in Texas during our RVing years. One of the most interesting places was Big Bend park down by the Rio Grand. We enjoyed the desert landscape and the amazing big sky with millions of stars at night.
Yesterday was a beautiful day with high in the low 70's and the air was fairly clear of smoke. I bought kn95 masks at Ace Hardware and wore a mask most of Saturday at the farmers market. The smoky air has small particulates that irritate the lungs.
Today I plan to go to the gym and afterwards to Walmart to get a list of items.
Jackie, I have never eaten peanut butter pie but it doesn't appeal to me. I love peanut butter but do not like it in baked goods, like cookies.
Petite, I hope your a/c is repaired.
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Welcome a-friend.
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Welcome, a-friend! There are several from Texas on bco, including more than one from the Houston area. I'm between San Antonio and Austin but have family in Magnolia.
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I have a recipe for a peanut butter chocolate and oreo crumb confection, only labeled a pie because it is round.
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