Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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Mary, yay for surgury being done, but I too am sorry for the dog bite. Sounds like Tippy is grown up now and easily insulted. Glad though that he did run "home" rather than all over the neighborhood. Soulds like good training and progress made.
Sorry to hear about your temps, Carole in MN. Who'd thought. I hope it is just an anomaly but only time will tell for sure.
We had a big storm come through -- I think in the early morn, mainly. When I woke up to go to the bathrm. once back in bed I could hear thuds on the roof. Got up again and looked out -- couldn't see rain, but I did see the trees swaying, sometimes heavily. I only had one hearing aid in so didn't get the full impact. While there is normally a little light in my bedrm. now and then when I take a mealotonin I choose to leave one hearing aid on -- my balance under those conditions ( dark and with melatonin ) is not always as steady as I like. Daylight not only saw rain and wind, but a lot of braches, twigs and some leaves covering a lot of our ground. We had power for what seemd a couple of hours, but while we never lost electric etc., we did lose our Internet and T.V. It just came back a bit ago. I had started some work here but then went to fix breakfast.
We have some sun right now, but not sure it will last and it will only make it feel too warm anyway. It was about 73 earlier. Not sure what the rest of the day will be like. The kids are out again. Seems they always have things to do lately. Going to have to remind them who pays for gas these days. Ouch.
I hope all have a good day.
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Sorry I haven't checked in here for awhile--I get through the Drinking & Dinner threads and then get distracted by the real world, especially e-mails and crises (which always seem to happen on Fridays or at the last moment before I have to leave for a trip or event).
Mary, glad the surgery went well, but bummer about the Tippy-bite. (You know he loves you, though). How close are you to Tomah & Mauston? (I've driven through them many times). That twister looked really scary!
Weird weather week. Dunno if I posted here (I know I did on the food & drink threads), but the festival was cool and misty on Saturday and hot Sunday. I managed to get gas in Morris for $5.28, almost a buck cheaper than up here. When I left Morris on Sunday, it was 82F, and I was fine in just a sundress & sandals. When I got home to Chicago's north lakefront? 57! We walked to Regalia but it was too cold out to dine on their new patio. I was wearing long jeans & three layers: T-shirt, denim jacket, raincoat.
Monday it was way up in the 80s, but no dining out then, either: tornado warnings sent us to the basement watching weather reports on my iPad while the sky blackened, the house vibrated, and the winds sounded like low-flying jets. A funnel touched down in Schaumburg. Tuesday was super-hot but no rain; Wed. even hotter--but no twister down here (although there was one up north near Mary). Deluge very late--about 1-3am, tomato pots blew over but no damage. (Repotted the plants into larger pots so they're heavier). Hot, gusty and drier yesterday--but delightful today.
Had my third PT session (back & sciatica) today--therapist is very helpful in explaining the exercises. Had my telehealth appt. with my primary yesterday. He says not to reduce my Crestor dose because although my LDLs are fine, they aren't stellar and I have a dismal family CVD history. He also advises me to get my Paxlovid refilled to have at the ready should I test positive. (So long as I feel fine and am not knowingly exposed, I'll test only if there's someplace I don't want to go and need an excuse to back out of--especially during the week my HK will be off anyway). He also wants me to retest my CBC and do a Cologuard--if the latter is fine, no need to get 'scoped. Also says it's up to my MO when to get my next DEXAscan--been >2yrs. since my last one and completion of Prolia, but now that I'm off the AI Medicare may not cover a followup till next year. Seeing my new DPM on Monday--hoping he takes my bunion, hammertoe, painful calluses and ingrown toenails seriously. Amazing how relatively normal my feet look but hurt something awful--whereas Bob's look utterly deformed but (he says) feel fine.
Sometimes I think I'm simply being unrealistic about refusing to accept pain at my age.
Seriously thinking of asking for, as an anniversary gift, a used NuStep recumbent elliptical for the upstairs office (to replace the old cheap recumbent bike) since we can't spend on international travel any more (barring a miracle that ends the chaos that is air travel these days). It's the only cardio machine that doesn't hurt my feet, knees or back (and they don't have one at the gym to which I belong but refuse to attend because nobody there wears a mask or even wipes down the equipment). I can use it wearing just OOFOs slides--can't go out walking in them lest I constantly get pebbles & gravel.
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Cindy - check with your orthopedic surgeon. Six months after my knee surgery, my OS said the AI's were hampering the knee healing process. After running Predict, I chose to stop them. The knee has never gotten well but is certainly better.
We all should be paying attention about staying hydrated. It gets worse as we get older. DH had a terrible time Saturday - not enough water and more alcohol than usual that really hit him fast. I hate to nag him but I know he doesn't drink enough fluids. I, on the other hand, always have a glass of water right next to my favorite chair.
Wren - sorry to hear about your new diagnosis. Holding you close.
Carole - your golf group really sounds like fun. We just play in the summer but in the winter we usually play low gross/low net. We have 4 or 5 special events which are usually scrambles. Much to my amazement, I do win a little pro shop credit sometimes. Our country club is in chaos. Needed maintenance has been put off for ages AND somehow someone thought we could avoid taking any water conservation matters seriously so we are now really under the gun to get into compliance. We just passed a significant assessment. I was absolutely appalled when I saw the condition of the pump room. It's amazing the pipes haven't rusted through. The drought here is very bad and temperatures are rising, adding to the problem. We've already had a number of days when we've passed 110 and it was over 100 a number of days in May.
So far I haven't had any trouble getting here but seem to have lost my TP group.
Anybody reading anything interesting in addition to Jackie's quotes for the day? I'd welcome suggestions, especially for historical fiction.
Have a good weekend everyone.
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Taco, Neal Stephenson - Wikipedia I think I will start re-reading. Heavily intellectual, I learned a lot from his books.
Sandy, I live IN Tomah, east side. Tomah is a military town, with VA and Fort McCoy.
I see I am not allowed to do any vacuuming. Will call Emma to help me with that. She is a sweet lady who had a lot of trouble with adulterous husbands.
I just noted in the reading material they gave me that I am supposed to continue with the estradiol vaginal cream. Apparently it will help prevent the problem from reoccurring. Grateful. I wonder if having only one ovary may have contributed to this.
I have been waking up with wicked headaches. Gotta get back to routine for housedust allergies. I have had my morning coffee, so it is time to go back to bed.
Finally got the battery installed (temporarily) on my bike. Tippy and I went out to WalMart. I got a flag and installed it on my rollup shade. I have more groceries to get, because there wasn't enough room left tieh Tippy riding.
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Taco - I enjoyed reading The Lincoln Highway, a novel, by Amor Towles. There is, was, a real Lincoln's Highway; a very interesting read. And I'm maybe 1/3 into reading The Girl With the Louding Voice, it's on my Kindke when I read in bed. It's taking forever because I fall asleep reading too late. And just yesterday I grabbed Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen, to read by the pool. So far it's fast and funny.
Prior to BC, I read a lot of books. Total immersion into them. At dx I couldn't focus on a book, flipping magazines was about all I could do - if that. I'm back to reading but no where near the amount I used to. Some books I just had to have are stacked in a pile I'll get to eventually. And the joy of shopping in a book store has diminished too, because I know anything I find will most likely go into the pile of “to be read." After I read Lincoln Highway, I did buy the authors previous book A Gentleman In Moscow. Happy reading!
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Yesterday is experience. Tomorrow is hope. Today is getting from one to another as best we can.
John M. Henry0 -
Wren: Sorry to read of most recent dx. Hope whichever treatment you opted works.
Mary: Glad surgery went well and sorry to hear about Tippy nip. Glad the motorized bike situation is working out.
Taco, sorry to hear about the drought conditions and heat wave. Wish I could send you some of the rain we get. For historical fiction, I like Anne Perry. She has several series to choose from and I like the murder mystery ones.
After a scorcher yesterday with high humidity and breezes that felt like waves from an oven, today is cooler, good breezes and low humidity. Will get to do some postponed gardening with weeding and mulching. Handrails installed this morning on the front steps, natural stone walls are just about completed and they will install the walkway on Monday and Tuesday. So another project off my "to-do" list. Last piece is getting kitchen cabinets refinished and that is just waiting a start date from contractor.
Hope all Fathers (including those with just fur babies) have a good day tomorrow. Have a good weekend.
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Yesterday we stayed fairly cool since we had the very early morning storm. We toured a small segment of the town. Lots of work for people with yards like ours here -- lots of branches, some lg, and lots of twigs and sm. limbs . Checked out the relatives houses. One BIL has not lived in his house since almost two yrs. ago. Found to have short term memory failure and getting worse. House will have to be sold soon. He doesn't want to do it, but no point in owning a 'warehouse' with two garages on the property, also warehousing lots of unused items, and paying lots of taxes and un-necessary utility bills. We actually have the house sold -- just have to get BIL to fianlly agree. Most of the rec vehicles plus daily car which was Cadillac SUV have already gone.
Today, likely hotter. Since I always have things to do inside -- not concerning myself with the temp. I will likely go visit frineds today for a bit. They are home from their little jaunt to Carson City, NV. They don't go much now. When you get a certain age it is a big struggle.
Drinking a bit more water now. I'm on restriction, but the other day I worked about three hrs. w/o a break -- just got into what I was doing and never realized how long I had gone w/o fluid replacement.
I hope you all have a great Saturday and good week-end.
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Finally sitting down and catching up for the day. We leave for the beach tomorrow morning, so I finished packing, picked up some last minute groceries, and made some soup for my dinner tonight and tomorrow.
My favorite baseball team, the Washington Nationals, retired Ryan Zimmerman number today. They had quite a ceremony, inviting back many old players. It was quite moving.
A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell is good historical fiction. I read mostly fiction, with a smattering of non-fiction.
Enjoy your evening
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All of Mary Doria Russel's books are good. She has a Phd in anthropology. Her Sparrow series is called science fiction but is loosely based on the work of the Jesuit missionaries in the Great Lakes region. She is culturally Catholic but is a convert to Judaism. Catholic issues are dealt with a certain-- irreverence which I find to be appealing. She said that she is retired from writing-----.
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Thanks for the book suggestions. I loved the dry wit in "A Gentleman from Moscow" but members of my book club seemed to be down on "The Lincoln Highway." Currently reading "The Warmth of Other Suns" by Isabel Wilkerson. I didn't like "Caste" but am really enjoying Warmth. My book club had lunch last week and picked our next six books - 3 fiction and 3 non-fiction. I read a lot last year - less this year as I seem to be glued to my "Ancestry" clues.
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Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride! – Hunter S. Thompson
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Happy Father's Day to all out there. Hope your day is wonderful.
We will have a quiet day here. Had company yesterday and cooked for everyone, so don't have to today. The temps. have been reasonable since our last rain which was in fact, a big storm, but if we had to have a storm, at least it is nice to get some cooler temps out of it.
Hope you all have a realy good day whatever you do.
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My brother just posted that quote on his FB account!
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Another mild day with low humidity, sun and breezes with temp at 68. Finished mulching the large bed by our rock and used up last 2 bags I had with me near the gazebo. Still need to finish gazebo area. Mulching is dirty work but there is something nice about seeing the black mulch highlight the flowers when I am done.
Still have other areas to do but will take it slowly since my left knee is acting up again. Seeing ortho specialist for Orthovisc injections but last 2 times he had to aspirate fluid out of the knee first. It has been over a year since my last series of injections so that makes me want to continue them. I can actually walk up and down the hill which I could not do last year so I am pleased with this mobility plus.
They installed the guard rails yesterday and will install hand rail on Monday since he forgot it. It is smooth finish black aluminum and looks nicer than I anticipated. Even though they are not yet finished what they have done is an improvement towards achieving what we wanted. The lilac has a new natural stone wall and I do not have to worry about room for root expansion. It is large, so the bush which provides some privacy when we are sitting on the front porch, has room to grow. I do trim it but I like to let it stay bushy. Looking forward to when it is all done.
Happy Father's day and Sunday.
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Just finished (re)planting the garden. I have little bits of lettuce coming up, but planted rocket and spinach where I had planted beets and carrots. I left the little bits of lettuce but planted okra and squash there. Replanted the peas entirely. Have one, maybe two coming up from first planting. Finally got some asparagus bean seeds, and planted them in a corner where I can set up something for them to climb on. Munched on strawberries. It is 84 deg, really don't want to go outside.
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High yesterday was 60’ish; 72 today. My house feels like I have AC blasting but we have no central air. We strip the bed every Sunday and today we remade it with flannel sheets! We’re in shorts, because …come on it’s past mid June, and sweatshirts.
I still have one bag of mulch to get put out. So maybe tomorrow. I have PT tomorrow at the new place I’m trying, orthopedic foot Dr recommended, but not until 3:45. He recognizes I have back issues that flared up worse after the surgery. So we’re working on strengthening my lower back. I had to buy some ankle weights and at 1.5 pounds I can feel it. I took a pound out of them, I’ll work up to 2.5 pounds. I do 3 sets of 10, 2x a day. I see PT tomorrow and Wednesday. Going 2x a week for now, and my fingers crossed I find some relief. Tired of moaning and groaning from pain or discomfort.
I text a request for a quote on soft wash power washing for my house. I have a small power washer but can’t reach the peaks or sides of the full dormer, and I only use water. And I’m smart enough to know I won’t go up on a ladder with it to try. First guy was $400 and could get here this week. Second guy is $300, same type of service, but can’t get here for 3 weeks but maybe sooner. $100 savings is worth waiting for me, I hired the second company.
Hoping everyone enjoyed the day!
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Sandy, what I was interested in was your saying, on another thread, tha PT might be aggravating hip pain. I am very impressed with my PT, Katlin, but she works me hard for my left knee( which she thinks has full ROM and has nothing very wrong with) and with the muscles and tendons of left leg. I am very sore the day after I've seen her and the next day can barely walk. I'm going to cut back on the exercises and try walking fewer than my 10,000 steps. It's too painful to limp along like this. Also, still struggling with my reluctance to use a walking stick or cane, negotiating curbs and such. Know she's right that I need to. I suppose I think that after 8 weeks of PT, I should be in less pain, walking better than when I started. Have 3 sessions left, then will maybe go back to Skokie Ortho clinic.
Also, wanted to ask if stopping Letrozole has made any difference in joint pain( or in anything else.)
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I use hiking poles almost all the time, as well as wearing my ankle brace. I am no longer self-conscious about it. The danger of falling and injuring myself is much stronger after my Thanksgiving accident last year. It is difficult to balance myself on a knee where the femur skates around on the top of my tibia.
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Keywest - my joint pain went away when I went off Arimidex and Femara.
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Many of us unknowingly damage our Souls with our negative attitudes and actions or by simple neglect. By making the relationship with your Soul an important part of your life, however, by honoring it in your daily routine, you give your life greater meaning and substance. Use your experiences--all of them--as opportunities to nourish your Soul!
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Had a wonderful week-end here with all that gorgeous weather. Today, the heat comes back. If we are fortunate -- maybe the humidity will not be in competition with the hear. Sunny out and I don't see the leaves on the trees moving. Not a lot planned -- mainly small things like a bit of visiting I didn't get done on the week-end. I need to use my steam mop in a couple of places. Fortunate that everything is mainly small chores.
Hoping everyone, Cindy, Sandy, MC, Keywest is able to turn up solutions which will work for you. It is hard for me to imagine not being able to walk when and where I want to and for as long as I want to. I have been slowed down -- but I'm not compromised by joints etc. Makes a difference I know. Surely there is something plausible for everyone.
I hope everyone is going to have a really good day. Hope your weather got better over the week-end Carole.
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MC, Glad your surgery went well and sorry about the bite.
It took me forever to logon. DH has been running very high BP's and having the cluster headaches again. We have a call out to the Neurologist for the headaches. The cardiologist adjusted his BP meds.
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Petite, I've heard that cluster headaches are incredibly painful. I hope he can get some relief.
I have walked in the past and it's hard to get used to the idea that I have to limit myself if it's hard to breathe. Since Covid and DH's memory problems I have had almost no exercise. I don't go anywhere, so the grocery store has been the extent of my walking. Not good, I know. We do have 3 stories so I get in some stair activity. When my friend needed a cane we got wild duct tape and decorated it. People ask her where she got it.
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I made mention on another thread that this afternoon, late, I noticed that it seems the lettering has gotten darker. I do think this is am improvement over what we had. I hope more improvements will come along soon.
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Judy, my PT is Mara (though I will see Brooke for a couple of sessions). My last session was Fri., and my hip/sciatica/bursitis is still very sore for at least the first few minutes or so after I get up from sitting. Now taking Tylenol around the clock (except for the gap between the bedtime dose wearing off and my getting up), and had to double the CBD.
Had my podiatrist appt. today and it did not go well (and that doesn't include the almost an hour getting there). He said there is very little I can do non-surgically for my bunion pain because I can't take oral NSAIDs (or I'm not supposed to). As to surgery, realigning the big toe to eliminate the bunion would further aggravate the arthritis in the big toe (MTP) joint--which is now "moderate" when last year it was "mild." He could prevent that by also fusing the joint--which would limit my movement (no standing on tiptoes, dancing, etc.). He also told me to ditch the gel toe separator (he said it would eventually cause the second toe to impinge on the third) and gave me a brace that wraps around my instep, to which I attach a loop that straightens the second toe. Problem is that my OOFOs sandals and sneakers won't fit over it--the Alegrias would because they're Velcro, but they often give me blisters.
As to that third toe callus, he began to trim it--and it bled and HURT. He also said that the thick flared toenail is probably partly to blame, so he trimmed it...bled a little again. Bandaged it, but the band-aids keep falling off--and the bleeding has scabbed over. It's still sore. He sent me downstairs for X-rays to determine what else needs to or can be done--and I had to wait an hour and a half because they were backed up, the tech was new, and one of the two x-ray tables was broken. Meanwhile, I left the house at 10 am without coffee or breakfast--so nothing passed my lips except my morning meds & water till after 3pm.
I am hereby volunteering my services as an official BCO weight donor. I have plenty of body weight to spare. (But I could also use someone to retain my water). Stopping Letrozole has eased joint pain in the joints that aren't arthritic (except that R knee to which the sciatica radiates); I no longer sweat at night; and my hair has definitely gained volume.
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Glad the weekend is over and the two aging a/c units in our 2005 5th wheel are getting a rest. Our thunderstorms last night were the "normal" variety that brought some needed rain.
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To be alive, to be able to see, to walk. . . it's all a miracle. I have adopted the technique of living life from miracle to miracle.
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A/c already on this morning. Tells me all I need to know about the day. I have to eat some breakfast and exercise. I think I finally have my pedometer figured out. Hope so.
Have felt pretty well the past couple days although I did have lowered pressure after a nap yesterday so had to swig water again to get it back to a reasonable point. Not sure if the medicine change has broght that on or not, but we will see.
Today I visit on the phone with the Nutritionist. It is an every Tues. thing.Think my last session is on July 5th.
Liking the darker print on the blog but now it seems I don't get the red lines that warn me of a misspelled word. I guess ( hope ) I won't misspell so bad that it can't be figured out what I meant. I will have to slow down and proof-read as I'm typing. I use to do that but quit.
I hope you are all going to have a really good day.
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So, with my leg pain, have been really confused about what’s causing it. Messaged my MO through the portal, who replied in 7 minutes:
I've been taking Arimidex since June of 2019. In the past year I've had increased left knee pain( mild osteoarthritis), left lateral leg pain, increased morning stiffness. PT is not helping. I don't know if this is age induced, or because of walking 10,000 steps a day, a SE of Arimidex, or a combination of all three, but it is painful and limiting .Would it pose any danger if I were to take a break from Arimidex for 4-6 weeks? My hope would be that it is not the Arimidex that is causing the problem.
His reply:
A six week break is the tried and true way to distinguish joint pain from arimidex vs underlying arthritis. Enjoy the time off and assess for any changes on August 1, then contact me.
I appreciate how responsive he is- am looking forward to the six weeks. But wish, like you Sandy, I was off an AI forever
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