Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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Karen -- prayers for your brother. Hoping everyone ( Keywest ) does well with any procedures and all medical issues, including the sinus problems from paints, weather, or just Fall which is one that gets me.
I do hate seeing not so much the winter as losing most of our hideaway here. We are back off the main road and due to people having huge yards ( all of them in front of us are at least ten acres ) people can drive down the main road and not realize we are back here. Our little road into here is just a one lane road and so we are just behind the tree line. As I have mentioned I think of the trees as sentinels who sort of guard us ( hide us ) in summer. In winter the trees, though still magnificient to me, are un-dressed and allow others to know we are around.
I did get your pm ( the last one ) Maverick. Thank you.
Carole, it is downright cold where you are altlhough I know you enjoy cooler weather. I don't always mind it, but I'm sort of wondering how things will be this season. Last winter ( I got out of the hospital in December ) it was hard to tell since I couldn't go out much bing in heavy recovery mode. I have noticed colder legs and feet and think it is to some extent medication related. I adore all the seasons but I think the renewal of Spring is ( were I to have to choose, but glad I don't ) what thrills me most. The earth comes back to life -- and I sort of feeel like I/we do to after winter's sort of hibernation.
It is raining here. I think it will stay cloudy for today and likely more rain along the way. I'm thinking on going to Goodwill but could change m mind. Not so many yard sales going on right now. A lot of things would end up at Goodwill that were donated from the yard sales since people wanted to clean out. I'm still working on things that I have that will end up there but it is a when I get to it project.
Hope you are all going to have ag ood day.
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Thanks for all the good wishes for our new furbaby. Karen, her name is Regan. She is just 2 years old, is predominantly a liver and white Dal (our preference since she is #5 over 46 years) with a few very dark chocolate spots on her back. She is very sweet, prefers me over DH but we are working on getting her to warm up to him (string cheese works miracles), house trained and while we have a crate for overnight, during the day it is open door if she feels she needs to escape. Currently she is on her other dog bed with the pink gorilla stuffed toy I gave her. Not sure if she knows what to do with it though. Confined to kitchen area for the present. While she has met and barked at the one cat, the other 2 cats have been confined to basement while kitchen cabinets are being refinished. They were raised with our other dog so they have canine experience. Smudge will set boundaries and Tawny will probably flee until she feels comfortable. Both used to lie with my other dog so it is just an adjustment for all. I have had more dog kisses in the past 2 days so I think she will be happy here. Her tail though is like a whip and she is constantly wagging it. Just don't want to be in range of it.
KeyWest: good luck with surgery and recovery. I found that while I was anxious while awaiting surgery, the day of surgery I was surprisingly calm. So I wish you calmness tomorrow.
Mary: I admire how much canning you have done with produce from your garden. Your stories about Tippy make me happy because of the bond you have with him.
Cindy: Now that I am getting to address those household projects (planned pre-tree strike but placed on hold), I have a different attitude because they are causing less chaos than I endured during the restoration. Don't envy you with your painting projects but know that the end result will be pleasing.
Temporary chaos is doable but nearly 3 years worth was agony. I still have a number of things that need to be rehomed within the house or donated and will tackle that now we are home. Still want to get granite countertops in kitchen refinished. After 20 plus years they need to be polished and sealed. The cabinets look brand new and this contractor is also detail oriented. He needs to return to do the kick plates and to double check the cabinets for any misses. I have definitely lucked out with the contractors I found to refinish my floors, to reconstruct the patio and do the front steps and walkway and now this project. I hope this continues because I have some wood furniture I want refinished and the patio furniture is to be painted as well. All had been on pause for the last 3 years and some are the worse for the delay.
It is raining here today which is much needed after a very dry summer. I have a gardening project to do before the true fall hits involving planting some azaleas and daffodil bulbs in the area near the creek. I have the topsoil and peat moss ready to remediate the soil. Hope to get a start this week.
Happy Sunday to all.
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Good Afternoon. Sitting with a cat in my lap while DH switches the TV between baseball and football. I’ve got spaghetti squash cooking in the oven and will start making my butternut squash/ sweet potato soup once it’s done.
My older brother had Covid. He lives in Hong Kong and is wearing a wrist monitor to ensure he doesn’t leave his home. He monitors his illness via an app on his phone. The Chinese government takes Covid very seriously. Thankfully my SIL is fine so far. The new covid vaccine isn’t available in our area yet. I keep checking the local Walgreens and CVS but they’re only offering the old versions.
Betrayal - My father-in-law use to be a volunteer fireman, so DH grew up with Dalmatians. Best of luck with your new pet addition.
Enjoy your Sunday.
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Good thing I got my new booster when I did--Bob tried to walk (slog?) into Walgreens today for his Pfizer--but they are not doing walk-ins, and they are backed up for weeks for appointments. Word gets around, and demand for this new one is skyrocketing despite the naysayers. He will see which of his hospitals will give it to him, but is considering waiting till Nov., which'd be 6 mos. since his second regular booster in May. Some epidemiologists are saying to wait that long after either the most recent shot or a BA.4/5 infection because the antibodies can last that long. But we both had Omicron "Classic," so our hybrid immunity is only for BA.1 and the original. Our HK had BA.5 3 weeks ago, so she's gonna wait. Other epidemiologists say that if you're over 60 (some even say 50), get it ASAP. We're both waiting till Oct. for the flu shots, though--especially since they can only use the L arm due to lifelong LE risk (even though I had "only" 4 nodes out--only 2 of them sentinels--the consensus is that the risk never goes away; my BC surgeon & her partner presented a paper at SABCC advocating that for postmenopausal patients with Stage IA and Grade 1 or 2 tumors, SNLBs might pose more of a risk than benefits, especially if they'll be getting radiation anyway).
Anyway, this new booster hit me a bit harder than my second original-series shot & first booster. Probably because it was a full-size Moderna dose (second booster was the half-dose), and my body had never before "seen" BA.4 or.5 so my immune system immediately began cranking out antibodies for a doozy of an immune response. I know it's the shot & not COVID, because I have no upper respiratory effects whatsoever--no congestion, runny nose, postnasal drip or cough. I usually take Tylenol at bedtime anyway so I didn't run a real fever. But during the night I dreamt about aching--and when I awoke at 8:30 I was in a world of hurt: legs, thighs, both arms, top of my head. Took my temp: 98.1, which sounds ok but at that time of day I'm usually in the high 95s-low 96s. Bob said to take another couple of Tylenol, so I did and rolled back over.
Next I knew it was noon; he'd turned the bedroom light on to watch the Bears game (they won, but "ugly"). He informed me that he had tried to bring back brunch but the nearby restaurant was flooded and so was the street a few houses west of us. My watch buzzed a "flash flood warning," because 2-4" of rain had fallen between 5-8am. Went to the basement but stopped at the landing: the floor looked like tiger-stripes, one litter box had floated off its mat (also streaked with brown gunk) and it was still too icky down there to throw on boots to see how far away the other had floated. The freshly-emptied Litter Genie was turned over on to its side. My cats had the sense not to go down there. We always keep some disposable litter pans & a bag of litter crystals upstairs for just such occasions. Called my HK over on the other side of town--her basement took on a bit of water but it was clear and she was able to push it to the floor drain. Ours, unfortunately, is sewer back-up. We'll have to attack it together tomorrow with mops, bleach & buckets. No sense in calling a remediation service or trying to clean up now because it's raining again. We can't get to the basement fridge/freezer, of course; and Bob was going to forage for dinner at Whole Foods but I'd be surprised if they, too, aren't flooded (our temple is). I heated up a can of pea soup for him and toasted a couple slabs of sourdough. I have no appetite--forcing myself to have my coffee & water. Not sure if it's panic, or the vax's side effects, or both.
Thank goodness for no tornado warning! We'd be stuck up here taking our chances. Home ownership--it's always something, isn't it? We will order out for dinner tonight and be very, very patient about delayed delivery (or eat tomatoes & sardines).
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Ken's getting his Pfizer booster tomorrow and I get Moderna on Tuesday. He is feeling like he wants to try to go to see his 90 year old SIL and our daughter. A 3 leg trip turned out to be a nightmare so are hoping to use FF mills to Denver the end of the month and go to Maine in late Oct. The weather won't be nice but will only get worse. Debbie and I had decided that we shouldn't go until we all could get a booster so I scheduled them as soon as I got off the phone. The new variant vaccine don't seem to have gotten to Maine yet but she said her news feed said next week. Her workplace doesn't sound very safe and I know she worries about us.
Our dog sitter is no longer in business and I am struggling with the plane reservations. It's been almost three years since we've been anywhere and getting back into our mileage accounts has been a challenge. Will try again tomorrow.
Spent the afternoon clicking between the Cardinals game and the U.S. Open. Cardinals were a disaster. Sandy, Ken had the Bears game on and your weather looks awful. Be safe.
Keywestern, holding you close. Don't worry about the AI's right now.
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Sandy the national news showed the flooding in Chicago. I hope you’re able to get your basement cleaned out.
My booster was scheduled for today at 3:30, but I cancelled. I don’t feel good, took a 2 hour nap. Not fully conked out but resting. I’ve rescheduled for the booster on Friday. Tomorrow I may go to urgent care, I’m trying not to focus on sinus issues but my teeth are starting to ache.
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Sandy - sorry to hear about your flooding.
Keywestfan - hope your surgery went well this morning and that you’re doing well.
Busy cleaning this morning, lots of cat hair floating around. Hope everyone has a healthy day
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I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know that just to be alive is a grand thing.
Agatha Christie
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Good news: our HK was able to clean up the basement; the black stuff was not sewage but dirt & silt from the street that flowed down into the city's main sewer system; and our plumber was able to get our water heater re-lit. Bad news: it was not our sump pump but check valve that failed because it had totally "sclerosed" & clogged, probably for several years now (we had it installed 35 yrs ago the first time we flooded). A new flood control system will cost us $16K--it'll have to be installed out front so water will go one-way into the curb drains instead of up into our home. Our front greenery is mostly 50-yr-old hostas & ferns, plus weeds. Even the grass is mostly clover at this point.
Our landscaper/handyman is coming to check that out, as well as formulate the game plan for which boxes need to be moved where, in order to get at the soaked ones.
Nearly halfway through the CLE. Unfortunately, only the boring videos remain unwatched.
Judy, by the time you read this, I hope your surgery went well and you are high as a kite from the local anesthesia and painkillers. Dr. M is a very blunt, pull-no-punches kind of MO (as I found out when he subbed in summer 2020 for my own MO who was on family leave)--if he says he wants you cancer-free at age 90, I trust his opinion wholeheartedly. Said a Mi Sheberach for you. Hope the movement-restriction recovery period goes swiftly & uneventfully.
Finally feeling almost normal after my booster--temp back down into the 96s, aches gone. Kitties still confused--now that they got their basement litter boxes back, they have gotten used to the disposable in the bathroom.
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Keywest- hoping everything went smoothly.
Sandy the cost of the flood control system is exorbitant! Any way to update the old one without fully replacing it? I had never heard of a check valve until today, in my pool filter. The longer we stay is this old house, the more I think I should have moved years ago.
Front bedroom is fully painted! Except the ceiling keeps bubbling up in spots, if chipped off sone ungodly color shows up, a green /blue/old color). Painter is going over it with a texturized paint. This is adding to his work and timeline but the room looks nice & clean and we’re happy with it. Onward!
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Actually, I've heard some have paid upwards of $20-25K. The alternative would be an overhead sewer system, which could run in the upper five-figures and require tearing open walls & basement ceiling. Our house is big: 2-1/2 stories, not counting the basement.
We originally put in a standpipe, but it didn't work, hence the check (one-way, aka "backflow") valve. But that was in 1987. Our house, as are most on this block, was built in 1908.
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chisandy: Sorry to read about your basement water issues but the cost of restoration after flooding would far exceed the cost of the suggested remediation system. Plus insurance will not always cover replacement if they will it an act of God. We have a water mitigation system tied into our gutters and downspouts but it was disabled when the restoration company in all its infinite wisdom removed the gutters, and downspouts. They then delayed the reinstallation of the gutters and downspouts just in time for Isaias to hit and totally flood our basement. Initially there were 3 spots were the flooring needed to be replaced and we had sufficient flooring to effect the repairs. This insult meant there was now wall damage and the total floor had to be replaced at great effort and cost. Just had a heated discussion with the project manager who blamed the damage on the failure of our sump pump and not his poor decision. The flooding did not occur where the sump pump was available due to sloping of the floor. He flouted how expensive the flooring was and I reminded him that what I had originally recommended as a replacement in March was not available when he finally got around to ordering it in July. This floor was though, due to manufacturing and supply chain issues, it was available in Dallas and in limited quantities. So I suggested he get on the stick and make sure he secured enough to do our floor. I refuse to let him bully me about the poor decisions they made about coordination of repairs in my home. I told him that we had no issues with the quality of the work, just their coordination and response time. He wanted to blame everything on Covid but I reminded him that it took 3 months for them to get the structural engineer here. He always has an answer (mostly incorrect) and I have a paper trail to support me. I cannot wait for them to finish and I would not recommend them to anyone I know.
Good luck with finding someone to do the work. Getting it done before there is an issue is easier than when it is an urgent issue and surprisingly less costly.
Regan got her initial vaccines yesterday and was surprisingly okay with a male vet and tech. She goes back for next series of shots in a month and will be spayed on 10/31. All the staff knew and loved our old Dal and were happy that we were able to find Regan as well as rescue her. Still making an adjustment with DH but he is working on establishing a relationship. Baby steps is the way and lots of treats. Have a good day.
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Good afternoon. It took a long time to read all the posts.
Sandy, I am glad you got the mess cleaned up in the basement.
Keywest, Wishing you a speedy recovery. Cyber hugs.
Betrayal, Send pictures of your new fur baby.
mavericksmom, Don't feel bad. A few years ago, I posted somethings that didn't could have been and were, misunderstood. I stand by "BC" doesn't care and that is our commonality.
One of our long time renters has moved out. He was there 6 years, got married, had a child, and now, divorced. It is sad to me. We are going to fix it up and sell it. We are too old and tired of the rental business. We only have 2 left. (For those that don't remember, we rent to people that others do not and we keep the rent low).
More labs tomorrow. PCP next week.
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The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature, and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As long as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be.
-Anne Frank
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petite1: That is so kind that you rent to those that no one else would consider.
Here are 2 photos of Regan. She has one hazel eye and one blue eye. Her markings are more like our second Dal's than the past 2. She is Dal # 5, all liver and white, and 4 of 5 were female. We have had Dal's since 1976, and the oldest was 15 years 2 1/2 months when she passed and we had owned her since she was 7 weeks old. Lita would have been 14 on 10/2. So for the most part they have exceeded their life expectancy of 11-13 years.
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Betrayal, Regan is beautiful. Love her soulful eyes and the one, lone dot perfectly centered on her left foot. I hope she settles in quickly.
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Adorable pup betrayal.
Chisandy - hope you get your basement issues sorted out.I think I’ve typed something three different times and it seems to disappear. Must be user error. Oh well. Spent most of the day with our daughter, son-in-law and new baby. DH put together one of their gifts and we helped out around the house. I’m enjoying being a grandmother.
Enjoy your evening
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Betrayal, Regan is sweet! My dal, black & white male, has been gone many many years.
Sandy, I hope you can get the work done and avoid any further water damage going forward.
Our painter has started the second bedroom. He works a full time custodial job at a school and all his talents are used for side jobs as a handyman. He believes he’ll be done by Friday, which includes our living room ceiling too. I just want it over with. Betrayal how you lasted all those months is beyond me!
Petite - I’ve never had the wherewithal to be a landlord. I wish you luck selling the place. Houses around us in Fort Myers have doubled in value and the market doesn’t have many available right now. Good luck at your upcoming appointments.
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Hope the surgery went well. Who couldn't love Regan. Jealous of the new granddaughter and the fact that they are so close. No grandkids for us so I have to vicariously enjoy others. My niece brought her 4 girls out when my mother was alive but not since then.
It seems like I've been struggling with our travel plans for days but I think I finally have them done. Debbie is worried about our getting sick but we just don't want to continue to be afraid of Covid. Will have a new sitter for Mutz. She lives in our neighborhood so the dogs know each other and she only takes one other at a time. So a late Sept. weekend in Denver and five days in Maine in October, much too late for leaf peaking.
Then our greatly reduced golf group starts the season and I have several extra food bank duties. Trying to organize a community-wide food drive on Super Bowl Sunday.
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Regan is a beauty. I'm jealous, but It always so pleases me when good dogs find GOOD homes. She looks pretty comfy in her new digs. Hugs. to all.
I have to admit -- being a grand parent/great grandparent is marvelous. Right now there are no babies, but I have a step great grandson and he has his first two teeth. He is a rather big boy so I don't hold him too much since he is a handful, but I love talking to him. He can turn on the charm at 6 mos. aplenty.
Long day today, and longer day tomorrow. It is prep day for colonoscopy tomorrow for procedure on Wed. morning. I will be pateint # 1 for which I'm sure I'll be grateful. Will be time to come home and dig in as I know I'll be hungry. No food tomorrow ( I'm loading up a bit tonight ) and only the wonderful prep to drink all day. No fun to be low-salt and also water restricted so I think I'll just power through with the prep and call it even. Should be back home Wed morning within a couple hours to rest and eat, eat and rest or whatever.
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Illinoislady - good luck tomorrow with your colonoscopy
Regan is a beautiful dog
No grandkids for us yet either. Gd willing one day my older daughter will be blessed with a baby. My other 2 kids are not married.
Taco - enjoy your trip to Denver. Hopefully the weather will be nice. It's still hot here, but at least the nights cool down.
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The total for the 2 phases of the flood control system (phase 1 is outdoor--digging, installing pumps, valves, tank, joining new sewer line to city sewer; phase 2 is demolition & excavation of the front 16 sq. ft. of basement concrete floor, new interior sewer lines, new improved check valve, cleanup) is $19K. That doesn't include temporary removal of everything in that 16 sq. ft. and relocating it to an exterior storage unit, nor the new landscaping. A lot of homes with supposedly state-of-the-art flood control systems still got flooded anyway on Sunday becaus the rain was so torrential and fast that the city's flow-restriction system was inadequate to keep water out of people's basements. Here in Chicago, this kind of stuff usually doesn't happen except along the river. If it's not going to be foolproof, maybe we can just get away with a new check valve, since when this one was installed there was no demolition involved.
Saw the neurologist today and am glad I didn't cancel. Turns out what the orthopod & physiatrist assumed was L3-5 stenosis is really S-I joint dysfunction & deterioration, irritating & inflaming the sciatic nerve, No herniations in the lumbar spine sufficient to cause pain. She said that the kind of back oain I get--along the waist--is classic sacroiliac, not lumbar. The nerves passing through the S-I joint are inflamed, causing my piriformis muscles to have exquisitely painful trigger points. And all of this is due not so much to arthritis but to the scoliosis first diagnosed in my early teens. She is shocked nobody ever suggested treating it, and that since my 30s no doctors have considered my back attacks as connected to it. She also said that I had the wrong kind of PT--i need neuro, not ortho, PT. If it helps, then she wants me to start one-on-one Pilates; if it doesn't, then I'll need shots in my piriformis (both sides of my butt) and an EMG for further diagnosis. Oh, and she's sure those horrid tibial cramps are due not to the bones' surgical jardware irritating muscle fascia, but nerve root irritation connected to the S-I joint dysfunction caused by scoliosis. (And here I was considering canceling the appt. because I feared she'd think "oh no, not another hypochondriac").
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Betrayal, Thank you for sharing the photos. Beautiful!
Illinoislady, Good luck. The prep is the worst.
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Sandy - glad you got some answers regarding your back and some possible ideas to help. Good luck with the house work - sounds like quite a lot of work.
My brother is slowly, albeit very slowly moving in the right direction. They anticipate another week in the hospital. Hope so as his birthday is on the 23rd and it would be nice to be home for it even if he is still recovering, but as we all know nothing beats sleeping in our own bed. Still in isolation and no visitors. Yesterday he was allowed to sit in a chair and brush his teeth. I'm sure the whole road to recovery will be a few months. Still quite worried about him.
Petite - good luck with the house fixing and sale.I guess, I didn't realize or remember you had rental properties. Are they all near you?
Trying to figure out when to get the Covid vacinne and the flu shot and if I want to do them at the same time. My lifetime risk of LE is 30%. I've been. having blood draws in the BC side but no BP. Just not sure I want to have two sore arms or not know if I have a side effect what is from what.
Have a great Wednesday
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Day before yesterday my daughter had an appendectomy. She had to stay in the hospital overnight, They were going to let her loose shortly after I had a conversation with her. There were earthquake warnings last night, but a limited area.
Yesterday I had a PT appointment. He said no to taping (right now), but it is time to loosen up my range of motion. I can walk Tippy around the block twice a day, and I can take him on a long bike ride once. Hold my hiking pole in my left hand.
Yesterday my word porcessing program updated, and I lost my documents. Luckily I have a paper copy of my project, and a document file from June.
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Illinois - good luck with the colonoscopy. Hope all goes well.
Thinking of you Keywestfan. Hope all is well
Mcbaker - hope your daughters appendectomy recovery goes smoothly. Glad you're able to get out and walk Tippy. Sorry you lost your documents. Hope you're able to recover them.
Chisandy - you've got lots going on with your basement repairs and 1:1 Pilates. Hope the Pilates gives you pain relief.
Sitting in a nice warm room doing the breath test. Had to drink glucose water (yuck), but it's much easier than colonoscopy prep! A nurse comes and takes a breath sample every 15 minutes. I'll be here 2 hours. At least I have internet connection.
Have a safe and healthy day.
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keywest & IllinoisLady waiting for your updates and hoping all went well for both of you.
Sandy, it’s a good thing you kept that Dr appointment. Much to be said for second opinions, and hoping her dx for PT gets you feeling better. Prices are so high for your flood system, I hope the check valve will do the job at less cost.
Mary, it’s good you’re ok’d fo your walks. And I’m glad your daughter made out ok with her appendix removal. As for paper copies, I’m all for them! Firm believer if it’s critical I don’t lose something on my computer, I should have a paper copy.
Cardplayer, I’m not familiar with the breath test. But glad your comfortable and have internet.
Chilly 68 now, cooler earlier. Sun is in & out, more gray than sun. Partner gets his booster at 12:45. I’ve got to dust the rooms I have access to, then PT at 3:30. I find myself bored lately. It could just be season changing, painter painting with my house totally disrupted. Plus I’m still sneezing and carrying on from the allergy hit. Almost feels like a regular old cold. I hope you’re all feeling well, and have a great day.
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Cindyny - After drinking the glucose water, I had to blow in a balloon every 15 minutes. It’s attached to a syringe that collects my breath. The nurse then inputs the syringe (breath) into a machine that collects the data. It checks to see how much hydrogen is in my breath.
I already got the results. I don’t have SIBO. I see my GI next week, so I’m still on the hunt for the reason for my gastritis and occasional stomach pain.
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When humility enters our souls, we are at last able
to perceive that we do not live alone in the world
but with millions of brothers and sisters, and that hidden
in the heart of each is the same animating spirit.
U.S. Anderson0 -
Long day today so far. Nothing to eat, of course, but plenty of liquid in the form of monring coffee and prep water since then. Surprizingly I don't feel super hungry -- if anything I'm misiing the 'flavors' of things more than the food itself. AT least that is good, but I'm already feeling pretty waterlogged. Glad I'm first on the list tomorrow morning. I do have to be at the hospital early but small price to get done early.
This morning I got up and made two batches of fried ( slow fried in olive oil ) chicken. I do that on occasion as I like to make chicken sandwiches with leftovers. Other chicken I just put in a grill pan to cut up for salads -- so I have fried and grilled -- so whatever gets fixed for supper -- there is a choice. There is enough for tomorrow and I will likely make my cake a little later on this evening.
I changed pages here and forgot to write down things I wanted to 'note' so know that I'm thinking positive thoughts on tests, test results, or procedures and cosmisirating as well through those with painting issues etc. I always think, thank goodness so many here are retired as there is ofentimes so much going on, you need to be, to come close to keeping up.
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