Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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Bob takes his last Paxlovid pills tomorrow morning and will go back to work (masked) Monday as his office is open. I'm exhausted from all the bending & lifting I have to do for the cats. Happy puked on my down comforter last night, so I'm using my spare cheap fiber-fill one (but covering it up with an old leaky down blanket to protect it until I turn in). Two more days of this--the worst is having to sift the litter in the big box he prefers for peeing--I use non-clumping litter (HK prefers it) and the pee forms hard rocks (boulders) that stick to the bottom. Both kitties reject litterbox liner bags. The sifting involves pouring the litter into another box topped with a screen--the screen captures the hard stuff. (Scooping poop into the LitterGenie is easy by comparison). Monday I will have to change out both boxes and haul the old litter out to the trash bins. Our kitchen recycle pails are so full that I will have to do a run out to the "blue bin" in the alley tomorrow. Because of all the veg cooking & coffee-brewing I'm doing, I have to haul the compost can out to the backyard bin every other day.
HK's DH got discharged today. Heeeere we go again....
Prolia made a dramatic improvement--some of my bone density measurements went into "normal" range. But unlike the bisphosphonates, it leaves your system after 6 months, which is why they now recommend a 10-yr semiannual cycle. I was off Prolia for 4 years, so I lost all the benefit and then some. My dentist certified that no invasive dental work has been done nor is planned, so I'm re-starting Prolia this week. And Monday is my last PT session.
Holiday carb food, late night snacking and the "pity party" I've been throwing myself accounted for not only the weight gain but my a1c going up to 5.8--Bob says that's fine but PCP says I'm now in prediabetes territory. So since Wed. I've gone back to near-keto and intermittent fasting. I suspect the statin may be at least partly responsible--and the AI (letrozole) was what necessitated the statin. (Can't fix one thing without breaking another, and so on).Between the comforter mess and my sore muscles from weight training, I didn't get much sleep last night. And tonight I grilled steak outdoors, besides cooking veggies, rice & salads--all that standing over the stove & counter hurts my upper back (always has). I am doing so much cooking lately, since we can't go out. And normally, I don't have to prepare three meals a day for two people, since Bob eats breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner at or near his office/clinic/hospitals. Tomorrow I'm putting my foot down and ordering dinner out.
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Good morning. My phone says it is 26 degrees. I did cover what I could in the yard and hope for the best. I think I will skip my walk and make up for it at the gym. I had to do that yesterday as well. I went grocery shopping and think I need a course on shopping for one. My solo friends laughed at me and said it will not help. I spent $54 at Dollar General. That was cat food, cat litter, paper towels and toilet paper. Then I spent $138 at Publix. It should last me for a while and fill in with fresh fruits and veggies. Things are breaking around the house. I have an electrician coming this afternoon for 2 issues and the plumber coming on Monday. Cindy it is like you said, God I can't take any more and God said hold my beer I will be right back. I may not have that quote right.
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It's been quite some time since I last posted. I have skimmed post but not read all. I wanted to express my condolences to Petite on the loss of your beloved husband.
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So glad you are back, Karen. I was afraid we had lost you.
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Welcome back, Karen. I know things are dicey out there in the Rockies. Petite, 28 degrees in S. Florida? (F, not C)? Yikes--only time I can remember that was around 2000 visiting my mom in Delray. Woke up to frost on the car windows, and devoutly grateful that I had gloves and had forgotten to remove the zip-out fleece lining from my coat before leaving Chicago. Felt sorta chilly to me, but still warmer than back home. We were waiting outside for our table at Henry's in Boca--people were huddled around the propane heaters but dressed as we were, we felt fine despite getting the stink-eye from year-round folks who only had sweaters.
That puffy poly-fill comforter was hot. I'm used to sleeping under a tropical-weight down blanket (the newer one of which was uh, "decorated" by Happy and the older leaky one covering my half of the bed) and running around 96.7 on awakening. I panicked when I saw the oral thermometer reading 97.7 at 10:30 am--then I remembered the comforter. I need to remind myself to dial back the thermostat at night because heat rises and the bedrooms are much warmer. At least we're not running the ceiling fans or A/Cs.
Bob gave me a scare when I came downstairs--his bed in the guest room was empty, he wasn't sitting & working at his computer, he obviously had a cup of coffee (the Keurig tank was half empty and his travel cup was gone), and he was nowhere to be found. Suddenly the back door opened--and in he walked with breakfast for two from Mickey D's. He had gone through the drive-thru and said it felt like he'd escaped from jail. He let me choose which one I wanted, so I opted for the sausage/egg/cheese McMuffin (it pained me do do so, but I ditched the muffin) and left him the bacon/egg/cheese biscuit & hashbrowns. Still ordering dinner out, though.
Cats have decided that they love the Fromm & Purrsnickety patés--Happy will eat anything except prescription food, but Heidi is extremely and unpredictably finicky. But they practically inhale this stuff and fight for each others' crumbs. It's pricy-->$2 for a 6-oz. can, but they are my babies and are nearing the end of their lifespans so I don't mind indulging them.
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Fromm story. Sis and BIL visited with Tippy's canine cousin. She eats Fromm's kibble. I had not had Tippy for very long, and we were still exploring various brands of kibble. Needless to say, Tippy emptied Sadie's dish. He still had to finish the previous bag of whatever, although I mixed it with Fromm's. Nothing else since. I don't know what will happen if we move to California.
I am still under the weather. I am going to contact my orthopedist Monday. High blood pressure and difficulty sleeping and problems with my neck can be summed up as wonky body. I am walking on the outside of my right foot, the knee joint is getting worse for every hundred steps walked.
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Glad to see you back on the boards Karen. Hope all is well. Sorry you’re still not feeling well McBaker. I hope you’re able to get your physical ailments under control so that your sleep improves. When do you see the doctor about your blood pressure? Nice that Bob surprised you with breakfast Sandy.
Animals sure are finicky about their food. Our cats will only eat pate cat food and only specific flavors (no fish). They won’t eat greenies of any variety. I finally found a trout flavored treat made by Blue Buffalo they seem to enjoy. Dry food is for sensitive stomachs since one of the cats has a sensitive tummy.
An easy day. Grocery store, indoor exercise (too windy and cold outside for a walk) and leftover soup for dinner. Football on TV. Have a wonderful evening.
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Petite - I have to admit that one of my biggest anxieties about being widowed is meals - Ken has been the chief cook and grocery shopper since we retired 25 years ago. My daughter, who works in a grocery deli, assures me there are more packaged meals for one and deli counters that have easy options. Holding you close as you make this transition.
Marge
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Karen and McBaker - Hoping you are feeling better soon.
Sandy - Sounds like you and Bob are on the road to recovery.
Add me to those who are working on better A1c levels, as mine was 6.0 in early December. Long discussion w/PCP, who wanted me to start Metformin right away. I resisted, knowing I had been eating a lot more sugary items since late summer. Will start watching the sugar, eat more fruits (especially berries), try to drop a few pounds & add some more cardio/strength to exercise routine. PCP agreed to re-test in May. Looking for some recommendations on: low carb (or keto) bread and pasta alternatives.
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Sandy, I bought a cheap plastic tool used to smooth plaster (my computer will not let me type it's name). It was wonderful to loosen the stuck on litter and made the box much easier to clean. It was in my study so it was cleaned quite often. I think it cost less than a dollar.
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Wren, it sounds like the tool is like a larger version of those little plastic scrapers sold to loosen stuck-on food from cast-iron pans to preserve the "seasoning." Might even resemble a dough scraper? Will look it up on Amazon.
Mary, i'd have a heart-to-heart with your ortho--maybe it's time to cast for new orthotics, even some physical therapy. When I "threw" my neck "out" 20 yrs. ago my PT did manual traction with a towel; after I exhausted my covered sessions, she suggested I get a pneumatic cervical traction device (with a prescription, my insurance paid for it). You lie down supine, placing your head on a contoured cushion, and squeeze a rubber bulb to pump it up till you feel the stretch; then hold it for a minute or two, then release the air. What bought me a year before my R knee replacement was getting a custom-fitted "unloader" brace. It shifts the weight to the "condyle" (section) of the knee with more cartilage. I chose iridescent purple.
My BFF's DH is over his COVID (been negative for a week now) and nearly over the bacterial bronchitis. But she's still testing positive and feels like she has a "bad cold." She had to take Molnupiravir instead of Paxlovid, due to her immunosuppressive meds for autoimmune disorders. Gordy & Leslie are back at work.
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It is 29 degrees this morning. I am not South Florida. I am about 11/2 hours north of Tampa Bay. I woke up early with my varicose vein bothering me. It is getting surgery soon.
Karen, Thank you and good to hear from you again.
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Yeah, Sandy. I sometimes go into the Dr office demanding this or that. A result of bad doctors who did not take my complaints seriously. I will go in with complaints and see what he suggests.
Done.
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DH just made me happy when he came to say he was going to the gym, resuming his routine. I suspect he will also go out to his woodworking shop instead of staying indoors and watching old movies on tv. Yesterday we watched David Copperfield before the football games began.
I am having lunch with three women friends. Golf was our initial common interest. The youngest friend is 2 or 3 years younger than I am and I will be turning 80 in March. The oldest is 88 but any observer of our group wouldn't guess she was that old.
Happy Monday.
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carole, Thank you for writing that!!!! I needed to hear it as I am concerned about my DH. All he does anymore is sit in his recliner and read! While reading is great, hours of sitting is not! On big sports days he will watch one game after another, even mixing up the sports! He seems to have no desire to do anything! He blames his lack of hobbies on the fact that money has always been tight for us. I am his second wife, and most of our 44 yrs of marriage we had the equivalent of two mortgages including taxes and homeowners, to pay each month. One was aka child support! Honestly, not having money for a hobby, is just an excuse. He will be 82 this year. I am hopeful that when I retire and recover from surgery, that I will get him out doing things again! He loves woodworking too and is very good at it. So, when I read your post, it gave me a lot of hope for my DH!
petite, glad to see your post! 29 degrees, yikes, that is what it was up here in PA! My sister lives in Naples and it is 53 degrees there and going up into the upper 60's!
Sandy, so glad to read that you and your DH are on the mend! My sympathies with your older cats. Pets are like fur babies, no matter how old they get.
I never owned a cat and while it did cross my mind to get one, after reading everything here about cats, there will be no cat in my house. I actually don't think we will ever get another dog either. It's been 5 years since we lost our beloved dogs, and now I am spoiled going places as I please and not worrying about rushing home to care for pets.
I am dreading tax season and filing my retirement paperwork! I do fine with household bills, etc, but anything else to do with finance is not in my wheelhouse. We have a tax preparer, so that isn't a big deal, and I will have help with my retirement paperwork, but I will be super relieved when it is all done. At least I am not dwelling on my upcoming surgery. If anything, I welcome that day because I will have both taxes and retirement paperwork completed by then!
Sunny day here, hope everyone has a great day!
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Sandy, It looks more like a small pancake turner but is straight and rigid. Any paint store would have one. I got mine at Fred Meyer in the paint dept.
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I firmly believe that if you follow a path that interests you, not to the exclusion of love, sensitivity, and cooperation with others, but with the strength of conviction that you can move others by your own efforts, and do not make success or failure the criteria by which you live, the chances are you'll be a person worthy of your own respect. -Neil Simon
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I'm on the next page so expecting to forget something because i didn't make any notes. Mary, orthotics can do wonders. I wore them long enough to outgrow a true need for them as other issues came and went and seemed to allow me the time to return better strength and endurance. I quit getting bunions on the bottoms of my feet but just have very tender feet now from the chemo years ago.
As to finances, I have a couple of credit cards and if I really need something and don't have the funds I will use them. Then, I am very careful to make regular payments and no other credit purchases until the card is paid off or no more than $50.00 owing. I was told at one time that paying on a card to a degree is better than paying it off since you continue establishing good credit. It is a very simplistic way to keep up for me, and it is what seems to work best. I also try to pay up a bit extra if I have to spend more for something then I ordinarily would at one time. Like replacing my car tires or when I had to replace two of our TVs. There was a bonus to that. I ended up with Smart TV.'s I guess it works out for me that limited budget means limits on how I used credit.
I have found using some of the newer litter boxes (nothing fancy) that are very plasticky (made up word for me ) and shiny seem to make it easier to get the really super wet clumps out of the box w/o intense scraping. I am able to use the edge of the litter scoop once again. Not sure why it took me so long to figure out that it would help if I used litter boxes intended to be litter boxes. I had a habit because of size, of getting heavy storage containers that were a perfect size but while plenty heavy enough were actually intended for litter.
We are old enough and due to income or lack thereof so to speak, we are no long required to fill out taxes. The only thing there to consider (we found out the hard way) is that if something like a rebate from the government comes and you have not filled out taxes you won't be on the books automatically and will have to let them know you are still around.
Rained thru the night and will now be warmer but not necessarily what I like which means damp and likely no sun for a day or two.
Hope you all have a good Monday.
(((((petite))))
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For Sandy:
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To find the gold of truth often means getting a more universal viewpoint
of life, of yourself, of everything that comprises your world. The
greatness and power of many souls of the past resulted in their seeing
in a higher context than perhaps the average person. They knew
where to look to find the golden nuggets of truth. Time does not
prevent us from knowing these higher truths; our stage
of consciousness makes the difference.
John Marks Templeton0 -
ROTFL. Jackie! We go through 2 rolls of Bounty (and a bottle each of Method wood cleaner & all-surface spray) per week!
Wren, that would be a "putty knife." I ordered both a scoop with a scraper on one end, and a long-handled metal scoop with a sharp enough edge to scrape the bottom of the boxes.
Just learned that some of my prescribed meds (both Rx and OTC) are "obesogenic." But no way can I stop or cut down on them (especially the bupropion & Zyrtec). So I just have to rely on diet, exercise, and (to some extent) acceptance.
Made my Prolia appt. today. Helps that the infusion center is next door to my usual Costco's gas station & Target. But dragging my feet on the 24-hr UA: it's a PITA, especially since I have to not only plan to be near my toilet all day, but keep the collection jug chilled. (Not in my kitchen fridge, for obvious reasons; not in the basement fridge, which would be murder on my knees with all that stari-climbing). Then I have to take it back to the lab...which is in northwestern Skokie. Ugh. The UA is to determine whether I'm spilling calcium & excess electrolytes; a normal, sample-based UA is just a "snapshot."
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Mary, what I do before each medical appointment (in-person or telehealth) is write down all the questions I can think of, since patient portal messages are now slower and are even billed if they're seeking medical advice. If it's my first visit with a specialist, I ask if I can record it as a voice-memo just in case the After-Visit Summary seems incomplete.
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Had mammo and appt with breast surgeon (had been a later appointment with her NP) I got OK'd for special bras with inserts to even out my breast sizes!!! Appointment for fitting this Friday!! Previously it would have meant a visit to Rochester or Milwaukee to get that-- too much trouble.
My PCP has set up an appointment with Ortho for as soon as he gets back to town at the end of February. With weak ankle, bunged up knee and mild CP, and a dog who demands two miles a day, there is no sense waiting any longer than necessary to get knee replacement surgery. I found that neck decompression device at Amazon. Thank you.
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I suspect that the happiest people you know are the ones who work at being kind, helpful, and reliable—and happiness sneaks into their lives while they are busy doing those things. It is a by-product, never a primary goal. - Harold S. Kushner
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Good for you Mary. Getting to stay close to home for medical needs is great. Easier to take the time and effort to see it gets done. Anything that makes you look and feel better. In that I'm glad too about getting the knee fixed. Gave every other remedy a fair chance. Hard at first, but in the end, I think most people are happy with their results. Then I'm only speaking about a small group of my friends and relatives who have done knee and or hip replacements. They are quite happy and satisfied and I hope you will be as well.
Raining this a.m. No surprise as the wind and warm weather we knew would usher it in. I'm hopeful that our snow days might be over. We really didn't have much at all for snow this season ( at least so far) but we did have the very brutal artic cold. I hope we are going to sneak into Spring now without too many extremes left, if any at all.
I hope you all have a really good day.
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Wow !! It has rained all day so far. Thankfully not so very hard, but enough that Dh doesn't want to even go out to the Rec Center for his walk. No one here has gone out to our mailbox either. Buddy, our big orange and white with huge fluffy tailed cat is mad that he can't go out. He and Lucky, an all-orange with big tail are the only ones who go out here. They went out earlier before the rain had begun in earnest this morning, so both have been pests, but Lucky settles fairly quick. Hmmm, Buddy. He is a loving and lovable cat but really dislikes being kept in and enough that he will try to pay you back. He bit through the tubing on my blood pressure cuff one day --- all the while staring directly at me as if saying, " Ha, I'll fix you".
Fortunately, we have nothing we really have to go out for, so we will get the paper and mail tomorrow morning. We do not get a newspaper on Thurs. so I'll get one to read (only a day late which isn't bad) tomorrow. Not sure how long the rain is going to go on, but we could have more tomorrow. I hope though we go back to dry periods n between so we can get out and about w/o umbrellas. and maybe just a lt. hooded jacket.
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We met the grands in Palm Beach Zoo. It’s about 2.5 hours from here, pretty much straight across the state. Kids were able to run amuck, and we all enjoyed being outside- beautiful day. It was great seeing the kids again too. A funny, not really funny, story: as we’re exiting we asked an employee if she’d help us out and take a picture of us all. We adults were all smiling at the camera, when the woman said looks nice except for the little one. We look down and the 5 yr old has a choke hold on the 2 yr old! An “oh my god” moment. We left and drove back across the state racing sundown, and losing. We were gone from home for about 12 hours but seeing them was worth it.
Today was our “ladies” lunch, six of us made it too. We’ve been frequenting downtown to help support the local restaurants. We then shop around the boutique stores too. We’ve got to keep that area going.
Tooth, it aches on & off with no real frequency. If I’m flapping my jaw a lot, eating or talking HAHA, it will ache. I slept ok last night with no Advil, but woke up to a back ache. Damned if I do damned if I don’t. The back ache & taking 800mg for it, masked the tooth issue. Back felt better, stopped ibuprofen and tooth acted up. I don’t see the oral surgeon until 1/26.
Weather here has been great, warming up nicely. At the zoo we wore jeans and we’re quite comfortable. Today back to shorts again. Hoping anyof you getting hit by the storms- snow & rain, stay safe.
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Got to get to bed, I will be at work before 7:30 AM, but just read last few posts.
Cindy, I can just picture that photo in my mind and while definitely cringe worthy, it made me laugh! I could picture the same thing happening with my grands! Kids can be totally unpredictable…part of what I love about tbem
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Yikes--I slept 10 hrs. last night! At first I heard Bob snore through my earplugs but I fell asleep even before either cat could "tuck me in." Having my tropical weight down blanket (and turning the thermostat down) back nice & clean made it nice cool "sleeping weather" in the bedroom. I am a very warm sleeper--I can't sleep in winter PJs, just wear them around the house on very cold days. I prefer to sleep in scrubs, which are comfy and look less "pajama-y" during the day. If it gets too chilly downstairs, I throw on a shirt over them.
Had a bit of a scare today--one of my blood tests came back from the endocrinologist with indications of a "paraprotein" that might have some sinister implications. She messaged my PCP, who sent a referral for a hem/onc consult. Uh-oh...so I asked Dr. Google, who scared the %^&# out of me that it could mean multiple myeloma. Made the appt., and the head hem/onc (who is also my melanoma MO) messaged me back to talk me back in from the ledge--the level was infinitesimally low and even if it is MM, the treatment is just "periodic monitoring." Nonetheless, I'm seeing his colleague Feb. 13 (which he says is soon enough). So I will likely not need chemo, at least not until tomorrow's root touchup & Braz. blowout wear off.
Odd how it was less of a gut punch than the ocular melanoma dx, which in turn was less than the initial bc dx. For years, I'd drive past Evanston Hospital's Kellogg Cancer Center and feel sorry for people in there, thinking "there but for the grace..." Now the C-word doesn't scare me as much as it used to.
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