Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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I might have to try the spelling bee Carole. I’m not a good speller, so maybe it’ll be helpful.
Sorry to hear about your ear infection Illinois. Hope you feel better soon.
Had a nice REIKI session earlier today. I get really relaxed during the therapy. But I need to get some things done this afternoon, since my dental appointment is in the morning. Another warm day with thunderstorms possible.
Have a wonderful day.0 -
Taco, happy anniversary! Very nice picture.
IllinoisLady, I hope your ear improves with the meds.
Cardplayer, I’ve had a root canal thru a crown, not as bad as it sounds. I hope it provides pain relief.
Betrayal, Jim Thorpe sounds like a place for us to check out.MM, I’m glad your guest wasn’t dead, only scared you half to death.
Games I play: Sudoku, Spelling Bee, Wordle, Mini Crossword - all those in NYT on my phone. In my local paper I’ll do Sudoku, Word Search and sometimes Jumble.
Looks like rain on and off all day long today. I may attempt to use our circular saw on some Trex. We had the deck floor replaced with it last year, and the top rails. Still have leftover and I want the stairs and handrail done. My cousin did the original Trex and said he’d come back to do the extra but he has a full time job and I haven’t bothered him. I’ll try the cuts w circular saw on our old saw horses later this afternoon. After 1 cut I’ll know if I should stop or continue. I want the leftover pile of Trex out of the yard. Once more project I could check off the list. Wish me luck!
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Illinois, glad you got medication for your ear! Sorry about the cost.
cardplayer, nice to hear you had a good REIKI session! I hope your dental visit goes better than expected tomorrow!
cindy, wow! I don't know if I would tackle a circular saw, I am very impressed that you are doing that!
LOL about your description of "Hermie" as my house guest! You were right that he scared me to death! I am wondering how annoyed he must have been at me that I kept pulling on his little legs and claw! He was likely in a deep sleep. Oh well, serves him right for frightening me to badly!
Yesterday DGS FaceTimed me to show me the house they are staying in at a different location on the big island of Hawaii. Such beautiful trees and flowers. He tried to show me the birds, but I guess they are camera shy.
DH and I went to Home Depot to look at dishwashers. We looked at them around the time I retired but I got overwhelmed and we had to put off the search for a while. I saw the one I want today and of course it is near top of the line as far as price goes. I told my husband that I want that one, even though it is more than I expected to pay, because it was the only one that had a shelf that seemed sturdy. They all come with three shelves now, the top for larger utensils, and I think I will like that feature. I needed to double check on the measurements to be sure it will fit where the old one is before I bought it. We will go back tomorrow and purchase it.
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MM: Is Home Depot the only place you have checked for the dishwasher? I am one that shops around for the best price after checking Consumer Reports for their evaluation. I can check brands for you on CR if you'd like. Will you have them install it? Love the story about "Hermie".
Have to say ortho office is efficient after one minor issue. Submitted dates of second trip but it was not shared with practice manager who does entire plan for each patient. So they initially scheduled cardiologist clearance, and PAT in the middle of my vacation. I called and left a message for her and today she got back to me with a very efficient schedule. Prior to this PAT and cardiologist were on separate dates but now it is scheduled for same day as soon as I return. Same for first post-op visit with ortho, x-rays (did not realize they did post-op x-rays 2 weeks after surgery) and appointment with ortho surgeon on same day in tandem. Since hospital is about 30-40 minutes from here depending upon traffic and hour of day, I am in favor of stacking appointments. They will mail me the details.
I received my folding cane today and will make adjustments as needed. It has butterflies on the shaft and is quite colorful.
Found out that the one videographer that was in our train car included us (without our permission) in his videos twice and has posted it on YouTube. Don't think many that I know will ever see it and that is a good thing. It does re-enforce I need to shed a few pounds and hope to do it between now and time of surgery. I just need to watch portion size.
Tomorrow DB will come to do some general repairs for us. We need to replace the sill under our family room sliders. One of the decorative windows in the same room has had an issue since the tree strike. The restoration company did a poor patch job when I relayed to them that I could see daylight at the base. I think they just threw some caulk in without doing a real repair because this year we had bees entering during one of their swarms. So obviously their seal did not work and we are most likely losing heat as well. This side of the house took the direct strike and with the siding being replaced you'd think they would make sure those windows were sealed and secure. So I make a "honey-do list" for him and he takes care of it.
These are jobs beyond our skill set and jokingly he charges us more if he has to clean up one of DH's clumsy attempts at repair like the "ceiling patch". DH put his foot through the primary BR ceiling many years ago and DH patched it. Well, the patch would usually detach in the middle of the night, land on the dresser and make a colossal mess. After the second failure, I put my foot down and called DB to fix it. The ceiling now is all new thanks to the tree strike.
cindyny: I am impressed by your skill set. There are things I like to do such as painting walls, ceilings (not so much) and windows but I have not tackled power tools. My DF gave me a tool box when I went to nursing school and he made sure I could use all the tools in it. I have installed curtain rods, making simple drapes, refinished furniture and steps, assembled knockdown furniture, etc. The most challenging task was building the fire pit area last summer and planning/developing flower beds.
If you like old architecture, you will love Jim Thorpe and I plan on asking DH to take me back when I can walk. They also offer a 70 minute train ride of the state park there which is a huge draw.
cardplayer: I have had 2 root canals performed through crowns with no issues. Hope you do well with yours.
Hope everyone had a good day today. It is clouding up now with the forecast for thunderstorms tonight. We could use the rain since it has been hot and dry for several days.
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I'm back from my week nature tour in Scotland. There were 6 of us plus the tour leader: Katie, a marine biologist from Seattle who works Alaska as her territory, Jerome (a retired lawyer) and his adult daughter Robyn (a librarian), Mae (a retired microbiologist), and my friend Laurren and me. Our tour leader James is a native of Shetland, Scotland, a photographer and naturalist with a special interest in otters.
Plane issues caused us to miss the first day of the tour but James was able to work in a repeat of the major hike to the top of a cliff to see Atlantic Puffins. Beautiful scenery, I'll share some photos when I get them organized. We took a 2 hour boat ride one day to get close to a cliff that had 40,000 birds nesting on its ledges. The captain stopped and threw herring out into the water, which attracted huge numbers of Northern Gannets and 2 Grey Seal right up to our boat. We hiked between 12,000 and 17,800 steps per day, much uphill, which was more walking than I was expecting. Glad I took the trip now, not sure how long I'd be able to keep up that pace. I picked up 18 new birds on the trip, saw a porpoise, seals and otters, missed seeing any whales.
It's an 8 hour time change between Fargo and Scotland, it's been hard getting back on my normal sleep schedule. Still finding I need an extra nap during the day.
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Welcome home. Glad you're back. Hope you can get in your groove soon.
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Puffin - I always enjoy your birding travels. I sure couldn't walk that far, even on a flat surface.
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Welcome home Puffin. You logged in some miles! It sounds like a wonderful trip. I look forward to seeing some of your pictures.
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Puffin, WOW!!! That must have been an amazing trip! I absolutely couldn't do that much walking. I am lucky some days, to get in 3,000 steps. To be fair, my cell phone records my steps and I set in on a table when I am home, so I never have an accurate count.
Betrayal, this time Home Depot was the only place we looked. We looked at several stores earlier in the year, but then I got overwhelmed. The one I like is a LG.(LDPS6762S) I like the way the racks are attached as opposed to the kind most have. That said, I don't know why I am bothered by the other rollers because that is what our current dishwasher has and they lasted about 20 years.
I am not sure I like the utensil rack in the LG, as you must put the utensils in the rack handle side down, and I don't like that because I want to be able to grab the handles easily when I unload the dishwasher. I used to look at many stores, try to compare prices, but found that to be exhausting as stores rarely had the same models. I might check out a family-owned store where we bought a number of appliances over the years. More to see if they have anything I like more, and hopefully for a lesser price. I can tell quality on most appliances without looking at the brand name or price. Of course the question is, do we really need a top-of-the-line appliance as we normally only run the dishwasher every 2-3 days? Yes, I rinse them off first, which I know is not what one is supposed to do.
I bought my 2024 refrigerator calendar yesterday, as both my DH and I already have several appointments scheduled for the new year. As many might remember, I LOVE filling out a new calendar, so I will have a little "fun" today filling that out. LOL
Have a great day everyone!
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MM: Checked CR for their reviews of dishwashers within the same price range as the LG model you looked at. The LG has a 3 yr predicted rating vs a 5 yr predicted rating for Bosch 100 series that are priced less or comparable. I do not know the details of what is available in the machine you looked at though so can't compare those features for you. Score for efficiency, water usage and noise was 61/100 for the LG versus 70/100 for the Bosch 100 series. Bosch does have a 300 series but they are in the $1,000 range and do rate >70/100. If you do go to the local appliance place, ask them which machine they do the most repairs on so you can avoid that issue.
I also ordered new refills for my planner for 2024 and some other new refills for passwords, etc. I was doing my own version on blank sheets but give it 6 months and I have to redo it so this is alphabetical with replacement pages.
Poured last night and woke at 3:30 due to intense pain in tight knee. I got up and applied Voltaren gel which did nothing for pain. Tossed and turned for 2 hours and then finally drifted off. Thi$ lack of sleep makes me cranky. I have noted that taking ibuprofen is causing some stomach cramping and am concerned because I only take Prevacid once a day now. Am considering asking GI doc if I should take Prevacid bid to lessen GI issues. It is giving me some relief so I hate to stop it because Tylenol Arthritis was a waste of time. Wonder if they make enteric coated ibuprofen? The ones I have say "coated" but is it enteric coated or just to ease in swallowing?
DGS is still losing baby teeth and lost one yesterday. Will have to play tooth fairy I guess. Made reservations to take DD, DSIL, DGS and us to a Taste of Britain for an English high tea. He likes to eat so this shall be an experience with tea sandwiches with refills.
Collapsible cane arrived yesterday so today I will practice using it to get adjusted to how to use it best for my needs.
Sun is out and it is already 76 degrees so most likely will be hot and humid after that rain. No thunder just sheets of rain. Hope everyone has a good day.
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Betrayal, thanks for the information! We did indeed go to a family-owned appliance store we bought appliances from in the past. They didn't have the LG we liked at HD, but we ended up buying a dishwasher from them that I like as much as the LG and it cost less which was a plus. It is a world of difference buying from a family owned business vs a large box store. For one thing, they know their products inside and out and they listened to us when we explained our wants and needs.
I am having stomach issues too, and as crazy as it sounds, I think it is allergy related as this seems to happen to me this time of year, every year. I will run it by my PCP when I see her. Between pain and bloating, I feel uncomfortable the majority of the day. It is a large part of why I haven't been feeling well. I can't take proton pump inhibitors as they make all the symptoms much worse! Normal antacids don't work either. Trying to eat smaller amounts more frequently but might take a Benadryl and see if it helps.
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Puffin - what an amazing trip! Would love to see pictures. We saw puffins up close on a trip to Iceland 4 years ago. We got off the beaten path and went to Borgarfjörður Eystri in the northeastern part of the country. At that time the road was unpaved and attracted few visitors so there were only about 20 people there. Everyone was quiet and respectful of the birds and we were within a few feet of them. Unfortunately the road is now paved and I’ve heard it is drawing the tour bus crowds. Glad we got to see the puffins when we did.
MM - hope you enjoy your new dishwasher. We too have found that our local appliance store is price competitive and very knowledgeable about the products as well as providing service if there is a problem.
Hope everyone is managing their health issues OK so that you can live as close to pain free as possible.1 -
Welcome back Puffin. Sounds like you had a memorable trip.
High tea sound lots of fun Betrayal. I hope your DGS and family enjoys it. Sorry you’re having pain; hope you find something to give you relief until you get your knee replaced.Sorry you’re having GI issues Mavericksmom. I always go with the BRAT diet and increase my probiotics until my gut improves.
I had a scare earlier this morning when one of my cats knocked over my hearing aid charger. Since it was dark, I didn’t realize he had gotten ahold of one of my hearing aids. I found part of it when I got up this morning to take my shower. Found the other piece because he was still playing with it. Luckily, I was able to put it back together and it’s been working fine. 😅 Root canal earlier today was fairly easy, except now the novocain is wearing off. Cindy - he drilled right through my crown, as you said. Hopefully this resolves my pain.
Hope everyone is doing well and has a good afternoon.0 -
When you are interested in other perspectives, it doesn’t imply, even slightly, that you’re advocating them. I certainly wouldn’t choose a punk rock lifestyle or suggest it to anyone else. At the same time, however, it’s really not my place to judge it, either. One of the cardinal rules of joyful living is that judging others takes a great deal of energy and, without exception, pulls you away from where you want to be.
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Running a bit late today, but all is fine. We took one of our cats to the vet this morning and so I was not on the computer at all. He is fine, just old and needed a tooth pulled and a dental cleaning.
MM, I have a Bosch Ascenta and have had it for 5 or 6 yrs. The thing I love most is that it is so quiet I usually don't know it is running. It also is mostly stainless steel inside which has always seemed nicer to me. Finally, it has a HALF load cycle and usually I need to run it on half load because for some reason we use small bowls and tons of silverware all the time. I can never wait till its full to run it so this feature makes me very happy. Not sure I'd ever want another dishwasher that didn't have that feature.
I also usually do my pots and pans and my knives by hand. I almost always do a full souring job on my pans since I've found they cook better when they are very clean on the outside bottoms, and since I do the pans it is easy to toss the knives in and do them by hand as well. My stove stays a bit cleaner with clean pots and pans too — usually not too hard to keep it clean.
Have to run to the store a bit later on. I'm there at least every other day it seems.
I'll be glad to see all of Puffins pictures as well.
Hope you all have a good day.
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Dad turned 97 this week. We went out for dinner and then stopped by the car show sponsored by the men's group at my building.
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Great picture of you and your Dad. Happy Birthday to him.
Glad your trip went well and you have such great pictures to share. Love puffins and to watch them feed.
MM, glad you were able to find a dishwasher that met your needs at the local appliance store.
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Happy Birthday Dad. Glad you got to spend it with your little girl too.
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Sequential booster shots don't disturb me one iota. Bring it on:
Starting at age 12, I began getting weekly desensitization shots for ragweed, tree and grass pollens. I stopped at 20, when we moved to Seattle the day after our wedding, after my GP in Brooklyn looked up (the old-fashioned way, in textbooks & journals) the native flora in Seattle and discovered it didn't have ragweed or the species of trees & grasses to which I'm allergic. Moved here to Chicago in July '78—and by that Aug. I was miserable, with raw, sore throats that wouldn't go away, chain-sneezing and constant nose-dripping & congestion. (Felt like an endless cold, only w/o fever or aches). Went to my new HMO's primary, who broke the bad news that Chicago has all of NYC's nasty allergens & then some. Got skin-tested and was 3+ for almost every kind of pollen and some molds too. As soon as the ragweed season ended, I went back to weekly allergy shots (semi-weekly at first), until I gave birth to Gordy. Allergist said I could stop—wish I hadn't. So needles don't bother me at all.
MM, at our age you're playing with fire not getting immunized against the pathogens that young people can handle but make us miserable and can even disable & kill us. We're too old to have gotten the chicken pox shot—having had chicken pox, unlike other childhood diseases, not only doesn't protect us but guarantees we have that zoster virus hiding out in our nervous system. (Same even if we'd never gotten chicken pox, but were almost certainly exposed in childhood). I saw my mom suffer with shingles in her 70s and some friends & cousins even as early as their 50s. So I got Zostavax as soon as it came out (and though my insurance didn't cover it, Merck's co-pay coupon fully reimbursed me). But Zostavax was only 50% effective—and wore off after 3 years. You bet I took both Shingrix shots—by then I was on Medicare and not one cent changed hands. It's 90-99% effective. As to RSV, we could easily shake it off in our youth (and there weren't the sophisticated tests back then to identify it, so we chalked it up to "colds"). But at 72, with asthma and now being a double cancer survivor (and now with an MGUS), I'm not taking any chances. Heck, I'd even walk around in hazmat gear if it came to that. I still mask in stores, medical offices, small indoor theaters, and on all forms of public transport (taxis, airports & indoor train stations too). The updated XBB boosters can't arrive soon enough, IMHO!
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Happy belated anniversary, Taco! (Been offline for awhile due to various little things that piled up—and then our ISP—wi-fi, VOIP phone, cable TV—went down area-wide for 15 hrs today).
Puffin, welcome home and happy birthday to your dad. To paraphrase the intro to the old sitcom Rhoda (MTM spinoff set in Mpls.), I bet those cold temps up in ND help people "keep" better.
Carole, I lost an aunt at 64 to esophageal cancer (granted, she smoked like a chimney and drank like a fish); and a musician colleague had to have a new esophagus constructed from other tissues in his body. My BFF's husband developed severe anemia from a bleeding ulcer, before he did the antibiotic/PPI protocol. So I take my GERD seriously. There may be other reasons to ideally have a freer flow of gastric acid (e.g, for absorption of calcium for bone health and iron to stave off anemia), but as we age there are tradeoffs that must be made. If we could remedy every ailment as it comes along, we'd all live to 120, but of course that's not possible. Breast cancer and its sequelae have taught me that there comes a point when you can't "fix" one thing without "breaking" another—and in turn, fixing that without breaking yet another thing.
BTW, the caveat (buried in the articles) about that study linking PPIs & increased risk of dementia is that it included only those patients taking OTC (not prescription) PPIs—and didn't mention the names of the drugs or dosage. Not just that, it didn't "tar" all reflux meds "with the same brush:" if what you take is an antacid or H2 blocker (e.g., Pepcid/famotidine), the study didn't examine those.
I've taken one PPI or another since 1997—started on Rx Prilosec, then Prevacid (both once daily and gotten with co-pay coupons). As my voice sounded & felt "cloudy" to me, I went to a singer-specific ENT and found I had a "bowed" vocal fold for not having used my voice very much due to taking a break from performing from 1992-99, and having worsening GERD. The ENT switched me to Protonix, BID. Eventually, after I got a sample at the exhibit hall at a cardiology convention, I switched to Dexilant (dexlansoprazole)—which is basically a high-strength Prevacid taken at bedtime, with a two-stage release (a "bolus" for the first 4 hrs. and then the rest kicks in over the next 20). It didn't go generic till last year (and not in the US till this year). It's gotten crazy-expensive, even with Medicare Part D. So I get it online from Canada (there's a doctor in Vancouver who reissues the Rx Bob faxes him)—the cost, out of pocket, is 1/3 of my Part D co-pay for the brand-name; and about the same as my Part D co-pay would be for the generic!
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The reason that most immunizations are given now at pharmacies rather than doctors' offices is that not only are pharmacies better able to handle it (and medical insurance, especially drug coverage, is more ubiquitous than a generation ago), it's become a PITA for medical practices—recordkeeping (EMRs, etc.) takes up nearly 1/3 of a doctor's or NP's working day, detracting from both time with patients and the number of patients who can be seen each day. Not just that, it's easier & cheaper all around to get vaccinated at the pharmacy—doctors don't have to buy a season's supply (including guesstimating how much to get) nor store it under the proper conditions. Bob used to bring our flu shots home every Oct., but even he gets his at CVS or Walgreen's now. and advises we do the same. I don't know where people are getting the conspiracy-theory-driven idea that "Big Pharma" is constantly trying to pick our pockets at every opportunity. (Sorry, but anyone who uses that epithet—as well as "the MSM"—has lost most if not all credibility with me, or at has lost at least 25 IQ points in my estimation). And there's a special place in you-know-where for people who try to get cancer patients to spurn (the mis-labeled) "AMA medicine" and "cancer industry" in favor of using "natural" remedies—especially fueled by websites like "(person's name) Beat Cancer." I swear that the next person who tells me MOs are out to "sell chemotherapy drugs for profit" is gonna get it right between the eyes (assuming I have a 2x4 handy).
Ladies (and the occasional geriatric male bc patients "lurking" here), we are all bound by the common thread of not just breast cancer but advancing age. It is long past the time (and era) for us to sit back and wait for our (often busy & overworked) primary care docs & NPs to advise us. We owe it to ourselves to learn all we can about our own health—even become (as my Quora.com profile description says) "self-educated hypochondriacs." Hypochondria never killed anybody.
I'm old enough to remember when doctors (especially male GPs & OB-GYNs) would condescend to us with phrases like "don't worry your pretty little head about this." Back in law school I went to a Seattle bariatric MD (recommended by a classmate from Sequim who shed 3 dress sizes over the summer) for "pharmacological" weight loss (ok, diet pills). He didn't even write prescriptions: instead he had white-coated clerks (at a wall of drawers) fill a brown paper bag with little plastic baggies of various pills labeled with nothing but directions as to how & when to take them. When I felt faint after carrying a TV set up a flight of stairs, I called his office to ask WTH I was taking—and the nurse replied with not names but instead pill size & color (e.g., "you take the gray ones and the pink ones in the morning, the big white ones in the afternoon, the little blue ones for sleep..." and so on). When I mentioned I was a law student with a husband in med school (we couldn't yet afford a PDR), she was silent for a moment and grudgingly told me the name of each drug and its function. When I asked for copies of prescriptions for them to show in case we were pulled aside at Customs for day trips & vacations to B.C., she replied that the brown paper bag—with my handwritten name, the doctor's rubber-stamped name & phone number—was my "prescription," and if Customs had any questions they could just phone the doctor (this was pre-HIPAA).
Ask questions, no matter how reluctant you are to annoy the provider. Before each visit, write a list of questions & concerns (on paper or in your phone's Notes app). If you're lucky enough for your provider to be part of a system with a patient portal, make sure to get an After Visit Summary on the way out the door—and check it against the one that shows up in your portal. If your doc or NP isn't part of a system with portals, write down everything pertinent they tell you—better yet, ask if it's ok to voice-record it on your phone, in case you forget anything important. (If, post-pandemic, they once again let you bring someone in to accompany you, have that person take the notes). When most visits are limited to 15 minutes (gee, thanks, insurance companies), it's easy for stuff you wanted to know to slip through the cracks, only to smack your forehead after you get home and remember too late what you'd forgotten to ask.
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One more thing: in 2012, when I switched insurers to one with an "open" PPO and could choose the ortho surgeon I wanted, I had to wait 6 months for my R TKR. And at my last post-op followup appt for that, I had to reserve a date for the L—which turned out to be almost exactly a year after the first surgery. I really needed all that time to recover and have one really good knee available for the next go-round. It took me 12 weeks from my R TKR to be able to go on a Viking river cruise (with a cane, of course).
And as to the cane, I use an adjustable Leki "Wanderfreund" I bought in Boston back in '94. I used to have one of those folding drugstore canes, but they're clunky. The Leki has an ice-ax tip beneath the rubber tip for walking on ice. However, even at its shortest it barely fits diagonally in a 29" suitcase. A couple of years ago, I found a far more collapsible version of it at REI—at its shortest it can fit in my rollaboard or even the large tote I use as my onboard "personal item." I keep the longer one in my car in case my back goes out or I encounter uneven terrain (or an outdoor staircase w/o a handrail) at my destination. I recall in the sequel to Our Bodies, Ourselves (Ourselves, Growing Older?) a quote from a woman in her late 60s who unapologetically referred to it as her "accelerator." It helps with balance, and allows a faster pace.
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Chisandy, you are right about getting shingles at our age, it is exceedingly painful and that is dependent upon which dermatome it decides to rear its ugly head. It can be disfiguring if it involves the face and neck (have to worry about eye involvement) and the pain persists even after the lesions are long gone ~1 year. I have had both Zostavax and Shingrix. Now I am in line for the RSV and this year's version of the Covid vaccine plus flu shot. I want to get then before we head to Sicily & Italy in October.
I was confused by the "MSM" reference though. The rest of what you wrote is good advice. I got a laugh about the bariatric physician's method of dispensing pills and the condescension showed by ob-gyn. Would like to go back and wring the neck of the one who insisted I had to take HRT.
All the planning for my TKR is complete including my PAT, cardiologist, surgery and post-op visit so all I have to do is show up. The hospital is about 30-40 minutes from here dependent upon traffic but I do know some back roads to get there. When I was a student nurse we used to go there because they had nice grounds with slopes that we could sled on using our cafeteria trays as sleds.
Thunderstorms predicted for this afternoon with a high of 85. The breezes they forecasted did not get the message because not one leaf or branch is moving. DSIL and DGS weeded yesterday closer to the house. DH is working behind the shed to clean up that area and to stack firewood on new bases. I am hoping to get to the flower bed near the road with the iris transplants this weekend. Last thing will be to mulch it and then it will be complete. Need to change hummingbird nectar this morning and work on clearing items for Purple Heart from dining room. Small projects as knee permits.
Puffin, please post photos from your trip. We had the best fish and chips in the Shetlands and on a second visit went back to the same shop only to learn they weren't open due to problems with the fryer. Big disappointment but great memory. Pretty island.
Hope everyone ahs a good day.
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Puffin, Happy Belated Birthday to your dad! He looks the same age as my DH, who is 82! I actually plan to get my husband a "four wheeled" walker like your father has. I don't see DH's walking getting any better in the years to come and he does so much better when he uses a shopping cart, which is like a wheeled walker. I am almost 12 1/2 years younger and hopefully far away from needing assistance walking!
Sandy, I think you misunderstood my feelings on vaccines. My left arm is twice the size of my right arm, due to stage two lymphedema. I can only have vaccines in my right arm, and I will not overload that arm. Also, I worked 7 years in the labs of a major Pharma company and met my DH there. He retired from Pfizer. I know first hand all about vaccines.
I don't like going to the pharmacy to get vaccines! I feel as if I am being put on display and I don't trust pharmacists assistant or whoever she is, giving vaccines! God help the poor person who has a severe reaction to a vaccine at the pharmacy!
I think it is a lame excuse for vaccines to be done in a Pharmacy because PCP's are so busy and it is so much paperwork! Sorry, that is pure BS! They obviously haven't seen how busy the pharmacies are! I guess it is fine for busy pharmacies to stop and give vaccines and do paperwork, but not doctor offices? Let's be honest, it is all about the money! My PCP now not only doesn't give vaccines, but he also doesn't ask about them! When my doctor doesn't discus something with me, I don't think about it. All of my doctors, completely ignore anything vaccine related. They have never asked me if I had the Covid booster, just if I had been around anyone positive for Covid or had Covid recently. For me, it isn't that I don't see vaccines as being important, it is more of "out of sight, out of mind!"
I do plan to get the RSV vaccine, but I am definitely not in a hurry to get it. The ONLY reason it is talked about now is because a vaccine is available. Honestly, who here ever heard of it before the commercials on TV? I never have. Again, not saying it isn't a good idea to get the vaccine, but I'm just putting it into perspective.
I also will eventually get the Shingrix vaccine. I had the old one when I turned 50. Back then the vaccines were given by my PCP, so I was educated on the vaccine and why I should get it, right there in her office where my complete medical history was known!
Wow, what a concept, learning about vaccines from a doctor, not a commercial, and given by someone who I am familiar with and who knows my medical history, Vs someone who only knows my name! And this is SO much better because?????? Yes, vaccines given in a doctor's office are now officially part of the good old days!
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Betrayal, sorry, I must have been writing my post when you posted yours. Somewhere I missed something, are you having your knee replacement surgery next week? Wishing you much success with it and I hope it drastically changes your life for the better!
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Nope, surgery is February. It is just that this office has all their ducks in a row and the planning phase is complete to the satisfaction of all concerned. For my GI surgery, my MD appointment and all pre-op tests were done in the same day and that was about 2 weeks prior to surgery so they are being more efficient these days. Can't say the same for my BC experiences, they were very disjointed and hard to plan around since I was still working full-time.
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Silence is the great teacher and to learn its lessons you must pay attention to it. There is no substitute for the creative inspiration, knowledge, and stability that come from knowing how to contact your core of inner silence.
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Wow, so much info today. I'm willing to get anything the V.A. recommends and although I don't know about the RSV as yet, they have themselves brought up all the Covid vaccines when they were available. I've taken everything they said so far with no issues.
Mildly overcast this morning but yesterday was not bad. Was surprised that we didn't have much humidity. I was feeling for once (oh if that could continue) fairly energetic off and on. I feel like reducing the amt. of Carvedilol hasn't changed my better blood pressure numbers but has lowered my amt. of back aches fairly substantially.
I've heard that Dr. Rubin (the heart specialist Dr. I adore) may be returning to Marion V.A. and I would love to be able to see her again. Dr. Medhani is okay, but for me just okay. I'll have to keep my ears open. Dr. Medhani is head of the heart clinic, but I think possibly has a lot to do and so I think has a tendency to bring you along pretty quickly. Think that is how I ended up with the increased Carvedilol. No harm done other than a lot of pain I might have avoided. I told him about it a number of times and got only a nod and no ideas on how to try and fix it.
MM, hope the four-wheeler works for your Dh. I think we all have to be realistic about needs but I admit I do have some denial issues which I'm working on. I had a cane while my arm was broken but haven't used it since. In fact, I'm not even sure where it is. Dh has a cane he doesn't use either. He is so bent over at times I really worry, but I do think he will know when he needs to make a real change. Just hope it won't be in response to an actual injury.
I hope you all have a fantastic day. Hope all is well for you Carol and I am thinking about Chris and Tippy as well.
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Happy birthday to your Dad Puffin!
DH currently is dealing with shingles. Glad he’s had the shingles vaccines. It’s on his back and he’s not having too much discomfort, a benefit of the vaccine. When I had shingles many years ago, before the vaccines were available, I was miserable for a couple of weeks.
Our PCP provides flu shots, but never offered Covid. The local hospital provided the vaccination for the first shot. After that, the drugs stores started to offer them. Easy to schedule at CVS and I get Covid and flu vaccination at the same time. I’ll probably get RSV vaccine at some point. I like my PCP and NP that I deal with at the practice I visit. They’re very thorough and spend ample time with me during visits.I spoke with my PCP about reducing my PPI. I take Nexium twice a day and Pepcid at night. I took Prilosec to start with and tried Protonix. Also take probiotics and have dicyclomine when I have stomach pain. I’m going to try reducing my Nexium to see if it causes any issues.
Living in a small town has some advantages. Getting pre-op work done was pretty simple, especially during covid. They scheduled everything for you - what, where and when. The covid test was done at hospital urgent care in town via drive through. We have a diagnostic center for labs and other tests. Runs very smoothly.
Glad reducing your Carvedilol is helping your back pain Illinois.
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I was glad that Dad initiated moving from the cane to the wheeled walker as he didn't feel the quad cane was giving him enough support. He told me he wanted a walker, when I asked if he meant one of those silver walkers he said "no, the one that has the gripper handles and a seat that I can put my sweater in".
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