Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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I had sawdust blowing in my face putting up the 2nd fence panel. But it’s up! 3rd panel is stained and I plan on getting it up tomorrow.
I also planted 7 clumps of black eyed Susan’s and have many more to go. Which I’ll try to get in tomorrow. We’re expecting rain after 6 pm, which should help water everything in.
I so want this project over with. I have a stationary bike, a stair stepper type machine, and left over Trex from the deck - that I want to get rid of. I think I’ll try FB Market Place. Exercise stuff $30 ea or both for $50; Trex take it all for $50. OR if I’m in a mood, (haha!) to see it gone, I’ll leave it out in front of my house when we get done with the rain.
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Whenever we defer happiness, we fail to recognize that happiness is a feeling we already have, that we can access at will. It is not contingent on outcomes. If you find yourself saying things like, “I’ll be happy when,” you are missing out. Happiness happens whenever you tap into your own naturally healthy psychological functioning. You can be happy right here, right now, if you choose to do so. -Richard Carlson
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Cloudy and overcast today, but only 72, so I can't complain.
DD came this morning to take Hermie home. She also brought some beautiful flowers, Philly soft pretzels, a special Starbucks iced coffee drink. some Hawaiian chocolate and some Hawaiian indoor plant seed for my birthday. Yep, just went up a decade! Not happy about my new age, but at least I don't feel as old as I am!
Our new dishwasher is supposed to be installed today. I just hope it doesn't rain when they come to deliver it.
Cindy, sounds like you are making great progress and the fence work will be over soon. I bet it will look beautiful when complete.
Petite, I still get chills thinking of tubing in a river in Florida. I love watching HGTV's House Hunters and I noticed some in Florida show people swimming and water skiing. I guess I am more afraid of gators than most who live in Florida! Actually, I would not go into a river or lake anywhere, having worked for 7 years in a microbiology/parasitology lab.
Wren, good to see you posting again.
Yesterday we had a fawn in our back yard, and we spotted the humming bird several times in our flower bed.
I hope everyone has a wonderful day!
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I guess I wasn't clear about my take on vaccines—especially RSV. I'd been nagging my PCP to tell me when NShore would have RSV shots available ever since the subject of the upcoming "tripledemic" arose in early June—long before formal FDA approval, much less TV ads for the shots. Bob had told me that this past year, the ICU at Advocate Christ had needed to ventilate as many elderly patients with RSV as they had with COVID. So when my PCP messaged me back that they didn't have the shot but that I should definitely go to a pharmacy ASAP, that's when I made the appt. at Walgreen's. It's a patchwork of coverage, however:
We both have BCBS as our PartB supplements, but my PartD is Humana whereas Bob's is BCBS. 3 weeks ago I walked into Walgreen's, and all I had to fill out was the usual pre-vax questionnaire—they didn't ask for my Medicare cards, much less payment. (All I had to wait for was for them to mix the vax powder with the liquid adjuvant and wait for it to completely dissolve). Bob walked into the same Walgreen's yesterday (thank goodness it's only down the block, so he wasn't outside in triple-digit heat index very long) for his RSV and Prevnar20 shots. They approved the latter, no questions asked; but insisted the RSV wasn't covered "by insurance," running the computer twice. (Not that we can't afford to go out-of-pocket for a vaccine, which hadn't occurred to him). So he got only the Prevnar20 shot. I think the memory of having had "walking" bacterial pneumonia twice may have especially motivated him. He's going to see if Advocate Christ or Union Health will just give him the shot—otherwise, he'll try CVS.
I've had the same problem with that Walgreen's when it came to my 2021 flu shot—they said my Medicare card # kept getting rejected by "the system;" so I simply walked up the street to CVS, which had all my info and gave me the shot right away. (A different Walgreen's gave me the same song & dance with my first COVID shot—but because back then it was free regardless, they simply treated me as "uninsured" and gave me the shot. I think Walgreen's has problems with its computer systems, likely because someone at one time or another entered the wrong Medicare #). As to the flu shots, we'll wait till mid-to-late Sept. to avoid immunity wearing off too soon. He'll get it along with the RSV shot (different arms) to save time. I can use only my L arm, so I never get more than one shot at a time.
We will definitely get the new COVID booster as soon as it's available. But that's because it's been 8 months since we last had COVID and 4 months since our second bivalent shots. Betrayal, I would definitely not get a second bivalent shot at this point—the CDC is advising people to wait for the new shot rather than get a bivalent booster: the new shot will be available within 4-6 weeks. If you get your second bivalent (or catch COVID) now, you will have to wait at least 3 months before getting the new shot, lest the immune response to the new shot be blunted. And if you haven't gotten Shingrix, start the series ASAP—regardless of whether you've had Zostavax, which was only 50% effective and wore off completely by 3 years. In the unlikely event that you're one of the 7% who still get shingles despite having both Shingrix shots, it'd be a much milder case.
MM, I never said you should use both arms. (I think the reason pharmacies use L as the default is that the intake questionnaire asks not for preference per se but simply which side is the dominant hand—I make it expressly clear that I can't use the R arm for anything, showing them my MedicAlert pendant which has it engraved on the back). I get my different shots sequentially (1-2 weeks apart) for that reason, and also to make sure that any injection site reaction has subsided before jabbing that deltoid again.
Bummer that your surgeon did essentially an ALND (those 24 nodes) rather than a true SLNB. My breast surgeon was one of the pioneers of using SLNB—she and her partner co-authored the original study. She took out 4 nodes—only 2 "lit up" as sentinels but the other 2 were farther down the same "branch" but couldn't be left in place because they'd have been disconnected from the lymph channels. I did have stage 0 LE for about a year, but it receded. Nevertheless, there's always a lifelong risk of flareups even if only 2 nodes were removed.
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OK, enough needle stuff. Let's talk heat: ugh. High of 98F/heat index of 114 yesterday—going up to 102 today, with heat index 112-120 or higher. This is one of those times when I'm less worried about my electric bill than the possibility of heart attack, much less the environmental impact of using all that electricity. (I have to keep my kitchen lights on 24/7 till "ant season" is over, but every other light stays off so long as it's daylight and I'm not using that room). My tomatoes are not ripening, and I lost another little one to a squirrel (this time it stayed on the vine but with teeth marks). Considering fastening a paper bag containing a piece of overripe banana around the green ones big enough to harvest.
We watched the Air & Water Show Sunday from 95 stories up as we ate brunch. Our table faced the lake, so we didn't get to see the spectacle of planes flying between the buildings. But it was still awesome—especially the Golden Knights skydivers, the WWI biplane (female-piloted) doing loops, and the Thunderbirds.
Heidi gave me a scare yesterday—while sitting on my lap facing right, she began having uncontrolled head tremors (as opposed to her "bobbing"), so much so that I feared she was having seizures and called the vet in a panic. But it didn't happen while she was walking, standing or curled up asleep. Nevertheless, I was worried. But the vet called back very early in the morning (and I sleep with earplugs and the A/C running full-blast). Tried calling back and got their voicemail tree. Meanwhile she's still very picky about her wet food—rejecting 2 out of 3 foods and only grazing on the rest. I even tried her on "Smalls" natural fresh human-grade food, to no avail (even mixing a tiny bit into her canned food). The cooling-off period starts when the sampler pack is shipped, I'm going to cancel the subscription before they ship the next pack.
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chisandy: I have had the Shingrix already and now am UTD except for the fall shots. Thanks for the info about the fall Covid vs 2nd booster. We are forced to use CVS since it is aligned with our SilverScript pharmacy coverage. Yes, we can do out of pocket elsewhere but the RSV is about $200 unless you have some form of insurance coverage. SS paid all but the $58 we each had to pay. IBCBS denied any payment for immunizations. I will get my flu shot the beginning of October before we go to Sicily and will get the new Covid one as soon as it is available.
MM: Happy Birthday and welcome to a new decade. I'd sooner accept a new decade over the alternative and as the woman in the one commercial says, "age is just a number and mine is unlisted". I will keep mine unlisted until the moment presents itself that I have to chide someone about their behavior or attitude. Then I will flaunt it, LOL. Hope your dishwasher is installed today.
Still have a "to-do" list for DB and am getting estimates for cost of installing spray foam installation on interior wall of garage (wall where the exterior is brick). One came earlier than expected this morning at 10 AM when our appointment was for noon. He did ask if he could come earlier would that be okay and I had agreed, but I have never have had someone show up 2 hours early. It was fine and it took him less than 10 minutes to measure and I will get the estimate by Monday. The next one comes on Tuesday and I may try to get a third just as a point of comparison.
Lawn service came early to beat the rain as it is drizzling now. Been dragging my feet to put in plants and finish weeding on the backyard hill. Maybe tomorrow? Last night my knees were in protest so sleep was not good. Back has also required use of TENS unit and a bedtime med for spasms. Tired of this. Made PT appointment for Monday for knees.
cindyny: I hear you about finishing projects but you have done so well with yours. Take pride in the fact that it will look so good when completed. Have a beer and admire it from a distance.
Chris: hope all is well with you and Tippy.
petite1: love that you collect manatees. We saw some when we took a tour of the Everglades and it was interesting to watch them. They inspire calmness. We sat on the dock for about an hour just watching it feed.
Illinoislady: the quotes for the past few days have been wonderful. They seem to match or inspire the mood for the day.
Hope everyone has a good day. Don't mind the rain, it means I can address DH's second closet for a guaranteed battle about what he needs to get rid of. He has hoarder tendencies of not checked on. LOL
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Chisandy: have you tried the cat treat Delectables with Heidi? Misty loves them and since she is such a fly weight I give them to her about every other day. They come in 3 flavor (Tuna, Chicken, and Tuna/Salmon) multipacks and are not cheap. Saw your post after mine posted. Ordered from Walmart online.
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Happy Birthday Mavericksmom! Hope you have a spectacular day. I’m sure you glad that the hermit crab is back home. Enjoy your new dishwasher.
I bet you’ll be glad when you’re all done with your fence project Cindy. If you decide to give away you exercise equipment, give FreeCycle a try. We’ve had good luck with using this app and it’s local.
My PCP suggested waiting on getting the RSV vaccination Sandy, but maybe I’ll asked her about it again for my next appointment. I plan to get COVID+flu in early October at CVS. Have you tried Churu for Heidi? It’s a soft food/treat. I purchased it for my one cat Lisa to mix gabapentin in it before the vet, but she disliked all the flavors. My other cat Bart loves it. I purchased it from Amazon. I stopped giving it to Bart though since he’s a bit overweight.
Sorry your knees continue to bother you betrayal. Hope PT provides you with relief.
I’m a little behind, so I hope everyone is doing well. Been busy this week. I had my usual REIKI therapy on Tuesday, but we also had a get together in the afternoon with some of the retired ladies in the neighborhood. We get together every month, which is a nice. I had foot reflexology earlier today. Was very soothing for my feet. I’m also doing PT twice a week for plantar fasciitis. I’m still walking everyday, but I do get sore by the end of the day. Icing and exercises (from PT) help. Wish we had rain in our area. We’re experiencing a drought. We get a few drops of rain, but really need a good soaking rain. We expect warmer weather to return tomorrow, so maybe we’ll get evening thunderstorms. Have a wonderful afternoon.0 -
Puffin, I loved your beautiful photos. Thank you for sharing.
Sandy, Midnight Louie loves Delectables. Heidi might, too.
Jackie, I drive a truck and I pull myself in and slide out. I had to do the same when I had the Jeep.
Cindy, I hope you get more information on the results.
Betrayal, I haven't consulted a nursery, yet.
I am going out with some friends, tonight. It should be fun. I love leftovers.
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I’m amazed at the energy some of you have. Petite - your native garden sounds beautiful. And Cindy - I admire your handywoman skills with fixing the fence.
Puffin - the pictures are beautiful and serene.
MM - Happy Birthday and wishing you a year full of happiness and peace. And hoping the dishwasher was installed.
Chisandy - 98 in my neighborhood with a real feel of 107. No outdoor exercise for me this week - I headed to the gym. I much prefer walking and biking outside but I’m not willing to risk heatstroke. There is an outdoor pool at the gym surrounded by concrete and there were several people sunning alongside the pool. I think they are crazy. I won’t even use our backyard pool in this crazy weather.
Chris - I hope your recovery is continuing well and Tippy is settling back into a normal routine.
Cardplayer - I’m not familiar with REIKI. Is this done at a medical facility or a massage place? If it brings relief it sounds like it’s well worth it.
Betrayal - hope you can find some relief for your knees between now and February and that you can enjoy your vacation
I’m up to date on my shots but plan to get the flu and updated Covid shot later this fall. I may wait until November to ensure adequate coverage for our February cruise.
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Oh, and my reference to "MSM?" It's an acronym for "mainstream media," and used as a pejorative by those on the right wing who are convinced that only their favorite internet echo chambers are free from left-wing bias. Ironically, during the Dubya presidency, the mainstream media were similarly scorned by ultra-progressives (such as Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman) who contended that legacy media such as network news and even the NYTimes were merely mouthpieces that ran WH press releases verbatim.
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DH's closet is done for now. I made him part with some old time favorites that had seen better days and we had a large pile of clothing for donation. Now that he is retired there is no reason to keep so many "work" shirts that others could better put to use. We still have our respective coat closets to sort through and there will be major donations from them as well as some discards. You experience a feeling of lightness when you actually free yourself from these "things".
I have a deep love for antique Persian rugs and have them scattered throughout the house. One vendor contacted me about his retirement and I made an offer on one rug. He countered but it was still a deep discount. It arrived today and is absolutely beautiful. It still has the import tag on it and the pile is so deep for one of this age (circa 1920). It's a Sarouk which is probably my favorite style. Right now Misty has decided it is her favorite place to nap.
Today was the last day of his sale and there was a second I was interested in so I made an offer which again he countered. I countered and I am now the proud owner of a second rug. Totally, I got both rugs for the original price of the first. DH called them my belated BD gift. The second should arrive early next week. It is a different pattern than a Sarouk but the colors were what caught my eye. They are smaller area rugs roughly 2' x 3' so I can transport them to the local appraiser for written appraisals. I have already reached out to him. I have various sizes so I move them around as I see fit and to add interest. One of these will definitely be in the foyer.
I perched this on the dog crate so I could check it out and it became hers. She has added her scent to the entire rug now (and a bit of her hair).
Dang wasps and yellowjackets have discovered the hummingbird feeder and actually chase the hummingbirds away. Wish I knew how to get rid of the wasps and yellowjackets without hurting the birds. Never had this issue before.
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Gorgeous rug and kitty!
I hear you about the wasps & yellowjackets. Ironically, the very thing that attracts hummingbirds also attracts flying stinging insects (and is similar to traps for the latter).
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My dishwasher was installed by two wonderful young men. I'm sure I will like it but won't know for a bit because right now we have no dirty dishes as we had take-out for my birthday from a local Italian restaurant. They ran a quick cycle while they were here. Betrayal, thanks again for recommending I look somewhere other than just Home Depot. When I looked back at where we bought our other appliances, all but our washer and freezer came from this same family owned business. Today, when it was installed, I was reminded how different it feels to buy from an established family owned store vs a big box store. We also saved hundreds!
Sandy, so good to see you post again! Your poor cat! I do hope she starts eating her wet food better. Like you, I want to wait for the flu vaccine sometime mid-end of September, for the same reason. I will get the Covid vax when the new one comes out. We had our last booster May 1st. I won't have them both at once, but would space them by about 5 days. I definitely want the Shingrix vaccine, but will need ask my PCP when I should have those. I know they are a two-shot vaccine. As for RSV, I will ask my PCP about that one too. The question I have is not should I get it, but when. I didn't know you are part of the "one-arm club" too! That is what makes vaccinations so tricky. I will see my PCP on Monday and Tuesday I have an echocardiogram.
I talked with my DS for over an hour today. I miss him and his family terribly. I am very thankful my DD and family live so close!
DH's last PT is tomorrow. So glad those will end.
Betrayal, I too hope you get some relief from PT. I had PT last year that really did wonders for my knee, but it was for a different issue. I have two things going on, bone on bone with osteoarthritis and subluxation of my patella. The PT was for the subluxation of my patella and worked wonders. I had the gel shots for the other and it is still working….knock on wood it keeps working!
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The rug is just gorgeous and looks brand new. Misty looks happier than sin itself with her new bed. I'd say she has really good taste. Likely the way she is laying, but it made her look as though she had put on an ounce or so.
Yeah, for new dishwashers. I don't use mine as much as I use to — I used it exclusively for a long time for all glassware and silverware but have decided to re-start using it a whole lot more. I started washing by hand due to the amt. of silverware that was being used. Dh spoons out helpings of cat and dog food and gets clean spoons out every time. Never thinks to take a little soap and rinse a used one. Also, people snack all day here, so it isn't long, and the sink is full of dirty silverware. I decided the heck with it. No more washing in-between and then mealtime too.
Under heat advisory here too. The sun will go down (not too bright right now thank goodness) soon and though it won't cool off that much it does help to no longer have the sun beating on the house in places. We are fortunate for all the trees and two acres of grass but even we struggle at times.
All stay safe.
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Ken was told at Safeway (where we try to get our shots since we get a 10% off grocery coupon) that they were still waiting for insurance approval for RSV vaccine. I really would like to get RSV before we go to DD in Sept. I'll wait until new Covid vaccine is out and get it and flu sometime in Oct. I'm up to date on shringex (sp?) and pneumonia. Ken would do very badly with any of the bronchial illnesses.
People around here have definitely moved on from Covid. What a shame when there are ways to at least minimize it and numbers are rising again.
I've had a good week catching up with friends. Had lunch with a food bank friend and visited my old golf partner in assisted living this afternoon.
Happy Belated Birthday, MM.
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My sister-in-law sent me this photo and after I stopped laughing I thought of all of you who are also decluttering or recently finished. (Is it ever truly finished?)
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Wow, sixteen posts today! We're a chatty bunch. MM, the 70's were good years for me, as were the 60's and 50's and down the line. Enjoy the 70's.
We saw a fawn yesterday as we were leaving the campground, headed to Bemidji for my dermatology appointment. Its spots were fading. It looked at us curiously before stepping into the woods. All summer we've had a doe and fawn sighted by various people.
I ordered a travel handbag for our trip to Ireland and Scotland. I like the lightweight crossbody purses. This one is larger than I expected it to be but I will keep it. It's a pretty dark blue. I didn't want black. It has security features.
The days are counting down now before our return home to LA on Sept 10 and then the departure to Ireland on Sept 20. I'm praying for no hurricanes heading for the gulf coast just as we're heading home for the turnaround.
Happy Friday to everyone.
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More needle stuff as I write this with my sore left arm. Because of 1999 splenectomy I have to get meningicoccal and HIB vaccine every 5 years. This was a trial because Walgreens which had the vaccines couldn't give them to me . Said you had to be younger than 25 or they couldn't be processed by their system. I did get them at Kellogg Cancer Center- one in each arm.
Next week will get the Pneumonia Prevnar 20 and RSV at Walgreens. But, of course, its complicated. Was told at Kellogg I don't need the Prevnar because I had the PPSV 23 in 2016, except I was also told by PCP that I need it every 5 years. Also, a friend who was the Head of Infectious Disease at Lurie Children' Hospital ,said it's essential to get RSV. But Walgreens is saying Medicare has not yet approved it and the cost will be $300. Have to decide before Wednesday whether to get it or hope Medicare comes through in awhile. Infectious disease friend says it's time to begin masking again because we will have some protection against RSV as well as Flu and rising Covid.
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Deep within us all there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Center, a speaking Voice. . . . Life from the Center is a life of unhurried peace and power. It is simple. It is serene. It is amazing. It is radiant. -T.R. Kelly
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Hello,
I've been on BC.org discussion boards for years, and wondered if I could join here? I'm turning 65 in Sept, grappling with all the Medicare stuff, and since I teach university students who are 18-22 I really could use some peer support from those my own age. They were much closer in age to me when I began teaching, imagine that! I retire in May 24.
A bit about me aside from what you see in my signature. My dear husband was dx with prostate cancer in June, so he's going through tx for that, I have medical PTSD which I manage-most of the time-and it's been a difficult summer, healthwise for us both. I was dx with IBS-D in June, and I've been going to a urologist for overactive bladder. My summer seems to have been mostly being chained to bathrooms and doctor's offices. But I was able to get in some hiking (very private trails with lots of trees, wink) and I practice yoga-4-5 days a week—so that's kind of saved me from turning into a stark raving lunatic.
2 weeks ago we had to put our Precious girl down (she was my dog-I was her person, though she loved my hubby) and I haven't stopped crying daily about that. She's been in our family for 13 years and she went nearly everywhere with us, and I think I'm still in shock about that.
Just had a CT scan ordered by my MO (I went to her for a bump in my abdomen-it turned out to be nothing) but the scan showed thickening of bladder and a bit of swelling in the ureter-I was checked for a UTI (I know what they feel like and knew I didn't have one), infection ruled out, and now they are sending my sample to a cytologist to look for cancer cells and I'm supposed to have another CT scan that looks specifically at urinary tract issues, and I'm scared.
Just hoping I can find some support here. I've been feeling a little isolated lately!
Claire in AZ
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I would have to say — aside from the obvious, I haven't at all minded my 70's. In fact, up until the mitral valve episode I was working quite steadily, even if a bit less. It actually has been something of an adventure since I have never been able to extrapolate anything close to the reality of it all.
Most of the time I've been pleasantly surprised at the fact that I've felt much younger than my stated age. When I was much younger, I wondered how OLDER people could be so cheerful about their conditions, and it was to me a serious condition. Now I realize quite likely they too were too busy LIVING and getting what life had to offer rather than spend all their time concerned about the yrs. passing. I hope I can maintain the feeling of a bit of adventure to it all. I have to admit, I've had some doubts along the way, but so far they haven't persisted.
My PCP check-up was moved from this month to Oct. That is a good time for me to get some shots though, so it is okay to me. I will consider any and all injections but likely not the Shingrix. My sister had chicken pox and at the time I was spending the year in bed with rheumatic fever. My Ped Dr. at the time told my Mom not to worry if I did get them (considered at the time almost a sure thing since Rose had them) since I was being cared for so closely by him. I didn't get anything — so had a natural immunity somehow, someway.
My PCP is okay with me skipping it as well, leaving me to choose if I'm willing to take the change and I am. The other things I definitely want when it is time. Years ago I often skipped many shots and most often the flu shot. At my age, I realize how foolish it would be, but even more with a pandemic behind us (mostly but not entirely) to go without these things.
I've heard as well that the pneumonia shot needs to be 'renewed' every so often. I'd have no issue with that either if V.A. says I'm ready.
Even though it happens often, I still consider seeing deer, and baby doe's as well, as a special event for me. I'm not sure why thy evoke the "inner" response that I get, but I don't mind anything that inspires and so refreshes the soul like they do.
I hope you all have a good day.
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Welcome claireinaz. I have seen your posts on other forums, so nice of you to join us. I think I can identify with your recent dog loss. It has just been a year since we had to put our 13 year old Dalmatian down and since then we have also lost a 12 year old cat to lymphoma and a male parakeet bred during the Covid lockdown. Others have experienced pet losses, too, so they can empathize as well. We have since rescued another Dalmatian and a rescue cat. We just had to fill those holes. Dog is still a work in progress but the cat has adjusted well. You will find both community and family here. We have all had trials both medical and personal so you are not alone and not isolated here.
Sorry to read that both you and DH are experiencing medical challenges simultaneously. I hope you get a reprieve soon and that the CT scans reveal what ails you as nothing more challenging.
I retired from college teaching almost 4 years ago and can honestly say I wish I had retired earlier. It was taxing at times and the students became harder to deal with as time passed. I am enjoying retirement more than I thought I would.
Illinoislady, I am with you in that I have felt younger than my chronological age except for my damn knees now. You may have had a subclinical case of Chicken Pox (from your sister) in which you did not develop acute symptoms but developed antibody protection anyway. As long as you avoid contact with anyone who develops shingles or babies, you are most likely safe.
keywestfan, I am not sure I would wait to see if Medicare decides to pay for the RSV vaccine and it may be a long wait. Given your asplenic dx, you are at high risk. Medicare is not so focused on preventative medicine as we would like to think they are. It has been my experience they would rather shell out for hospital care than prevent an issue with an ounce of prevention. Would GoodRx lower the cost any? I know I use it to cover the Lidocaine patches I need for my back and for which Medicare denied my coverage. I pay less for each patch than OTC Salonpas ones with a 5% patch versus their 4% one.
The does have been bringing the fawns to my backyard to raid the bird feeder and to nibble on my azaleas. Wish they would not eat the azaleas when there is so much other forage in the woods behind us. They still have their spots but they are starting to fad as they grow. We saw our first buck of the season last week and he had a nice rack covered with velvet. DGS was so happy.
Today started out rainy after rain yesterday and is quite humid now so no garden work. I have some ironing to do and will focus on getting that out of the way. May start on my coat closet and focus on the shelves first. I need to sort through gloves and hats deciding which can be donated and which kept. Getting a large donation for Purple Heart ready.
It is funny how organizing creates its own form of chaos during the process but the outcome is well-worth the effort. The chaos can be daunting though. MM loved the photo and yes, you do get distracted by memories while decluttering.
carole: it is so nice that your trip to Ireland/Scotland is fast approaching. I have a travel purse and wallet that has multiple secure areas and blocks attempts by those wishing to capture my ID or credit card info. It is not the most attractive of bags but the crossbody/shoulder strap is knife resistant. I just have to remember which pocket holds which items. I do think I have a system now with organizing it. I hope you have the best of times. Have a Harp for me in Ireland or a Guinness if that is your preference. Add Jameson's to your oatmeal for a real treat and lap up all the fresh whipped cream on desserts.
Hope everyone has a wonderful day.
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claireinaz, I remember you from other forums too, I am thrilled to see you here!!! Woohoo!
I retired sooner from the middle school than intended due to third breast cancer Dx. So happy not to have to back to the classroom! 😊
I am sooo sorry to hear about your DH and your health issues!
You’ve come to the right place!
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Welcome Claire. Sorry that you and DH are experiencing some health issues. I hope that DH treatment is easy and that you’re able to get answers quickly. My biggest challenge with Medicare was deciding which type of plan and pick my supplemental plan (only a few offered in our area). I decided not to go with a Medicare Advantage. Now I feel like it’s a simple process every year, but the first year making a decision was hard.
Harley - From BCO. During a session, I lay on a table, fully clothed, while my Reiki therapist does her work. I’m go weekly for a 30 minute session. It’s light touch. Sometimes, I have her provide me with a sound bath, which is usually a 45 minute session. I started Reiki while I was doing treatment and have continued as part of my self care.
Ugh! I had written up comments and forgotten to save. Everything is gone into the abyss of lost posts. Mentioned Misty on the rug, glad to hear from Keywestfan. Hard to believe that summer is winding down and Carole is going to be heading back to LA and to Ireland soon. I know there was more. Now it’s time to fold laundry and get dinner started. Till next time…..0 -
I am so sorry, claireinaz. Don't know how I missed your post, but a big warm welcome. We are not hard and fast on that age thing so you could have even come earlier. It is just that many yrs. ago it was noted that so many of the people having and getting BC did seem to be mainly younger women — and we know we older ladies often have a slightly different response to BC therapies no matter what they are.I hope you will let us know how your ureter scan comes out. Since I've mentioned it a number of times here I won't go into it now, but I have had ureter cancer that is over and gone. I will be glad to share with you, but no point in going through a whole long story if you happen not to have to concern yourself with it. I will say something you've likely head a thousand times already. The sooner you find issues including any kind of cancer, and deal with it, the more likely is a highly positive outcome.
I hope you will come often as we do tend to hold each other up and I so appreciate the stories of each person's life as well as the knowledge many can and will gladly share.
Betrayal, I'm sorry to hear that the deer munch your flowers as they do. I bet they love that you have put something out to treat them with that they don't usually find in their forest habitat. They have chewed on my Hosta's and a bit of my groundcover. but it hasn't gotten to mu enough to make me try to dissuade them.
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betrayal, thanks for the welcome! Students need more than they did 16 years ago when I started teaching. And now we have to content with ChatGPT and AI basically meaning they can plug in key words in an AI program and have a robot write their papers. When I started teaching they didn't even use smartphones and the job just keeps getting harder and harder to manage.
mavericksmom so happy to see your name on these boards again!
Illinoislady, I would love to PM you about your experience. I can't find too much info on it since it seems to be rather rare and ILC doesn't seem to want to migrate there—usually digestive areas, etc. The CT showed no mass, did not say suspicious for cancer, and I wish my oncologist wouldn't have used the word. It seemed really premature and I feel a little harmed by it. And she's been my MO for years, too, so I'm kind of shocked.
Thanks everyone. I just have lately been feeling, well, not old, but surprised as h#ll I'm 64. I know I could have reached out earlier but for years I kind of just chugged along and didn't need the boards as much. Now it feels different in this period of my life.
I live near the GC and my husband and I get to drive up there and hike whenever we want to. It's a real gift. Right now we have hundreds of sunflowers growing across the street from us (we don't have houses on the opposite side of our street). Our Mountain is beyond the flowers and it's pretty magical to see them when I open the front door in the mornings. The tourists like them too ( and take a lot of photos right now). I can't find a sunflower photo but here's a partial mountain view from a few years ago.
Thanks everyone, I can't wait to be part of this group :)
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Claire, I sent you a pm.
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claireinaz: AZ happens to be one of my happy places and we would do spring break in Sedona with a side trip to the GC. We have visited both the Northern rim as well as the Southern, stayed at the lodges there, and love to eat at El Tovar. We were lucky enough to also visit in the summer on 2 occasions and have seen the condors on several occasions. You are lucky to live so close. We have not done the Skywalk though DD and DSIL did.
We used to have students submit their research papers through Turnitin and it would determine what was original from what was plagiarized. Some did submit papers that were clearly plagiarized and suffered the consequences.
Beautiful state since we explored it from one end to another over the years.
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Claireinaz, welcome to the group! So sorry to hear of the many health issues you & DH are facing. Heartfelt sympathy on the loss of your dog. I too am 64, a 1959 baby boomer.
Carole, I bought a security purse for Ireland too, it was also dark blue, and it was bigger than I expected, but worked perfectly. Took a while to get used to. If I line up the zipper pulls, they fit into a locking mechanism that requires a 3 digit code to open. I used that a few times, mostly because of carrying passports in it while on a bus or similar crowd. But even when not locked, it stayed so much in front of me, I wasn’t worried. I purchased it online from Woot.com.
Keywest, good to hear from you. Wish it were on something better than shots, but still nice.
The fence panels were completed yesterday. And within an hour it was raining again. So very fortunate to beat the rain. I still need to plant the flowers but I’ll get to it over the next week.
Today we were up at 5:30 AM, you know I’m no early bird, to pick up my grand niece to go on a bus trip to the NYS Fair. We had a lot of fun. We ate lots of ice cream and drank lots of whole milk from a local Syracuse dairy, Byrne Dairy. YUM is an understatement. Grand niece was ecstatic that I won at a water gun game, because she got to pick the prize. Her pick was a giant green dinosaur. Her mom wasn’t as ecstatic because it’s HUGE. We walked over 6 miles, and it was a very long day- but worth it.
I don’t want to do anything tomorrow morning but I did get some wild flower seeds from the fair that I could get in the ground where I cut down all the wild roses. We’ll see if I’ve got any energy. Right now I’m exhausted and going to bed. Nite.
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