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Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?

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Comments

  • petite1
    petite1 Member Posts: 2,286

    Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. It was fine at my house. Poor Crystal River is so flooded. It breaks my heart. There is a lovely downtown with the river walk that my friends and I so enjoy. It will take a long time to rebuild and some businesses will not come back. Many ground level homes have 4' to 6' of water in them. So sad. My one friend is in a second floor condo, so it is saved. My other friend has a stilt. The yard, garden, storage area and screen room are in bad shape, but can be cleaned up. It has been a rough couple of days. We did enjoy our hurricane party. Midnight Louie was upset with another cat in the house and a dog. He liked the dog, but was terrified of the cat. After everyone left Louie slept for hours.

    I had my MO visit at the cancer center. My Labs were good, but the MOM was concerned about my 2" height loss. I have x-rays in the afternoon to check for compression fractures. He does not want to discontinue AL.

    (((((cindy)))))

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Member Posts: 38,861

    OMG is it good to hear from you Petite —although I must apologize. At one point I think I accidentally said Puffin when I meant you. Glad things were good at your house and sounds like your friends were not too bad

    Such a relief, but I do feel so for those who did not fare too well at all. Can those houses that had that much water in them actually be saved? Guess you can tell I haven't spent much time in flooded areas or even know anyone.

    Poor Louie, but glad he could call the dog, friend. I think almost any two cats thrust together quickly while not knowing each other at all, would have a little trouble trusting and getting on with each other. Sounds like it was a huge relief when life w/o company returned.

    Your news from labs sounded excellent so here's hoping there is nothing going on bone-wise that can't be easily taken care of.

    Many hugs and again sooooo good to get your message.

  • mavericksmom
    mavericksmom Member Posts: 1,275

    Petite, SO glad you and your guests were all ok! Thankful their homes weren't destroyed. I am having enough trouble coping with roof issues which pale in comparison to those who had major storm damage. I can't begin to imagine how losing everything feels! At least with hurricanes there is a warning. Those in the Maui fires had no warning and had to leave, many without shoes. Makes me thankful for what I have! Glad ML made out ok too. LOL at him sleeping all day after everyone left. Poor kitty! What kind of dog did your guest have? Nice it got along with Midnight Louie!

    I hate being on an AI. I still get hot flashes and mood swings that I am sure are from that. After three times with BC, I need to do all I can to prevent a fourth Dx,

    Betrayal and Cindy, thank you for roofing advice! The dip is near the overhang of the roof and not visible from attic. I am sure they will need to take some of the garage ceiling off to view the issues. I have names of roofers, referrals from friends and neighbors and checked out with BBB. Going to get at least 3 estimates and go from there.

    Happy Friday everyone! Every day is a holiday when one is retired! 😉

  • carolehalston
    carolehalston Member Posts: 8,128

    So glad you and your home are in good shape, Petite. Thanks for letting us know.

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Member Posts: 38,861

    "The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen."

    -- Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

  • cardplayer
    cardplayer Member Posts: 2,051

    Glad you are safe Petite.

  • mavericksmom
    mavericksmom Member Posts: 1,275

    Puffin, I totally missed your beautiful pictures yesterday. We must have been typing at the same time. Thank you for sharing!

    Carole, only 9 more days until your vacation! Take a lot of pictures!

    Chris, your trike looks interesting! I have never seen anything like it before. Thanks for sharing the photo!

    Good news, a neighbor who is a contractor took a look at our roof, knew exactly what the problem is because it is common in my "cookie cutter housing" neighborhood. He said we only need to replace a small portion of the garage roof, the roof on the house is good! I don't know how much the cost to repair will be, but I assume substantially less than replacing a whole roof. Fingers crossed!

  • cindyny
    cindyny Member Posts: 1,302

    ((Petite)) so glad to hear from you. Glad your friends homes survived as well. Speaking from Ian in Fort Myers, flooded homes need sheetrock removed, fans to circulate air, but most can be saved. We lost business too. Some destroyed businesses sold off the land because it’s too costly to rebuild. Our beach area is forever changed. Glad Louie got some sleep once all your company left.

    Puffin, I love the pictures, and narrative is very informative. Thank you for sharing.

    MM, I called CVS for the RSV vax and have an appointment for tomorrow at noon. I then called my insurance carrier to confirm no cost to me. For your garage roof I don’t think they’ll touch your ceiling. I think estimate will say xyz price, with additional sheets of plywood at $X per. They’ll only see damage once shingles have been removed. Our detached garage roof was replaced with metal. Looks great, everything from leaves to snow slides off.

    Chris that bike is wild! I hope you’ll be able to store it without any problems. It looks like it could take the place of a car in a garage.

    Bee stings are happening everywhere by the sounds of it. Mine still itches like crazy. As I’m half awake I scratch it until I’m aware of it being the sting. It’s been 2 days, I’ve put hydrocortisone on multiple times, I don’t think it should still itch. And I take Claritin D daily, antihistamine in that should stop the itch. Maybe I’m just a delicate flower. HAHAHA

  • betrayal
    betrayal Member Posts: 2,785

    cindyny my finger is still slightly swollen but after the initial sting, it doesn't hurt or itch. Can still see where it got me but that is it. They are ground bees and only the female stings if she feels threatened. They are small and great pollinators so we leave them alone once we know where their ground nest is. They will leave soon so we can avoid the area. Benadryl cream might actually work better for itch.

    I finished weeding this area today by starting at the bottom and working my way up. It took about 2 hours to finish this section but it is all done now. I even managed to do the bottom of the area I was working on yesterday before I got stung. There are a few weeds out of reach that I will try to get at dusk to complete that area.

    I ordered a personalized sign for this garden from etsy and the seller contacted me today with a mock-up of the sign. It looks great and I can't wait to get it. We need to cut back the pachysandra which overgrows the slate walkway at the entrance to this hidden gem.

    MM, glad that the roof fix is a small job. Can this contractor do it for you?

    petite1, funny how Midnight Louie liked the dog but not the cat. Glad you and your friends do not have any major issues to deal with from the storm.

    Right now we are still having small battles between Tawny and Misty. Tawny will try to use the litter box we have in the powder room for overnight use by Misty when she is penned there. When Tawny tries to use it, Misty follows her but doesn't challenge her. Tawny becomes a hissing mess though. She still has not warmed up to Misty and to be honest, Misty could care less. She just walks past her. Meanwhile there is a large litter box right next door in the laundry room so go figure why Tawny wants to use the small one. I think just to mark her territory.

    Chris that bike sure is interesting to see. Like the solar panel which also looks like is shields you from the sun?

    Weather is pleasant. Low 70's with low humidity and nice breezes. Next week is supposed to return to oven like temps and I am not looking forward to that again. Next task is to finish painting the metal butterfly which I started and have yet to get back to. Since elf still looks good I think the paint is holding up and will get back to the butterfly.

    Week will be busy with PT and eye doctor appointments. Several appointments in September and 2 in October before we leave for Sicily. Need to get blood drawn before PCP visit in October and not looking forward to that.

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Member Posts: 38,861

    Hope to catch up here. I too had to go back for Puffin's current pictures. How interesting her days there have sounded. The commentary is really descriptive and informative as mentioned. I likely will forget something even though I know I did manage to find ALL the posts.

    Chris, the byke/tryke solar powered looks to be in recumbent style. Dh and I both had recumbent bikes. Mine, a pink one is still in our garage. Bought before they even had the patent completely done on it. Got it from Aurora Hills, California when we lived near there in Ventura. Dh wanted me to get a bike and I said only if it didn't have one of those tiny little seats. Well, the recumbent had what appeared as almost a tractor style seat. Quite comfy. What helps make it a recumbent is that you pedal out from you, not up and down like a regular bike. Took some getting used too but I did really love riding it. Center of gravity was much better too.

    MM, sure glad your roof sounds a lot less expensive for you. Also, shouldn't be hopefully too time consuming either. More time for the gym, huh !! We were going a lot a couple of yrs. ago, but medical issues got in the way. We have small machines at home to use now. I have to admit it is easy to skip when all you have to do is sit it in front of your chair. I'm amused about the kitties — Tawny and Misty. I do think are born just sort of naturally mischievous, and others just seem to want to dominate, why. Just because. I'm sure they have ideas but I can't figure it out.

    So far, our household has become all right although we did re-home our sweet Callie. Once the twins, Dilly and Dally found they could make her scream they wouldn't let her alone. Finally got to the point she was spending most of her time under a chair. So, some of our family wanted to take her to be an only cat. She is happy as can be there.

    The family has gone to the nearest Cosco store — about 60 60 65 miles from here. Treasures will come back mainly in the form of paper goods. Kleen-X, toilet paper, paper towels, and waste can liners. I was on a web-site recently that listed the big well known national brands that are made for Kirkland which is Cosco's store brand. Too bad I didn't keep it handy. Anyway, figured we may as well get an application for the store since I can keep some things out in the screen room if need be when buying in bulk. Not thrilled, but often the cost is so much better — and I do hate dragging some of those thing's home what seems like all the time from Walmart.

    Hope you al have a good day.

  • cindyny
    cindyny Member Posts: 1,302

    MM I must have been keying when you posted. Glad to hear the garage roof will be much less costly than it could have been.

    Illinois, buying in bulk is a cost savings. We ran to Ollie’s today for Cliff bars. I eat one for breakfast everyday. I try to buy 2 - 18 packs at a time, costs me near $44 at Walmart. Ollie’s had a close out on 18 packs w 9 chocolate chip and 9 brownie, $9.99 and our credit card had an offer of 10% on top of it. I bought 4 boxes. Now I’m looking around for a place to store them!

    Enjoy the holiday weekend! I think our temperatures rise on Sunday, with 90’ most of next week.

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Member Posts: 38,861

    Good to know. We have an Ollie's as well about an hour from us. Most of the really good stores that have bargains (even if in bulk) are about an hour away. It is worth it. We don't go to Ollie's as much but we like it almost as much as the buy in bulk stores.

  • mcbaker
    mcbaker Member Posts: 1,833

    Yes, the solar panel is excellent protection from sun and rain. It is much narrower than a car, but I don't know how long it is.

    Happy to see you report safe, with minimal damage, Petite.

  • petite1
    petite1 Member Posts: 2,286

    Good morning. The resilience of people is amazing. Clean up is moving fast, neighbors helping neighbors. As soon as people could get into their homes and businesses, they started pulling out floors and dry wall. Of course along the streets are massive piles of debris. County pick up starts the 6th.

    I think I mentioned I have shrunk 2". Since I am short, getting shorter is a big deal. The cancer center did x-rays yesterday. The results have not posted to my carepage, but I am anxious to see what they are.

    Midnight Louie is back to normal, though he did do a through search of the house to make sure everyone, including the dog and the cat had gone. The dog is a Chiweenie. The cat is VERY big.

  • mavericksmom
    mavericksmom Member Posts: 1,275

    I can't help but feel sad for all those who had their homes demolished or horribly damaged due to the hurricane, and those trying to cope with the enormous loss on Maui. My roof repair is nothing compared to those!

    Chris, you are lucky to have businesses you can safely bike to. I have some close enough to walk or bike to, not many, but would need to cross dangerous roads to get to them, so I will continue to drive.

    Cool and gorgeous today! Unfortunately, this beautiful fall like weather is being replaced by mid to upper 90's and humid starting tomorrow afternoon! UGH!

    College football is back so we will be watching all the televised MSU and PSU games as well as Philadelphia Eagles and Phillies baseball. GK's will be starting their soccer games and other activities soon.

    I hope everyone has a great day/weekend!

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Member Posts: 38,861

    Intimacy does not mean that both people are perfect.  It doesn't
    even mean that one person is perfect.  It means that two people
    understand that we are all wounded and we are all here to be
    healed.  The key to empowerment in any area is understanding
    its purpose, and the purpose of intimacy is healing.

    Marianne Williamson

  • mcbaker
    mcbaker Member Posts: 1,833

    Yes, MM. Downtown is four blocks away, the nearest grocery store is about seven (through a park), but I have to time my trips over there, because the route does cross a busy highway. I am getting ready to go over to the gym, but first I have to water the potted plants. I want them healthy before I transplant them to the flower garden I am trying to establish.

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Member Posts: 38,861
    edited September 2023

    I don't have anything all that close to me here but that is because I chose to live at the lake. Still, I can and do make a circuit once or twice a month to drop off payments to various places and save postage. I would happily mail but mail is now a bit more un-reliable and a lot costlier. Un-fortunately, the price keeps having to go up.

    We are in fact though, down to Walmart Supercenter and one other grocery store. Thankfully some choice then along with a slew of Dollar General stores. They are good especially for the Sr. crowd that don't want to have to venture into the bigger stores anymore. So far I go to the bigger stores and hope to be able to keep doing it for a long time to come. I do find Dollar General great for when I'm ready to make something and discover I don't have something I need. Pretty handy to jump in the car, drive three blocks and get the item quickly. Hardly have to bother turning off the stove.

    Nothing special today. We are much warmer today so apparently, we are going back to needing a/c operating. It has been nice the last four or so days when we haven't heard it run. I have warmer pj's and even had to toss a second thin blanket on my bed. Well, it was nice.

    Hope you all have a good day.

  • cardplayer
    cardplayer Member Posts: 2,051

    Have you been diagnosed with osteoporosis Petite? Or are you waiting for the results of the scan?

    We’re lucky to have a Costco, 2 Walmarts (with grocery), 2 Targets and about 5 Martins (which are owned by PA Giant). We do our bulk shopping at Costco and I drop off my HA to be cleaned while we shop. We have a nice pedestrian mall in the downtown area that’s about 4 blocks long. Mostly locally owned shops and restaurants. We do have a shopping mall, but it’s lost many of the retail shops. Belks and Penney’s are the big stores.

    Enjoyed some college football games earlier today and now we’re watching a baseball game. Will do the same thing again tomorrow. We’ve had cool mornings, but then it warms up quickly.

    Have a nice evening.

  • harley07
    harley07 Member Posts: 353

    Petite - relieved to hear you are OK.

    Chris - that solar powered trike is a sweet ride. I did not know this technology was possible on a bike. I love that you are close enough to shops to ride rather than take a car. I enjoy bike riding and can easily ride the few miles to the store however, it would involve riding along very busy roads with a 55 mph speed limit and no bike lane. Not doing that. So, I use the car for errands and keep the bike riding to neighborhood streets and bike paths.

    Carole - have a fabulous trip to Ireland and Scotland. We were in Ireland a year ago at this time and it was lovely. Our 10 day trip took us from Dublin to Galway/Aran Islands to Dingle to Kilkenny and back to Dublin. We rented a car for most of the trip which allowed us the freedom to go where we wanted, however, driving on the left on the narrow country lanes was quite the adventure.

    Cardplayer - sorry to hear about the carotid artery blockage. Will the statin clear the blockage? Or just keep it stable?

    DH has off on Thursdays so we drove to a favorite state park about 90 minutes away for a nice hike. The weather was perfect and the dirt trail is easier on my joints than a paved path. An added bonus is that the park has very few visitors mid week - a perk of being retired.

    We are heading into a run of 90 degree days so I plan to mostly stay indoors and hang out in our pool. Have a great week!

  • mcbaker
    mcbaker Member Posts: 1,833

    I am lucky to live in an area with many Amish, so we have "Amish lanes" on many rural roads.

  • petite1
    petite1 Member Posts: 2,286

    I went out with some friends and did go by some of the flooded area. 3 waterfront restaurants were open and busy. They have been through No name in 1993 and Hermine in 2016. I guess they know what to do. People's homes and belongings is a different story, but a lot of them have survived many floods. I am still amazed.

    I was diagnosed the osteopenia a few years ago. That's when I started on Prolia.

  • claireinaz
    claireinaz Member Posts: 710
    edited September 2023

    Hi everyone and happy Sunday-

    I hope everyone is having a good weekend. It's nice to come here and see how we all are.

    I got the cytology results from my urology NP. I knew it would probably be okay when I finally made time and prepared myself to listen to the voice mail and saw it was from the medical assistant asking me to call her for lab results. I didn't feel that a medical assistant would call to share if there were cancer cells in a urinalysis if it was positive, so yes, it was negative. I'll go forward the the cytoscopy in Oct to get a look at the bladder wall. I'm absolutely not feeling good about the CT he wants to do to "get a closer look at bladder and ureter". I've had, already, 3 CTs in the past 16 months. Since I've already been radiated for bc, and since I was radiated by the US government when I was 3 due to above ground nuclear fallout in '62, I think 3 in less than 2 years is too much unless it's completely warranted. I read an interesting article in Harvard Med Jour. that said one CT of the pelvis and abdomen is equal to 7 years of normal radiation (like from the sun). Add in contrast and it pushes it up to 20 times. I've had 3 abdomenal CTs with contrast in 16 months. The article also discussed the harm that over-tx and over-scanning are doing to us as Americans.

    I hope all our west coast Florida members are okay—perhaps a bruise but nothing more. I love seeing the photos everyone has posted, truly. They make me want to travel and plan our much delayed because of Covid trip to Provence and London.

    Well, the only traveling I'm doing right now is in my head, but I think I'll go out and walk before it rains-it's a beautiful No. AZ day and quiet because it's only 7 a.m. here. Happy Labor Day weekend!

    “The Labor Movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Member Posts: 38,861

    Chances for heroic giving are rare, yet every day there are opportunities to give a part of yourself to someone who needs it. It may be no more than a kind word or a letter written at the right time. The important thing about any gift is the amount of yourself you put into it. Arline Boucher and John Tehan

  • illinoislady
    illinoislady Member Posts: 38,861

    Chris, good to hear you have a little safer space to be on your bike than many. It is/can be such great exercise as well as good to the environment. Tippy gets some good out of it too.

    People are amazing as o how well they can often bounce back from the ravages of nature's events. Tornado's, hurricanes, earthquakes. Florida seems to have gotten quite a share lately of negative events. Hope it all goes okay, but still concerning about insurance and other things like that. Seems to be a problem in Fla. now.

    Good to hear from you claireinaz. Also great that your recent test results were basically normal. Sadly, I think you're right. There is over-testing of some, but maybe hard to find the line between making sure you are okay as opposed to just risking that you are. Hopefully, if a Dr. wants testing we can discuss pros and cons together for a decision.

    Nothing much today either. I've been a wee bit on the sluggish side. I think I'm already responding to the warmer temps. At least so far it is not too muggy so that is a big help in doing some things out of doors.

    Hope you all have a really good weekend for the rest of it.

  • cindyny
    cindyny Member Posts: 1,302

    Harley my area in NY isn’t truly bike friendly, although plenty do ride. Short distances hit highways left and right. FL home has a bike path just outside our gates and we do ride it. And I zoom through my neighborhood, which I miss while in NY (upstate suburb of Albany). Chris, you’re fortunate with those Amish lanes! If I so desired I could by a bike rack to drive somewhere to bike, but I haven’t.

    Petite, neighbors helping neighbors during a crisis is what gets people through. The piles of belongings etc at the curb breaks your heart. Fort Myers had “mountains” of debris piled up. Hauling trucks from all over came, now that I think of it there might be a traveling business - big black hauling trucks w TX license plates. I’m hoping your height loss of 2” is someone’s error and truly not bone loss.

    Claire, good news on your cytology report. Radiation amounts to me in the past month include 4 CT scans; 2 with contrast. I’ve had more radiation this past month than I’ve had in the previous 6 years, tossing in BC rads. CT’s were heart, floor of the mouth, cervical neck, and chest. So I hear you!

    Weather seems to be similar based on statements. We’ve slept with the windows open and blankets on for so long now; I don’t ever remember an August where that was possible. Yesterday was warm, night was cool. By midweek it should be 90’s in the day, 70 at night. The kids go back to school Thursday at 90, we’ve always said Indian summer- even if it’s truly not the definition.

    We’re heading to a lake for the end of season Ring of Fire - bonfires along the beach shores. Always fun. We’ll be going in shorts, bringing bathing suits, but also jeans and sweatshirts. Cools off fast once the sun goes down. Enjoy your day!

  • mavericksmom
    mavericksmom Member Posts: 1,275

    Petite, I too hope the 2" was a mistake.

    Cardplayer, sorry to hear about the carotid artery blockage. Going back on the statin isn't the worst, unless you didn't feel well on it. I think it needs to be 70% or more to require surgery, so hopefully statins will keep you where you need to be. My DH had surgery on his carotid arteries a number of years ago and is going for a routine US this month.

    Getting hot here too. I too will stay indoors most of the day.

    clairinaz, woohoo on the cytology report!!! My sister acquired MDS from the radiation for her breast cancer and non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Ironically, she survived both of those but passed away from the MDS. I was told by her MD Anderson doctors, that due to all the radiation I had, that I am at high risk of MDS too. I just think "add it to the list!" I am more than ready for my couple of months with no doctor visits/medical tests to begin. Will need to wait until after first two weeks of October. That said, I am over-due for a cystoscopy too. I got a notice from my urologist in early spring to schedule one, but was still recovering from my exchange surgery and issues from that. I will call and make an appointment this coming week. Hope to fit it in before mid-October so I can keep my "no tests" and no medical appointments, time-out!

    Cindy, biking in your FL neighborhood sounds wonderful!

  • cardplayer
    cardplayer Member Posts: 2,051

    Happy Sunday! Was rather surprised this morning that my car wouldn’t start. We replaced the battery in Feb 2021, so it’s still under warranty. DH will call the garage we go to tomorrow to see if they’re open. If so, we’ll call GEICO to come get the car started. At least I hope it’s the battery and not the alternator.

    Harley - they have me on atorvastatin to help reduce the risk of stroke. My blockage is at 50%. I eat a low fat diet, have low blood pressure and cholesterol and walk 2 miles every day. They’ll check it every 2 years.

    I didn’t have any issues (no side effects or drug interactions) with the statin Mavericksmom. I just hated adding another medication to my list.

    Glad you’re able to take advantage of the Amish roads around you Chris. No bike trails on our main roads, but we do see people biking. We see the occasional three wheelers in the neighborhood, mostly ridden by seniors and always electric. We have quite a few hills.

    Carole - I will be watching LSU vs FSU tonight. I think that’s the best game all weekend. Seems most of the other ranked teams are playing pretty easy opponents. Safe travels back to LA and then to Ireland.

    Claire - glad you got back good test results.

    End of the season Ring of Fire sounds fun Cindy. Enjoy.

    Enjoy your afternoon.

  • betrayal
    betrayal Member Posts: 2,785

    Yesterday I dug up and transplanted some ferns from an overcrowded bed to the bed I just finished weeding. I will transplant more before I mulch this bed. I think I had about 15 to transplant of 2 different varieties and I am trying to create a more woodlands theme in this area since it abuts the woods. Sent DH to purchase some bags of mulch and will send him back for more on Tuesday. Weather permitting I will dig up and transplant some more ferns tomorrow. Once done, I will mulch this bed but think it will require about 15-20 bags to cover. He wanted me to hire someone to do this but they aren't necessarily careful around plants versus bushes so I will do it. I enjoy mulching anyhow. I can get DH and DSIL to drag the bags to the place I need them.

    I thought it was going to be very hot today so I decided to work on CEU's I need to renew my nursing license. I have to complete 30 hours every 2 years and this will most likely be the last time I renew before I switch to inactive status. I was awaiting notice from the state that I can apply for license and they usually do this about 2 months before license expires. I had done some of the ceu reading but not the online exams and it doesn't pay to do them in advance. So far I have taken 3 of the exams for a total of 9 of 30 hours. I'll knock out about 20 of the hours (exams) by end of today. I want to finish by Tuesday and do review the material I have read before each exam. The child abuse one is the most important and state mandated, so that is done and I have the certificate of completion.

    DD is making potato salad for tomorrow, I'll make some cole slaw and pickled cucumbers (love to make sandwiches with these). So tomorrow's menu is burgers and hot dogs plus all the fixings.

    Today will most likely be takeout since we had a "clear the refrigerator" meal last night. We have been able to eat outside on the patio with the lovely weather we had lately. DH says today is passable.

    I have concerns about CT scans as well since I had so many when I was going through radiation for BC. I have since had one for abdomen with contrast when I was concerned about potential spread of serrated sessile adenoma of my appendix. I could not get RO to tell me how many Grays are related to CT's. Will not consent to another unless absolutely necessary. I feel like I could glow in the dark from all the radiation exposures I have had.

    A lot of today's testing by physician's may be based on CYA work-ups for fear they will miss something that could be litigious.

    Hope everyone has a great day and a very nice end of summer holiday. I know it is not the calendar end of summer but the same goes for Memorial Day being the beginning of summer. Nice that I no longer have to report to work and I feel for my former colleagues who started over 2 weeks ago (first week meetings) and will not get another holiday (3 day weekend) until Thanksgiving. Most colleges do not observe Columbus Day and Election day is midweek. Also do not miss those 4:30 AM awakenings on Mondays for clinical day. There are some great advantages to being retired.

    Have a good one.

  • 1946taco
    1946taco Member Posts: 290

    Looks like it's been longer than I realized since I've been here and loved hearing all the news. Puffin, the pictures are great. Do you have a special camera or is your phone that good?

    Chris, the solar bike does sound interesting. Good for you! If you still plan on moving, why not wait to do the new bank until then?

    Glad to hear all is well Petite. I am imagine introducing new people and pets in the midst of a hurricane could be dicy.

    We always had cats and a dog when the kids were growing up and I can't remember any problems. Mutz has stayed with a pet sitter who has both a cat and a dog and did fine. He and the cat were standing at the door when we pulled up

    Even though I didn't teach too many years, I too think of Sept. as the start of a new year. Here, our snowbirds start to return and more activities are available. At the golf course, things really pick up in November, after overseeing, which shuts down the course for several weeks.

    We leave for our DD in Freeport, ME on Sat. Really looking forward to it. Will also get to see DS and BIL. They have a summer home about 45 miles north of Debbie's. Unfortunately, we come back to our fall round of doctor's visits. Ken has 4 in 2 weeks.

    The amount of diagnostic testing certainly can be a problem and a dilemma. I'm so grateful for my early diagnosis of BC but also appreciate the risks of overtesting, especially when radiation is involved.

    I've been thinking about Karen too. Hope someone will find out something.

    Love the MLK quote although I don't remember who posted it.

    Marge