Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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Harley, I have rejected well visits and it never affected my Medicare Advantage insurance. They can't force you to have that done. I can see where it could be very helpful for many people, same with House Calls, which I also won't have, but I feel perfectly capable to manage my own health and I see so many specialists, that I don't think anything would "slip through the cracks!'
I think things will go better for me as far as doctors are concerned, as I go back to a more normal doctor visit schedule. I am still feeling the effects of a year of weekly doctor visits due to breast cancer. It will be one year since my third diagnosis and second mastectomy, on Oct 12th. The first year after major surgery is always the worst. I am hopeful that I have seen the last of breast cancer!
Harley, I am also sorry to hear about the man at the food pantry. Awesome that the coordinator asked him if he could volunteer! I don't think there was a better way to deal with someone like that! My sister worked at our local pantry and had difficult people once in a while. It is kind of the norm with any job involving the public.
Continued thoughts and prayers for Karen and family, and all those affected by the terrorism and war in Israel! Another sad reminder for me to appreciate what I have and all that I take for granted!
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Life is made up of a series of challenges designed to bring us to fullness of growth. Meeting them with hope in the future is the real test of the spiritual person.
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Sun is out (thank goodness we have stayed dry last few days) but it will remain on the cool side. That is okay with me. I'm going to start thinning the summerish clothes in favor of long sleeve and lighter fleece variety. I'll leave enough for any surprise warmer days, but I really do have to accept those brown falling leaves and mums everywhere.
Harley, while anyone can have a bad day I was a bit dismayed by your story. It will always remain a bit odd to me when those seeking hand-outs of love and help make such a pathetic scene about it as though they are being 'wronged' in some way.
It is also true that generally only retirees and Srs. have the real time to donate to projects like yours. I would tend to look a bit on the other side of how that 'youngish' man felt. I don't want some person throwing a donation at me and hurrying me along all the while presenting a rather cold distant manner and looking towards the next person in line. I believe it often takes a bit of courage for some people to ask for and accept help and when a volunteer takes the time to make the experience more palatable and with a recognition of worth, how wonderful. I'm sorry you have to deal with the un-grateful who have forgotten how to cherish kindness and help. One wonders what happened in that person's life to make such bitterness appear while in a "help" line. Sad indeed.
Was able to visit a bit with my friend yesterday. She had gone over to look at a house to move to and she is thinking she will take it. The huge house she and her daughter are in is just too big and her SIL who actually owns it seems to be pushing for her to do something. Odd because I think it will be on the market a long time but worse, I hate that she is feeling rushed as Dr, B has not been gone that long. I guess he (SIL) wants to get the house listed since it will be very expensive and likely take a long, long time to sell. I just don't like all this as I don't think someone who is having to grieve the loss of their husband needs to be bothered by people looking at the home, she and Dr. B shared from the day it was built over more than 20 yrs. ago. Fact is, I don't think Dr. B would really be that happy that Jo was being pressured almost immediately after his funeral, even if it is his son. I hope it works out well for Jo and I will certainly try to help all I can for it to be a success.
Happy Birthday today to your GD betrayal. Hope it is highly enjoyable for all.
(((((((Hugs, Karen))))))).
I hope you all have a great Sunday.
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Betrayal - glad to hear DGS was discharged. I hope that he’s doing well and that DGD birthday party was fun for the family.
Sorry to hear about your experience at the food pantry Harley. Hopefully the young man was just having an off day; maybe he will return a volunteer.
I hope that you’re feeling better Mavericksmom. Hopefully you’ll have a better week coming up.I hope your blood pressure is back to normal Illinois and that you’re feeling better. Glad that you were able to get out to visit your friend.
Karen - thinking of your family in Israel. I hope that they are safe.
Spent the day with family today. My niece, her husband and my great nephew are visiting from Germany. My DD hosted the family at her home for lunch. My DGD and great nephew are 6 months apart in age, but he’s weighs a little more than her and is in the same size clothes. They were cute playing next to each other. It was good to see my niece and her husband and other family members too.
Hope everyone is doing well. Have a nice evening.1 -
DGD's party was fun for her since she received nice presents and loved each of them. She got a Ken and Barbie doll like the movie figures from her other GP and another doll from her parents. I don't do dolls for her anymore though I am trying to find a doll hospital to rehab my Saucy Walker for her. She needs her eyes calibrated and to be restrung since she is 50+ years old. I found some dresses, crinolines and undies for her from Etsy and they are beautiful. She is in her original dress but it is well-worn and stained after all these years. She had an M&M DQ ice cream cake which was really good. A nice day.
DGS is still experiencing abdominal pain and is on a bland diet. This meant no pizza and he insisted he have a small piece of the ice cream cake (BTW DQ is non-dairy) and paid the price when his stomach rebelled. He is on anti-gas meds so erupting from both ends as a result. He is cleared to return to school tomorrow but DDIL wants to keep him out one more day.
Cardplayer, babies at that age do what is termed collateral play as you saw. Fun to watch them though. Seems like you had a nice family visit.
Karen hope your DD and family are safe and out of harms way. Must be difficult to be so far from them at times like this.
Illinoislady, so glad you were able to spend time with your friend, Jo. This is a tough time for her and to be uprooted like this makes it even harder. I take it that she is not the SIL's mother?
Harley, I guess we all ask why people act like this and then I think we need to remind ourselves that we never know what kind of day that person is experiencing. Sometimes others use the coping mechanism of displacement to shift their discomfort on others or he may have just been an a**hole. Tough to make that decision when it happens. Maybe he'll come back and apologize if it was the former and not the latter. You did defuse it and might find some humor in it in the future.
Got my flu shot today and I have to say someone needs to educate pharmacists on the fine points of administering an intramuscular injection. The goal is to dart it in (hanging on to the syringe, not tossing it; darting refers to wrist action) and thus reduce discomfort. They seem to think the needle is a screw! Today was better than the last few but again more painful due to slowness of insertion. I took personal pride in the fact that I used to administer them and had people ask when I was going to do it, when I was already done. They should also use the non-dominant hand to spread the skin to ensure reaching the muscle and then using those fingers to stabilize the syringe. Those syringe needles are small gauge but sharp needles can do some serious damage if you jerk while it is in your arm. So I am UTD on all vaccines for 2023-24.
Tomorrow is packing day and making sure that I have a check list of last minute items that need to be added to suitcase or carry on bag like meds, bite guard, etc. DH will need help picking shirts to take and coordination of his wardrobe. Then I have to make sure Leo doesn't decide to crawl into the suitcase.
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Karen - joining the others in thinking of your family. Hope they are safe and you have heard from them.
Betrayal - have a wonderful trip.
I hope all of you who are struggling with health issues have a better week. This aging isn't for the faint of heart.
We had RSV before we went to Maine in Sept. I was fine and Ken had a sore arm for several days. Friday we had Covid and flu. Ken was fine and I had both a sore arm and a mild headache. Who knows. I think we are all caught up on shots now although CVS just sent me a text that I needed something else. Couldn't get to the site to see what it was.
Quiet weekend. My "almost granddaughter" came over this afternoon and washed our windows. Will do the inside later this week as this is her break week. She did a very good job - really organized and brought her own supplies. She's trying to earn extra money for Christmas gifts which I find very touching. I'll take her to skating tomorrow. With no grands of our own and our great nieces and nephew so far away, she has been a gift to me.
Have a good week everyone.
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Thanks for all your well wishes and concern. The situation in Israel is beyond horrific. My daughter was supposed to fly home on Tuesday the 10th but got an email today that her flight is canceled. She is rebooked on the 16th. A week is a long time so anything can happen with getting home. She knows that right now its safer here but it is also hard hearing everything long distance. A lot of her friends have been called up for reserved duty. Classes for the fall semester have been delayed for several days so getting home a week late won't be awful. She knows that her flight being canceled means it's not safe to fly. She just joked that she should take bets on when she can actually get home!!! Glad that she has a sense of humor.
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Karen, you must be counting the days. Hoping your daughter remains safe and will be home within the week.
I ran some errands this afternoon. It was cooler out and the sun felt good, but long pants and light fleece was required to be comfortable.
Football vying for airtime against baseball in our house today. I’ve finally gotten some winning picks this week.
I invited my niece & grandniece down for dinner. Always good hanging out with them and catching up. Last night was the home coming dance, and she went with her first boyfriend. Lots of smiling and dimples showing as she told me about her night. They grow up so fast.
Our temperatures have dropped and this whole upcoming week has rain predicted to some degree/percentage every day.
Hoping we all have a good week.
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(((Karen))), as soon as the news reports started, I thought of you and your family. I hope they are safe, nowhere near the reach of the missiles, and have access to underground shelters. And I hope you can find hope and calm—but don't feel you have to check in with us here. Thoughts, prayers and hugs. Our former rabbi, who started a Reform shul in Modi'in, was supposed to lead our service this coming Friday night, but that's likely not going to happen (unless he's already Stateside).
As to the "eat less, move more, have a calorie deficit" weight loss advice, it's not that simple. The "move more" part is not the problem. It's the "eat less" part, because not all macronutrients (i.e., fat, carbs, protein, fiber) are processed, burned or stored the same way—how that happens will determine if the calories one eats will be burned, converted to glycogen for muscles to use, or converted to fat for storage. 200 calories of steak will not be processed the same way as 200 calories of donuts, cheese, strawberries or ice cream. We're not talking 1970s-era Stillman (only meat, no veg or fruit, 8 glasses of water) or original Atkins (all the bacon, a iceberg lettuce, steak, butter you care to eat). For nearly 20 years now, respected physicians, scientists & science writers (David Ludwig, Gary Taubes, Mark Hyman, Jason Fung, Marion Nestle, et al) have agreed that avoiding added sugars and refined starches, plus eating adequate complete protein/healthy fats/fiber is the key to weight loss and maintenance of that loss. But registered dietitians (there are NO licensing nor standards for "nutritionists") are all taught the same stuff in college as was taught back in the 1950s. My health system's weight mgmt. program is part of the Cardiology dept.—and they use a very low-carb (only a few fruits are allowed, and some veggies are extremely limited or banned) protein-fat-fiber-centric diet for loss and a low-carb version of Mediterranean for maintenance.
Both Bob and my late great PCP (Bob's Chief Resident and best diagnostician I ever encountered) considered Medicare's "Annual Wellness Visits" to be pure b.s. They fulfill the requirements by asking about smoking, drinking and hazards around the house—often by phone even pre-pandemic. My current PCP requires them as a way to ensure you see him; my most recent visit resulted in getting an open-ended PT referral and given a Prevnar 20 shot (previously thought unnecessary if you'd gotten Prevnar 13 and were current on Pneumovax). As to arm reactions from shots, technique is everything! The worst arm reactions I got were from having Prevnar 13 in one arm and my flu shot in the other (before my lumpectomy)—I went to a reception afterward and on the train home, I felt both arms stiffen and hurt so much I couldn't even raise them halfway. A close second was the RSV shot in late August: my neighborhood Walgreens had a newbie tech administer it; he didn't spread my skin to find the deltoid's "sweet spot" and it was a literal "jab" (not in the COVID-denier slang sense). It was too low on the muscle—hurt like hell going in, and my arm & fingers still tingle. I barely felt the flu (given by the NP at Immediate Care) and new COVID (given by an experienced NP at a different Walgreens) shots—and my arm didn't get very sore at all. Bob used to bring our flu shots home from the office, before pharmacies began giving them—he has great technique. Wish he could do my venipunctures for blood draws & IVs too.
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Anyway, back to the back half of the Vegas trip. The new room was not only pristine, but its couch was supportive (Bob threw his back out falling asleep watching football on the slouchy-couch in the first room, and had trouble getting up & out of it). Same view. But walking was a chore, not just because of the pain. Intermittent sidewalk closures caused pedestrian traffic jams, and having to search for elevators to reach the street-crossing skybridges because escalators were broken was a chore. Last time I was there (only 4 years ago), I could walk the length of the Strip in under an hour. This time it took that long to go a few blocks. (And back then, nobody was smoking weed on the streets).
Bob lost $700—he'd budgeted $1200, as he always had. He used to win big, playing Baccarat & roulette. But this time the lines for the table games were insanely long, so he was stuck doing slots & video poker. And the casinos have gotten tighter and tighter since tourism came roaring back post-pandemic. And all the B'way shows (albeit abridged) are gone—nothing left but expensive (and sold-out) weekend superstar residencies, magicians, ventriloquists, has-been singers & comics, and Cirque (every iteration of which we've already seen). Yawn. At least the food is great…if you know where to go and are willing to pay for it.
Then came the flight home. We'd sprung for SW's Business Select—not so much for the free drink (used to be two), but being at the head of the "A" boarding group in order to have first crack at seats & overheads. Thought we'd hit the jackpot—A1 & A2!—but when the time came to line up, we couldn't—there were a dozen wheelchair passengers congregating to pre-board…and then another 10 or so on foot (all able-bodied, half our age, no mobility aids whatsoever). Pre-board was always supposed to be "for those who need a little extra time getting down the jetway." B.S.—they sauntered down just fine. We found out why they requested pre-boarding: they'd been on a "girls' trip" and "needed" to sit together! (And here I was being a good sport and not requesting the wheelchair I actually should have asked for—hobbling with my cane, no less—because I thought they should be saved for the elderly or truly disabled). What made it even worse was that we had to stand for 20 minutes—because airport policy was that every chair had to be pushed not by the companion accompanying the passenger (who also got dibs on seats & overheads) but an airport employee, of which there were only two available. My feet hurt, but I at least had my cane to lean on—Bob's back and knees were killing him. And then when we took our aisle seats behind each other, Bob had to get up numerous times because the other passengers in his row kept going to the bathroom. (I held it in till I could stand it no longer—and then as I unbuckled my seatbelt we hit turbulence). Poor Bob, 6'3" with very long legs and no longer svelte, had a brutal time pushing himself up out of his seat and then trying to get back into it without injury.
At least the guy who took the middle seat next to me had no "personal items," so he let me use his floor space for my tote. (Dirty little secret—not only do middle-seaters get both armrests, they also have the widest underseat space at their feet). Our bags were waiting on the carousel for us, and we got a cab right away. Except the cabdriver didn't know the North Side, and the entire ride he was chattering away on his phone…talking with his hands, no less. At least for an extra $5 he was willing to carry our bags to the porch. It was cool & rainy when we arrived—apparently, the whole time we were gone, Chicago was warmer and less windy than Vegas.
I was so cold going up to Madison Fri. night that I actually wore gloves outdoors. I panicked halfway home when I realized my phone was still on airplane-mode (so as not to make my Apple Watch buzz my wrist while playing guitar) and I couldn't reach Bob to tell him to turn on the heat. I had to pull over to an "Accident Investigation Site" (the first two of which were hogged by semis, apparently with sleeping drivers because there were no more rest areas till Chicago) to turn my phone on so I could call home and get Bob to turn the thermostat to "heat."
My bruises are getting easier to cover up with just a foundation stick. (Now that I've spent a fortune on color correctors, concealers, and brushes).
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My daughter has been in Denver for almost 4 weeks. She came for the holidays and spent one week in Toronto to see her sister and meet her niece. Getting home means back to Israel. Will enjoy her the extra 6 days. We have so many friends with kids in the IDF and her friends who have been called up. The whole situation is horrific. Thanks for all your concern. It is appreciated.
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Thank someone for something. Go out of your way today to acknowledge the generosity of a person you know. It doesn’t matter if you have known this man or woman your entire life, or have just met him or her and don’t know if you will ever see the person again. Thanking them for a service rendered, or a favor given, or for help of some kind will enlarge your personal community to include yet another person. Thanking someone builds community as well as friendship. It makes even the most insignificant encounters, like a stranger holding the door for you at the deli, all the more meaningful. It’s a way for two people who will probably never know each other’s names to connect, even for a moment. -Alan Epstein
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Karen, so good to hear you will have extra time with your daughter. Would be nice if things could get a bit more stable before your daughter goes home, but this has all been such a shock. Won't resolve overnight. Glad we have Pres. Biden at the helm.
It remains sunny but mostly cool. Not too bad as we always have both light and heavy fleece to wear and in the very early hrs. can layer if need be. I was going to start reworking closet yesterday but didn't get to it. Something else to add to my little list of things that should have been done but can wait yet for a while.
I hope Carole is enjoying her trip. Will be nice to hear when she gets back.
Chris, hope you and Tippy are doing okay. Hope the weather changes don't upset your recent surgery too much.
Hope everyone with issues will find them all a bit smoother and easier.
As to diet, my nutritionist stressed not so much (although important to be sure ) being too concerned about wt. loss, but slowly changing eating habits into a heathier all over style which meant considering calories and how to burn them efficiently. Definitely calories from ANY food are going to be different so some restraint and balance are very necessary. Her idea though was too much deprivation technique could get you into a real pig out. Better to have a little bit of something not so good now and then, then trying to avoid it too long.
She also recognized that most of us have something of a set wt. She (after a long time) was able to lose an extra ten pounds but spent the next yr. just not feeling all that good. Once she put that ten lbs. back, she was happy and satisfied and felt good about herself again and more importantly she felt much better health-wise. So all the charts and numbers don't mean a lot if you don't FEEL well at a certain wt. It is all a bit of a balancing act but does not have to be too difficult. Just have to be in tune with yourself.
I hope you all have a really good day.
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Weight, when I was in my “gym rat” stage I was down to 152 full of muscle and looked good. But I had to fight to stay at that weight. One day talking with my trainer he said if I’m not enjoying life, because everyday was focused on not eating this or that, it’s ok to not be fighting an extra pound or two. It ended up 5 pounds and but I was quite comfortable and enjoyed not stressing over food intake. We each find our balance. (I’m way over now, but that’s another story.)
Karen I apologize, I thought your daughter was there when the attack took place. Glad you had the comfort of knowing she was safe
Last night just as I was closing my eyes at 2:30 AM a smoke detector started beeping. I ran down the stairs to find my partner trying to take it off the wall. I pulled over a chair and we got it down. It’s one of those sealed type, it’s supposed to be good for 10 years. Date on it says 5/15/2025. It started beeping again, so on the back is a spot you peel the paper and turn a slot to turn it off permanently. I tried to turn it with my fingernail and promptly smashed & split my nail. I had to grab a screwdriver. Then file my nail down to the quick. WHY is it the always seem to go off in the middle of the night?!?
It’s only 57, with gray clouds moving in. I’m zero motivated to do much today. I may put heat on to get rid of the chill. On my “to do” list is buy a new smoke detector, so I’ll get out soon.
Hoping everyone is enjoying the day.
PS - Kitchen Aid stand mixer is on sale for $279.99 at Target, today only.
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View from the cabin we rented.
Water fall - Rock City
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petite - good to hear from you. The pictures are stunning. Where is this?
Karen - (((hugs))) and prayers for your daughter’s safe return to Israel.
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Petite, love the pictures! They put my "mind" on vacation, thanks so much for sharing.
Karen, I too was confused thinking your DD was in Israel now. Thanks for explaining.
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Petite, beautiful photos. Nice change of scenery for you.
I changed out the smoke detector. Of course I had to change the wall base too. Old one was different from the new one.
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Petite1: Lovely pictures and I hope you are having a good time. Always nice to get away.
I am in the process of packing and it took the better part of the day much to my chagrin. I have not had to pack like this in awhile. We had laundry on the cruise so this packing is somewhat different but we have to adhere to the weight limit, so a real challenge. I have my outfits and jewelry coordinated, need to decide on shoes beyond my sneakers, have toiletries packed and meds sorted and packed. Need to add raincoat so will dig that our while I am thinking of it. The end is in sight though. My carryon still needs a few items added but it has my crossword puzzles, paper backs, meds and jewelry already just needs items I will add on Thursday morning.
Cindyny, it seems smoke alarms only beep in the middle of the night and it took me awhile to determine it was one my DH had placed on top the armoire so out of my sight and reach.
I am going to rant here because I ordered a pair of sneakers on Nikes online on the release date (9/26) and received an email billing me and telling me that the order was leaving the warehouse on 9/27 with ETA 10/4. These were ones that DGS really wanted and were not available except online so I waited until I could place the order. It was being shipped via Fedex (the worst in my estimation). I was unable to track the shipment so called them and received the news they were no longer available in the warehouse. If they knew this why didn't they notify me and set my refund in motion? I talked to 2 reps and got nowhere so I asked why they couldn't tell me, refund my money in the interim, etc. I will never buy from NIKE again. What a rip off and poor business model. My refund will show up in 7-10 days. I am so annoyed with this company and personally I don't like their shoes but DGS does. So his parents will have to buy them for him in the future. I did find another source, for more money of course, and placed an order which should arrive later this week. Hopefully this company is more legit than NIKE itself. Rant over.
Have PCP appointment tomorrow, PT in afternoon and then need to help DH pack his bag. I don't do it, just screen what he's attempting to pack.
Thursday morning the insulation installers are coming and we still have a few items that need to be moved. It's just shifting them from one spot to another.
Need to bring hummingbird feeder in and clean it for storage. I will miss seeing it everyday and doing battle with competitors.
Hope everyone had a good day and hope the same for tomorrow.
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Petite - beautiful scenary
Betrayal - safe travels
The latest update regarding my daughter - a response to friends - We are doing okay. Miriam has been in Denver since just before Rosh Hashanna. Between Rosh Hashanna and Yom Kippur she went to Toronto to see her sister and meet her niece and has been back in Denver since. She was supposed to fly back to Israel tomorrow but her flight was cancelled so she rebooked for next Monday on Delta. Well Delta has cancelled all flights through October 31st. So she just book a flight to go back to Israel on El-Al next Tuesday. Right now Craig and I are okay. Once she goes back we'll see how we do - it will depend on the situation. But right now it's horrific. Many of her friends in the IDF reserves have been called up.
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We should so live and labor in our time that what came to us as seed may go to the next generation as blossom, and what came to us as blossom, may go to them as fruit. This is what we mean by progress.
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More sun today but still cool. We interviewed a tree service yesterday and will use them. Hopefully, by the end of the week we will have one tree gone and several others with dead limbs with those limbs taken out. Ther estimate was $1800.00 which we think is quite fair. This company has the men and the equipment to do the job properly and safely for all concerned. The one tree that actually is leaning over the house threateningly they will have to use a crane on because trying to rope the tree down would cause too many falling pieces on the roof.
Mr. Burr, the owner of the company passed away a few months ago. He was a great guy with a handlebar moustache, and so interesting to talk too. He invested in his company and had not only highly experienced men (some family) but top-notch equipment. They leave your yard cleaner than it was when they arrived so there is nothing for the homeowner to do but pay the bill. One of the things Mr. Burr always did was that when it was lunchtime, he took all of his men to a good restaurant and paid for their meals. He knew how hard they needed to work and the amt. of decent fuel too. No bologna sandwiches in a bag (not that bologna sandwiches are sooo bad) but he just wanted his crew to have lasting stamina.
We did check out some other services, but they cost as much or more, so we felt like we were better off with the Burr Tree Service people. I'll be relieved when the tree is gone. We have been here in the house for 20 yrs. so it is time. As to the rest — I'll be glad to see those trees taken care of as well, but more so the one that leans over our roof directly. Living in the woods surrounded by trees has some risks, but we have always been willing to try and work with them, not against them.
Karen, you are being very pragmatic but as you say, things will feel different once your daughter is able to actually fly back home. My thoughts and prayers are with her and you. It is going to be daunting I think and as much so because we are in flux here.
Betrayal, you have good reason to rant. It is one of the major reasons I don't purchase much on line much. One would think purchasing directly from the company one would get better service. Guess they are not hurting for customers since they are so cavalier.
Thinking of all ( Chris, Puffin, Carole) and any who've yet to post and hoping you have a really good day.
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Illinoislady: That seems like a great price to me for your tree removal and limb removal on others. This is from someone who has spent a small fortune on tree removal in the past. Like you, we wanted to avoid ever having house damage again due to trees falling. Better safe than sorry. DH has been picking up black walnuts from our lawn and so far has filled 4 Home Depot buckets that he then dumps in the woods for the squirrels. We do have several black walnuts including the one that drops them on the roof and it sounds like a bomb hitting the roof.
Warning: RANT. After talking to 2 Nike reps and finally obtaining a refund for the sneakers I purchased that they never sent to Fedex for shipping, I receive an apology email from the company. What set me off was the phrase "sorry about the hiccup" with the sneakers. It was not a hiccup, it was fraud since they sold me a product they did not have in their warehouse, blamed it on Fedex, kept my money for nearly 2 weeks and me dangling thinking they were coming. I did learn they are out of stock with no plans on reissuing this sneaker, too.
If I hadn't called I am sure they would still have left me in the dark. So I responded because their parting shot was "if I ever receive the sneakers, I need to notify them so they can rebill me". I told her she must believe in either the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy if she thinks I will ever receive those sneakers and since I am reality based I don't believe in either and know I will never get them directly from Nike. I do think they should have notified me that they were unable to fulfill my order and would issue a refund ASAP. Nope, I had to do the work and my DGS has been hoping for them. I did manage to find another source, of course for more money but not a total ripoff. I ordered them and they had free shipping and in PA we have no tax on clothes, so tax-free. They will most likely arrive while we are away but DD and DSIL will be here and can let us know if the package arrived.
Carol, I hope your trip was wonderful and you have lots of photos to share.
Karen, I am glad your daughter was not in Israel at the time of the attack but have concerns about her returning now. I realize not my daughter and not my concern, but I am also a mother to explain my trepidations. I will keep her in my thoughts.
Have one more day at PT and took them a cake today for PT Month. I stopped at the German bakery (my PT is of German stock) and she was thrilled. They do make great cakes and I was able to get it decorated with "Happy PT Month". The one girl has lovely script handwriting. Also got a cherry pie and a pumpkin bread with cream cheese icing. I already tried it and it was delicious. Keep missing out on the peach pies.
Sandy, glad the latter part of your Vegas trip was more tolerable. Sorry Bob is now having issues and that he didn't win at the slots. His limit is enormous compared to my $40 max and even then I consider my loss a charity donation if we are in an Indian owned casino.
Still have to finish packing on Thursday with those items you can't pack earlier but am pretty much squared away. Hope everyone had a great day. We have had intermittent showers and it remains in the 50's.
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Betrayal, it is a lot of money but they are going to do some fairly hard work on this. The tree that needs to come down is right next to the handrail going up to our deck. Also this tree is now leaning quite a lot over our house. It is quite tall and they have all the right equipment and Mr. Burr kept his workers educated and trained for their jobs. We could always get it done cheaper, but it has to be insured and as safe for all as possible while minimizing any damages to man or machines. They bring chipper/shredder along with bucket truck and crane. These are some very big trucks that will have to go over our hilly tree filled land and line up perfectly to be able to remove big limbs from the five or so trees other than the one they will take all the way down. The trees out here are old and have attained a huge amt. of ht. Our tree over the house is likely over 125 feet tall.
Also we were getting quoted this amt. from other services who do not have the Burr reputation and in some cases the equipment. Had one person who told us he had a Insurance certificate and would do it for a little over a thousand — he would be alone and it would take well over a week. Temping price wise but not at all safe as far as we were concerned.
We have walnut trees out here as well and they do hit the roof resoundingly to say the least. We originally moved into our house in Springtime and that made our first Fall here quite exciting. We have to move the cars usually in Fall to keep from getting dents from the walnuts. Found out the hard way of course.
Glad your GS is still able to look forward to the shoes he had hoped for. Our kids 50 yrs. ago were upset if they couldn't have a certain kind of shoe. I think something called Vans were the thing to have along with a few others that I've forgotten. Some things (fads) have long shelf lives.
Hope the packing (wt./ restrictions) work out okay.
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illinois, glad you are tackling the tree issue before it harms your house. I thought of you yesterday as I had my skin check at the dermatologist. She did three biopsies, one is just a scar, but the other two were moles she didn't like the looks of. I am not at all worried as I expect them to be benign tissue. Ironically the rash I was concerned about on my shoulder/back, was of no concern to her, she said probably eczema. "Probably?" I didn't go to hear "probably" but I was glad to be out the door a.s.a.p. so I didn't question. She offered medication, seemed surprised that I would refuse, but I have seen one too many commercials for eczema and thanks but no thanks. So she said, just moisturize.
This morning I go for my therapy for my ears/dizziness. I do not expect it to help at all, hope it doesn't make it worse, but I have no choice but to at least try. I am doing this more to be able to say truthfully to my doctors, that I did what they suggested. Again, I have little faith in doctors, so I expect nothing.
Betrayal, enjoy your trip!
Karen, continued thoughts of you, your family and all in Israel.
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Karen, I don’t know your daughter but I worry. Can only imagine your thoughts, but that’s her home and I think I’d want to get back to my home too.
Illinois, we had a scrawny but tall tree removed a few years back. It was about $350, with super easy access from our side street. Once they need the crane the costs add up. We have 3 giant pine trees that pretty much cut my yard in half, that I know would be a fortune if we had them taken out. All 3 seem healthy, and are a haven to many birds and squirrels.
Betrayal, I think I know the sneaker you speak of (but could be wrong). Grandniece wanted a pair for her birthday at end of August, and she’d wear them for school. High top, leather, white with black swoosh, about $125. I couldn’t find them locally and almost ordered from Nike too. Luckily for me, my sister had already purchased them. So rant on, I get it.
I received a call yesterday from my orthopedic office, re: selective nerve root block for my neck, C3-C4. They had a cancellation for Thursday and wanted to know if I wanted the appointment. YES, yes yes, I would take the appointment. So instead of waiting until 11/8, I’ll get it done tomorrow. I need to call after 1pm today for the time slot.
Not sure I’ve mentioned, I thought my appointment was 10/8; gf broke it to me that was a Sunday; my appt was 11/8. That took the wind out of my sails.
It’s been cold, but no frost in my immediate area. North country had snow. Yesterday my house was 60 and the sun wasn’t helping warm anything, it was more gray than sunny. So I clicked our heat on to 68, and once it hit that I reset it to 62 on hold. I don’t need it running but I wasn’t about to freeze in my house. Later in the day we had more sun but no regrets in turning it on.
Prime day saw me ordering a lot of toys off of the grandkids “list” which is set up by the mom. The boys are 2.75 yrs old & soon to be 6. With all my medical procedures we won’t be heading to Texas as usual. Mom is home schooling the boys so a lot of educational items - books and games. I went through the Prime deals and saved over $30, so I was pleased. I’ll let them know to expect the deliveries next week.
I was able to visit with my mom’s last surviving sibling, my Aunt Joan. I had cut a bunch of hydrangeas and was dropping them off. Both her daughters were with her so I stayed and chatted. She’s 95 now, has lost a lot of weight and is hanging on but I think she’s tired. For the past 10 years or so I’ve been sending flowers when I’m not in NY, or bringing her flowers when I’m here. Something to brighten up her apartment.
That’s it I’m done rambling. I was awake too early, less than 5 hrs sleep. I’m meeting gf’s to walk in the park at 10:30, I’ve got time on my hands so maybe I’ll dust before I go.
Enjoy the day!
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Got a bill for the dietitian first thing this morning, I was told would cost me ,$40. Nope, $108.80! I paid it but I am not going back, wasn't planning to anyway, but definitely not going back now! I will absolutely refuse getting on any scales or tell any SMMC doctor my weight and I will never get another A1C test! My A1C has remained in pre-diabetic range since my first one, never near the top of the range! If anyone gives me grief I will ask them what they (doctors) are doing to fight Medicare and their stupid policy of only allowing diet, weight management to people with diabetics or those with kidney failure? I guess Medicare wants to have more diabetic patients!
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We arrived home on Sunday night. It's great to be back home even with all that needs to be done to house and yard after months away. The trip was memorable while also being stressful. We admired the beauty of green, green Ireland but were more taken with Scotland, especially with the magnificent Highlands.
In retrospect the bus tour wasn't a great fit for us. And I would never recommend Trafalgar. DH had mobility issues, thanks to knees with bone on bone deterioration. We feel like we could now plan our own trip if we ever decided to go back to Scotland. We both despise economy air travel. It's ridiculous that the airlines have been permitted to restrict space as they have done. If I ever do a trans ocean flight again, I would have to spring for business class or stay home.
Our travel leader, Emma, is from northern Ireland and lives there after spending years living in France and Italy. We learned a lot about all the strife and violence caused by religious differences. Ireland is a great argument for separation of church and state. I was brought up with a Protestant point of view but I can empathize with Catholics who suddenly had their worship rituals outlawed and their gorgeous churches defiled by being used as barns for horses.
Speaking of a gorgeous church, we took a side trip to the Roslyn Chapel near Edinburgh and I was awed by the interior with its barrel ceiling, stained glass and masonic carving. It gained the interest of tourists because it appears in Dan Brown's DaVinci Code. No photos were allowed inside but I value the opportunity to be inside the chapel, which fell into ruin when it was closed for 300 years. All the tourist interest has brought money for restoration and maintenance.
We both took some photos with our phones while having learned long ago that we're not photo journalists and it's better to enjoy the moment than try to capture it in a photo. If we happened to get a few good photos, I will share several once I transfer them to my laptop.
Meanwhile I am immersed in the peace and contentment of being home and doing what I want to do when I want to do it. What a luxury!
Enjoy your trip, Betrayal.
I read the hundred and fifty plus posts and responded in my thoughts. Glad some are doing well and hope that others can meet health challenges with as little suffering as possible.
Jackie, we paid a little more than $2000 to have a big oak tree near our house removed. After watching the operation, we thought the price was fair. A lot of expensive machinery and skill were involved.
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Carole, in our many trips abroad we would cross paths with Trafalgar travelers and the one experience in Rome convinced me they were not the ones to travel with. They ended up canceling most of their excursions including the one to the Vatican. Our group was scheduled to go the same day and we had to be in line early. When we got to the lobby, a cancellation sign was posted for them. We saw them later and they asked about our day. We told them about the Vatican and asked what alternative tour had been arranged for them, none was the response. They sat in the hotel unless they were brave enough to explore on their own. Seems it was not the first tour to be cancelled either. Sad because these trips are not exactly cheap.
We travel exclusively with Globus because we have never had a bad experience and if something had to be cancelled due to something beyond their control, they found another place for us to go. When we were on the Canadian Rockies tour our visit to an apple farm was pre-empted by a forest fire so the tour guide got food for an impromptu picnic by a lovely lake and we appreciated the side trip. When we arrived at our hotel later the same day, there was a delay getting into our rooms. We later learned the hotel had sponsored a rock concert over the weekend and the attendees had destroyed many hotel rooms. They had to hastily purchase replacement mattresses (yes, the next morning as we left we saw all the destroyed ones in the parking garage) and make repairs to the rooms. They offered us a cocktail hour and then free dinner for our inconvenience with no limit on food choices. So other than meeting a few people I would be glad to never see again, our trips with them have been excellent. We have done both tours in the US as well as abroad and this trip is also with them. We have 2 tours booked with a few downtime days in between for our Sicily and Tour of Italy. We will spend our downtime in Sorrento, a city we love and are quite familiar with.
My knees have definitely improved with PT and I am so glad I pushed for it. I am taking my cane in case I need it but hoping I don't. Last session is today. Being bone on bone on both knees is not comfortable and know that my mobility will continue to be an issue until I have the replacement. I did manage to walk up and down the driveway twice this week for the first time in over 6 months, hallelujah.
Should finalize packing early tomorrow morning when I add the last minute items from my list. Have to help DH select shirts he is to take. Weather is variable there as it is here now so need both short sleeves and long sleeves. Plan to dress in layers.
Illinoislady, I think my comment about the tree cost wasn't clear. I think the price quoted was far less than I would pay in this area. We have had to use cranes for most tree removal so that definitely increases the cost. The walnut we are considering removing is on the front lawn so no crane needed. They could actually top it and then drop it across the lawn. I love to watch the guys who climb the trees and work their magic. I have a height fear so there is no way I could do what they do and they seem to be fearless. Most of the workers are Hispanic and I am concerned about the future when they are no longer available to provide the services we seem to require in all service industries. Do not mean to offend anyone.
MM: Medicare is not really focused on preventative medicine. You need to find physicians that you can connect with because it seems those you currently see don't fill the bill. I would never stay with a physician I didn't like just for convenience. It takes forever to find a new one, so delaying it until you really need one can be a setback for you and your health. I walked away from one PCP I had seen for years after her office double billed me for the same appointment, told me they would correct it with IBC and never did. Sent her a letter telling her why I was not staying with her practice including having the NP's of hers I saw that had their hands tied when administering care. Why see them if they couldn't order anything? Her not having this bill corrected and another more personal reason were why I left. Found a new rheumatologist when my old one of more than 10 years told me "I had the best kind of BC to have" and then proceeded to tell me a horror story about a friend of hers who died after advancing to MBC . Really, which form of BC is the best to have in my estimation: none.
Well, after diarrhea of the mouth, I will sign off. It is sunny, in the 50's and looks to be a good day. Hope you all have a good one.
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Wholehearted living is about engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness. It means cultivating the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think, No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough. It’s going to bed at night thinking, Yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable and sometimes afraid, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am also brave and worthy of love and belonging.
Brené Brown0
