Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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After a day of cleaning and laundry, I’m waiting for dinner to cook. I’m making Cornish Game Hens. Always a nice treat. I have a cat in my lap and of course, baseball is on the TV. We did get a walk in before the rain started. It’s been an odd weather day - cool and windy, then sunny for an hour. Rainy and overcast the rest of the day.
Do you have custom made orthotics Cindy? I tried some that my podiatrist suggested by they were too uncomfortable. Hope your eyes are back to normal.
Always good to get things checked out taco. Glad you BS is following up with you. Glad your weather is cooling down.
Glad blood work was good Sandy. Happy Birthday to Bob. Glad you had a good celebration. Sorry you’re having car issues. Hope your jaw pain resolves.I’ve been dealing with jaw and tooth pain for several months now. I wore my new retainer last night. Hopefully it’ll alleviate my pain and get my bite back in sync.
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We humans think we are smart, but an orchid, for example, knows how to produce noble, symmetrical flowers, and a snail knows how to make a beautiful, well-proportioned shell. Compared with their knowledge, ours is not worth much at all. We should bow deeply before the orchid and the snail and join our palms reverently before the monarch butterfly and the magnolia tree. The feeling of respect for all species will help us to recognize the noblest nature in ourselves. -Thich Nhat Hanh
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Sure has been a nice day, but an odd one since we had to go to Marion. Trip went well. I did not have to wait too long for my tests and the CT was great. We left Echocardiogram and went to cafeteria and had a bite to eat. Person behind the counter was a man. I say this as he assured me that at least I could have a hot dog since it the VA only buys all beef. Okay. So, I took it and un-salted French fries. Ditched the bun on the hot dog. If there was a hot dog in the world that didn't have salt in it, I'd surely know it myself by now. I love hot dogs, but they are salty along with the bun they lay in. That's okay — I waited til' I got home and had two pieces of cold left-over oven fried chicken I made — no salt.
Anyway we were way early for the CT. Got to X-ray around noon and my appt. was 1:20. The gal asked me if I wanted to check in. Yes, we had to be here and upstairs for another test today so someone made this appt for me so I wouldn't not have to drive all the back. So she said I can't promise anything but I'll let them know you're here. Maybe they can get you in early Less than five mins. later the tech came out and took me in and by 12:30 we were leaving. Fantastic.
Petite — thinking of you and I sure hope dealing with C. Schwab goes better than you thought. Hope you have a great time this evening too.
Cindy, I know the feeling of which you speak. I really dislike being dilated too. I whine a bit as I drive home (though I do have some sunglasses) and a lot of times they will put less of the dilation solution in my eyes. That fluid always makes my eyes feel so tight and strained.
Happy Birthday to Bob today, Sandy. 74 seems young to me but it is relative. I hope the birthday dinner turned out well.
I think once we have lived in our homes for a long time we adjust to a lot of things that are not exactly 'right' and think about changes but the longer you leave it, the easier it can become to leave. We re-did so much when we moved into our house over 20 yrs. ago and there are a number of things that could be up-dated already. We are in the thinking stage.
Carole, Puffin, Chris and anyone who didn't post today I'm hoping you and everyone else had a really good day. Hoping for a sunny Saturday for all.
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Chest scan was fine, no changes. I am getting deep into chai. Trying a different methodology, discussed it extensively with my driver. We enjoyed the colors during the drive.
Sandy, once you make the change to a condo, you will be grateful. Plus HK will be quitting son, right? But you are right, replacing that staircase will be essential. Why not have that done after you have moved out?
Cindy, I had my eyes dilated this week, too. Going to be getting plastic frames this time, teal color, because that matches my eyes and I love the full range of turquoise.
Glad that most of your legal stuff is done with, Petite. Heading towards a simpler life!!
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Thinking of all of you with ongoing health concerns. It sounds like some of you are getting good news with your tests and scans. Hopefully everyone will continue to be in good health.
Chris - teal frames sound awesome. It will highlight the color of your eyes.
Petite - glad to hear you are coming to the end of the estate issues. You have handled this with grace and dignity.
Sandy - Happy Birthday to Bob. I can empathize with the car issues. I’ve had ongoing issues for over the past year with my 2017 Ford Escape. It spent three months over last winter at the dealers waiting for a part to repair an oil leak in the turbo. It only had 56K miles on it and I really liked the car when it ran as it should. However, the acceleration issues returned within a few weeks of getting the car back in January. The dealer assured me the issue was not related to the previous acceleration issue nor related to their work on the car. They had also replaced the catalytic converter, spark plugs, tires and transmission fluid. Some of this was covered under warranty and I was responsible for $2K in repairs. I couldn’t get another dealer to agree to look at it as the feeling was the original dealer should handle it. My dealer told me I could bring the car back but if they couldn’t replicate the issue there was nothing that could be done. The acceleration issue worsened a few weeks ago and the check engine light came on. We took it to the local Firestone store. They ran the engine code which indicated a misfiring cylinder. Turns out one of the new spark plugs was cracked. More concerning was that five (5) bolts were missing which led to another oil leak. Firestone told us to return to the Ford dealer because the issues ‘were on them’. Called the Ford dealer and they said they couldn’t look at the car for at least a week and there were no loaners available for 8-10 weeks. They were miserable to deal with last year and I’ve lost faith in them. We weren’t planning on buying another car for 1-2 years, however, we pulled the trigger on a 2024 Honda CRV last week. Very happy and optimistic that this will be a more reliable car.
For those of you with teams in the MLB playoffs - enjoy the games. Thinking of MM, Karen and others that have not posted recently. Have a good weekend!0 -
Harley - congratulations on the new CRV. I've wanted one of those for a long time, but I don't think it is in the cards for me. My old car is going fine for now with 155,000 miles. Chevy Equinox. Dh wouldn't let me even consider a Ford. We had a couple that I would say weren't bad, but they requited a lot of care and expense and in the end were not as dependable by far as others we had.
I hope your new dealers are a lot better fit for you too.
Chris the teal sounds really pretty. I thought about looking for some green ones since my eyes are green but settled on brown this last time. The first brown pr. I've had. I think I liked then so well as they were a bit squarer and seemed to just 'fit' my whole face better than most of the ones I tried on. I do need color though. My face fades real easy if I don't try for a fairly definite color. I wore red for yrs. due to that.
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Cardplayer, I do wear custom orthotics. And when I first started wearing them (12+ yrs ago) my whole body ached. My back, hips and knees were sore, plus my feet. But I think I had to only wear them 1-2 hours a day and build up to wear them all day.
Chris & Illinois - I have light blue eyes and they stayed dilated for 10+ hours. I had my sunglasses on in the house. If they had night appointments, I’d take them! I ended up taking a nap. Chris you new frames will definitely set off your eyes
Houses -Sandy & Illinois, what we get used to (jiggle this, press on that) in our homes over time is amazing. A neighbor had a home inspector go through their home 1-2 years before they planned to move. The inspector provided a list of necessary repairs or replacements. They said it was well worth the cost, to know their house would pass an inspection. They were moving to Georgia to be closer to both sons & their families, so they had a plan. I’m without a plan but hiring in advance sounds worth it.
A funny story about houses - when my niece bought my parents house after they passed she did a lot of updates. But a lot remained the same. Example is a bright orange Formica kitchen countertop. Real estate agent pointed out she should change it, as well as the original sink in the small bathroom. She replaced them both. When she showed me it looked beautiful. My first thought was WHY didn’t we do this sooner! We live with it when it could have been so much nicer.
Harley, a new car, how nice! Unfortunate your previous dealer didn’t do right by you. For what we spend on vehicles you’d think they’d want to keep you.
Petite, I’m glad your papers will all be in order. It keeps the grief on the front burner until all these things are finished up.
I'm just getting tired as it’s going on 2AM. The late nap disrupting my sleep. Good nite!
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Harley, CR just rated the '24 CR-V Hybrid even higher than the Tucson Hybrid. Mazel tov on your new "baby-on-wheels!"
From 1981-2014, we'd driven nothing but Fords: first Escorts, then Tauruses and finally a Fusion Hybrid. Each time we babied them and drove them till repairs would've been pricier than a new car. Troubles started with my '02 Taurus SEL (with the SHO engine) in 2011. First it suddenly stopped accelerating—had to pull over and restart. Dealership couldn't reproduce the problem and said it was "engine bolts," which it replaced. Three months later, I was pulling out of a gas station, eased up on the brake and it began accelerating like crazy (without touching the gas pedal at all). Had to stand on the brake pedal all the way home (luckily, only 1/2 mile) and wrestled it into the garage before shutting the engine off. When the tow truck driver came early the next morning, he had to do the same thing to get it safely onto the flatbed. Got to the dealership (which had moved from West Rogers Park up to Golf Mill), where it terrified the mechanics as if it were a rabid pit bull. It was a bad throttle body: dirt cheap part, >$2500 labor because it was located in such a way that it was accessible only by removing the entire dash. Drove off the lot in a 2011 Fusion Hybrid (fully loaded, the only one currently available in the entire Chicagoland area; wanted an Escape hybrid but the last ones made had been snapped up by taxi fleets). I loved that Fusion Hybrid despite its drastically reduced storage capacity (due to the hybrid battery hogging half the trunk. Only bummer was that since it was a sedan, its low ground clearance was a problem and it got me stuck in icy alleys.
When Bob's 2005 AWD Taurus sedan (also got stuck in icy alleys) finally nickeled & dimed us to death in 2014, I bought the fully-loaded Subaru Outback Premium I'm driving now—but Bob decided he didn't like it and took the Fusion. He adored it, fascinated by how many "leaves" he could get to sprout on the dashboard and goosing the mpg up above 40. All was well until summer 2022—when, instead of accelerating out of control it would die suddenly…while on I-55. He managed to ease it onto the shoulder and get it towed. Three Ford dealers & an independent garage couldn't figure it out. One said it was the 12V battery, but replacing it was only a temporary fix. Tested all the cells in the hybrid battery but they were fine. The indie said it was the O2 sensors…nope. Meanwhile, it happened again, and that was a bridge too far—this time on the Dan Ryan! Had to be the throttle body again. So we did our CR homework and found the best hybrid SUV at the time was the '22 Tucson. He loves it, despite occasional trouble getting wireless Apple Car Play connected while his phone is on the Qi charging pad—it doesn't have a nav system so he uses Siri to navigate. No CD player, but no cars have those any more, It has a small gas tank (12 gal.) and no spare tire, to keep the weight down and mpg up. I bought him a spare—which he won't carry because he wants to goose his mpg as close to 50 as he can.
My ideal car right now would be a plug-in hybrid. (No point in sticking with a plain gas-burner). Some call them jacks of all trades and masters of none (short EV range and fuel economy slightly below that of a regular hybrid, which is still 10mpg better than my Outback). It'd let me tool around town on battery power yet still use the gas engine for long drives. A full EV won't cut it for us, as I occasionally must take long trips with no guarantee of finding an overnight charger. (Our garage's outlet would charge it slowly overnight, as it would a plug-in hybrid). Toyota makes a great RAV-4 plug-in hybrid, but I don't think the Honda CR-V offers a plug-in hybrid, and if Hyndai does, nobody in or near Chicago has any. The Mustang EV (actually an SUV) looks tempting, but it's a Ford. Once bitten…(actulally twice)…
And as I said, my Outback runs like a top, and has only 46,000 miles on it. No point trading it in just to get functioning "bells & whistles:" just need to make the ones it has work dependably. (BTW, Bob got 175,000 miles out of that Fusion Hybrid)
Chris, teal frames sound like they'd be quite flattering,
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Oh, and Jackie, there's no such thing as a truly low-sodium hotdog—even the "uncured" ones use celery juice in lieu of nitrites…but celery is itself loaded with sodium. Salty meats in a hospital caferteria should come with a side of Lasix.
Bar Show rehearsals start at 10am this morning in the Loop…but the bridges will be up to let the boats move from the harbors to the river. So I'll have to make it on to the CTA platform by 9am. Normally, it's only a bit over a 40-min. commute, but with all the motorman shortages & schedule delays I'm not taking any chances, So it's off to bed.
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Happy Birthday to Bob!! 74 is young to me now that the 70's have been left behind.
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Religion in its true sense is the most joyous thing the human soul can know, and when the real religion is realized, we will find it to be an agent of peace, of joy, and of happiness, and never an agent of gloomy, long-faced sadness.
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Petite - glad your Schwab account setup in your name.
Illinois - glad all the testing was completed early. Hope the results are good.Harley - I have a 2016 CRV with around 55k miles. Absolutely love it. It’s my 2nd CRV and my next car will probably be a CRV hybrid, unless my DH 16 year old Camry needs to be replaced first. Enjoy your new car.
Glad your scan was good Chris. I love the color teal. Sound lovely.Sandy - there’s not many charging stations where I live (2 at the grocery store). The charging infrastructure still isn’t available to make me get an EV yet. I’m sure there’s more in the Chicago area though. Also concerned about traveling.
Breezy and sunny day. We walked earlier today and I’m glad we did. The wind was around 15mph then, but its 25+mph wind gusts now. Should be worse tomorrow. Glad we’re inside watching football now. Have a nice afternoon.0 -
Sandy, glad you affirmed no salt free hot dogs. I put it down to having a man at the helm in the cafeteria Friday. I'm sure I'd have been really un-likely to hear that from a woman while I admit even we are amazed if we REALLY start checking labels. I have found copious amts. of salt when I thought there wouldn't be and vice-versa.
I've looked at labels for a long time but wasn't all that critical even then. I was more into protein levels at the time and trans-fat which has been mostly removed now. There are some foods that are over my daily allowance in just that one food — never mind the three meals a day and snacks I usually have.
Yrs. ago, well over 24 or so when my blood pressure first began to go up the Dr. said to cut back on salt. So, I did. I was very careful with the salt shaker — and never read one label along the way. Needless to say Doc might as well have told me try not to look at the trees when I go outside.
Cardplayer lucky you to have had not one but 2 CRV's. If something were to happen to my car (knocking on wood furiously) it is what I would look for next. I drove my ex's many yrs. ago and have liked then so much ever since. I ended up with my Equinox this last time because it was the only new/used car that was DECENT at the time that fit my needs, and my old car would have been lucky to have made it off the lot again. The fact it came back from their personal test drive before trade-in was amazing. I am not really knocking my Equinox, and not sorry I bought it.. So far it has been an excellent car for me. It is just that I like the CRV's a lot better.
A pretty day here. Had to take our little Charlie Brown to the Vet this morning. His kidneys are not totally healthy right now. He is young and strong though and the anti-biotitic and food change should get him back to where he needs to be. Charlie is out two-toned cat. His med length fur is black on the outside and the underside is gray. Other than that, when he arrived as a very young (toddler age) cat he looked like any other black cat. He is not quite as tall as other black cats and as he began to age within the first year, he developed a much longer tail and it is quite fluffy with hair. We think he is a real cutie but I have to admit we think it of most of our cats. Lucky our orange cat is somewhat similar. He is med to long hair and is a rather short cat. He has some sort of deformity — we think caused by the fact that as a not long weaned kitten my friend found him on the path to her back door. He lived in the barn and got sick ? with who knows. My friend thought he would die for sure. By the time she found him he was frozen in spots to the ground. She managed to get him up and into her house and started nursing him and within a couple of months he was fine but has never walked right since. She didn't want him and thought no one would — so I brought him home to my house. He has tuned out to be so sweet and wonderful. He is the only cat we have ever had though that "clomps" when he walks across the floor. We sometimes giggle because it is sort of funny and cute but we hope he no longer remembers why he isn't 'like' his brothers and sisters here. I also hope it doesn't get bad again when he is old.
Well, no one really wants to hear about all my kitties. Sorry I got so long winded over my cuties
Hope you all have a marvelous Saturday.
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I would have been skeptical about low salt hot dogs, too.
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Didn't hear my 7:45 alarm go off—Heidi woke me at 8:44! Dunno how I managed but I hustled the 3 blocks to the station and had to wait only a couple of minutes. The whole way down, I was the only one wearing a mask. (The heme-onc warned me that since I have a slightly low immune globulin level I need to take precautions against infection).
Good rehearsal. A number of cast members had taken several years off, and asked me if I'd lost weight. I didn't admit that I'm actually up 5 lbs. from last Nov. (when the theater pulled the plug because it couldn't find enough staff). Of the three production numbers, we worked on one last fall; in the second one, from a different set of lyrics a decade ago, I had a big solo. And there's a small ensemble number we did last year that's still funny & relevant today, so I'm hoping we keep it because I have the lead solo. (The title of this year's show is "It's A.I. Wonderful Life"). Still a mezzo-soprano/first alto.
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Hope is outreaching desire with expectancy of good. It is characteristic of all living beings. Birds, beasts, and people are always alert and striving for the fulfillment of their hungers. They are impelled forward in a ceaseless quest for satisfaction. The antennae of insects relentlessly explore and feel their way ahead, and the imagination of humans functions in the same manner, ranging through wide areas and far futures in search of the good which hope ever promises. -Edward S. Ames
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Sandy, glad you made it. Also wonderful that your 'slimmer' while weighing more. Who can't adore getting that kind of boost. We are so critical of ourselves — good for the soul to hear others don't see us the same way.
Sun is out though the furnace keeps coming on. The sun will warm us. SIL went to Church in short sleeves. He is brave, but men seem to have more of a buffer against weather.
Likely will do the Goodwill run this morning and then come home and cook a roast. I'll clean up the kitchen while it simmers on the stove.
Hope you all have a really nice sand hopefully warm Sunday.
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cindy: I had the same experience as your niece when I sold my house. The purchaser made wonderful changes to update it to use as a rental, and let me walk through it before the renters moved in. I couldn't believe how different and modern it looked, and wished we'd thought of making those changes years ago.
Snow flurries and a hard frost are predicted for later this week so I've been busy getting the 30 flower beds ready for winter. I got a lot done today and the end is in sight, just have the annuals and sedum left but they're still in bloom. Three years ago today we'd gotten 3" of snow so we're lucky to have gone this far into October without it.
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It's foggy here this morning. I saw a photo with fog on Facebook and the heading, It's fog season. Happens every year when the temperature and the humidity level are the same.
The news is so troubling that I just read the headlines in the NYT as I make my way to Wordle and Spelling Bee. The nasty politics in the US just makes everything seem less hopeful.
I plan to go to senior exercise at 11:30. Ed is the instructor on Mondays. He has a good class but follows exactly the same routine.
Hello to everyone. Hope you have a good day.
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Religion is to be used as a stepping stone to God but it must never be used as a tower to hold one aloft from others. We are all cells in the body of humanity. When anyone attempts to isolate another, they only isolate themselves more. -Peace Pilgrim
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We're getting just the opposite, Anne: set to reach 65 today and 75 tomorrow before the rain sets in—temps staying well above normal, with wind & showers through Friday. But still no frost predicted, so keeping the tomatoes out on the deck till the last moment (picking as soon as I see a tiny flush of yellow-orange to stay a step ahead of the squirrels). Leaves still mostly green. Lower leaves of basil starting to yellow. Of course, one good storm will change that overnight.
Wore my Justin Fields t-shirt (not quite jersey) in honor of his dislocated thumb that made it possible for walk-on small-college backup QB Tyson Bagent to help the Bears "eat" the Raiders "for brunch" yesterday (though a lot of it was due to Raiders' QB Garoppolo's bad back keeping him home). Hoping Fields heals & comes back, though. Almost ordered a Bagent jersey, but by the time it arrives Fields will be back in action and possibly up to speed.
My size S & M tie-dye sweats & tees (bought at Target in 2021) are getting a bit snug (or at least unflattering). So I went to Target yesterday to replace them with size L. Unfortunately, everything seems to be geared to young "skinnimarinks" this year: tops are cropped to reveal midriffs (which means I can wear them with only high-waisted leggings); and anything my size is plastered with graphics. Don't want to have to go back to Chico's (nor raid my attic for my now-outdated size 3s which are still waaay too big).
HK called in sick today: sinus headache, itchy ears, weeping eyes. I'm doing ok (thanks to the antihistamine/Montelukast combo I take faithfully). She's 10 days past her COVID & flu shots, but always gets sinus headaches when the barometer drops. There are no pollen counts being reported (Loyola Gottlieb Hosp. shut down the collector machine; and the apps like Pollen.com & Allergy Plus are using algorithms based on past data). But my alley is full of ragweed and when the wind blows I chain-sneeze. Used to be that weed season ended by 10/15, but looks like it'll go through Halloween this year.
CBC is normal (heme-onc says my mild anemia dates back to my 2015 radiation and that I am not iron-deficient, likely no GI bleed either). MGUS unchanged since first discovered last March; but slightly low immune-globulin count means I need to keep masking on transit & in stores, though eating indoors in restaurants is still safe according to her. She doesn't need to see me again until Oct. 2024).
Bob wants to see "Killers of the Flower Moon" as do I. I also want to see "Dumb Money" (I loved "The Big Short," same theme but different securities). He also wants to see the Taylor Swift concert film—am I the only one who doesn't? Never been a "Swiftie;" and the audiences of mostly tween & teen girls behave abominably, standing on seats, dancing, loudly singing along. (OK, I do the latter at Springsteen, U2 & Who concerts—but not loudly). And we still haven't seen Barbenheimer.
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Slow day here so far. Got up early enough, but had some things to do and pooped out.
Heard from my PCP. My recent tests show my ejection fraction is up — not super high but went from 20's to mid 30's. I'm wishing it had been a bit higher because I'm still drug out most of the time, but I am thrilled that it has at least come up some. Maybe if I'm patient it will get up there a bit more.
I do have to go have another Petr Scan on my chest nodule which has increased in size. It seems to have done that way back when too. At that time, I had two Pet Scans a few months apart and nothing there so I'm hoping for that again. They will have to call me with a time, but they have a traveling unit that comes to our hospital here so at least I won't have to go far to get it done.
Carole, I think most people are feeling anxiety about our government leaders. We get to hold on for the ride.
Mad a big roast yesterday so we can have leftovers if we wish today. I usually do a simonize of the kitchen while I'm waiting on the roast so it is the nicest room in the house today.
We have a new post coming for the one the tree people accidentally knocked down. The bottom of the post had some rot on it and that is likely why it went over. They took some off our bill which was great, but we had the items needed to fix it already. It was one of those things that was on the list already. They said they would come out and put it back in the ground, but SIL wants to paint the poll first wish a good coat of Rustollieum.?
Hope this week-end we can start the leaf mulching with the lawn tractors. It will be dusty though. That is unless we get some of the rain Sandy is expecting.
Hope you all have a really good Monday.
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Today felt like a turning the corner day for our move. Most boxes dealt with, laundry done, and I made a real throwback dinner from the red, wire- bound edition of the "Betty Crocker Cookbook." Pork chops Supreme (onion, lemon, brown sugar and catsup as sauce on top!) Along with baked sweet and white potatoes and broccoli. DH loved it and I loved staying in for dinner. With all the mess we've been going out a lot. Some nice places, but some just quick. And we ate on a (finally) cleared dining room table!
My DH and I have been feeling the sinus stuff too right now.
Tomorrow, other than taking a big load to Goodwill, (stuff moved with us inadvertently) I'll be doing computer work and monthly bill type things. And taking a short walk to start to get more active.
Have a good week everyone 😊
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Reader, glad that you're feeling more settled in your new home.
I have a lunch date today with three women friends. It will be good to see them. The restaurant is a good one so I will probably enjoy the meal.
Missing MM and Betrayal, who should be getting home from her trip.
Happy Tuesday to all.
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The moment you want to make progress is the moment you become an eternal beginner. The dawn is the beginning of a new day: it symbolizes hope, illumination, and perfection. Every day the dawn plays the role of the beginner. It begins its journey at daybreak and ends its journey in the infinite sun. If you can feel that your whole being—your body, vitality, mind and soul—represents the ever-blossoming dawn, then you will always remain an eternal beginner. -Sri Chimnoy
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Good morning, ladies. Nothing much going on today. My friend with throat cancer is having a very difficult time with radiation. She was in the hospital over the weekend and discharged yesterday. She is down to 87 pounds and has low potassium coupled with a spinal compression fracture. She wants to stop treatment. She has 3 to go. She will discuss it with the RO today. My heart goes out to her.
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Reader, glad things are coming together for you in your new place. It's an adventure, but a bit of work and upset (full dining tables) for a while. I can relate — after awhile it is comforting to sit in your own kitchen or dining room and know EXACTLY how your food was prepared and as well taste the love that goes into a good meal.
Carole, I too have been missing those same ladies. I will be glad to see Betrayal myself. She posts two places where I do so I've been feeling her absence double. Don't know when or if MM will be back, but my hope is always alive.
Nothing special today but bills and incidentals. Tomorrow, I go to see the Cardiologist. He will give me the results once more that I already now since my PCP had to call about my enlarged chest nodule. I couldn't wait. That's okay — the Cardiologist may have more info who knows. I do seem to get a bit more from the NP who is working to refine my program. I like Dr. Madhani, but his bedside manner is not as warm, sharing and encouraging as with Dr. Rueben. There were rumors that she was going to return to Marion but so far no expansion on those rumors. Just waiting to see. Glad that I do have the other person. We have done fairly well together. I do enjoy not having to take the uppermost amts. of medication. I have had far fewer backaches since we cut back on the medicine. Use to wake up with them and have them all the time — just a matter of degree. Now I only seem to notice on heavy exertion, and they do back off again once I get done and allow myself to rest.
I hope you all have a mavelous day.
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Reader, nice you’re settling in. Carole, I hoped you enjoyed your lunch gathering. Jackie, I’m glad your backaches have subsided taking less meds.
Yesterday I met 2 gf I used to work with for lunch. But chaos before hand. I left to run errands before going to the restaurant. On my way towards the highway my partner called, his car wouldn’t start and he had a physical in a town up past my lunch date. So zoomed back to get him, zoomed to lunch late, and he took off for his physical. Afterwards we had to call AAA, to have his car put on a flat bed to go to the dealers. They’re running diagnostics and said should hear back in 2-3 days.
Today was my thyroid biopsy at 11:30, and partner had a cardiologist appointment at 1. After I got up this morning I saw a text from my niece, her mom/my sister called an ambulance at 5 AM with chest pains. They were at a local hospital. My sister was on a gurney in the hall, no people with her.
Dilemma to go, not go. They sent me off for the biopsy. Surgeon numbed me, then had 5 syringes lined up. The ultrasound was right in my vision so I watched him poke and poke and poke some more to get samples to biopsy. It only felt like someone pressing at my throat. Well by the 5th needle, he’s talking on how it’s not giving up much, calcium spot, etc… and I start sweating. I know this is the cold sweat feeling of I could pass out. I didn’t. But they did have to give me ice packs and a cold apple juice. Results in 1-2 weeks, which seems long. They said they’d call me.
As I got home texts came in that my sister was being released- no heart attack but she needs to follow up with a cardiologist. Partner, he was able to get out on time in my car for his cardiologist appointment.
Tomorrow I’m hoping my sister gets to the walk in cardiologist and gets things set up for a stress test, and any other tests she needs.
Weather here over next 3 days is projected to be over 70. This morning was mid 40’s when I left here at 10:45. So a nice change expected. We’ll get the patio set put away and then that’s it for the yard until spring time. Of course, still will be “vacuuming” up pine needles & picking up pine cones. As always!
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Cindy, your past two days, just wow !!!! It all appears that it will work out for all, but seems like stress may have been for middle name for almost 48 hrs. I hope things get back on a nice even keel quickly and things IF and WHEN they come will do so at a better pace.
I had a busy day trying to get some of my meds straightened out. I am wondering about the phone system at the V.A. Not sure they are changing it or not. We will have to see how it goes. My Urologist is going to go over to Missouri (2 hrs. away so too far for me to go) and work in a V.A. Hosp. there. He has been at our local hospital for almost 30 yrs. He is very strong about veterans and the military and felt like he just couldn't resist when he found that the V.A. wanted his direct services. I'm happy for him, but I trusted him totally and I'm really going to miss him. I have a final appt. with him on Thursday. Mainly to make sure my prescription can be renewed for the yr. since I'm not due for a scope till this coming summer. When Dr. B leaves, my PCP will take over setting me up for the prescription. We will have to find another Urologist for me. I hope I can learn to trust him as much as I have Dr. B.
When I'm back from my appt. tomorrow with Cardiologist I will come home and pay some bills and call in and see about getting a haircut. Boy, the last 6 wks. went fast. Seems like I just got the perm. Well, it will be nice to get it done. My bangs are starting to spend too much time in my eyes.
Hope you all had a good day.
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Wacky day today—all sorts of seemingly minor things going wrong, but in aggregate were truly…aggravating. (The late comic Pat O' Brien once mentioned that a priest told him hearing nuns' confessions was "like being stoned to death with popcorn," which was how today felt).
First found out that all my outdoor tree lights fell victim to squirrels (perhaps the same one who's been nibbling on my tomatoes before they could ripen). Then Heidi barfed up the Fancy Feast kibble she likes (but which doesn't like her back) all over the daybed duvet. Went out shopping—fish market, coffee roaster, grocery, On every leg of the trip my car's infotainment system crashed twice—first spontaneously rebooted, then suddenly died, requiring a hard reboot (not the power button but actually an engine shutdown & restart while stuck at traffic lights. Happened 5 times in 2 hrs. (The last leg home it behaved itself, perhaps because I was running the A/C, or because the universe is messing with me). It's gonna be a long 2 weeks till the new/refurb unit arrives—15 shutdowns since Friday. Then, my iPhone heated up in my purse because I failed to exit the Maps app—cooled down when I plugged it back in. (The iOS 17.0.3 update was supposed to fix that).
Next, CVS kept texting me that they couldn't refill my bp med (olmesartan) because they "cannot contact the prescribing physician." Well, that physician is…Bob. Apparently, the way he could call in refills was to have his office do it electronically. But now that he is retired and working only at Union Health and the occasional hospitals for those patients admitted to them, he no longer has an office so that when CVS calls his office number, they get a "not in service" recording. (And he can't prescribe for anyone not a Union Health or Christ Hospital patient). So I went to my N.Shore Connect portal (on my phone's app) and clicked "request refill" and then the check-box for "Olmesartan." Only I fat-fingered it and hit "Alprazolam" as the drug to refill instead. Of course, I got an automated portal message stating Alprazolam can only be refilled 30 days at a time by my primary. So I replied that the Alprazolam request was an error and I really wanted Olmesartan instead. I clicked on "Olmesartan" and waited all day. Then got a text from CVS: "Your request for Olmesartan cannot be filled because it has already been filled and is ineligible for further refill till 1/24/24." I messaged my primary, whose nurse told me we had gotten our wires crossed and my primary called it in before I could click on it. Went to CVS…and it's "in process:" they don't have enough on hand to fill it but it will be "ready tomorrow." Yeah, right. I can feel my bp rising.
Then I got a text from the nail salon that it was time to reload my 10-pack of manicures, so I opened Venmo—which told me my bank "stopped communicating" with Plaid (the "middleman" app between Venmo and users' funding sources) and I needed to log into that bank account. The online banking app kept rejecting my username & password, then locked me out for "too many unsuccessful attempts" and required I reset my password. Every time I did and got the "OK—Log In" button, using the latest password, the whole "doom loop" restarted. So I called my bank—half an hour and five levels of AI phone-tree later—and found out "we're having system issues and can't predict when it'll be resolved." So now the only way I can access that account is at an ATM or in person with a teller, until further notice. I texted my nail salon owner and asked for her Zelle contact info, so I can try that (from a different bank account),
By then, Bob was making growling-tummy noises so I had to make dinner (while also feeding Heidi).
Tomorrow I see my hand/arm orthopod to followup on my R elbow fracture. It's healed fully, but my thumb is getting painfully arthritic, and my L arm is still having paresthesias from that mis-aimed RSV shot over the summer.
Oops—gotta log off and medicate Heidi.
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