Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
Comments
-
Happy New Year!
1 -
The fireworks in the neighborhood didn't seem quite so loud last night. DH and I were both sound asleep before midnight.
It's supposed to rain today but at the moment the sun is shining and my laptop says it's 43 degrees F outside. I may take a walk when it warms up some.
MM, I'm sorry about the sad events for you as 2023 came to a close. I hope 2024 brings good health and good happenings for all of us. In March dh will be having knee replacement surgery on one knee. Both knees are bone on bone. I'm not looking forward to the pain he will endure but I'm hopeful that he has a successful rehab, unlike my sister Linda who had four surgeries on a knee and is using a walker. There are many success stories but then there are the other stories.
One of my pleasures in 2023 was reading your posts each day. Thank you for the empathy and friendship.
1 -
We are given a life—a precious commodity—and are placed on this earth for a short while. We are surrounded by incredible beauty, strength, and love along with incredible violence, hatred, and prejudice. Every time a person becomes happier, they are moving one step away from prejudice and violence and closer to love and compassion. So think of your personal joy as a contribution to peace on the planet as well as food for your spirit. -Charlotte Davis Kasl
0 -
Today we will have sun. Sure will be welcome. I fell asleep before the new yr. began and only woke up around 12:30 a.m. to go to the bathroom. Still on a par with several preceding years. I second Carole in saying to those who've had issues in the past year I wish it didn't have to be but do know it is the negative things that cause us the most ability to grow. A dichotomy to be sure. I hope we all have a good 2024 with as few upsets as possible.
I will maintain a hopeful attitude and my enthusiasm for living and hope I can spread comfort to others through quotes and caring. That will make 24' good for me. Hoping for sun and good health and happy living for all.
0 -
Shrinkrap, Happy New Year to you too! May this year prove medically uneventful for you (and all of us, for that matter). Just curious—are you a hip-hop-loving psychologist or just a petite rap fan?
MM, condolences on your family losses—may their memories be for a blessing.
So it was just the 5 of us for dinner out and then champagne back at home last night. Bears won decisively at home yesterday; now hope they can finally beat Green Bay next week and keep them out of the playoffs. HK is mourning the Crimson Tide's Rose Bowl loss. Our UW Huskies are (knock wood) up by 7 in the Sugar Bowl, with 7 minutes remaining (too close, too much time). Hoping that they get to face Michigan for the title. Hoping, too, I'm not jinxing them by not wearing my purple sweater. (I call them "ours" because UW is Bob's MD/PhD alma mater and my former employer as a lab tech in the Genetics Dept. We had student season tickets to Huskies home games for the 7 years we lived in Seattle).
0 -
UPDATE: Washington won! "On U Huskies!" Purple Reign! A double upset today!
0 -
There is no physician like cheerful thought for dissipating the ills of thebody; thereis no comforter to compare with good will for dispersing theshadows ofgrief and sorrow. To live continually in thoughts of ill will, cynicism,suspicion, andenvy, is to be confined in a self-made prison hole. But to think well of all, to be cheerful with all, to patiently learn to find the good in all—suchunselfish thoughtsare the very portals of happiness; and to dwell day by day inthoughts ofpeace toward every creature will bring abounding peace to their possessor. James Allen0 -
@chisandy a hip hop loving psychiatrist 😁 , but retired in 2022. I chose shrinkrap back in the day when software came shrinkwrapped, and psychiatrists talked ( actually they listened), rather than prescribed.
1 -
Hi, all. This weekend from the 29th to the first was very difficult with a multitude of meltdowns. I awoke this morning and felt like myself and was able to have a pleasant day. I took a friend out for her birthday and took a very long walk. I have several interesting plans for the rest of the week. We have a covered dish luncheon at grief support group. The social club for widows and widowers has an outing planned to an art museum. Looking forward to both of those.
MM sorry to hear about your family's loss.
Sandy, I still miss my little calico….
Cindy, enjoy the manatees. I love watching them.
Jackie, I hate cold gray days as well. We have had a few, but no snow down here.
2 -
Shrinkrap, was going to say psychiatrist, but there are more psychologists out there so I was going by the law of averages. Glad to have you on board!
0 -
Haha, love that, @shrinkrap59. 😂
Congrats on the retirement!! 🎉
0 -
A quote from my sister-in-law's obituary that I thought many hear would appreciate. Her funeral is tomorrow.
"Death ends life, not a relationship!" from Tuesdays with Morrie
Welcome Shrinkrap! Sorry you were just diagnosed with breast cancer. I had Invasive Lobular Carcinoma in 2018, the second of my three breast cancers in a 20 year span. I wish you the best in your treatments! I loved your Healthy, Happy, New Year greeting! To you too!!!
For all who followed the football games, all "my teams" lost. PSU, Eagles, Alabama, (DH went to MSU, so Michigan is a big rival, and we wanted MI to lose more than Alabama to win). Even the hockey game we watched ended with our team, the Flyers, losing! Oh well, can't win them all.
3 -
Mm so very sorry for your recent family losses.
Petite, hugs to you on what is surely and understandably a tough tome frame for you.
Cindy I'm also a manatee lover. I've enjoyed watching them at the Green Flash restaurant on Captiva Island when visiting Florida. Not sure it's still there as I haven't been there in a number of years.
Illinois I continue to enjoy your quotes.
I joined a group starting Mahjong in my ( new) neighborhood. It was fun to meet new women, see the inside of a home not my own, and potentially learn a new game. Even this introvert was comfortable as the group was welcoming. I'm not a big game person but I didn't want to join a book group again yet but want to get out a bit more. I've been happy reading books of my own choosing lately, on no schedule.
To others, hello, welcome and know I read and enjoy what you post, but post less often myself. A happy 2024 to us all.
1 -
Petite, I admire you for the spirit you've shown in dealing with loss. The melt downs are inevitable but you pick yourself up and move on.
I've played Mahjong on my computer but would find it interesting to learn the actual game.
We learned yesterday that dh's brother, who is ten years younger, suffered a stroke and drove himself to the nearest hospital. He was air lifted to a hospital in Jacksonville. The news this morning is that he is stable but being closely observed. A son lives near Jacksonville and a daughter drove there from her new home in South Carolina so we should get regular updating.
It rained overnight and is gloomy outside this morning. I plan to go to the 11:30 senior exercise class at the gym. DH is there now. He's an early bird. The later time suits me. He plans to do another round of exercise with the trainer who worked with him before Christmas. He's a motivated 84 year old.
2 -
Amazing, isn't it, how some people see the basket half empty and others see it half full? Some see life hopeless, others hopeful. Even when things are less than perfect, if you can think of the good, the beautiful, the hopeful, you'll be more than sustained-- you'll conquer.
unattributed
0 -
Didn't post yesterday as it seemed more people came but I did enjoy the reads. Thank goodness the past two days we have had sun. Some clouds so not always a bright sun, but just having it gets me a whole lot happier and a lot more enthusiastic.
MM, I'm always thinking about you. I admire how you carry on as much as I do most of the ladies here. It always seems to me that my issues and troubles are much easier than anyone else's. I think a study found the same thing. If we could trade with someone, we ultimately would end up with our own things back.
Carole, I've played Mahjong on my computer for a really long time. I really should read how to refine the technique as I likely would have more successful outcomes. I also play a couple of different kinds of Solitaire. Mainly the one listed as SOLITAIRED. When I get tired of those, I switch for a bit to finding hidden objects.
Carole was sorry to hear your BIL had a stroke. Sounds a bit like the one I had. Mine was early evening and I apparently had a seizure (first one ever) that started it. Afterwards, since Dh couldn't understand that I wanted a drink of water, I told him I'd get it myself, though he couldn't decipher a word I'd said. On the way to the kitchen sink I passed out cold. First time for that too. Once I came too though I was able to speak a bit again although still not totally clear. I got dressed and Dh drove me to the hospital. I think I could have driven myself, but it did result in my having the TPA treatment which at the time was used if within a three-hr. window. Still ended up in Intensive Care for three days and then Telemetry for 6 more days. I ended up with about 98% recovery. Here's hoping your BIL will have good results as well.
Going to enjoy the sun today but do hope to not be as lazy as I was yesterday. I need to go to the bank, and the newspaper office and my friend Jo's — hoping I can do it all. Tomorrow is another trip to Marion.
Hope you all have a wonderful day.
1 -
Jackie, thanks for sharing your stroke experience. I feel encouraged on Russell's behalf. His garbled effort to talk upset me and dh. He's only 74. I certainly hope he can make a 98 percent recovery. He was planning to move to the Philippines in April to live with the woman he married there. His kids are adamantly against his plan. The wife can't move here because she has a child that she is rearing who isn't legally adopted. It's a complicated story.
The sun is shining brightly now and it's another beautiful day in the neighborhood.
I play Wordle and Spelling Bee in the NYT every day and sometimes tackle the crossword puzzle. Spelling Bee is especially challenging.
1 -
I can’t remember when I last post. My niece and her daughter went home yesterday. We were up at 4:45 AM, and discombobulated the rest of the day.
We had a nice NYE at a neighbor’s home. Great foods and good times.
I got my walk in today, cooler weather 52 when I left, 60+ when I got back. It was full sun, which seemed to disappear by noon to end up windy and gray. We’re looking at rain over the next 5 days. One meteorologist said expect it to be more wet over the next 3 months. There has been a rain deficit but I can’t say I’m looking forward to 3 rainy months. Repeat to self - at least it’s not snow.
Jackie, oh when I get into the hidden object games, time flies by! I try not to do them late at night.
Welcome to the gang Shrinkrap!
MM sorry for your losses.
Petite, hugs to you.
Reader, I haven’t been back out to Sanibel/Captiva. The causeway was being repaired, causing 2 hour back ups.
Carole sorry to hear about your BIL. Hoping he gets good treatment.
Sandy, your NYE celebration seemed good with your smaller group.
If I missed anyone (Betrayal), know I read the posts but didn’t take notes. And I wish us all well.
No set plans, just getting back to normal after guests. I started clearing out the guest bedroom closet and ran out of gas. Haha! I’ll get back in there now. I have old pillows to toss; comforters to put in a bin for storage - I switch them up; and beers to put in the refrigerator. I’m truly ready to shower and put on my jammies, but I don’t want to look at the guest bedroom tomorrow, I want it done tonight.
2 -
Did I mention that on NYE as we were waiting for the rest of our party at Regalia, we ran into Judy (our own keywestfan) and her DH Gil as they were on their way out? She still looks fabulous—for ANY age. She urged me to adopt another kitty as soon as the pain of Heidi's loss begins to fade. Her little Dahlia brings her such joy.
I never learned to play mah jongg, much less on a computer. Just the name instantly brings back memories of the click-clack of the ivory (ivoroid?) tiles as my mom and her friends used to play at the little resort hotels up in the Shawangunks (the resorts in the Catskills proper were out of our price range) when I was little and we'd escape the NYC summer heat.
Where did the time go? Bar Show rehearsals went on hiatus the evening of 12/16, and resume tomorrow evening. It's gonna be a whirlwind—rehearsals every weeknight (and all day both days this weekend), move to the theater Mon. night, do tech & dress nightly, open Fri. the 12th and close Sat. the 13th—then clear out of the theater all day next Sun. the 14th. Meanwhile, I have to squeeze in my annual endocrinologist appt. on Thurs. the 11th (and bloodwork sometime before that), in Skokie, and then hightail it back down to the Loop. No rehearsal in the theater that night—NPR does "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" there live on Thursdays—but I wouldn't be surprised if we do a quick "fix-what's-broken" rehearsal (and hopefully not have to cope with any more cast absences) at the Bar Assn. that night. Part of me is envisioning life returning to normal after the show—but of course we still need to keep mitigating till JN.1 peters out and no other variants take its place…for awhile.
We'll probably look for a 10-14-day tour of Spain some time late Feb-early March; after which time we can consider sharing our lives with another kitty. Looking into a day trip (at most an overnight) Apr. 8 in the solar eclipse's "totality belt." We dropped the ball on the one in 2017—our friends down in Sparta, IL had campers reserved all over their property by the time I asked—and a 95% eclipse up here isn't anywhere near as spectacular as the darkness during totality. Jackie, Centralia is on the northern portion of the "belt"—have you ordered your eclipse glasses yet? Once again, as in 2017, Carbondale & Marion will be dead-center—but I'm sure every room is spoken for and it's too long for a day trip. We're looking at perhaps Indianapolis or Sandusky/Toledo—no more than 3-4 hrs. from Chicago either way. Do-able if we get up "with the chickens" and head home thereafter, in time for late dinner.
0 -
So this is, as Sandy says, your own keywestfan, now, since yesterday, sitting by the pool in Key West. Anyone know the Bob Dylan song about KW? Describes it perfectly. O’Hare airport had zillions-none wearing masks.Not a one to be seen, but much coughing, sneezing, hacking. Felt out of place with ours, but also with being old and carrying a walking stick, amongst all the high school, college students, and on up going somewhere.
Sandy is fabulous looking too, filled as she is, was, with warmth, smarts, and bling. Seeing her again at the same restaurant as last year made this New Year’s Eve for me. And, I do wish when the time is right that she and Bob get a new kitty. So many years of pleasure and comfort.Shrinkrap, I, as an LCSW, used it too. I think maybe I thought it was Shrinkrapt. I do still know psychiatrists who listen as they certainly need to. Or, one certainly needed to listen to me after BC diagnosis and hip replacement too.
2 -
Jackie, Loved the quote.
1 -
Keywest, good to hear you’re back in KW, your happy space. It’s been cool in Fort Myers, and they’re talking rain this weekend. Hoping it misses you!
I tossed those bed pillows, humane society wouldn’t take them. I dusted, set the robot vacuum to do the whole house, and cleaned up a bunch. I found a lead cord for Alexa that I couldn’t locate after our arrival, and had bought a replacement for - never fails.
I also got my bike ride in today. Much later in the afternoon than normal but weather was ok for it, except the head wind, wee oh.
As mentioned above we’re in line for a bad rain storm over the weekend, which is when all events take place. There is an Art Walk on Friday, as well as a kick off for a seafood & blues festival that runs all weekend. We’ll get out for a time as long as it’s not pouring. That’s it for what’s going on. I’m on the bored side without my niece and grandniece being here. They’re always up to run somewhere, taking me on the journey. I’ll get my routine back soon.
Have a great night!
1 -
How will you use the years God gives you? Will you be remembered for being a fault-finder? Or will you be known for your quick smile, the laugh lines around your eyes, and the twinkle deep within? After all, the Lord gives you your face, but you provide the expression. -Barbara Johnson
1 -
Turned out to be a long day today. It was time for the Marion pedicure better known as nail trimming. The tech gave me a tube of moisturizing cream which she said you could use anywhere but she uses it on her hands. I tried it out and I see why. My hands haven't felt so nice for a long time.
Then we picked up some medications from the pharmacy for Dh. After that we went to the Pulmonary department so I could get a copy of the biopsy report that was done at John Cochran. My lung nodule is a neuroendocrine tumor listed as Grade 1. So I already had the appt. on the 8th. to start radiation procedures since I can't have surgery. Glad now that Dr. Dave didn't wait and got the ball rolling in advance. Onward and upward.
Came home a bit done in after stopping in Benton and getting out usual treat of large fries no salt and a whole lot of pepper at the Dairy Queen. We are still eating by the time we get to the far edge of Mr. Vernon — almost home. I was tired after the long day spent out and still had to do some light chores when I got home. Had to call Hulu as now and then it dops off and chose to do it while we were gone. We call up and they get an activation code and start us back up. It is a fairly quick procedure.
Hope you all had a fine day. We did have plenty of sun and it got up to 40 w/o much breeze, so it was nice. Hoping for more of that tomorrow.
EDA: Glad you like the quote petite.
1 -
Judy, you picked the right time to "get outta Dodge." They're predicting 2" of snow showers over the weekend, but a major snowstorm Mon. night into Tues. Natch, it's when we move from the Bar Assn. bldg. to the theater (show is at the Studebaker Fri evening 1/12 and Sat. matinee & evening the 13th). It wouldn't be a Bar Show w/o some lousy weather during the run-up and the run—wish we'd been able to hold it in early Dec. as in years past.
Masking everywhere I can—we did go out last night to Stefani Prime in Lincolnwood, but it's big and airy, with every other table unoccupied. Only 4 of us were masked at rehearsal tonight (had to take mine off to sing & act my solos, but kept it on for the production numbers). Two of the "stars" are out with COVID because they're young'uns who partied-hearty last week. One is set to return to rehearsals by Mon., but the other may be out of the show. Hers is one of the few featured roles with an understudy: the woman who wrote it and has extensive professional theater experience.
Carole, hugs for your BIL—may he get great treatment and make a full recovery.
Jackie, in your pocket for treating your lung tumor. My facialist suggested L'Occitaine shea butter hand cream for my dry flaky, cracking hands. It's not cheap, but it's very thick and a little goes a long way. O'Keefe's Working Hands (in the jar) is almost as good.
I never got into Wordle or Spelling Bee—I spend too much time online as it is, and those games sound addictive. My favorite puzzles are crosswords (the bigger & harder the better—Saturday is the hardest, Sunday the biggest), acrostics, and diagramless. The latter comes in two forms: a blank grid with clues (they indicate the first square and what kind of symmetry, if any, it has); and a "fill-in," a blank grid with no clues but instead a list of 3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 and sometimes 11-letter words. They fill in all the "E"s so that helps quite a bit. (As long as you remember the usual crossword rule that answers must be at least 3 letters long and "orphans"—single letters that don't intersect with another word—are a no-no, unlike the British-style "cryptic" or "skeleton" puzzles). It's very hard to find new diagramless puzzle books—not many people are constructing them these days, and most of the ones on Amazon are small, symmetrical and blitheringly easy. A diagramless comes up maybe twice or at most three times a year in the NYT. The Times' "variety" puzzles alternate between an acrostic every other week and another form of crossword—cryptic, puns & anagrams, diagramless—or a weird pattern one like "Marching Bands," "Spiral," etc. (I haven't the patience for those).
Used to be that if you subscribed to the NYT and its separate Puzzles app online, Sunday's puzzles (regular crossword and "variety") became available on Thursday night after 10pm Eastern time. But now you must wait till Saturday night to get the regular Sunday crossword—and the "variety" puzzles are available only in the Sunday NYT (print) Magazine. There is a site called XWordInfo that does download & publish the variety puzzles, but for awhile this fall they were on hiatus because it requires some sophisticated coding skills & effort. I did find an acrostics-only site by puzzlebaron.com—but it times you; you can neither see the countdown clock nor find a "pause" button like the Times uses. Only after you've solved the puzzle are you shown a bell-curve graph that tells you how fast or slowly you solved it, relative to average users. It wounds my pride to be called away from the keyboard for a pressing matter, only to return, finish the puzzle and find myself described as "very slow!"
1 -
Jackie - keeping you in my thoughts and prayers as you go through treatment for the lung nodule. Will you need to go to Marion for radiation? Or can it be done closer to home? I admire your attitude. You never complain and just keep taking one step at a time.
Cindy - so envious that Florida weather allows you to ride your bike outside. I’m using my indoor exercise bike in the basement during the winter but I find it boring and not nearly as fun as an outdoor ride. I alternate the indoor bike with going to the gym to use the elliptical and walking outside when possible. Today was low 30’s and sunny so we got in a 4 mile hike at a nearby state park. As Sandy noted above, we are looking at snow next week although I am always skeptical of the meteorologist’s accuracy.
Sandy - good luck with rehearsals and staying healthy. Your plan for a 10-14 day trip to Spain sounds wonderful. I’d love to hear more about it as we are hoping to go in the next few years.
Hope everyone’s New Year is off to as good of a start as possible.
1 -
You're right, Sandy, about Wordle and Spelling Bee becoming addictive. A new feature on Spelling Bee is the option of continuing to work on the puzzle. I knew a woman during my younger years who could work the NYT crossword at one sitting. I was awed.
1 -
My SIL and her DH do the NYT crossword while driving. He uses ink to fill it in. Two English profs - what can I say.
0 -
Do we need to make a special effort to enjoy the beauty of the blue sky?
Do we have to practice to be able to enjoy it? No, we just enjoy it.
Each second, each minute of our lives can be like this.
Wherever we are, any time, we have the capacity to enjoy the sunshine,
the presence of each other, even the sensation of our breathing.
We don't need to go to China to enjoy the blue sky.
We don't have to travel into the future to enjoy our breathing.
We can be in touch with these things right now.
Thich Nhat Hanh1 -
Looks fine outside right now, but a high percentage chance of rain tonight. Grrrrr. Well, it is worrisome to the degree that we might get more gray weather or heavens — a real snow. Have to see how it goes I guess. We are often "missed" when it comes to some of the negative weather events.
Fortunately (have my fingers crossed almost tightly) I have no Marion or out of town appts. to keep. Did get a call this a.m. for a medical oncology appt. Apparently, I will get not only radiation but chemo as well. I never got around to asking that question — didn't even think it to ask anyway. Guess I'll be investing in some warm head covers. My other chemo was so long ago I gave away everything I had. Well, that's okay. Be interesting to see if there is anything new.
Nothing special for today. Catch-up things since yesterday went by the wayside for my catch-up list. I always have a little of that plus the other things I decide to take on.
I do play a lot of word games and trivia type games on the computer in addition to the Mahjong. I play a lot of the three-dimensional Mahjong. Much harder but I like the challenge most of the time. I don't do well a lot of the time, but I've gotten a lot better since I stared a year ago. Forgot to say that I do the crossword in our newspaper everyday. Twice a week we have double puzzles too.
I hope you all have a good day and Sandy and anyone with negative weather reports, I'll be thinking of you and hoping all stay fine thru whatever comes.
2
