Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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Sometimes things which at the moment may be perceived as obstacles--and actually be obstacles, difficulties, or drawbacks--can in the long run result in some good end which would not have occurred if it had not been for the obstacle.
Steve Allen
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Cindy — the busy bee. You are so right — doing a lot of washing/cleaning that you don't have to come back to is really the thing to do. I think I recall you came back this time to a lot of serious yard cleaning even though a lot of it was already accomplished. Just never know what conditions may be a part of return so having things you don't have to have concern for is so good for you.
Saying hi to everyone this rainy morning here. grrrr. I'd like to send a lot of this to Betrayal who could really use it. Like you Betrayal — we can often be in the feast or famine mode, but lately we are feasting to the point of gluttony. I'm thinking mainly (a bit early yet) of some of our weather people predicting a 'rainy' winter. If so, I'd rather have les of this now.
My usual Walmart foray will be on the docket this morning, so I do hope the rains stops — I don't bother with 'weather reports' much since ours here seems so hard to predict.
I hope you all have a good day.
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Sunny day today predicted to go to 0 but barely made it out of the 60's. Only needed light weight fleece to go to appointment for an EMG.
I meet with very pleasant Doctor and he asks why I am there. When I tell him it was for a scheduled EMG, he tells me I am not on the schedule. Now I didn't schedule this through the general scheduling but through the office personnel and told them it was a referral from my Orthopod. Fortunately, the machine was available and he was able to perform the procedure. He was talkative and this is so unusual in most of the neurologists I have met. I had seen his partner a few years back and he was beyond taciturn so I never went back to see him since I felt like he could have cared less about my issues. So I do have moderate carpal tunnel in my right hand/wrist. Suggested I wear brace at night and I will have to do this. I will see Orthopod on 12/5 to see what he has to say. This is also the hand with the severely arthritic thumb. My skeletal issues continue.
I put a medley of the Righteous Brothers on and Bumblebee was singing along. He hasn't been singing as much lately so I will have to play music to encourage him.
Got tickets to see Gladiator II at the local IMAX this Thursday. DD and DH will also go with DSIL to join us after for dinner. He didn't want to go.
DGD is in a chorus and has a dance recital. We will go to the chorus show but the dance recital is early on a Saturday and seating is first come, so we will not be able to get close seats thus opted not to go. DH has his ham radio club luncheon that day. No, I do not attend these nor did I attend any retirement dinners he was invited to for reasons that I did not like being dumped with other wives I had nothing in common with, etc. Gayle King jokingly says that people say she would talk to a tree and that could be said of me as well just not at those dinners.
Hope everyone had a wonderful day.
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Many people around you have a lot of anger, hate, and despair, which prevents them from getting in touch with the fresh air, the blue sky, or the fragrant rose. They are in a kind of prison. But if you practice compassion, if you can see the suffering in the people around you, and if every day you try to do something to help them suffer less, then you are free. One day with compassion is worth more than one hundred days without it. Thich Nhat Hanh At
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Betrayal, wow !! Dr.'s appt. seems to have gone just fine, but what a rocky start. Hope you can continue on to find good fixes. Adding birthdays brings challenges. Hope the night brace does help a lot while you're on the way to look for a long-range solution.
Bumble has the music inside him but just needs the stimulation of the music outside of him to prime the pump a bit. Nice for both of you. Just wondering to myself if Bumble would like to hear the pan flute. I'm fond of Zamfir who fashioned his own pan flutes and was able to actually add a couple more notes to use with the flutes he designed. I've always enjoyed his music. Went to one of his concerts and the standing ovation was so long that we got treated to another 15 mins. of his beautiful music.
I understand the "dinner" you don't bother with. Better left to the person enjoying hobby/work of other HAM operators. I'm sure your hubby would not want to go to a sewing circle dinner. I never went to any of Hubbys car enthusiast events — bored out of my mind.
Hope everyone has a good day and anyone traveling as well.
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cindyny, on Sunday I walked out to the front porch to check on a recurring hole that DH says seems to be occupied near my beloved lilac bush. He claims he saw 2 beady eyes peering back at him when he went to fill it. There used to be a tree there and even with stump removal we knew there would later be subsidence due to rotting roots. He had filled it in but it continued to reopen. As I walked out the door a squirrel who had been cleaning the seeds out of my white pumpkin dashed off the porch. There was evidence of squirrel chews on a small orange pumpkin on the steps. Now end of season, usually after Thanksgiving, I do toss the pumpkins up in the woods and let the critters have at them. It is fun to watch the deer stomp on them to open them and then share the contents with the squirrels. We do have raccoons in the area so under cover of night they may take advantage of them as well. I looked over to see a doe resting in my "secret" garden section which is below ground level of the front yard. I tossed both pumpkins to that area figuring to lure them away from the porch. I'll check today to see if they have eaten them.
Today is sunny but only in the 50's. Yesterday was supposed to be 70 since the "7" didn't type above. Some of my number keys seem to stick, especially the "4" unless I strike them hard. Not being a touch typist ever, I have worn off the markings on quite a few keys, though not the numbers yet. Even the "4" on the side doesn't work and I can honestly say I have never used them. Oops, it appears the num lock was on, lol, and they do work.
The doctor I saw yesterday had the most personality in a neurologist I have ever experienced; most seem to be on the weird spectrum in my years of experience. His one daughter became a nurse after another occupation and works in an OR. She has been there for 2 years and loves it. The college where I taught has a RNFA program which is where a qualified, experienced OR nurse advances her/his career by taking a course to become a surgeon's operative "first assistant". The course was started by a former colleague of mine who has since died. Jane was a force to be reckoned with, dynamic, energetic and so focused on advancing the practice of OR Nursing. She was at one time the President of the AORN. The program is now run also by a former colleague who Jane essentially handpicked to be her replacement and then continued to mentor. So I dropped him a thank you note and mentioned the program to share with his daughter. It is to my knowledge the first developed in the US. Jane trained students from all over the world, wrote books, advised students, developed a program where students could become OR surgical technicians "surgi techs" and I am proud to have called her a friend as well as a colleague.
His other daughter became a Gynecologic Oncologist and I had to laugh when he said that even though he was a physician he had no idea what either of them really did in their practice. He said he listens to their stories with great interest, admires them for what they do especially the one who is "all about women's health" and supports them. He had 2 other children but time ran out before we could talk about their careers.
I am planning on tackling the 4 hanging areas of the closet today and will save the 3 shelving sections for another time. They hold sweaters in containers, sandals also in boxes, purses, perfumes, etc. Stuff I want visible but organized and labeled for easy access. If I clear these areas today, I will be happy and will need to sort into donate after DD examines them, the toss has already been done previously, and then whatever DD doesn't want will be shipped off to either Battered women if they accept donations or Purple Heart/Green Drop. So it means trying on slacks, jackets and other clothing bits. I best get to it.
Rain is expected tonight but will it actually appear? Every time they predict a soaking, it blows south or north and we get nothing or a tiny sprinkle. The ground is so hard, I hope we do not get a downpour but a nice drenching would help.
Hope everyone has a great day.
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A great attitude does much more than turn on the lights in our worlds; it seems to magically connect us to all sorts of serendipitous opportunities that were somehow absent before the change.
Earl Nightingale
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Monday night was Wilkes-Barre. Full sun, nice drive day.
Tuesday night was Fredericksburg. Sun early, overcast the rest of the drive but still ok. Had a sprinkle along the way but nothing bothersome. It did rain good last night, guessing around midnight. It’s much cooler & damp this morning.
Today we’re heading to Lumberton. Last night at dinner, beautiful Mediterranean place, we were told Lumberton is a party town. We laughed saying we hope not near us. Eat, hot showers & sleep is all we’re looking for.
Thats about it. Uneventful which is good!We’ll find BJ’s this morning to fill the gas tank up, then hit the road
Almost forgot, we stopped at a rest stop in VA and partner - he always goes in to talk to the info desk people. The man gave him a map, after discussing how we came down avoiding the NYC/NJ chaos. The map took us maybe an extra 1/2 hour of driving, but we missed ALL of DC! Loved it. Any of you that have driven around DC (those that haven’t shouldn’t) know you can sit in bumper to bumper traffic for an hour+ easily. We got to see some extremely large homes, farms, wineries, and craft breweries along the way. Speed limit is lower than the highways but we were never stuck sitting in traffic.
We’ve kept the map. And on a future trip will add in time to stop at a botanical garden spot. We went through many Civil War battle field areas. Need a specific vacation for us to stop and stay to see them.Betrayal, I love that the animals make out from our pumpkin purchases!
Jackie I hope you see some sunshine amid the rains. I remember the gray too long gets to you.
Have a great day!
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Cindy, I'm all in favor of taking extra time and driving around cities but our routes seem to take us through cities. Can't count how many times we've driven through St. Louis. Avoiding commuting times when possible helps.
As I mentioned on the Drinking thread, my new hobby/interest is mini succulents. I learned that a nursery where I have bought plants in the past has succulents so I want to go there and possibly buy a few plants. I'm following some groups on Facebook whose members have huge collections and I have no intention of going overboard like that. The plants are easily propagated and that's one reason the collections get so large. I like the variety. I started by buying a pot with about 10 different tiny plants at the farmers market in MN. They were repotted into 3 containers and most have thrived.
It's cool and sunny today. We can enjoy several days of fall weather before more summer like weather returns.
Happy Wednesday.
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hi ladies, joining this discussion to find out about post menopausal women taking tamoxifen….wondering if the SE profile is different than pre or perimenopausal women’s experience and what typical symptoms (( how long it took or they lasted) from the side effects. I see a lot of posts from pre and perimenopausal women’s experience but far less from us post menopausal. Hope to hear from you
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ismacurler, welcome to our group. There might be a forum on tamoxifen specifically. I was on anastrazole, so sorry I have no input.
Carole, in FL any succulent I have had a piece fall off, I just stick it in the ground or in another pot, and they grow. It’s very cool. In NY the house had a rock garden full of hens & chicks when I moved in. But since then, my dads wild roses took over; none survived.
Today’s travel, we went through some drizzle. But then we had downpours for at least 100+ miles. So glad when it went back to drizzle then stopped. Happy to be checked in for the night.1 -
just a question…is this a forum for just casual conversation or information as well? I see much very casual conversation (and that is fine), I just don’t want to use a resource inappropriately
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Ismacurler, we do a lot of casual conversation on this thread but do share medical challenges we're going through. As Cindy said, there are discussion threads that deal with specific topics like tamoxifen. I was on arimidex for almost five years and I participated in a discussion forum with other women taking it. Feel free to join in with any comments or questions. Any topic but religion and politics.
I bought some new tiny succulents today. They were on the pricey side but then they come from California. I didn't manage to get one variety that I want. I had no luck with planters or planter. I was looking for an interesting planter big enough for 8 or 10 little plants. Some people use small individual pots and cluster them on a tray. I may use a beautiful pottery bowl I own that is stored in a cabinet. It has the broad shallow shape I want. I bought it one year from a clay artist at the Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans. I'm talking myself out of filling it with dirt. LOL.
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I have seen the other threads but what I am looking for is the perspective of post menopausal women on tamoxifen.
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Welcome ismacurler. I cannot help you since I was on the 3 different AI's over 7 years and finished the last on exemestane. Never took Tamoxifen nor do I know of anyone in our age group who was on it.
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Today was overcast but into the low 60's with a dramatic change in weather heading our way. we did get some rain last night which left outdoor items wet but not the drenching we need. Still some is better than none.
We just watched Gladiator for the umpteenth time in preparation for seeing Gladiator II tomorrow. I loved this movie and the musical score by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard. We used to use the latter's music at the end of our yoga class and it still resonates with me though I no longer do yoga. Resumed after rotator cuff repair but not after BC surgery because I no longer could do some of the poses. I do miss it because I came away totally chill.
Just did laundry today and may try to do one section of the second closet tomorrow since DD can then see if she wants anything before I donate. I think I'll try to do the lower hanging area because it only requires trying on some fleeces and some slacks. I am so pleased with the other closet's clothing situation and plan on doing the shelves once I have finished with the clothing from this closet. I do have many shoes/sandals because they were one of my loves and to be honest, I'd have to be a centipede to wear all of them. I had given some sandals with heels, that were barely worn or new, to my DSIL who was so pleased with them. My knees did not tolerate the heels or wedges. The remaining shoes/sandals are mostly flats or 1" heels.
cindyny, you are making good time on getting back to FL and you will have to share what routes you took to avoid DC. We used to drive to FL for vacation and I can remember being stuck on the beltway with a Good Humor ice cream truck that sold out in record time. He gave me the incorrect change and we had to quickly get back in the car as the traffic began to move. He did catch up with us and refunded what he owed me. He got off at the next exit to go fill his truck up again. I bet it was the best day he'd ever had.
Carole, you could always line that bowl with an aluminum pie pan if will fit and be hidden on the sides so you can keep it safe from the soil. Succulents are easy as long as you don't overwater.
Illinoislady, how did Lil' Red make out at the vets?
Hello to everyone I haven't mentioned and I hope everyone had a wonderful day.
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@ismacurler - Welcome!! Unfortunately, I have no advice on taking Tamoxifin as I took Anastrozole. I do recall my MO suggesting Tamoxifin when I was struggling with the side effects of anastrozole. However, I was not comfortable with the side effects of Tamoxifin such as increased risk of blood clots and uterine cancer, although the MO was not very concerned with those risks. That’s just me. Perhaps a further conversation with your MO would be helpful.
I looked outside late this afternoon and - GASP! - there is white stuff, commonly known as snow, on my grass. Ugh! It’s just a dusting although we may be in for a bit more tomorrow.
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It was cool enough in the house this morning that I turned on the heat. Another beautiful sunny day.
Tamoxifen was never suggested to me.
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I forgot to share that I'm having lunch with two women friends today and neither has seen my natural silver gray hair. We're meeting at Oyster Half Shell, a restaurant the three of us like. I will be choosing WW friendly selections. This morning I weighed and I am down 5.5 lbs.
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Few of us are truly free. Money, fame, power, sexuality, admiration, youth; whateverwe are attached to will enslave us, and often we serve these masters unaware.Many of the things that enslave us will limit our ability to live fully and deeply. They will cause usto suffer needlessly. The promised land may be many things to many people. For someit is perfect health and for others freedom from hunger or fear, or discrimination,or injustice. But perhaps on the deepest level the promised land is the same for us all,the capacity to know and live by the innate goodness in us,to serve and belong to one another and to life.
Rachel Naomi Remen
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Good morning and I too had Anastrozole. Tamoxifen never discussed. I hope @ismacurler can find the answers she needs. Do feel free to come and share here all you want. We are chatty with daily life activities which are a part of our health issues.
Carole, what good news on your wt. watchers program so far. Be interesting what you lady friends may feel about your silver gray.
Harley — about that snow. Yikes. It almost feels like winter here. The recent rains, plus colder temps. and high winds yesterday - blustery is the word, made if have a REAL winter is coming feel. It is predicted to stay in the low 40's which has been known to slip into the 30's easier than anyone would like. I'm holding my breath. I'm never quite ready, but whatever comes around doesn't care a whit about that. Here's hoping.
Hope you all have a good day.
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carole, congrats on weight loss. Enjoy your lunch.
It is gray and wet here. We did finally get some appreciable rain accompanied by loud claps of thunder and some lightning last night. Today is just a damp day with temps in 40's and mist rather than actual rain. It is cold enough to be bone chilling. The jacket I wore to get my last Orthovisc injection will not work when we go out to see Gladiator II later.
Just discovered carrots I had bought at Costco but no used yet, were on the recall list. So I guess I will be returning them to Costco tomorrow. Glad I hadn't gotten around to using them yet. They were meant for a Yankee pot roast meal. DD discovered she has been feeding them to her critters: rabbit, guinea pig, hamster and her dogs. Recall dates all the way back to August so announcement now is a tad late for sure.
harley, they are predicting snow for us tomorrow but in the mountainous regions. Not ready for snow yet.
When I was in high school the gym suits we wore were one piece with bare legs. We were not permitted, though the boys were, to cover our legs with sweat pants, but we were allowed to wear sweatshirts over our gym clothes. We had outdoor gym classes until the first snow which was usually after Thanksgiving. It never made sense to me why we had to remain bare legged and it was actually cruel when I think about it. I can still remember those goose pimples with goose bumps. It was the snow this early that brought that memory alive.
Hope everyone has a great day.
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Give in to goodness now and then. I don't mean masochistic self-sacrifice. I mean the deliberate performance of an act that has ethical value: helping someone in need, righting a wrong, forgiving an enemy. For best results, the act should be one that can't possibly benefit you. . . . if we give in to goodness once in a while, we gain strength. If we consistently refuse, we're at cross-purposes with everything, including our deepest nature. People not only have the capacity for ethical behavior, they have a built-in need for it. If you give in to goodness reasonably often, you won't have to seek self-renewal. It will come to you.
anonymous, quoted by Arthur Gordon
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Betrayal, I remember those ugly gym suits. Ours were a dark blue color. They were lost from memory until you mentioned them. LOL.
My friends were underwhelmed by my natural hair color. One friend, Carolyn, is 83 and she has vowed she will never go natural. Her hair is blonde and it looks good on her. My other friend, Norma, always had dyed red/brown hair which went great with her blue eyes. She started being dissatisfied when the color didn't hold up. She was going to go natural but natural wasn't all that attractive. Now she is a white blond with darker roots. So she's still going to a salon for color every two months. She's happy with the look because she gets lots of compliments on her appearance. She is admirable for her physical fitness but she devotes herself to fitness and appearance and health. She swims three times a week and goes to the gym twice a week. Her figure shows no sign that she had four children. She just turned 90 and takes one prescription med for bp.
I enjoyed the company of my friends but my lunch was mediocre. At least I had the satisfaction of having stuck to the WW program.
I've been on a buying binge and have a number of new little succulents and a couple of planters. So I will be busy today potting plants.
Happy Friday.
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Carole, ours were also blue as the school colors were blue and gold but more of a medium blue. I am long waisted so they never fit right; either too long in the crotch if I sized up or too short if I wore the correct size. Envied those whose suits actually fit them well.
Decided to skip Costco and to run to Produce Junction instead but with snow predicted for today I figured all the "snow crazies" would be out en masse to buy everything like bread, toilet paper (really? Do you go through that much?) plus produce. I also need to run to Dollar store for wrapping paper for wedding present. Did not want to drag a 30 lb mixer to the wedding but DB the GC hasn't returned so I could send it home with him. It's a 3 hour round trip with over $50 in tolls that I don't want to take.
So I will try to get there on Monday between mammo appointment and cardiologist appointment. I see the latter every 6 months since my hernia repair where they caused an abnormal echocardiogram due to fluid overload. Good thing I had that echo scheduled before surgery and they performed it while I was still hospitalized. It was the cause (fluid) of the extreme lower extremity edema I had post-op. It did clear but cardiologist wants to keep an eye on me. I also want to schedule my pre-op TKR visit with her for end of March.
Upholsterer called to day and my chair is done. My DSIL dropped it off 2 weeks ago but they had to wait for my approval of the fabric which was on the following Monday. They had loads of furniture in a holding pattern when I went so I was surprised to get it back so soon. The repair cost less than I expected and it looks lovely with the velvet sides and back. Misty is barred from the room and I have a very long child gate across the doorway. She can jump from the floor to the top of my old jewelry armoire but can't scale gates thank goodness. Makes room access a pain but keeps the furniture safe. I had a scratch pad near the chair but it got moved and she decided it wasn't convenient.
Today is gray, temps in high 30's and cold. I finally got out to sweep the porch and discovered another pumpkin has been attacked. I tossed it down the hill and unfortunately it was a great toss because it kept rolling and landed in the neighbors yard, oops. Too far away to retrieve so I am hoping they just toss it into their section of the woods. I also found one lying in the pachysandra in front of the porch so I retrieved it and it is back on the porch. The hole is still there and I am wondering if it is a ground hog that has taken up residence. If so, I will have it captured and moved because I do not want my lilac compromised. So I need to keep an eye out for what inhabits the hole.
So I will try to work on closet today. DD was able to go through clothes and take what she wanted so I can bag up the rest for donation. I will look for a Battered Women's site to see if they will accept them. Need to find outfit to wear to wedding as well since I do not want to buy anything new at this point in my life.
Saw Gladiator II at an IMAX theater and would recommend that if you have the option this is the theater you want to see the film in due to its grandeur on the big screen. It was wonderful and Ridley Scott was able to incorporate elements from Gladiator to relate the story lines. The new musical score was conducted by a Hans Zimmer disciple but I think it is not as soulful as the original, though even it has bits from the original score. Loved it and can't wait to see it again.
Paul Mescal uses his Irish accent and is definitely eye candy to this old lady. Ridley Scott was on CBS mornings and explained how he envisioned this sequel including his drawings of key scenes that were actualized and were integral to the plot. Go see it.
Hope everyone has a great day.
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When I went to school, we were told to bring shorts and shirt from home to use for gym class. But then, it was the 60's and a public school as well. A bit more relaxed as well as a 'country ' school too. For a while the rule was you had to have a certain grade average to wear any kind of 'pants' to school - Fridays only. Later, the grade average was dropped but still pants only allowed on Fridays. It was a good experience.
Carol, thanks for the hair discussion. I'm betting you look fine, but the ladies you were asking seem 'stuck' on not letting their natural real selves through so I think harder for them to admire reality on someone else. Just my opinion. I still haven't gotten to an apt. yet, but soon, I hope. I don't do long hair well and this is where I am right now.
Hope you all have a good day.
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Ah yes, the dark blue gym suits. Ours were one piece but the top was a striped blue and white and the bottoms were dark blue. And they were a knit material which was not flattering. Just what a teenage girl wants to wear to co-ed gym class when I was already self-conscious.
Carole - I’m guessing your silver gray hair looks great. As my hair grows back in it will be grey/white and depending on how it looks I may use this as an opportunity to stop coloring my hair blonde. At this point I only have peach fuzz so it’s a bit difficult to tell what it will look like. My eyebrows and eyelashes are also starting to come back in so I’m happy about that.
My PET scan came back clear which was great news. I find this stage of recovery difficult as I’m no longer in active treatment but now that life has settled down I’m still processing all that I went through.
Have a great weekend.
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Carole, I would suggest a makeup consult if you wear makeup. Gray hair changes skin color. My hair is about half and half at 84 so I doubt it will ever be completely gray. The half has made colors more or less flattering
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I had a blue gym suit. I haven't thought about that in 60 years or so. LOL
I don't know if any of you remember, but when I did my 2022 tax returns the computer took out my payment twice. After 18 months, they, IRS, are finally going to return my money. That will sure help with my home repairs. YAY!!!!!
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