Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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I was not only a Reast Estate Receptionist but also an agent. I no longer do either. In fact, the office I worked for was struggling and about a yr. after I quit working there, they merged with another company. Most of the women here know that I had a 7 yr. battlw with my in-diagnosed hyper thyroid disease and though never in hospital.......I was on the way to dying ( kidneys had quit and I was telling my husband that it was ok if it was my time....I was ok with it ) and after four long yrs. of treatment and PT.....learned to walk again, grasp objects without hand opening right back up and other fun things like that I was pretty much back in business. A couple of years after we moved back home here....I had a brain stem stroke.....another three years of my life devoted to memory exercises, walking, coordination etc.
Ok....I had it made...........until I found out I had cancer. So the powers that be or whoever is in charge of those things.....I had three strikes and I'm still here. But for the record....after two disease processess that gave me transitory amenisia and a host of other issues -- and then cancer.....I sort of wondered if I could learn anymore. So, I went to school at Rend Lake College for 6 months and got my Rdealtor's License. It did take two tries. I used the license and I was thrilled that I could still study and pass a test...........but my heart is in gentle nursing............sitting with older people who are not too bad, but who can no longer be alone. I did this before ( it was Alhzeimer's people then ) the Real Estate office and loved it.....find I still do. I feel needed and it refreshes my heart and soul if I can impart comfort to those who are much closer to the end of their journey here. Share some of their life with them and let them know it brings me joy to do so. I always hope when I leave they too feel joy that I appreciate their conversation and stories and the chance to do what I can for them.
Well, that's my story....a lot of it anyway and I'm sticking to it.
Peace and love
Jackie
p.s. Sorry, I took too long and my spell checker went to bed.
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Jackie, I am feeling very healthy after reading your journey. You sound like such a fighter, and very accepting and resilient with life in general. I am sure those persons you sit with are very happy to have someone like you. Thanks for sharing.
Rachel
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It's cool here today but I'm going to venture out and hit that little white golf ball for about 9 holes. It won't be long and the weather will prevent me from doing that so I'd better take advantage of the time now.
Jackie, I know you'd be wonderful with the older people who need some help and TLC. I only wish you would have lived closer to my Dad. I would have hired you in an instant! You do so much to help others.
Everyone have a great Tuesday!
Rita
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"Just because you've made mistakes doesn't mean your mistakes get to make you. Take notice of your inner critic, forgive yourself and move on."-- Robert Tew0
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Good day everyone. Just about 2 p.m. and I'm home from my job that to me isn't really a job. It is always great to get paid for something you love to do.....even though due to that....you almost feel you are cheating your employer just a bit. I try to be grateful at all times that I do have the good fortune to be in this world and getting to do things that give me peace and satisfaction. Thanks so much Di for your very nice pm.
Sometimes ( who ever knows exactly why ) I feel the need to explain myself just a bit. Many might say my life is full of a few un-plesant ups and downs...well, yes. Those are the same things that needed to be there for my growth. I will admit while in the middle of a couple of them I have gotten a rather HUGE case of the why me's. But through everything that happens....good, bad or somewhere in-between, I have in time started looking for the sun eager to rid myself of the poor me's that turn up.
There are plenty of times when we all deserve a couple of really good pity parties. I guess I hope in telling my stories to some of the newer people, with a dose of my viewpoints added, that the path they have to walk will start to lighten up along the way. It just happens that spending time ( not that a lot of my younger friends aren't seen as a true treasure by me ) with the older folks that I continue learning and hoping that someday what I have learned will continue to bless me. Just thinking of the older lady I stay with now.
It's a gorgeous day here....not too hot or cold and no humidty....the sort of begining of Fall day that is perfect. I'd go wash my car but I did it a couple of days ago. Drat...it was hotter then.
Still enjoying some fresh veggies, mainly squash, gr. peppers and tomatoes from my cousin's garden. Had her tell her hubby to save the tomato bushes, and I'd make up a batch of refrigerator gr. tomato relish. The great thing about it is.....you don't have to do a water bath. Just put it in a sterilized jar and leave it in the fridge. I haven't done it for several years since I haven't remembered to tell anyone to leave the tomato bushes in Fall so I can harvest the gr. tomatoes. Ah...this year is the year.
Hope you all have a wonderful day.
Peace and love
Jackie
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Jackie, you sound happy and content. It's nice to read your posts. I have to chuckle that almost all of us on this thread wish you lived near enough to hire you to take care of an elderly loved one.
Today was day one of a 2-day golf tournament. It was hot and I have felt drained this afternoon. I kept getting muscle cramps all afternoon and kept drinking water. Also took a couple of potassium pills. Now I'm feeling ok. Tomorrow I need to get up at 6:30 am again, like today, and go out there and do my best.
DH continues to feel his old normal self. He has been doing some jobs around here and went out and hit golf balls on the driving range today. His stress test is scheduled for Sept 26. Evidently the test results from the Duluth hospital didn't raise any alarm. With hindsight, we probably could have followed through with our plans to visit his relatives up in IL. But now that I'm settled in, it's good to be back in our house home.
Rachel, I hope you and your dh enjoy your camper. It's a good way to travel. You get to sleep in your own bed wherever you are and don't have to pack suitcases.
Where are Chevy and Camille? I miss their bickering!
Hugs to all.
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Hi everyone I've missed a couple of days, I'm sorry but I did read everyone's words.
Jackie u always say the most about how u treasure u'r life and now how u live it and I love to read them. U r quite a woman.
Rachel it sounds wonderful for u and u'r DH just get up ad go when u want. Carole of course has everything totally figured outn so she can give u tips if needed.
Carole I'm so glad u'r DH is feeling well it is a relief tho to be home. And u and Rita golfing as long as u can, I think u can golf longer IDK but it's so nice to enjoy a fun sport.
Chevy is fine she's her usual crabby old self, she's not sweet like me--i'm safe for now cuz she's usually sleeping by now, she gets up very early to steal eggs.
I've got some Dr. stuff to do in the next few weeks, started yesterday so, they just like to see me and do things to me that no one has ever done before. That's all. So I hope everyone has a good nites sleep and a happy morning.
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Carole, I am so happy to see all the active women like yourself on these posts. Good luck on your golf tournament. I have never played golf, but love to see the pretty courses. Yes, we look forward to doing some "weekend warrior" type camping, as he still works full time. Mostly, just waiting for the sticky hot weather to change.
Cami-love your sense of humor!
G-nite everyone
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CAMMI! I heard you clear over on the other thread! I was going to say Cammi likes to sleep late.... She spends all her waking hours carousing and raising 3 kinds of trouble amongst us people who SLEEP during the night.
What do you MEAN you are going to do Doctor stuff? You mean like the Fireman stuff? Oh wait.... sorry there.... I just hope those guys can fix you, one way or another. They need to use more Duck tape and bailing wire... Or just tie you to a chair, so you can't move, and then your innards won't go flyin' all over the place.
And I'm NOT crabby! You brat! See gals, Cammi and I just do this, because it makes us laugh. I don't even know the little tyke, but she is another one that I look for everyday! She needs me.... like I need her.... like I need a wart.
And then Jackie! She seems to be so NORMAL ! Guess that's why I love her...Ha! She sort of balances us out... well, me anyway. We've been posting and emailing since forever! We know things about each other, that even WE can't even remember...Ha!
Love all of you! xoxoxoxo
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Life is never going to give up on you because there is something important for you to do. One of the primary purposes and processes of life is the development of character. Your character—your nature, the distinctive qualities of your essence, what makes you you—is developed through experience. If you do not understand that character development is an important process of life, you may be tempted to give up when things get rough. . . . When life detects that there is an opportunity for you to advance the nature of your character, it will send the perfect situation and people your way. Your job is to respond to everything in a manner that develops and strengthens your character.
Iyanla Vanzant0 -
Chevy I wish I did mean dr. stuff like the firemen but it's just not. I thought if I could sleep on my bad side my organs would move back to where they were, but I was laughed at my the medical profession. Imagine they have no imagination. They really don't know how to fix me t this point, therefore another Dr. Then I thought of huge magnets, I mean our bodies are made up of electricity so charge up a magnate--but no---so another one of my ideas goes down the drain. So more tests and crap. So the good news is (in my mind) is that I won't get mets to the liver cuz again my liver's not in the right place so it'll never find it. That's the best idea I have. (shut up Chevy)
And u are so right Jackie is the balance in the middle of our see=saw ot is it teeter-tawter, I forgot. I'm old so it's alright to forget---Oh chit everyone's old here so I have to come up with something better.Hmmm chemo brain? Or just plain stupid will work for me.
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Good luck in your golf tournament, Carole. I wish you could teach me the secret of competing in golf without losing my game. Everytime I enter competitions I play like I've never had a club in my hand. Guess I'll have to just continue to play rounds with good friends! You also mentioned taking potassium. Was that for the cramping? Are you low in potassium? My last blood tests showed that I was low in potassium, which I had no idea about. They have me taking a potassium supplement and I still don't feel any different. I perked right up though when you mentioned taking potassium.
Yep, Chevy and Camille are back at it! Love the banter!!!!
Hello to all of you. We are having a lovely day in central Illinois!
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Rita and Carole I don't know what meds u are on, but some meds drain some potassium out of u'r body and for some reason it doesn't reproduce as easiky. So u need a supplement, one of the signs is leg cramping but not everyone gets signs either, just take them I usually drink water with eectrolytes when I get into that particular thing. BTW I break those pills in half. I have such a dainty mouth---(shut up Chevy)
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So you girls, did you understand any of that? Only I can understand Cammi! She is my other "special" child... or sister, or something.
And there are rumors that she DOES have a dainty mouth.... but they are only rumors.
Seriously, I tried Potassium for leg cramps, and I broke out in hives! But then I can break out in hives when I even LOOK at something! When I quit taking Tamoxifen, the leg cramps went away, along with the sleepless nights, and warm flushes. Do Banana's help you at all? I know when I was taking all kinds of vitamins, I didn't feel any different either! I always feel pretty good, and the vitamins were maybe helping me with something, but I don't have any idea what...
Jackie, I went to SEE Iyanla Vanzant one time! I even have her tapes. But sometimes your brain just can't focus on things, especially when you are going through a horrid time! It's like your brain is scrambled, and you can't make sense of anything! Things have to settle down until you can begin to even help yourself..... Church, prayer, and friends.... will pull you through anything. It's so true about ..."Let go and let God."
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I had a lot of excitement today. After day 2 of the golf tournament, which I thought would never end, I passed out from dehydration at the lunch table. I don't THINK I fell face forward in my food. I came back to the present, sort of, hearing the voices of two women asking me if I could lie on the floor. Soon I was being iced down. One woman is a nurse and the other one attending me is the wife of an oncologist. Both played in the tournament.
Soon the paramedics arrived and I was carried out on a stretcher and taken to the ER of a local hospital. There I received 3 bags of IV fluids before I was able to pee. That's the word everyone including the dr. used. It seems there was some concern about possible renal failure from the dehydration.
It wouldn't be so bad if I had played well but I played like cr*p. I should have quit in the middle of the round but I hated to abandon my partner. Rita, I'm thinking along the lines of not playing any more tournaments with a partner. Even if both women agree that they won't feel bad about not playing well, you always feel bad anyway.
The ER dr. instructed me to avoid any outside exercise for a week.
What an experience. Now I've ridden in an emergency van and the ride was rough.
Camille, I sure hope your dr. visits go well and make you healthier.
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We had a naturopatic Physician as a speaker a for a cancer life line meeting and she suggested MAGNESIUM for leg cramps and "charlie horses".....I started taking it in the evening and it really works for me....buy them at Costco.
Di
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Carole....definitely not my idea of great excitement. I do know many people can become fairly sensitive to not getting enough water when it is hot. I've always been fortunate and hope it continues.
How wonderful that there were nurses who could attend to you until more help arrived. Was just reading a book ( done with the reading but there are several exercises in it ) about the three things your body won't be able to go without. One if food, and the next is water....of course the third is air. A wonderful machine, our body, but there are things it must have in proper amts. for us to function at a high level.
I might add...I got the book because in part of the opening it talked about.....any eating plan/diet we use will work just fine and likely forever, if we learned the proper way to fill our bodies with the proper amt. of oxygen. It would end diets as we know them etc. etc.
Anyway....glad you pee'd for the lovely people so that all could be happy and secure that you had no damages to repair in some way. I'm sure you will take it easy for a week at least. I'm sitting here saying "whew" and just thrilled that it all worked out ok.
Have to remember....to hydrate the best thing really is water.....anything you have to digest like soda, coffee, etc. is liquid but doesn't have near the hydration power of water.
Glad you are ok.
Peace and love, and a couple of hugs too
Jackie
no spell checker, sorry.
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Oh Carole that's horrible that u played so bad.
Seriously I'm so glad u had proper help immediately, boy u must have been bone dry. When we're babies and when we're older we dehydrate very easily so u really have to be careful==so now listen to the Dr. I would drink electrolyte water too it boosts the system. I'm sorry this happened to you be careful--no golfing for a while Carole. Feel better.0 -
Okay, I was wrong.... shut up Cammi. It WAS Magnesium I took for awhile, but was allergic to something about it... Not Potassium...
Carole, that is AWFUL! I'm just glad you were around people, and not driving or something! WOW! My Director had to be hospitalized for dehydration for about a week! I forget what her symptoms were, but she swore it would never happen again!
So Cammi wants to know, were the Paramedics cute? JUST kidding....Ha! But she's thinkin' it.
Jackie, that is so true about oxygen/air also! The last Asthma attack I had, after being very SICK, just brought me down to my knees. All the times I used the Nebulizer, didn't even help.... Finally had to go to Emergency, because I just couldn't breathe. They really know how to take care of it, but it's just something you will try and avoid happening again... ever!
How are you feeling today, Carole?
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Chevy u have a lot of allergies, did u always have them, or did they come later in life? Seriously, u'r skin and other meds--what do u do when u need a med u'r allergic to?
Carole I hope u'r feeling much better today.
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Morning little serious Cammi! I can remember back when I was about 10... laying under an ultra-violet lamp at the Doctor's office. Rash all over my abdomen, going up under my arms... Don't remember what it was.
Then when I was 14 we were up in the mountains, and I couldn't quit sneezing! Hay-fever kept getting worse every year. Then about 1970 had to get those shots! Immunization shots... they build up each shot of everything you are allergic to, and inject it, until you are so full of what you are allergic to, that you aren't any more... honest! It worked.
But had to do it again years later, because I got allergic to other things. But my skin.... I broke out in hives/welts after I quit taking "the pill".... After 5 years, begged to go back ON it, because I was positive that there was some connection to being off the hormones, and my skin problems. And they gave me an Estrogen shot. THAT night I had to go to emergency... It was like an overdose....! So from then on I stayed on the pill.
Years later, I thought I was out of the woods, and quit taking the Premarin. But now THIS stuff with my hands, is flaring up every month! Just like our periods caused those problems! Like yesterday...Woke up to the itching on my wrists and hands, and now they are red and peeling. I wrote all this down... going to keep track... Doc prescribed me this estrogen "cream"... but it feels like this is coming from inside... If another flare-up happens again in 3-4 weeks, I'm begging for Premarin.
So what were you saying? SOMEtimes we can figure out this stuff on our own, when the Doctor's can't. I know I can't be around a lot of contaminates, like glues, inhalants, chemicals and epoxy's.... Same reaction!
But I can always get Prednisone, inhalers, anti-biotics, and I take Claritin or Zyrtec everyday. Benadryl is always good too....
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I was up 5 or 6 times last night and pee'd off 5 1/2 lbs. I feel good. DH and I will have to go and pick up my car from the pro shop parking lot. Hope my golf clubs are still in the trunk.
I'm taking my mom, my younger sister and her daughter to lunch and dh is joining us.
LOL. My mother is telling people my golf game put me in the ER!
I drink LOTS of water all the time and was drinking big cups of water while I played golf. I just have a sweating problem. Inherited it from my dad and my older sister is a "sweater" too. Now you understand why dh and I go north during the summer. Otherwise I would have to spend most of my time indoors in the A/C.
I heard 2nd hand that there were about half a dozen EMTs and they were all young and cute. Dream on, Camille!
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Carole, I think Cami has something when she says add electrolytes. Drinking lots of water and sweating it out can deplete electrolytes. Look for Pedialite at the drug store. It's what they give little kids when they're sick or have diarrhea. Going north is a great idea. I know what summer is like in Louisiana.
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First thought, then feeling, then purpose, then will, and last of all, character—that is being. The interval between thought and being is immeasurable. Yet the universal self-delusion is this, when people have good thoughts they fancy they have become what they think for the moment. Good thoughts are very good; but unaccompanied by the difficult processes of character, they are often no better than soap bubbles.
Protap Chunder Mozoomdar0 -
Glad to hear things are getting back to a bit more normal. Wren has the right idea Carole. I think you can also use Gatoraid for the same thing. They have lots of different flavors of it......but I should be honest and tell you that I still found it off-putting to a degree and never managed to feel as though I'd drunk enough to do me really very much good.
I do know people who keep some around all the time ( guess they didn't have my sensations with it ) and sip it every so often. Mayve I'm just too addicted to my coffee. Sigh !!!
Peace and love
Jackie
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Jackie, you made me smile out loud --I enjoyed reading about all the special foods - from homelands or regions of the US...I have to say I wouldn't eat most of them...I was brought up on bland food that I would not let touch. The English Irish kind, I guess...
So, here's the only thing I could think to do with chicken feet...save them for Halloween and scare the heck out of someone?
And Mommarch, I could barely get through your post about killing the chicken...OMG! I grew up with a restaurant farm on my street, but I'm no country girl!
I have to go back and read a few more...
meanwhile, Carole! Have you been feeling left out because DH has been getting all the medical attention? I am so glad you are OK...don't know what you may have done differently. Rest up and then join DH on the driving range and get back in the game.
Glad to hear he is feeling well.
It's warming up here - I heard from students that it is a perfect day...I'm still in my office and ready to leave. I hope I can get outside.
Hope to not take so long to check in again. Work is long and I am feeling it.
Special thoughts & hugs to everyone here.
(Chevy, Cammi, behave! But don't stop...)0 -
Hi all....
Carole, I am so glad that you are o.k. and so sorry that your golf game was terrible. I completely understand how frustrating that can be. Wow! That had to have been scary! I bought one of those cooling towels that you wet, wring, and snap and then it is so cool and refreshing. I sling it around my neck when I'm riding in the cart and it helps to cool me down but I'm sure that wouldn't help much with dehydration. Be very careful from now on because it may happen more easily to you once you've had one bout with dehydration.
So Joan...how is the job going this year?
Camille, you are right about the size of those potassium pills. My mouth is pretty darn big and I still have trouble gagging them down but I've been pretty faithful about taking them. I guess I won't know if they are doing any good until I have more blood tests as I can't tell any difference.
Chevy..hope your hands heal up quickly. That sounds very miserable.
Well, I need to get off here and get something done! Hang in there gals!
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I know all about eloctrolyte and carry the little packets that you empty into water to make your own sports drink. I drank a big glass that morning with the electrolytes and emptied another packet into a big glass of water out on the golf course. This summer I bought Smart Water which has the electrolytes. Apparently I lose more fluid than I can replenish orally.
Jean hit on my secret. I wanted my trip to the ER!
Actually we came home to LA earlier than usual this summer and it's still too hot and humid to be active out of doors.
But it's past history.
Lunch today was wonderful. We all ordered the crab cakes special and I've never had better crab cakes. They were served with angel hair pasta and shrimp cream sauce and green beans. The only complaint was the noise level. Conversation had to be carried on in loud voices.
Hope everyone had a good day.
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Fort Davis is a unique little place. You probably ate at Cueva DeLeon. Our GD loves that place. We are actually having rain. So blessed. We spent the last 3 days cleaning up the broom shop, boy it is looking good. If you would like to see a video go to daytripper.com. or put in Davis Mt. Broom Shop or Ron Cox and you will get alot of info.
Hugs
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Carole I'm glad u'r feeling good and u'r lunch sounds yummy too.
We're having a little hot spell here too, we had the a/c on today and rain. Some parts of the city (Chicago) got so floode so quickly maintenence workers were working and one got killed going down a stormdrain somehow. Like I've been saying this whole weather thing is changed and scarier than I ever remember and that's a long time.
OK u started me thinking--step back---Carole u do know all those things u've been on more golf courses than Chevy's been in back seats--and u said u did drink the right stuff. It must have been beating down on u before u even realized it, now u really know. So drink more all the time.
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