Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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Well, I've read and re-read this quote. Have had similar ones lately.....makes me think that it is something I need to read and REALLY think over. It is often so hard to just live in the moment. I think we start out being taught to handle things -- whatever those things are so we start out most days with a list -- even if it is a mental one. So, your already "living ahead" somewhat and not totally in THIS moment.
At least the sun is out and sure hope it stays......there were clouds earlier and I was afraid it would be gloomy all day so I'm praying the sun lasts.
I hope you all have a great Sunday spent doing anything your heart desires.
Blessings
Jackie
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Sending out a big welcome to globalgal and Diane. Come often and join us!
Mimi...I see you are from one of our neighboring states....Iowa. In what part of Iowa are you located?
So glad to hear that Sandra is home and resting in her recliner! YEA!!!! Sending healing vibes and hugs your way, gal!
globalgal..Never feel guilty about not needing chemo or rads! That's super! Just consider yourself lucky! The fact that you didn't need the treatments does not diminish the fact that you had cancer and all the emotional roller coaster rides that accompany it. It is also a good sign that much of the cancer is now being detected sooner so that many of our bc sisters can avoid the harsh treatments that others had or still have to tolerate.
The sun is shining in central Illinois today but once again it is a bit cool out there. It does suggest that perhaps better weather is right around the corner! Everyone enjoy your Sunday!
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Good Morning Sweet Friends,
I'm home from the hospital after surgery #4. Thank you for all your good wishes. It got through it just fine, I think. No one has told me how many episodes of bradycardia I had this time or whether or not I got though it without any. My blood pressure likes to circle the drain until my heart stops with certain kinds of general anesthesia so they keep changing up the procedures. All the pre-op efforts to prevent nausea/vomiting paid off and other than a few bouts of mild nausea, I've been good. What a blessing! I usually spend the first day or two in misery. Another huge blessing has been something new called Exparel. If you have any surgery in your future, please ask your surgeon. I learned about it on another thread here and my surgeon was happy to oblige. It's an anesthetic that is injected into your incisions at the end of surgery. It foams up and dulls pain for up to 72 hours. It works! Since I'm allergic to narcotics and opiates, I'm used to having a good deal of pain after surgery. This time Tylenol on top of Exparel has kept me much less uncomfortable than I expected.
My left side was damaged in the infection I got in the hospital after the first surgery, so these last three surgeries have been to do repairs. I lost parts of three muscles so they are too short and cause lots of pain and distortion from my shoulder down to the left implant. The plastic surgeon cut a large Z from the front of my shoulder and down through my underarm. As the muscles heal, they will make new muscle fibers and we hope I'll get a bit more range of motion and no more pain. The PS also took out the left implant and reconstructed the pocket it fits into. He put in a new implant. On the right, he did some lipo to get rid of the mudflap/dog ear there. Ouch, that stings! The other things that were supposed to be done in this surgery were postponed until surgery #5. The PS said I had so many incisions, he was reluctant to more for fear of another infection. I trust him so it's ok. Next time I will get final repairs to my underarm and a lot of fat grafting on my upper chest. That's it. No cosmetic surgery. No nipples. I'm finished after 5.
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welcome global and edwards
Mimi...your birthdat brunch and movie sounds like you had a great celebration.
Sandra...glad you are home and resting.
Hi to all the ladies,
Have a great day!
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Sandra so happy that you are home, take care of yourself!!0 -
Ritajean - I am in the very corner of southeast Iowa about 25 miles from Illinois. It's sunny and bright here today. So much to cheer us! Not sure how far that is from Bloomington. Also not sure where Jackie (Illinoislady) lives. We are the midwest group. I actually grew up in Chicago, so if we all three attended high school in Illinois I know we had PE 5 days a week. It didn't kill us, so I guess it made us stronger.
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Mimi...if you look on a map.....I am about 70 miles due East of St. Louis, Mo.......just keep looking across and in about not quite the middle of Illinois....there I will be in Centralia. We often go to St. Louis for services at Barnes Jewish Hospital ( a big teaching hospital connected to Washington University ) and to some of the bigger shopping malls and stores. I am about 4 hours south of Chicago. Our area in general is quite rural but that is what makes living here peaceful and a lot less stressful. In fact, I don't even live in our town as such. I'm almost three miles out and by a lake surrounded by woods. I'm just a country bumpkin more or less. We lived in California for almost 25 years.....directly in Santa Barbara for some time ( 5 yrs. or so I think ) so I'm not a stranger to city type life, but when it was time to leave......I wanted to come home to the sleepy quiet life that is usually easy on the nerves and where neighbors actually get to know you and are friendly and helpful. I can't even imagine living in town here, but I'm sure some day we will have too..........we won't be able to keep up with the work required in our two acre yard surrounded with 70 or 80 trees and their leaves and acorns and hickory nuts and all.
Still fairly cool her and though it is not the brightest....we have had sun all day.
I just got down grinding ( food processor ) turkey ham for ham salad sandwiches. One of my all time favorites.
If anyone is interested in trying green beans a different way......I found this recipe a couple of weeks ago and tried it. Yum.........Dh and I were both surprised.
1 can of green beans
1/4 cup of low-sugar orange marmalade
1 tsp. lemon juice
Heat the beans well to nearly boiling. While beans are heating, stir the lemon juice into the marmalade.
When beans are good and hot, pour off the water and stir in the marmalade.
That's it. Simple and we thought quite tasty. Different and good we thought. I've done it a couple of times since.
Blessings
Jackie
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Jackie, that is an unusual recipe for green beans. I would never think of combining them with marmalade!
Sandra, glad your surgery went well and wish you weren't facing another one in the future.
Hope everyone had a good weekend.
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Jackie, I think I'll try your green bean recipe. That really sounds different. I'm always looking for something new as I get tired of the same old things. That sounds easy enough that even I can make it! :-)
Sandra...so glad to see a post from you and I'm so happy that you are home. Wow! You've been through alot! I'll continue to send healing thoughts and prayers your way. You just rest and take care of yourself. Hugs!
Mimi.. I used to live in Macomb and that was lots closer to you than Bloomington. We used to go over to Burlington Iowa to SteamBoat Days in the summer. I need to get out my map and take a better look now! Cami and termite are in the Chicago area, too, so we have several from the Midwest on here.
We drove over to Peoria to the Par-a-dice riverboat this afternoon for something to do. I didn't win anything but I didn't lose much either. We also had free buffet dinners, which were very good. I consider that a good day for me as I don't seem very lucky on the slot machines.
Hope everyone had a good day! I need to be up early tomorrow as I have an income tax appointment in the morning. UGH! I hope I have everything ready to take.
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Diane, if I missed you before or even it I didn't ... WELCOME.
globalgal, thank you for sharing about your world wide travel. Is there more travel in your future or are you ready to stop? I too find cultures very interesting. Many years ago I left the Chicago area to teach in the Philippines and then Germany.
...more when I go to the next page...
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Sandra, it was good to see your post and know that you are home. I hope the pain remains manageable. You have been so active recently ... ie. cruise ... that I had no idea the extent of your need for more surgery. Please take really good care of yourself. If I recall correctly, you did tons of housework and laundry before surgery. Now it is time to rest.
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Mimi, what a nice birthday celebration ... Happy Birthday.
Jackie, your home sounds like a vacation retreat.
I have read the last two pages in three phases, so my thoughts are scattered. I hope everyone has an interesting week.
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Jackie and all. I felt quite isolated moving from Seattle to rural Iowa for my husbands job. That was 35 years ago. Now I agree it is wonderful to know many people wherever I go in town of about 7000 people. Nothing is more than two miles away, except for the radiation center. And that was only 25 miles. Small town life works for me now. A friend called the florist to send flowers, but had no address. No problem, they knew where I live? It's a god place to live!
Edited ti say I'm trying those green beans tomorrow.
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Mimi, You wouldn't believe Seattle if you saw it now. It has gotten so big and busy and expensive and crowded. I would like to move to someplace smaller, but within reach of a larger city.
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I've been missing so much lately--I'm sorry really---u gals are such a great group too.
Welcome Globalgal and Edwards, yes we're older but that a good thing. Of coure some of us have aged better than others (certainly not me) but my brain stopped growing old yrs ago, I don't think that's really good but I live happily with it.
Sandra just rest, each surgery takes more out of u so don't overdo.
RRita that sounds strange to me but as long as it's going down, just keep an eye on it--yes just one eye the other eye needs to watch out so u don't bump into something.
And Joey is fine, now his mom is sick---her I stay away from, but not Joey. LOL
It'll be soon for u golfers and great weather then u'r be out a lot and enjoy u'r day more.
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Good morning...I have been reading for days but cannot catch up here...so I'll start at the present!
As Jackie noted in the quote, the present time is the only time there is.
I have not been here since February but enjoyed reading back.
Sandra, so glad this surgery is behind you and that you are home. Hugs and prayers for recovery.
Welcome to all the new ladies...to Deb, newly diagnosed, I know this is a time of anxiety for you before your surgery. I had a similar diagnosis and life does settle down after all the decisions and treatments are done. Do something you love to do and enjoy the day.
Ritajean, so glad you got back OK...so, you did not get a permanent place in FL yet? It sounds like you enjoyed your winter break.
It is 20 degrees here...heavy winter coat today. Snow tomorrow but not too much. That means we will have classes and it will be messy Wednesday.
I am enjoying seeing bulbs popping up - not many in my yard due to deer and the moles. We wrapped our rhodedendron finally, after the deer ate much of the foliage. I hope they come back and bloom.
I have also been thinking about this "older women" thread...I have no idea what older means....but glad we are here because someday we may actually get old.
Wishing everyone a touch of spring and a good day.0 -
The greatest test of courage on
earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.~Robert G.
Ingersoll0 -
Good Morning...
It's sunny at present but the forecast indicates rain with snow flurries possible. Sigh !!!! That is what Spring is here in my neck of the woods. Great teaser days followed by some yucky stuff. I will bear this defeat well because I know that Spring is here and better weather will come. Patience will have to become my best friend for a bit.
Joan - I liked your description of this thread. We really don't know what "OLDER" means because none of us have really gotten there yet. I think the only time I actually might have felt what my numbers imply....was going through my four rds. of Taxotere. Made all my bones feel as hard and rigid as steel. I really didn't know that bones didn't give somewhat like everything else till I did the Taxotere. I am 68 right now. My friend ( who I will take some home made cookies too ) says I look at least 10 yrs. younger. Ok....it is the only reason I'll take her some home made stuff. Actually.....she is a widow, and hasn't had a sense of smell for a long time. It makes it harder for her to eat though she doesn't do bad............but I know she appreciates little donations that I don't mind supplying.
Back to cooking.....I thought I'd try the marmalade and lemon juice on carrots too and see what that would do for them....if anything. Carrots are not my favorite so if I can dress them up a bit, that would be good for me.
I don't get enough veggies, but I do have one of those Nutri-Bullets ( think that is what it is called ) and mix up green veggies with highly flavored fruit......and drink a couple of portions of veggies most days. That keeps me closer to the food pyramid. I'm just not good with it all.
Hope all of you youngsters have a marvelous Monday.
Blessings
Jackie
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do you think older ladies are more prone to side effects?
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Yes----bhd1. There are se's to everything. But usually there are fixes for a great deal of them. So....it evens out most of the time. We just hope they are never too, too strong.
Blessings
Jackie
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does anyone know a fix or tearing eyes and burning , blisters from hand/ foot syndrome?
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bhd - I had luck with Systane drops for dry & tearing eyes. Believe it or not - my MO recommended "Bag Balm" for hand & food syndrome. I found it at Walgreens. My dermatologist recommended CeraVe cream, which I love for everyday - also at Walgreens
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bhd no for the tearing eyes, I have it also....I use udderly smooth for the hands and feet, it worksing for me, I don't have it now but still use it...
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Hi gals! Depending on what STARTS your skin problems, determines what works best on them.... I had so many blisters, cracking, etc. on my hands for over 2 years. I got that syndrome started when using this medication on my dog, for her hot-spots.... I finally figured out this Eczema, and used vinyl gloves when grooming her, but it didn't go away until I quit using it entirely.
They blistered, so then they peeled.... I made my own creams, to make them "feel" good, with Mentholatum, and that zinc-oxice from Super Target, that is 40% zinc oxide, instead of the mild one... It helped the "burning".... Also I tried Walgreens and Walmarts "Advanced Recovery skin care lotion"....or "Moisture Recovery" lotion. I also bought the Lantiseptic Multi-puroise Daily skin Care Protectant.... in a 14 oz. jar..... Man, I tried everything! But if you can get rid of the cause, or figure it out, it makes the healing a lot easier. I wore little polyester/cotton gloves forEVER! Even to sleep in.
Sometimes just the milder lotions/creams will help you, but not my problems. Bag Balm is good too! I get our at Costco.... I like to use it on my feet, before I put my socks on.... Just don't put it on your feet, and stick them in Crocs! I did that the other morning, and thought I would slide right out the FRONT of them...Ha!
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OK Chevy I can't believe u used something on u'r feet then put u'r crocks on--Oh wait I can believe it----I have used Surgeons stick but it's hard to find and I'm almost out of it. My skin looks errible up til abut 2 yrs ago it was OK actually nice now it's old skin and I'm searching for good stuff for my hands and I think I found some good stuff for my face--so I just ordered it we'll see, It better come with Holy Water so it works.
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Barb BTW I have a theory (of course there is no medical proof, mine never have any proof) Anyway u know how when a kid gets sick with a temp of 103 at night and we take care of them and then the next day they feel fine and it's all gone. Well I think as we age our immune system must age as well and even a cold is harder to get over, so SE's I think can be harder on our bodies because we can't fight it like a younger body can. (unless very ill) but even some reflexes slow down for older people so why not SE's. I don't remember when I was young slowly getting out of bed and moved around to get my bones moving. This is a disclaimer there is no evidence of anything that I say is true, it is just my own thinking.
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GOOD EVENING ALL,
Yup winter is still here, at least for the next few sys! Joan hopefully you won't get much out of this storm, though more than we are supposed to get. Here just a dustin to an inch!
As far as skin, one of the best lotions I have found for my face is Neosporin Exema Essentials, daily moisturizer. I don't have exzema but its a great moisturizer, that doesn't break me out, and doesn't cost a fortune. Also trying to find the miracle for wrinkles, though I have don't have that many for my age. Always wonder why they use 30 somethings to advertise the wrinkle creams, they haven't got any to start with!
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Cam....you are too funny. Needing the holy water I mean. Well, on the way home from Aldi's, there was some spitting snow. Very, very in-consistent spits, but there. It has been so gloomy today but I'm not letting that take away my happy. At Aldi's they had this Caramel chocolate pecan silk pie. Can't wait to try it. We use to buy something like that at ??Marie Callendar's??? or some fancy pie store in Ventura, Calif. when we lived there.
Tasted so wonderful I was sure I was in heaven.....and I thought at $6.99 it was a bargain as it is not a small pie at all. So after supper ( and I'm definitely saving plenty of room ) I will know. Otherwise, we just find Aldi's to be a pretty good store. They always have fresh produce and fresh fruits and very good prices. Lots of cheeses as well.
Then there are the non-edible items, usually a good variety, and so you can find some things that are quite good but have a far better price tag than many of the other stores. This coming week they will have a double glider on sale ( the picture didn't look bad at all ) for $49.95 and as well an umbrella for your outdoor table and that is $29.99.
I have been using Cera-Ve for a while now. They have a night lotion to use on your face. I like it. I usually use Dove hand and body on my hands. Actually.....I'm not much for all that stuff but in the winter weather......and I go through periods of washing my hands many times a day.....especially when I'm at my job, and I find I can't get along without some help for the way I live.
Blessings
Jackie
P.S. Mimi or Rita....let me know what you think after you try those green beans. I would like to know if anyone thinks they are as good as I do.
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Yay! I lost 2.4 lbs last week for a total of 8.2 lbs. Now I'm back to lifetimer at goal wt. and don't have to pay to go to ww meetings. Which is very necessary for staying on track. I want to lose another 5 lbs and that will probably be enough.
AND more good news! I aced my labs! My dr. was thrilled. My cholesterol, tryglycerides, sugar numbers and thyroid numbers were all good. Much improved over the labs in late 2013. Goes to show you that a healthy diet is good all the way around. Now if I can just make good eating habits into real habits. That's the test. You can't lose lbs and go back to the habits that made you overweight.
The bad news concerns my niece, who had come back home with the renewed determination to live "clean" from alcohol and drugs and try to be a good mom. The evil side of her nature has won out again. I feel sorry for her and really sorry for the poor children. I won't be surprised if the family is attending a funeral for my niece within a year.
Joan, it's good to hear from you. How are the grandkids?
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