Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
Comments
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Lostboob, Welcome. I love your screen name. This is a great group of super nice women. What did you teach before retirement? It must be nice to be so close to the end of your journey. I didn't have reconstruction, but those TE's sound like they can be painful.
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Hi Wren, I taught 5th grade for almost 20 years and then had the chance to go work for the Oklahoma State Dept of Education! It was fun but I so missed those little faces and hugs. It's sad that our classrooms have changed so much. A year or so back I asked my daughter why she wasn't baking for the class party and she said they couldn't, only packaged food items were now allowed. Yuk! I always loved those homemade goodies.
Thank you IllinoisLady for the welcome. I hope your weather is much better and all that winter slush has melted away!
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Welcome lostboob, you and I have a lot in common including the dragging boob. I am also 61 but have 3 grandkids, and 3 step-grandkids. Had my TE exchange but the hanging boob is not matching the foob--will have to undergo a revision! Also on arimidex--again nice to see you come together with us.
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Mommarch, it is hard to believe what happened in court. How could you know how things would go? You gave her a safe home before...so you have proven that you can provide. I hope this can be remedied somehow. At some point, your grandaughter can go where she chooses and I hope that is soon. It must be hard for you.
Welcome lostboob (can I call you LB?)...yes, this is a thread of acceptance...fun, seriousness, whimsy, anything goes...I am privileged to know the ladies here. I am 65 with lumpectomy 2.5 years ago...still working as a teacher in community college. I'm tired but it is a great job so I persist. Love the time off....I hope you continue to have a good recovery.
Jackie, I'm on my way for lunch on the deck. It looks so inviting....our yellow jackets get in our food after awhile. Then I raise the white flag and go inside. I want to add a screen room to our deck. Do the trees bring a lot of maintenance? We don't have trees near the deck in this yard as we did with our first house...lots of seasonal sweeping. But worth it!
Enjoy.My trip to the BS yesterday was worthwhile. I had to show her the bump as she didn't feel it...then she aspirated and removed a lot of fluid...liquid fat (gross?) and no biopsy needed. She said I was the best thing she did all day.
I guess it is a tough business to be the first to tell women about their surgical needs all day.I am going back to work ... still feel weird ... could be allergies.
Have a wonderful spring day...and if you are in the path of the severe weather, please be careful.0 -
The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower,
share a bit of
knowledge and it becomes another's,
smile at someone and receive a smile in
return,
are to me continual spiritual exercises.Leo F. Buscaglia
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Morning......and it is a bit nicer here...meaning mainly no rain. It will be cloudy most of the day, but the deluge has backed off. Of course, being a SUN lover, I could be happier, but I'll be content with knowing the sun will get here and try to have patience for it.
Joan, our trees sometimes give us fits dropping small branches ( and sometimes large ones ) but otherwise just stand proud where they are. We should have many of them topped, but on our Seniors' budget that likely won't happen. My real gripe is that from now till June probably we will have sooo much pollen and that will require a lot of outdoor furniture cleaning -- especially the table we use for eating.
We have thought of doing a screen around our deck but never did anything. If I could just win a nice lottery ( that does require buying tickets ) I'd probably carry that a step further and make it more of a four seasons room.....so we could get winter use too. Sigh !!!!
Joan, also glad that your lump/bump turned out to be VERY non-threatening. As I was reading that I had a bit of a flash and thought about what it might take for those medical people who indeed have to often give us really un-wanted medical news. Must be difficult at times ( since most of our awareness of this disease usually starts out so scant ) when they REALLY know the state we are in and all of the ramifications of it. They are indeed special people who can relay some pretty negative news at times. God bless them.
Haven't lost, but haven't gained lately despite some ahem' cheating. But, then we do go walk almost every day at the Rec Center here in town so I think that is keeping me from bad repercussions. I need to get control here.
Hope you all are going to have a delightful day. See you later.
Blessings
Jackie
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Welcome Lostboob.
Mommarch ... sending hope your way that your GD will get to come to you and DH.
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Joan, hope you get to feeling good soon ... so glad to hear your breast lump just needed draining but hope it wasn't painful.
Jackie, your deck and yard look beautiful ... a serene retreat.
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Thank you for all the welcomes! Nice to read them over coffee this morning. And I have no problem if you call me LB or Lost. I definitely feel the later with this disease.
The rains brought things to a brighter level of green. However getting there was a bit of a stretch. Look at this pic of last night. Just north of us...
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Welcome Lost!
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Welcome Lostboob - I'm a little older than you (67) but loved teaching 5th grade. My professional journey eventually led to special education administration mainly to support myself as a widow. I'm 3 months past treatment (lumpectomy/radiation/arimidex) so both my boobs are dragging. But I'm loving retirement and decided to learn the wonderful art of clowning to add fun to life for myself and others. So you will hear me talk about balloon twisting and face painting while the other friends here garden and tons of other good stuff. Sometimes we share things that are hard and encourage one another in touching or amusing ways. I agree other groups can be discouraging. When I first started browsing I found so many discouraging for various reasons. Some seem to attract those who want to dwell of the hard parts of life instead of celebrate the fun. Stay here, you will like it.
Mommarch - Thinking of you and wish there was some magic we could offer to make the court understand better.
Jackie - once it warms up we will all have coffee on your deck.
Edited to say past treatment, NOT "part" treatment surely.
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OMG I've been MIA and missed so much---Welcome LB-these women are amazing.
Jackie I love 'r deck it's so comfy cozy looking--I wish we all lived round each other u'd be busy all summer
Mommarch I feel so bad for u especially since u'r GD has a say in things now, they did an inspection for u and how would u know when u'r DD was in another area. So Sorry, maybe something will change circumstances. (((HUGS)))
Well I see the golf ladies are getting themselves all set for this weather changes. Well it's windy today and a little chilly.
Mimi I love u'r display, u are so cleverly fun.
I hope u'r all doing decently--I certainly cannot remember everything that I just read, cuz I read a lot. My little job is keeping me a little busy and I notice my eyes get more tired, maybe cuz of numbers--never learned them by touch. Never learned many of the keys as we know.
OK I'll be back
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Just found this picture. OMG! Gross!
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Oh Sandra - ugh!!! I knew there was a reason I wanted smaller implants. Cami - so glad to see you. Now where is your sidekick, that Chevy lady?
LostBoob - welcome. Did you say you're from around Dallas? I'm one who usually just lurks & doesn't post a lot, but they don't kick me off.
Hi to everyone else & thanks for your posts.
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Sandra, I agree. She looks either anorexic or dying of starvation. (You wouldn't believe how many tries it took to figure out how to spell anorexic.) Definitely someone who needs more cover.
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hi Ladies,
Been trying to fix computer email problems again today. Wud help when talking with a techie , if I knew what I was doing!
Let's see, Jackie and Joan, we screened in our deck and live out there in the summer. We have some trees and are semi country, have a lot of mosquitoes, so screen is great. We did leave part of the deck open so can sit outside too. It is also our dining room all summer. We are thinking of having some sliding windows made for it though, so we cud close it up in the winter instead of DH putting up plastic to keep out the weather. That's getting to be too much of a big job for him any more!
Sandra. love your dancing ladies! And the boob ladie, yikes, guess she thinks she is beautiful and looks young!
Mimi, you might appreciate this one. We did a little clowning as part of a workshop while I was still working. I had left my NOSE in my purse and was at the dr's office. There was a little girl with her Mom so I interacted with her for a while. WHen I went in the examining room I decided to surprise my very straight laced Dr. You cant imagine the photo worthy double- take, when he walked in on me with my clown nose on. Wish I'd had my camera. He then told me that was something he needed , to laugh more often. We all need that.
Was almost as good as when I surprised my breast surgeon with a happy face sticker on my boob. He never cracks a smile, but actually laughed that day.
Welcome to the new ladies. We are sometimes serious and sometimes not, as you can see!
Be glad to see the sun out again, at least no tornadoes here. Have a good week end. Jean
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OH, Sandra, I loved the dancing ladies. But good heavens, this latest picture is an implant nightmare. Someone needs to tell her to cover them and her whoopee pie! Sad isn't it?
MinusTwo, I live in north Dallas now. Grew up between OK and TX as had parents moving back and forth. I did go to high school in Channelview...bet you know where that is!I was admiring the balloon display. My grandkids would love that I'd blow them all up! And Bonnets, that beautiful one in the picture is the last of my daughter's children, #4. She's almost 4 now but this was one of my fav pics of her.
Today I saw my PS...for some reason he thought moving around that TE was fun. Now I'm a bit sore. Wednesday is my big day for implants, I just hope they match in size and aren't too big. Nipple will be later.
Here's to a "well" weekend and good weather to us all! Hugs...
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Welcome Lost Boob! I am also in Dallas.
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We Texas girls might give the Illinois "babes" a run for their money on here!
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Alot of us from Tx here.
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Welcome lost
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Why, yes ma'am Sandra, I do think we Illinois ladies are caught up with and about to be over-taken. Bring food ( for us dieters, who fall off the wagon easily ) and all will be forgiven as you whiz past us.
The anorexic implanted lady....hmmm, I think that is what nightmares are made from, don't you !!!! Well, no one here will be stopped because you are all going to look sooooo much better than that. I never wore a bikini in my life --- didn't have near enough to fill one for a long, long time......but life changes your body at menopause time....into someone you may have never met. In those years I started gaining and barely ever stopped. I have some control now ( whew -- thank my lucky stars ) but I don't wear blouses or shirts cut too low, nor anything revealing. Not a prude mind you, but at nearly 69 I don't care if no one is impressed very much and if there were a possibility I'm sure it would be destroyed if I dressed like that gal.
Thing is I've grown to love comfortable shoes and dress in REAL, actual warm clothes when it is cold and sensible for my age styles when it is not. I did that long time ago and now it is second nature. I don't want to turn any heads for all the wrong reasons. I'm happy as I am. Even if its a little opinionated.
Blessings
Jackie
come' on Chevy----we miss you.
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Jackie, it sounds as though you have made peace with yourself in so many ways....
I work around young guys and 17-20 year olds all day...I still look for those youthful clothes (bargains usually) but it is getting harder and harder to find things that flatter. Shoes...very hard to find anything that is comfy. Heels are out...wedges sometimes, loafers and flats...but as soon as i get home, it's slippers or flip flops. I'll learn one of these days...
Illinois ladies, maybe you can help....I got invited to a wedding in Carbondale. It looks to me like the nearest major airport is St. Louis (to my surprise). I want to also visit DS in Chicago proper...how far apart are these places? Will it be hot and humid at the end of June?Sally, no, the unexpected needle biopsy did not hurt. It felt only like the initial stick of a blood test. I am usually a mess for any procedure...just nerves. But I was calm and it was over in seconds.
LB - I am a sky watcher and that image looks ominous!
Happy week end...I will be finishing taxes. And grading papers.0 -
Joan, It will be hot and humid at the end of June if it's a normal summer. You often need a sweater or jacket inside because the air conditioning is so cold. St. Louis and Chicago are far enough apart that you would need to fly.
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Glad you all enjoyed the balloons. Tomorrow is face painting in my clown costume at a huge craft show. I'll show some pictures when I'm on a real computer. Although I live in Iowa, it's only 25 miles from Illinois and that's where I grew up. Illinois girls had PE every single day of high school. Bah...like Jackie I'm feeling comfortable to have warm socks and clothes that no longer hurt. Smartwool socks are a brand that changed life. I gave them to my kids for Christmas. They admit they were not very impressed until the started wearing them. "I didn't even know my feet were cold" is a favorite comment overheard later in the year. We had a screen porch made into a four seasons room when my DH could no longer handle the outdoor air. I love the sunny winter days and can open windows wide if the weather ever gets warm.
Hope everyone has a pain free weekend and maybe a giggle or three. bonnets so happy to hear you wore the clown nose. I've given some thought to how hard oncology must be as a specialty. I know they see so many scared and upset people. Mine is very young and I took the liberty to tell him keep all the sweet moments in a file to review on the hard days. My clown life started after thirty years in a very serious job.. Few smiles for the school psychologist. Now I can laugh most every day - full belly laughs are so healthy.
So here's a joke from the current pope. What's the difference between in laws and outlaws? Outlaws are Wanted!
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Mimi, I'm a big fan of smartwool sox too. Cotton sox are soaked when I take them off at night. Smartwool is rarely even damp. I'm delighted because they're the only wool items I can wear. I bought one of those rag wool sweaters when we moved up here. I could only wear it with a turtleneck and sweatshirt under it. I finally gave it to a group for homeless people.
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Why is it that late night is the time to read and think of bad things. I have heard that worry shows lack of faith and while I don't want to be short on faith, I do worry a bit about reoccurrence. The more I read, the more wonderful women I see with stages equal to mine finding themselves in that scary place. Because of my scores, my MO and I agreed that I would not benefit from Rads or Chemo so I would have Arimidex after reconstruction. My PS likes for his TEs to be out and implants in first. I've spent time being afraid of SE of this drug and my MO says we will just stop it if I can't handle them. Now I realize I must have been out of my mind to even think I was going to refuse the therapy.
I know I'm not in control. But, late at night, I realize how scary this really is and I begin to think about this or that. It is nice to have somewhere I can say this without being judged and without burdening my wonderful family. Thank you for reading my words. My chest is achy tonight so think a sleeping pill might help.
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When you come to the edge of all the light you know, and are
about to step off into the darkness of the unknown, faith is
knowing one of two things will happen: There will be something
solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly. Barbara J. Winter0 -
LostBoob....must have known I would want a special quote for you today. The above is one of my favorites and has gotten me across a few minefields. You are you know.....really, really right. At night, the world closes in.....we no longer can see a horizon which I think tends to make us feel isolated -- somewhat even if there are others around in the house. It is easier to then forget the rest of the world is there.....often demanding our attentions through the day. At night we end up alone with ourselves and fall huge prey to indecisions, scary feelings and upsets that don't rhyme and reason at all.
There does seem to be something about cancer. We dread it so much that it knocks us all for a loop because we never concede ever, that it could possibly happen to us. Then one day.....out of the clear blue - "WHAM". We are it and it is a tough blow. You are not and never were out of your mind.....just reacting to a disease that long ago had no "cure" and though we can accept heart disease, losses of a limb, fibromyalgia and so many otherwise debilitating things.....the cancer one sometimes makes us feel defeated in a way because of the deep-seated fears it tends to awaken. Far too hard often to own up to the family that there really is a boogie-man and we are as afraid as we have ever been about anything. We are so fortunate that treatments have changed our pictures drastically.
Time is a magnificent healer and the other thing....figuring out that we get to fly -- which to me means that we totally accept where we are, and what has befallen us, so that we can in fact, change our own parameters and freely move on into a better place. You are getting there because you have already realized that you won't be comfortable until you DO what you can to insure that you have as good as outcome as you can.
Smartwool sox.....I'm going to have to look into that. My feet seem always to be a little on the cold side.
Mimi....I absolutely guffawed out loud by myself here in my little office about your joke. I love it. You are right about the laughter. I read somewhere ( in a heath magazine ? ) that even a forced laugh is fine as your psyche will accept that just as much as the deeper ones. I giggle a lot over even minor things with that in mind and hope it is working.
From where I am......at the edge of southern Illinois- I'm am directly across the river about 72 miles East of St. Louis, Mo. So that is a little over an hour's drive. If I were to leave my home and drive to the Chicago area ( which we have done once ) it was about 4 & 1/2 or five hours. We went to Vernon Hills which was right around O'Hare airport. So....yes, you would have to fly Joan....or if you had time and wanted, rent a car and drive from St. Louis.....but it would be a long drive. As to weather.....Wren was right. The only thing I question is the strange and rather un-predictableness that the global warming seems to be foisting off on us. I would have a good heavy sweater along, maybe a jacket -- in case. One yr. here we had triple digit temps starting in June and not letting up.....and the very next year....a more normal one which meant some coolness.
Hope you all have a really wonderful Saturday.
Blessings
Jackie
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Lostboob, Don't worry too much about the hormonal drugs. I've been on Arimidex for 2 years and have had very mild side effects. And I'm old enough that they could be age related. People with problems post about them. Those of us with no problems rarely post.
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