Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
Comments
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Chevy and Sandra - we are fabulous enough to know that old enough to know better isn't for us!! We can just BE!
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I'm a bit surprised at how many like my house --- I was enraptured by the setting mostly. The house was in fact ( to my way of thinking ) a little on the ugly side when we purchased it. Had a strange color gray Masonite for siding. Masonite ( at least I think ) all goes up and down.....not across like vinyl siding which we used to cover the Masonite. Also, if any of the Masonite gets too wet at the bottom it will crumble. They guy we bought from ( who otherwise I'd say seemed to have normal decent quality appliances and sinks, tubs etc . ) must have got such a deal on the Masonite as a different color gray was in the living room and one bedroom.
Many coats of primer later, it was painted over. Thought about taking it off and doing regular drywall, but the texture seemed interesting so we went for the paint. The living room is done in a shade of white called Madonna white. It now seems boring.....but no decorating here for quite some time. My bedroom is yellow --- so I wake up in sunshine everyday.
It is very peaceful out here and the thought of having to live in town nearly scares me, but I know there will come a time ( I hope its a good while yet though ) when we may not be able to keep up anymore and then we will have to make a tough decision. If it goes that way......we will probably find an apt. somewhere.......so there will not be a yard to handle, or upkeep and repairs etc. Don't want to think about that much yet though. Hoping one of my kids may want the house.....and then at least I can come back out to the lake and woods and spent some quality time now and then. I could do that ok.
Just had another pour down. I was gone from 9;30 a.m. till 6 p.m. After work I had errands in town and so we grabbed a bite while there ......so I'm home late, but don't have to make supper.
Blessings
Jackie
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Alaska -- I loved that poem and it is the truth.
Wren.....I have a 4-wheel drive Blazer. We actually have plowing now from the township but had to fend for ourselves until the last couple of years. It has been and can be dicey. Especially when we get an ice storm. Our lane is not so hard -- but once out on the black-top which runs a minimum of half a mile whichever route you take......to get out to the highway, needs lots of careful driving. There are some major sized barrancas' along the way
I'm with Teacher.....old is not exactly in my vocabulary -- well seasoned, maybe. Not too bad, but old -- nah - not me.
Minus....almost amazing that we are at 700 pages. Some of the newer people may not know that there was a fluff up here some time back now. Most everyone posting went else-where. Chevy and I stayed here and waited for the Forum/thread to come back to life. I'd say it made it just fine.
Blessings,
Jackie
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Jackie, I am so glad that you and Chevy kept this thread going because this thread is one of the joys of my life. Thank you everyone.
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Hi everyone,
I think I must have lost this thread but have found it again. I am a retired teacher and today felt like I had a snow day in summer. I was supposed to finish rads this Friday and got a call this morning saying the machine broke and no treatments today. I had to go to the clinic anyway but why do you ask??????? I had already scheduled a free massage for cancer patients. Whoooohoooooooooooooooo. What a day I had. It was wonderful. Ended up going to lunch and running into a neighbor and her friends and I joined them. It was just a nice day all around. Hopefully the machine will be up and running because I do want to eventually finish! How was your day?????????? Nice to meet all of you. Camii, I have probably gone by your house many times. I used to do blood work at CDH all the time. Guess what? My cat is named Cammie. LOL Nice to meet you too.
Bandwoman
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I'm glad you guys hung in here so the rest of us could enjoy this thread! I've learned a lot here...and I enjoy just reading the comments
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bandwoman, It is true -- when in treatment, ANY day that isn't treatment is a celebration in itself and especially when you had no idea you had it coming -- here's a toast to you and the smile on your face!
jackie, the homeowners on our road still do have to do all the maintenance and snowplowing so I know that hassle quite well. Out of respect and fairness, I took over the job of coordinating it from the oldest homeowners here and took "my turn" at it. And our 1-lane road includes a portion that would make the steep hills of San Francisco look like gentle slopes! There are days in winter when it is next to impossible to walk down it to the mailbox.
We also dreaded the day when we may have to move out. There are no specialists here for medical, and so portions of my treatment had to be done in the Lower 48, as well as some treatment for my sweetie eventually, which were a hardship. We have chosen to put what we have left into remodeling the shared family home we work on so that if one or both of us have to deal with it again at the drop of another shoe, we at least will be somewhere that we want to live and where we can access better care.
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Alaska - we lived in Alaska over 30 years and loved it. We retired in 98 & moved to Florida for 3 years to take care of my mom. I believe I was more house-bound due to weather in FL than ever in AK - we could always put more clothes on for AK - not much we could do for FL.... Alaska is beautiful and we miss being there in the summers but we've had our fill of their winters. Our son still lives in Anchorage and comes down for Christmas every year.
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Oh wait! Before we go any further.... "Old enough to know better " never happens..... Ha! Just ask me! It ain't gonna' happen.... We don't care.... we get a free pass on this one. I get 36 more days before I'm REALLY old enough, but I ain't feelin' nothin' !
So therefore it doesn't happen....
This is just an early one for me....
Jackie, your home is just perfect.... I would never leave it to go anywhere else, ever. Like our neighbor up the alley... Her DH had to go live in a "Life Care Center"... Because he is 92 and cannot get around very well, and Theresa, his wife, had to help change his diapers, and just take care of him.... She is 90.... But they are BOTH doing just fine... and she doesn't want to move anywhere.... not yet, maybe not ever...
She has a house cleaner, and her Son & DIL take her places, and someone does her yard, someone else takes her to the Beauty Shop once a week, and her DIL comes to give her showers... And WE check in on her, and make her laugh, and take her treats too! She's just like the chickens and cat next door, Ha,ha! Everybody ges treats!
But her Son thinks she should move...! Move out of her life-long house that she loves! She don't want to..... And I don't blame her... She is just a kick to be around!
Her Son called us early yesterday morning... THEY live about 45 miles away... She had pushed her alarm bracelet... They called her, and she said "No, don't call an ambulance, just call my Son"... So he called us, to go check on her before he could get here...
We ran up the alley... sort of... She was just SITTING there, like all worried, and was afraid because she was dizzy! So DH ran back home to get our BP kit, and I asked her what she took, and all that stuff..... She said she had taken 5 pills to make her go to the bathroom a couple days earlier! And was now dizzy!
I said "WTH did you do THAT for? It flushed out all your brains!!!!!" She said, but one didn't work, so I took a few more! And we laughed! I said "no WONDER you are dizzy!" I said why didn't you just swallow a stick of dynamite?
But I called her Son back, and he said he would get her to the Doctor's. Her house cleaner was now there... So HE was coming, and we left her there to fend for herself.... Well, not really, but I poured her coffee, and sat with her, and we made her laugh, and then she was okay when she was sitting....
I THINK she could have some sort of inner-ear thing... She went to the Docs, later on, and she said they told her she was dehydrated, and they gave her an IV.... but when she got back, her DIL flushed her ears out, just to make sure... She didn't THINK to have him check her ears... So she got her shower, and was laying down when I called back. We'll go pester her again today.
So what was I talking about?
Jackie! It was your house.... don't move..... ever.
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There is no limit to the good we can do when love is our motivation.
Lloyd John Ogilvie0 -
Bandwoman, I'm sure glad you found this thread again. I have it in the BC. Org favorites list and just check all the areas I like to read or post in from there. You'll be so thrilled I told you that when I have to tell you now.....I don't recall just how to do that. I mean....I don't recall the phrase. I see the phrase "REMOVE from my favorite topics" right up above and to the left of where I'm posting right now.....but I don't recall the wording of "making any thread a FAVORITE". Don't you just love helpful people...........well, I'm pretty sure it will say something about making THIS your favorite thread. BC. Org keeps the those lists for you all in one place......and I get to them from the FAVORITES list.
Isn't it fantastic when the Universe just sets the wheels in motion for you to have a really outstanding, especially soothing and happy time. You never expect ( which is actually one of the parameters for how and why it works ) when you begin something that it will turn out to leave you feeling so well and refreshed --- so soothed from the slings and arrows and other discomforts that just come from struggling through some days. We all do struggle somewhat -- but then, every now and then when it seems it is least expected....... all you do dovetails into more and more delight. Nothing like washing up and crawling into bed and relaxing in the warmth and glow of every thing right in the world after an almost perfect day. Sometimes our heart, mind and soul just need the pick-me-up and dust-me-off that only something like those WONDERFUL un-expected but needful times can bring. I think it keeps us going and striving. I've had my share of those and what a treasure.
Chevy -- I love that graphic. It's true.
I wonder where Mimi our clown might be.....wondering if I'm behind or missed a post or something.
Well, no rain today, but hot and muggy. More rain tomorrow is likely. Sort of getting tiresome -- but I think if we were not getting the rain which tends to cool us off some.....we would be having weather that would be way too hot this early in the year. Ah well.....I'll start looking for that perfect come-together and not worry my head about what the weather is doing.
Will take our Bichon-Poo to get his summer do....its too hot for him, that is for sure.
Be checking in later on. See you all then.
Blessings
Jackie
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Good morning...I am down to two more evening classes but have days free..ha ha free to do grades and make finals....
I am still reading back and loving the drift here...I kind of agree with Cammi -I agree with what you said but can't remember what it was!Chevy, I loved hearing about your father's travels...what an amazing journey. Can his photos be published somewhere? Now there's a project for you. I bought a book on the Alcan highway when I was about 20 and dreamed of driving it...I've been to Alaska 3 times but never drove.
My classes end tomorrow night and fewer than 12 hours later I'll be flying out for a wedding in IL. Then I decided to fly, not drive, to Chicago to visit DS. Once I get on that first plane, I will relax and catch up on things I love.
I had my first long walk on the beach yesterday.
Have a wonderful day and I will read back and check in more often when work is done! Thanks to all of you for being here each day.
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Hi all,
Another day of freedom. No PT. No rads again because the machine is still down and ordering another part. We had bad storms going through last weekend and the power was out in the whole clinic and apparently goofed up this accelerator. I know with my particular situation it is not earth shaking that I miss a couple of rads but I do know my RO told me before that with some cancers missing a day of rads can be very serious. I sure hope there are none of those situations occurring this week for anyone at this clinic. What to do today? Still hanging out in my night shirt. Yes, my bath is calling me and has now for sometime.
Illinois. I was able to make this thread a favorite so I won't lose you guys again. LOL Thanks. You write beautifully!
Joan. Good luck flying to our Windy City. Congrats on finishing your classes. I am a retired teacher and remember that feeling of being done and getting a break. Enjoy!
Have a great day everyone. I am still deciding what I will do. So many choices!!!!!
Bandwoman
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Joan, DH and I drove the Al-Can in 1960. We were living in Houston. He picked up a new car in Detroit from the factory and we drove it up for a dealer in Anchorage. This was before it was paved. They had signs saying "watch for grader in your lane" but no instructions about what to do if you saw one. It was sort of unnerving when I read that a specific place had a telephone. It had never occurred to me that other places didn't.
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Can I live in it?Nancy
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I was pleased to hear that I have a surgery date finally. Sept. 19th I'll go in for surgery #5. I was supposed to have it this month, but my PS cancelled all surgeries for patients who could wait. The hospital had a large influx of soldiers who'd been burned. They get first priority of course. I can wait and am happy too.
But it was nice to get the call today that everything is back on. I can see the light at the end of this long dark tunnel. My first surgery was last August so it will have taken 13 months and 5 surgeries. If I hadn't gotten an infection, it would have been one surgery because I had the bilateral mastectomy and placement of permanent implants in the same 8 1/2 hour operation. Oh well. So much for "one and done." I've cried buckets over that spilled milk. It was the luck of the draw. Patients in hospitals can "acquire" infections from medical personnel and it was just my turn.
I'll be having the final repairs to my side, which is just skin and bone in places because of the soft tissue & muscle lost in the infection. I'll get some tissue transplanted there to give me some padding. Same with my chest, which has dents (divots) all across from a very thorough breast surgeon who wanted to make sure he got every little bit of breast tissue, even up to my clavicle and across my upper chest. The implant on that side is still not right. My anatomy just isn't "welcoming" on that side anymore. The other side is fine and always has been. So I suspect my plastic surgeon will remove these implants (the 2nd kind we've tried) and go for something else. All that scar tissue is getting in the way. Whatever he puts in, that's it. No more surgery.
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Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful
beyond measure. It is our light, not our
darkness, that most frightens us. We ask
ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.
Marianne
Williamson0 -
Sandra, the light at the end of the tunnel....has a nice ring, eh. It will have been a long time coming but sure hoping that it goes better than expected. I always have thought and sometimes said that it is amazing what people do when they have no choice......and so you have. It always sounds like so much to go through and have to deal with when repeated, but I do think a lot of times we are almost just propelled into some of these things and just have to keep moving forward because there really is so little choice about it.
Sort of like when I got propelled into my chemo regimen. It was not what I WANTED to do, but I knew that any chance of success would leave me no choice but just to do it......so I did those 6 mos. trying not to think about it too much ( possible depression I thought if I allowed myself that ) and was able to do it w/o much resistance. Later, when I let myself SEE what I did, even I was amazed.
You have a wonderful attitude about just stepping up when it is time and moving onto whatever needs to happen. Hats off to you.
Blessings
Jackie
Love the graphic, Chevy.
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Yesterday I went to the cardiologist because of pain around my pacemaker. PM is fine. Then a PA, not the one I usually see, said that I should realize I've had "some" trauma to my chest over the past six months and to expect some discomfort. Ya think!! I just wanted to know why that is the only place that hurts. Her answer was that it could be muscle or the lack of much tissue there to cushion. I didn't feel any more reassured leaving than I had walking in the door and felt like I should have saved that copay for a pedicure.
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Sandra, Your attitude about what you have endured and your upcoming surgery is beyond amazing. I know we have all done the unimaginable, but being able to live through these surgeries with such grace is inspiring.
There will surely be lots of prayers for you on September 19th. Big hug
Paula
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Teacher, you have a pacemaker too? My DH got his first one about 12 years ago? And his second replaced about 3 years ago... Never has any trouble with it. He goes every 6 months for a "Device check" and once a year to talk to the cardiologist... What kind is yours? His is a St. Jude.
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Sandra, I agree that you have handled your very challenging ordeal with a positive attitude. I am sure you have hit the bottom more than a few times but your spirit is going to carry you through. We'll be with you here!
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Chevy - I got a St. Jude PM with atrial and ventricular leads but not a defibrillator 4 1/2 years ago. Last year I was experiencing little shocks due to a faulty lead. My cardiologist was able to replace the lead without removing the old one. I have a device check twice a year but also have a device called a Merlin that reads my PM every night between 2-3 am and sends anything abnormal to my cardio. He's only called me a couple of times to come in. Someday I will get to a once a year visit with him.
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Okay Teacher... His is the same as yours .... He had "heart-block" with a pulse of 32 when he finally went in... We COULD have had that Merlin, but we decided to just go in for the reading every 6 months. His OLD pace-maker that they removed, was different... they could read it over the phone, with this device we connected, and they would call us!
Yes, once a year for visits to his Doc.... I'm glad yours is working okay! They are a life-saver!
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When you become detached mentally from yourself and concentrate on
helping other people with their difficulties, you will be able to cope with
your own more effectively. Somehow, the act of self-giving is a personal
power-releasing factor.
Norman Vincent Peale0 -
"Every human has four endowments -- self-awareness, conscience, independent will and
creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom... The power to
choose, to respond, to change."--
Stephen R. Covey0 -
Sure seems to have been quiet here or posts are going somewhere.....who knows. It is not often that I end up with back to back quotes here. It is hot and muggy out ( yeah, this early at 9 a.m. ) and we I hope will at least get some rain for the dis-pleasure. Dh said while I was at work last night there was a huge amt. of thunder and lightning but only a few scattered drops. I did hear some, but was in a well insulated house so not as much as there apparently was.
Strange summer so far.....so much more rain or chance of it. I used to soooo hate the cloudy days but I don't mind them as much when the humidity is high. They at least give you the sensation that it is a little better than it actually is.
Carole, I hope you are enjoying where you are. I think you said you were going back to your favorite campground.
Hope you all are going to have a good Saturday no matter what the weather. Mimi, hope you are doing fine. A big, big hi to everyone else. See you all later.
Blessings
Jackie
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Hi to everyone. I am trying to find plants that bloom with just 3 hours of sun ... very hot afternoon sun. I love my trees for the shade and shadows they create, but their shade is complicating my plantings. Also, I couldn't find zinnias for a sunny area. My usual plant outlet's plant variety seemed less this year as did the quality.
Jackie, thanks for opening the thread today.
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Checking in. Nothing to report. I'm having balance issues again and my eyes are not cooperating, so I've been occupying my recliner and watch old movies on TCM. Jackie, I liked the quote about helping others. That's what you do for us on this thread. Thank you.
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