Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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Joan, I attended a couple of games at the White Sox stadium and it is beautiful. Our BIL the Dr. in IL was President of the IL. Medical Assoc. which came with some nice perks like great baseball tickets. DH is a long-time Cubs fan and we went to a Cubs game many years ago when his parents were alive. Your son's apartment (condo?) sounds like quite a place. Chicago is a wonderful city to visit.
Jackie, do you live within walking distance of a golf course? Your home is seeming more ideal all the time!!!
Today has been a relaxing day, our first day to just take it easy since we left home. I walked about 40 min. this morning in the rv park, up and down the streets. It was in the 60's when we got up so I turned off the A/C and opened the door and some windows. The wind came up later and it has been gusting 20 or 30 mph. After cooking some bacon and making BLT's for brunch, I settled down and watched some old movies, including NIAGARA with Marilyn Monroe. It was really good! I don't think I had ever seen it before.
Tomorrow we plan to drive to Pine Hollow Resort near Park Rapids where we can settle down for a couple of months.
Happy Sunday to everybody.
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Hi Alaska,
I hear you about the accumulating. I like that word better. LOL I started last summer of starting to pitch things because I was bursting at the seams and had no place to put anything more. My sister and I are caretakers for my mom who is 88 still living in her home after my Dad died 9 years ago and she has dementia. My sister lives in her same town but I live three hours away. I would go down and stay with my mom for weeks at a time to give my sister a break. So I would work on a closet and then be gone to my mom's. I had to keep getting remotivated each time I got back. I finally set a deadline of February of this year to finish the closets. I did finish my last closet at the end of February and I had about 5% more to really feel like I was done. Then the drawers and all of that were going to come later. I never didn't finish my 5% because a week or so later I had my mammogram that turned my life upside down never to return to the normal life I once knew.
I hear you about the roses. We had a really harsh winter and my Knockout roses (all six) really looked like they were not going to come back. All the old growth was dead and only new growth was there. I had a lot of work to do and very little energy with rads but I finally got all the dead cane cut out. It is a job so I can relate to what you are saying. I do have a ton of roses blooming now so all that work was worth it.
What is the weather like in Alaska now? It has been so humid here I think I could appreciate some cool air from Alaska about now.
Glad you are getting a breather from remodeling. I would like to do some kitchen remodeling but now that I have the time it is the money issue now. Since my rads are thrown into July now my deductible starts all over and it will cost me a ton of money after the ton of money I already have spent on the surgery etc. I planned this all very carefully to be done in June with rads. Oh well, the best laid plans.................. I just hope I can resume tomorrow. I am sorry to hear of all of your things that happened to you and your friend and you and your sweetie. Whoever said growing old is not for sissies hit the nail on the head.
Enjoy your week.
Bandwoman
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Thanks Sandra
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Thanks Alaska Angel for the impatiens recommendation.
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Hi Sally,
I was watching with interest your post regarding flowers. I am an avid flower gardener and I hate to be the fly in the ointment regarding impatiens. The shade impatiens have been about 25-30% of my landscape for years until last year. I had just bought a ton of flats and my allergy shot nurse said haven't you heard. I said heard what. She said there is a deadly disease that has hit the impatiens (I think it is wallerina, the shade impatiens only). The disease is called downy mildew. There is tons of info online regarding this disease. I went ahead and planted all of my flats in the ground and in containers. They made it till the first week of August and they all died of this disease. I just recently went to a nursery and asked about the sun patiens which is a cousin to the New Guinea impatiens. I wanted to plant some on the south side of my house and the expert gardener at the nursery said it would be too hot. I am not sure about your weather in Nevada but I imagine it gets pretty hot during the day. The New Guinea definitely would not work but this sun patiens might. This gardener said they really take off once they get established. I didn't read every single post so I hope I have not repeated what someone else already said. Good luck.
Bandwoman (Nancy)
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Hi Carol,Yes fibromyalgia has altered my life for years but I have been very proactive and tried to do things that will help the pain and the fatigue but it is a challenge for sure. Yes, with bc and an injured rotator cuff to boot it has been one unbelievable ride since March of this year. I am hanging on for dear life in more ways than one!
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Sally, They have a sun coleus now too. I've had good luck with trailing verbena, also.
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Thanks All for your support. We went to the community Church with our DGD & DGS, it was good, most of the people have known Kimber since she was 3. The forgiveness sermon was wonderful. We asked her if by some sort of what ever she ran into her Mother, what would she do. She said be polite and say Hello. After Church we took kids to Pizza Hut in Alpine for lunch and had to pick up a couple of things.
Got back to Fort Davis and straightened up the camper.
I think I am getting better. Got through Church without a coughing fit.
Blessings to all
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Bandwoman, thanks for the impatiens info ... very interesting. I have a calibrachoa in the planter now. It probably won't last all summer or bloom as much as in all sun, but it will take the 3-4 hours of intense sun. I am enjoying it.
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Wrenn, I have never had trailing verbena ... I'll bet it's very pretty ... I will look for it.
Mommarch, happy to hear that your cough seems to be settling down.
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We can develop gratitude for all conditions, good or bad. Each has its necessary place in our
development as healthy, happy people. We
need the sorrows along with the joys if we are to gain new insights. Our failures keep us humble; they remind us
of our need for the care and guidance of others. And for every hope dashed, we can remember,
one will be realized.
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Lovely notes to read this morning. It is so hot and muggy outside. Just feeding and watering the animals I had to wash up twice. It could rain but it would be the spotty kind. Nothing too intense if we did get it. Not sure I wouldn't enjoy a sturdy but not too hard pour down for at least a half an hour.
Enjoying all the talk of flowers. My yard has very little as dh thinks I plant things as targets for the riding lawn mower. I tried several yrs. in a row, but have finally figured that he has no patience for anything in his way when he mows. Sigh !!!!
Mommarch....glad your cough seems to be clearing. Hope it keeps improving for you.
Carole, I'm thinking about you in Minnesota where you are probably going to be so comfortable.
Cam....hope you are fine.
Forgot to say.....we have Hostas in our shade area. I think there are some that are made for sun now, so either way you'd have something to plant maybe. I really do like the Hosta's and have them where Dh can't come to close. Whew!!!!!
Blessings,
Jackie
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Jackie, I too have 2 hosta pots ... same variety ... I keep looking for another kind ... I think I need to visit a variety of nurseries. All my plants smaller than large shrubs are in barrels, planters, or pots. the pots sit on a wall ledge. Oh, I also have a tiny rock garden which is hard to tend because I have to bend way down or kneel or plop down.
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It is amazing to me how people are brought together by one thng n then have so much in common
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blondiex46, you are so right. There are days I can't wait to get on BCO. It is the only place where I meet people that have the disease that understand even the slightest of problems. I go to threads that make me laugh, make me think, where I can ask questions and so on. It has become my social outlet as weird as that sounds.
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I have just been handing around,
not able to read much of anything, as the glasses (2 pair) made for me by JC Penney made the WRONG RX
.....I went back to my eye MD (whom has been treating my repeated eye infection) and he was mad as hell!.....I since received a new RX from eye MD and now waiting again for glasses......since I returned the others
My bone marrow biopsy and bone aspiration went okay.....still anemic but marrow looked okay.....I actually got to SEE my marrow, which looked like a little 1.5 inch worm floating in a liquid.
I have had many many blood test of every kind the last 3 weeks....most find my RBC large and low count....at one point they really thought I had MDS but ruled out for now.
hemo/onco was going to RX steroid and I declined after hearing all the side effect....we agreed to wait 3 months before I become a pin cushion again, and the ONLY RX med I was on (iron), was discontinued.
I put off my 3rd revision for 6 months....so now thinking about getting it done....maybe.
Hope all is well with everyone.
Di
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Di, I'm so glad to hear from you. Just this morning I was wondering how things were going and was worried since you haven't posted in such a long time. I had planned to send you a private message so you can imagine how happy I was to see your post.
You'll have your new glasses soon so that problem will be better but the anemia must be so concerning for you. I imagine your bone marrow biopsy/bone aspiration was difficult. Did it take a while to recover? Did they take it out of your hip? Good thing you are seeing a hematologist. She/he may not have figured it out yet, but there are still options. Fingers crossed that you are better in three months.
Only 60 days until our Alaska cruise. We have a new member who lives in Ketchikan and I told her we would be in her backyard soon.
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Hi Sandra!
Bone marrow biopsy was easy....the prep was very difficult as the 2 nurses in that unit a the hospital could not thread an IV into me and I bled all over the place, I still have on big bruise on my arm and it will be 3 weeks tomorrow. the 3rd nurse was successful!
I felt very fortunate that my hemo/onco knew what he was doing and was very skillful not to cause pain....a prick to numb it and then only pressure....I was give a drug to relax, me but I was awake the entire time and talking to the doc and nurse, and my husband was in the procedure room too. The procedure only took about 25 minutes. Doc told me he used the smaller tool since I did not have a lot of "padding" on my rear hip bone.
This is what the tools look like:
Only a little sore that night....then nothing.Hugs,
Di
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Di....so good to see you again. Here's hoping someone push RUSH on your new glasses. Glad your tests were not toooo rough. Now if you can just keep getting reasonable answers. Hope you are not going through a lot of uncomfortable heat like a lot of us are having.
Starting not to make sense ( too much heat maybe ) so I'm going to go find pj's and veg out in my recliner.
Again.....so glad you are back....we missed you.
Blessings
Jackie
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Di, glad it went as well as possible. I remember setting in the cancer clinic when they were doing a Bone Marrow on my 19 year old pregnant daughter and hearing her scream. That was 15 years ago.
We have had some nice rain in the Davis Mt. Things are getting real green for the first time in 3 years.
DH and I went out into the desert and gathered yucca stalks for broom handles and walking sticks. By the time we headed home the temp was 108. Glad to get back up into the high country where it is cooler.
Everyone take care.
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Sally - what about Blue Plumbago? I expect it would be an annual there but it's happy in shade or sun.
Monmarch - so glad to hear things are settling down with your DGD. She deserves a break - as do you.
Di - Glad your bone marrow test was OK. My MO was talking about putting me on Aranesp since my RBC keep going down. I declined after I read about the SEs. Hope it gets easier. I've got to do something about my glasses (6 mos. post 2nd chemo) but it's always such a hassle to get them made correctly.
Sandra - hard to believe it's only 60 days to Alaska. How exciting to contemplate getting out of the Texas heat for a week. I lugged stuff down from the attic today for a Salvation Army pick up tomorrow.l
Sorry I can only think back one page. But glad Carole's trip is off to a great start. And hi to Chevy & Cami & Jackie & everyone else.
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Di, So happy to hear your bone marrow biopsy was not painful. A relief and a blessing for you. Thank goodness!
Sandra, Your cruise is wonderful to anticipate! We had to cancel our TransAtlantic cruise for late April/May when I was diagnosed in Jan. I was enjoying just the planning and anticipation of it with many small group tours and fun events. Don't know if will do a TA but will cruise again. Can't wait to hear about yours!
Paula
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Good morning...I am still in Chicago. Today is my last day and I cannot sleep - 2 mornings in a row up with the birds -- or should I say trucks? I'm on State Street and on a low floor and it's noisy. Tomorrow I have to be at the airport for a 6 am flight so there will be little sleep for me.
I got my summer course grades done yesterday in my hotel so I am really relaxing now.
Our White Sox game was rained out - my son told me early on not to plan on going. The storms were very strong. I was disappointed; but DS and I went to a steakhouse and had a nice leisurely dinner and long chat. His girlfriend went home to spend time with her puppy and dodge the rain. I love not having a car in the city. I did walk to the Art Institute and the lakefront yesterday after having lunch with DS and his gf at Berghoff's. When the storms started to blow in I headed back toward Michigan Avenue and got lost in 7 floors of Macy's. It was raining so hard but a wonderful salesperson told me how to take the Red Line subway back to my hotel without going outside (the station is under Macy's). It was fun. Today I hope to get to the Navy Pier and peek in at Bloomingdales or Nordstrom. I love to see the beautiful displays...then I get back to reality.
bandwoman (sorry, I see I got your name wrong above)...are you finishing up rads this week? I hope it goes well. It is so unfair about the timing and the copays. It is hard enought to deal with BC without extra financial burden. How were the storms in your area??
Carole, I love the movie Niagara-- a favorite. I hope you are enjoying your time "up north'. We may try to go to White Sox tonight.
Sandra, the day to your cruise are counting down...you must be excited.
All the garden talk has made me realize i did not tell DH to water my flower boxes. They are self-watering but must be checked frequently and refilled if it is hot. I cannot plant anything except purple perennials due to the deer (cat mint, Russian Sage, lavender) so everything is in boxes or pots.
Di, that tool looked pretty threatening to me....I am glad that test is behind you. I am hoping you will find the right dx and treatment if needed.
Blondie, it is good to see you back, my friend. Sending hugs and healing thoughts.
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Blue plumbago is lovely and butterflies love it.
Di - I have small veins and often think the IV is worse than the procedure. Sorry you had that experience.
We are lucky(?) in north Texas because we haven't hit 100 yet but we could sure use some rain. I've enjoyed reading about vacations since this is the summer of none for us. Just wait til next year!!
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With each new day I put away the past and
discover the new beginnings I have been given.
Angela L. Wozniak0 -
Hot, hot, hot here. But likely some rain later on. These are the days when I get to take two or three baths.
Is blue Plumbago sort of a ground cover. Should have looked it up before I got here bug didn't. I have a ground-cover and I really love it, that has little blue/purplish flowers in Spring. I wish it would spread faster, but that is ok. It is close to the house and would likely be a good place for snakes to hide.....but we have never had many around the house -- that I know of anyway. I'd hate to encourage them to much. They take care of other things we don't want around so I'm torn a bit....but for the animals....I'd rather that they didn't get too close in on us.
Hmmm, can't remember who said it....maybe it was Blondie --- but it is in a way peculiar that we feel so much for one another due to a disease. I think I mentioned ( not sure if it was here though ) that I looked back and thought about things and realized that I was not really in touch with my life for a long period. I was so busy, being busy about everything ( whether that thing really deserved it or not ) that days came and went and the specialness of them was coming and going too with VERY little notice from me.
That one fact alone I think has made each of you so special to me. I feel, no matter what, that loving each other, no matter what condition we are in, no matter what we each may have done, or in some cases not done, is a gift we can give each other. The nice thing about it is....when you give this gift, something of it comes back to you. So knowing all of you, and caring about all of you makes me so much better than I was a few years back. If it was you Blondie, who said that......a million thanks.
Off to work.
Blessings
Jackie
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Sorry it has been so long since I checked in, although I have been reading the posts. As you know, since I finished Rads on May 28th, I have been to Fl 2x and am back in Ga till Sat. Then it is back to Fla for at least a month I hope. I have contacted an oncologist down there and I am hoping to get at least one or two Herceptin infusions down there. I have been going back and forth about every 10 days and I am incredibly tired. I drove up Sun with my DD and slept most of the way. On Sat, we had Lucia's first birthday party at my Fl house (which we managed to totally repaint and redecorate in 3 1/2 weeks). It was great fun, but toomany people and too much activity for me, so I ended up at one point going in to my bedroom with my 8 year old grandaughter for some much needed one- on- one time. Right now, there are 14 of us at the house in Ga, but most of them are gone a lot of the time doing "vacation" things. I have 2 Dr appts, plus an infusion on Thurs, so I am pretty much living my normal life while here.
Can't remember what is going on with who, but hope all of you are doing well now.
Anne
Lucia with Mommy, Daddy (DS#1) and me
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Anneb - wonderful picture of birthday girl and family.
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bandwoman, I'm in the rainy part of the state and do enjoy the cooler summers. We are in a cloudy-rainy pattern right now that is a huge contrast to the west coast extreme drought. We live 12 miles from town, which translates to, we have our own water system -- 100% rain catch, with an 8,000 gallon tank. The breezes are a delight.I'm in awe of your persistence in accomplishing so much at your parent's place in addition to the discovery and onset of cancer and tx!! I will use that to embarrass myself into combating my lethargy as I dig in here! This past weekend I carried a major item for discard downstairs and parked it "temporarily" in our living room until we can donate it elsewhere (to plug up someone else's space!) I told my sweetie at the time to think about letting one neighbor know it is available in case they actually can use it. So today the neighbor happened to drop by. My sweetie walked right by the large obstructing item to go out on the deck and talk with the neighbor. Afterward I asked him if the neighbor wanted it. I got back a long silent, sheepish pause.... *sigh* (If a job needs doing, it may need one's personal attention...)...
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Di, I'm glad you had a really competent doctor for that particular procedure, and hope you continue to do so well!
Sandra, if you can get in my backyard more power to you -- the brush behind the house is thick enough to hide any bear! (You may have to settle for the front yard.)
Jackie, the lovely thick clover that covered our tiny patch of front yard when we moved in, we removed for similar reasons -- not snakes here, but because there was no way to see through it when walking on it, and the snail population here is impressive.
Anne, nice to meet you and your family!
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