Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?

Mommarch, glad to hear that things are going well with your DGD. 

DH is off to the gym this morning.  I am taking my mother to a dr. apptment and helping her with grocery shopping the first part of the day.  Then I intend to vote and go to the supermarket to buy some items for us.  IF I have some energy left, I had wanted to go to the driving range and try to improve my golf swing.  I'm pretty discouraged about my golf game these days.

I am really tired of political ads on tv and endless phone calls from Unavailable.  I don't answer them.  Or sometime I press the Talk button and then the Off button.  It is not looking good for my candidate, Mary Landrieu, who has worked very hard for Louisiana during her years as Senator. 

Wishing everyone a good day!

I had my angiogram yesterday and they embolized my kidney glob of vessels. Long day, they were running 2 1/2 hours behind, so it was 8 last night before I got home. Taking it easy today, not allowed to drive. No lifting over 25 pounds for a week. Groin is a little tender where they went in with the catheter but no signs of any bleeding.

Carole, I think everyone is tired of all the political infighting this year. Seems so much worse than it used to be. I was always interested in politics and a major news junkie. Growing up, my family talked about current events and my husband and I carried that tradition over to our own dinner table with the children. We've had some heated political arguments, but ever since they've become adults, we tend to agree. I've volunteered for a number of candidates, block walked, and stuffed a million envelopes. I was Precinct Chairman for a long time and was even on the Executive Committee of "one of the political parties" in our large county. What a shock to see what it was REALLY like on the inside! Talk about dirty politics! It wasn't just on a county level, but went all the way up to the state senatorial level and back down into my own precinct. I escaped once I realized I was in over my head. Since then, I vote if I have a reason to. I don't believe in voting party lines or voting against a candidate. If I don't have a reason to vote FOR a particular candidate, I don't vote at all. This year I'm staying away. Next year might be different and I could be singing the praises of someone. I have a local office holder I'm keeping my eye on for the future. She would make a great mayor. The one we have now is incredibly unqualified and only has the job because our former mayor was snatched up for a national cabinet position two months ago. Good for the country...not so good for my city.

Puffin, I hope you continue taking it easy today. How cool that they can perform a procedure with minimal invasion.

Mimi, what a good friend you are! It's no wonder your friend is worried about post op nausea and vomiting. (PONV) It can make an already bad situation SO much worse. That was my big worry as well, so I understand her fear. Just in case she is open to suggestions, below is a copy of what I've posted on the September and October Surgery Sisters threads as well as the Exchange thread. What works for me came after way too much trial and error, but it has freed me from worry for the future and has worked for many others. Here it is:

"After extensive research on my part as well as two anesthesiologists who were willing to go the extra mile to research and put together a plan, I have cracked the code on a nausea-free recovery. What a blessing! Post op nausea & vomiting (PONV) has plagued me my whole life and is the thing I most fear about surgeries. I can deal with pain if I'm not ready to throw up for three solid days.

1. Before surgery, get a transdermal scopolamine patch. It goes behind your ear. By itself it might not be enough to prevent nausea after surgery but in conjunction with the other things, it's essential to the total plan.

2. Take an Emend capsule before surgery. It might make you feel a little light headed for a few minutes (did twice for me but not this last time) when it first takes effect, but that quickly straightens out. (For those who will be getting chemo, Emend is being prescribed more and more to eliminate nausea.)

3. Make sure to request TIVA - Total IV Anesthesia. It is the most import part of the plan. No gasses are used. Most general anesthesia includes several different gasses, but they are well known to cause PONV. TIVA drugs have such a short half-life, they wear off quickly, reduce post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV), allowing shorter recovery room times, and an overall smoother and better experience (as compared to inhalation anesthetics).  

4. Ask your surgeon to inject Exparel into your incisions at the end of surgery. It foams up and bathes the area in blessed pain relief for up to 96 hours and reduces the need for narcotics, which are known to cause nausea in many patients.

5. Get IV Zofran at the end of surgery and during your hospital stay on regular intervals. It does a good job of counteracting nausea. You can get tablets as well. Decadron is another drug that can help nausea.

These 5 steps are the key to success. Some hospitals use gas for general anesthesia because it is cheaper for them. Too bad...get TIVA instead and make sure your anesthesiologist is familiar with it. I will absolutely NEVER have another surgery without it. Not only did I wake up in recovery after the last two surgeries, which I never did before, but I was completely alert and didn't feel groggy at all. The nurse and I were chatting and cracking jokes. Normally I would be desperately sick and feeling drugged up for days. Another massive benefit of TIVA is that it has a short half-life, meaning it leaves your body pretty fast. I used to feel odd for 3 weeks after a surgery. Not anymore. 

Some insurance companies say Exparel is too expensive. Balderdash! It costs about $300 for one vial. I would gladly pay out of pocket twice that much to get Exparel. It's just that good.

Here's a link to learn more about TIVA http://www.realself.com/article/tiva-total-iv-anesthesia-general-anesthesia-safer

Here's a brand new one about Exparel and how it reduces the need for opiate pain relief by 45%. http://www.heraldonline.com/2014/10/27/6462524/new-study-correlates-use-of-exparel.html?sp=/100/773/385/

For more on Emend http://www.emend.com/aprepitant/emend/consumer/index.xhtml

Transdermal Scopolomine Patch http://www.transdermscop.com/prescribing-information.htm"

Thanks for the birthday wishes everyone. I am not crazy, and usually kind of wary of these kinds of things, so I won't have a problem if you don't believe me, but my husband called me on the phone yesterday to wish me a Happy Birthday.  I was home alone, about 11am and the house phone rang. Caller ID said Robert Bourne and the phone number listed was our house phone. Have you ever heard of a situation where a house phone could call itself?? The thing that confirmed it was him to me was the fact that the call came on the 3rd- which through all 42+ years together he thought was my birthday. FREEEAKKKYYYY!! But fun, to believe it could have been him. 

Puffin- glad to hear your procedure went well

MomMom- so glad things are going well with your DGD. 

Also wanted to clarify something about my cousin's daughter. She is divorced and her ex is remarried.  He has been with them thru this whole process, and his new wife is 100% behind him.  He told my cousin that she can put any worries she might have concerning her relationship with the 2 boys in the future to rest. He told her he believes they will need their grandparents even more than they do now, and he intends to make sure their ties stay strong. He also said whatever caused the divorce is no longer relevant. Anything he can do to help them in any way, he is ready and willing to do. His new wife has been great about bringing the boys to see Patti as often as she feels up to seeing them, but has also stepped in to keep their lives as normal as possible- keeping them involved in sports, etc. I met Patti's ex several times over the years, and thought he was a really nice guy. I have no details regarding the divorce, but it sounds like he is stepping up to the plate now and walking thru this with both Patti and her family. 

I was glad to read that some of you know of people who have survived pancreatic cancer. I know the odds are not in her favor, but maybe there is a glimmer of hope? Didn't sound like it when my cousin responded to my email, but it could happen. Thank you to all of you for your compassion and understanding. 

Anne

Anne, don't be silly, of course it was him.  But then, I think you could have expected you would get my full agreement on that. Our loved ones do let us know that they are not so very far away from us.  You have to know too --- that if you have ever had doubt about what happens when we have to give up our body and go to eternity -- what better way to feel comforted about the answer if someone you love is letting you know ( yes, they now have somewhat limited ways, but the ability to use those limited ways is quite strong ) that they are just fine -- and more alive in fact than they ever were while here.  I was told to think of it this way --- being on Earth is a giant school for us and those who leave us have completed what they had too and gone on ahead.  It brings a great deal of comfort to me to know that.

Ok -- tons more things I could say but I think I cause enough head shaking for my very deep beliefs.  No one else has to see things my way and that is ok. 

Heartened to hear that Patti's ex is being kind, comforting, supportive and understanding.  His filling some of the gaps right now is a beautiful thing  I made up my mind when I divorced that it would be a civil parting of the ways.  I had no wish to get even ( for what -- something he and I did together ) nor try to demean and degrade my ex.  Now that was in '74, but I've never changed my mind.  If you are adult enough to marry -- I've always hoped you'd be adult enough to divorce properly too --  you were in love, and now you've fallen out of love -- over-simplification to a degree, but all can learn to ditch the regrets and bitterness and get on with life.  I'm glad Patti and her ex as well as the new wife can see that none of it is so much about them as such -- it is rather about being adults and doing the right thing -- especially in view of the fact that there are little kids. 

Jackie

My father-in-law had a couple of odd experiences after my mother-in-law died.  One day he was sitting in his chair in the living room, alone in the house.  He heard a noise in the tiny foyer.  He got up and walked to the foyer.  A book lay on the floor.  It was one of my mother-in-law's favorite books.  Apparently it had fallen from the bookcase in the foyer.  He felt like it was a communication from his deceased wife. 

I can't remember a second incident that was the same kind of thing.

We've had a gorgeous election day.  The polls just closed.  I had to stand in a short line when I went to vote a little past 2 pm. 

Patience will see us through a troubled time, but how much easier it is to savor patience when it’s accompanied by faith.  We can know and fully trust that all is well—that our lives are on course—that individual experiences are exactly what we need at this moment.  However, faith makes the knowing easier and the softness of the patient heart eases us through the times of challenge and uncertainty.
 
unattributed

Lol thanks jackie 

Sandra, the nuclear stress test uses a radioactive isotope to show the heart. It is exercise, imaging, and then some more. I had been wondering what to do on the 11th (diagnosis day) and now it will mean 3 hours at cardio. It doesn't involve speeding up my heart, which it does on its own. 

My cardio doc has never said that and I hope he never does.

Morning gals....  Are you all talking about irregular heart-beats?  Or feeling like your heart is racing, and you feel like passing out?    

Years ago, after my Mom died, and I was visiting my Dad in San Francisco, and picking my GS up from the airport, I felt like I was going to pass-out while driving over the SFOBB 5 times!  

I just KNEW my 11 year old GS could not take the wheel, nor my DAD who was 3 sheets to the wind!   I got through it, but my heart was pounding, besides feeling like I was going to faint!

Later on, when I got back to Denver, I was really worried about my heart!  I had that tread-mill test... a cardiogram...  And of course no symptoms at those times!  I then wore the 24 hour Holter monitor...  nothing!

Then they had me wear the "event" monitor, which recorded a weeks worth of heart issues!  Yes, I still had the dizzy spells, and palpitations, but they could NOT find anything wrong.

I finally quit drinking coffee, too much sugar, and by then, the stress from my Dad, always being drunk.....  the trip, and everything else was over with, and my heart got back to normal... 

So I'm just saying this, so maybe  it could be as simple as "Stress?"

Anyway, my Dad drinking was nothing new.  I grew up with it.... my Mom lived with it....  and we all hated it.  But with my Dad, it wasn't until after Mom passed away, that I finally got to "know" my Dad....  Yes, I always hated being around him when he was drunk, but after Mom passed, he started to slow it down.... and when I visited him, I saw how much he loved her... how he missed her...  They were married 62 years, and he lost the ONE woman he loved, more than all the rest.   We learned to talk, and we just became close.  He would call me long distance, and just talk about Mom.... about how he missed her....  How he would put his arm over her pillow, thinking she was still there....

So I learned to love this man, who I couldn't STAND ever since I was a little girl.  When I would visit him, I could see HIM going downhill.... he didn't care anymore...  and he just ate snacks and nuts...  All the years of smoking and drinking, finally got to my Dad.... but I had about a year of learning how to love this man all over again....  and he treated me like a Daughter he loved.  My Brother just didn't get the chance.....

I don't know WHY I talked about this....  but stress will hurt your body more than anything else you can do.... almost. 

And Forgiveness and feeling at peace will heal your heart....

This morning dh and I are off to the gym.  I always feel good when I'm finished my workout!  Then I treat myself to a cup of coffee to drink on the drive home. 

It was warm and muggy yesterday afternoon so I turned on the a/c.  Today we're supposed to get some cooler air.

Today I need to schedule a kidney ultrasound for my mother and a bone density scan.  Both were ordered by the kidney dr. we saw on Tues.  My mother has stage 4 kidney disease.  Sure hope this dr. can help her improve that function.  Stage 5 is dialysis.

Happy Thurs. to all.

Remember that the right temperature in a home is maintained by warm hearts, not by icy glares, lukewarm enthusiasm, or hotheads!  Your attitude can set the tone for your whole family.  So use whatever scraps you can find—even if, in the beginning, it’s just the scrap of a smile—and make a gift of whatever you have.  Then watch the gifts come back to you.
 
Barbara Johnson

Love that Teka !!!!

Jackie