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

Hugs from me, too, Sandra.  I will think positive about Mike as he undergoes this scary effort to extend life.  Ditto to Anne's advice to take care of you.

I'm writing this post on my cell phone in a room at the Hampton in Texarkana, TX.  Tomorrow we will resume our travel to Tulsa.  Today was sunny and very warm.  I turned on the car a/c.

Hugs to all.

Sandra, hugs and prayers for you & Mike--will say a Mi Sheberach for him. 50-50 survival chance beats 0% any day. Hoping he makes it through as well as Robin Roberts did. (Also Suleika Jouwad, in her excellent “Life, Interrupted” blog in the NY Times).

Puffin, how scary being so close to such a crisis that ended tragically. A few days ago, a social worker at Advocate Christ (Bob’s main hospital) was strangled along with their son by her husband, who then killed himself. The family had been having severe financial problems and he must have figured that suicide would have kept his family from getting his life insurance, and would have left them not just grieving but even deeper in the hole with no way out. The only survivor was their daughter, who was away at college.

Integrity is not a conditional word. It doesn't blow in the wind or change with the weather. It is your inner image of yourself, and if you look in there and see a person who won't cheat, then you know you never will.

John MacDonald

Jackie, termite and others - thanks for the good wishes.

Sandra, thinking good thoughts and ssending prayers for you and Mike. One of my bffs is recoverieng from a stem cell transplant and she's weak as a puppy, but getting much better. She had her surgery in Sept, same as me.

Puffin, I heard about that shooting in Fargo and 2 sheriffs in MD. It's so sad and horrible. Stay safe.

Work: I got a so-so review and am not getting a raise this year. I'm trying really hard to pay attention to every detail and my boss is working with me to create a process to check everything - he's my coach. He's been really understanding, but the people I work with each seem to tell me in different ways about an errors I made. I've made improvements since my last review, but do they say anything? Nope. I feel like they just keep beating me up. All I can do is do my best.

And, I just got done working, so I may watch something on Netflix even though I should be doing taxes (still). Do I deserve a treat? Hell, yes.

Here's a pic of me ringing the bell at the end of Jan. I'm still a little pink under the boob, but it's so much better. I still get tired, and then I have problems going to sleep at night.

My new fashion statement is wearing a men's white T-shirt and a sweater, but both layers and my coat are too much for me. Why does everything seem to be at "boob level?"

Happy Valentine's Day everyone - here's a bracelet I made that is still available. I think it's so cute.

Have a great weekend!

Linda

Good morning,

Hoping he sun stays out a bit more this morning --- but just not sure. It will help warm another pretty old day. We have some lingering snow on the ground, but not much -- so maybe some more of that will go away.

Linda, though I'm sorry to hear about your review, it is positive that you still are working. Also find it irritating about your co-workers. It would be so much easier if a number of them would attempt 'support' rather then what sounds like veiled criticism. Sad that they don't seem to realize that when you offer help EVERYONE wins --- not just the one receiving the help. I think if more people could remember the ultimate goal, but this is an issue most of the time no matter where you work. Conditional things in the workplace like that are hard to erase. When you try to add to the betterment of one --- that push and drive spread everywhere. You are so right --- hold your head up and do your best.

Puff, that is really a beautiful puzzle. I think I recall sort of dis-liking the moment in time when we had to dismantle those bigger, or more difficult puzzles. I miss not having the time or place ( my cats would be so destructive ) to continue to do them.

May work tonight, but won't get a call till later. Not sure !!!! Wed. and Thurs new carpet was installed in most of the first floor ( there is a basement, but no second floor ) and as it is a big house, I know it was an exhausting project to have such disruption while busy people, along with my charge ( she will be 100 in April ) were trying to keep going. Huge rooms of furniture placed in other rooms -- just a big headache -- just meaning that everyone may be too tired and un-enthused about going out. Anyone who has ever done this will likely identify with cable t.v. connections that no longer work right and missing items ( like computer mouse ) so not sure anyone will feel like doing much out. We will see.

Hope you are all going to have a good Saturday and I hope good weather. See you later.

Jackie

You have choice. You can select
joy over despair. You can select
happiness over tears. You can select
action over apathy. You can select
growth over stagnation. You can select
you. And you can select life. And it's
time that people tell you you're not
at the mercy of forces greater than
yourself. You are, indeed,
the greatest force for you.

Leo Buscaglia

Brrrr, was -6 when I got up. We were suprised so many made it to church. Went to dinner with some friends last night for Valentines and got roses from DH, now that we no longer have a kitty to eat them. Hope you all have a lovely day. Valentine hugs, Jean

We are not bad this morning here. The snow stopped late afternoon yesterday without piling up much --- maybe 4 inches in some places, and we have fog this morning -- so some warming taking place. We are in a back and forth place again. Just have to see what gives.

Bonnets, I can attest to who delicious greenery is to kitties. I still can't have anything but 'artificial' and sometimes they even try the leaves there. Since they see shades more than color I guess it is the darker color of the artificial leaves as well as the shape. So, I even have to watch them for awhile with the 'fabulous' fakes.

Thinking about all of you and hoping Monday will be a good day for you. I plan to just do what feels like I should. Really --- that should be a trip to the gym, but not sure. Depends how into things here I may get. I will remind you all again, but on and starting the 23rd. I will be going to my employer's house and staying for a week while they are out of the country. It is ( for me anyway ) a long time to be absent, but I would imagine I won't be getting that sort of time most of the time after this. The trip was a gift from a family member and with my little lady ( 100 in April ) I doubt anyone would want to be gone more than a couple of days at a time.

As it is a trip to a warm place, maybe it will end up highly appreciated if this weather keeps up. I do think though we may drift back to nicer. I sure hope so. I'm good for earlier winter --- this late, I don't care for it at all.

Jackie

Hi everyone. I'm new here. Diagnosed last December and still trying to figure things out. My first grand child -- a beautiful baby girl -- was born January 4. My doc sent me to be measured for post surgical undergarments for my mastectomy which is March 7. I was blue, driving home. So, I stopped on the way and got a baby-cuddling fix. Amazing, how that cheered me. I just love nuzzle down next to her sweet baby skin and breath in.

It's nice weather here in Oklahoma. In fact, I feel as if we've been cheated out of winter. No snow, little cold, nuthin'. I wish you folks in the North could send us a little bit of what you've been getting. I'm sure you wouldn't mind sharing!

Mornin all,

Puffin- that sounds like a great trip. My cousin went on a similar trip to Getmany and Austria, but did it on land traveling place to place. She hated it. She said they were so rushed- they had to have their bags outside the hotel room by 7pm and were up most days between 5-7am to get to the next stop. She said that made her too exhausted to enjoy the places they saw. She said the next time they go, if ever, it will be a cruise.

Becca- welcome to a great group of ladies. We all have breast cancer in common, but more than that, this is a great group with lots of compassion, experience and support to offer. We know that the time between diagnosis and the start of treatment is one of the toughest times. We not only are great support to each other re our cancer journeys, but enjoy talking about our lives in general. You will find ladies here who enjoy traveling, golfing, bird- watching, reading, cooking. We enjoy talking about our families and our furry family members.

Mostly, though, we have all been where you are in general, some more specifically re treatment options, but all of us have been thru the emotional roller coaster you are going through. We are a safe place for you to share your feelings that you don't want to burden your own family with or that you've tried to share with your family and they just don't get it. Only other cancer patients can really "get" it.

Congratulations on your first grandchild. She will change your life tremendously. I've always been child oriented- I have 3 biological children,was a foster mother for five years, and adopted two of 22 long term placements, worked in a middle school office, etc and thought I was prepared to be a grandmother. Of course I was excited about the birth of my first grandchild. OMG, I had no idea what being a grandma was like. It is undescribable to others. My first grandchild will be 17 in April and I am still amazed by him. When my husband of 42years passed three years ago, Michael went to his mom the night before the funeral, and said," Mom, I know you all want to be with Grandma tomorrow, but I really need to be next to her, because I calm her down." He was also the one who held my hand while his dad shaved my head. And the awe doesn't stop with the first one. I have six right now, ranging from 17 to two and a half. Best of all, I am expecting two more girls, one at the end of March and another in June. Unfortunately, some live in Ga, some in SC, with only three of the six here in my home base of Fl which means that when anyone calls my cell, their first questions is always, "where are you?"

Hello to everyone else. Sandra, you and Mike are in my prayers, Jackie , I hope your time away will be calm and quiet. Rita, it's always fun to have visitors from home. Have a great Tues.

Anne

Welcome Becca, and Anne got it all in there just the way it is --- even the grandkid/baby parts. I'm on here late with 'one of those mornings' but all is fine now. Last night when I went to put my computer to sleep, instead of sleep I hit off. Well, like I sometimes do, my computer was sleeping so well this morning it just didn't want to come back on. I was so late with getting ready, that by the time I finally got this machine awake, it was time to go.

Puffin, glad the cruise will work out for you. It sounds fabulous -- lots of places to 'visit' and I would be in heaven.

Back later maybe.

Jackie

Welcome, Becca. I just returned from visiting my brother and his wife in OK. They live near Tulsa in Locust Grove. Or actually outside Locust Grove in the country. They're surrounded by neighbors with acreage. It's very pretty country with some large lakes. Good luck to you as you deal with bc, as we all have had to do.

Puffin, that trip sounds great. I wish we could go with you!

Hello to everyone.

Puffin, that sounds like the first leg of the cruise I took in December. We couldn't afford the time off to do the full circle, so we picked it up in Rome, then on to Naples, Sicily, Sardinia, Mallorca, Valencia and came ashore in Barcelona for the flights home. We couldn't take the extension to Barcelons either because Bob needed to cover Christmas weekend for his colleagues. We were so envious of those on the ship who were able to make the full Barcelona-to-Barcelona circle. Are you going on the Viking Star? Great ship, roomy cabins (all veranda) and gracious service--it was their first Mediterranean sailing (it's only been afloat since last June, doing the Baltic over the summer and early fall)--so there were a few dining room glitches but the food was very good. We enjoyed our shore excursions and the guest lecturers onboard.

Linda, so glad you got to ring that bell! Don't be afraid of the aromatase inhibitors--they don't conflict with antidepressants. And the women in my support group said they had no problems with their Zometa infusions. Your MO is the person to ask about vitamins, minerals and supplements.

I'm dealing with LE, but it's more frustrating and annoying than it is difficult. I guess it's trying to wrap my head around the stuff I must be careful to avoid doing, as well as making time during my day to do what I need to manage it that's bothersome. Today I started biweekly stress-reduction classes: an hour each of Qi Gong and guided meditation. It did help.

I feel so wistful reading about grandkids. I don't have any yet, and my son thus far has evinced no interest in having a relationship, much less reproducing or adopting. So my fur kids are my surrogate grandkids

Gloomy here today ( no sun at all they say ) but it is warming up -- forget which day they said, it likely will get up to 70. This is much more like Februarys used to be when we moved here. Not consistently warm, but often having GREAT previews of Spring and helping you get over the wintertime blahs. All will help to melt away the last bits of clinging snow -- most of which got pushed off into piles here and there and they take a lot longer. Well, of course, for a couple of days the biggest recipe will be mud ---- BUT, we are on the way.

Likely for us to easily see some more snow and just who knows what gives with the global upsets we have now -- but I will admit, I'm getting itchy for the green of Spring, the Jonquils and Tulips and the other early bloomers. Bring it on.

Nothing big today but just starting the process of getting organized for being away a week at my employers house while they are gone to Puerto Rico. Dh is working back in Mt. Vernon, about 21 miles south of us. Not real far, but they opened up a new hometown Sears store there and Dh can get a lot more time. Of course, it is good that they close always at 7 p.m. ( although Dh didn't work here save for four or five hours and never night hrs. ) so he won't have late times, but it will impact to a degree my being gone from our house. I think I will have to maybe run to our house late afternoon on Dh's work days and let the dogs out etc. We will see as we have never had it be an issue before. I'm sure it will work out, but a bit on the sticky side.

That will not start until the 23rd. I'm thinking about whether or not I want to bring my computer with me. It is a desktop. I'm thinking on it. There is a computer there that I could use -- basically everything there pretty much is at my disposal, but I really don't think I'd want to learn an Apple ( supposing I could get it down in such a short time ) and I really don't want what I do ON someone's else computer. Not that I do anything wrong --- I have had my own computer now since the beginning of my using them, and I'd like NOT to feel that I'm getting so intersperse with others. They have their sites, and huge amts. of information, and I mine. I just feel the need to keep it all -- theirs and mine -- separate.

Anyway, will be popping back in later I'm sure. See you then.

Jackie

Sandy, we're cruising with Oceania on the Nautica.