Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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Sandra, I pray for strength for you and Mike and your family at this time. This is such difficult news to bear. I pray that God will hold you all in His hands and that there would be a solution to stabilize Mike's condition.
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Sandra, Hoping Mike will qualify for the trial at MDA. Sending strength to both of you along with healing for the spirit and body. Hugs.
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Sandra, Praying for hope and strength for you both.
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I'm sorry Sandra.... You guys have gone through sooooooo much.... Prayers for you and your family.....
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Sandra- ditto to all the above.
Ann
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Your life has been designed to work, and your hidden potential contains what you seek and all that you need in your life. It is OK to be who you are and to choose what you have. The Quakers call it the "still, small voice within," that place of full awareness within that is in touch with the entire universe and is the source of wisdom. In effect, you don't have to keep searching for confirmation by focusing on being someone else or being somewhere else. There is no place else to be and nothing else to get. You will be able to grasp the levers of change in your life when you can allow yourself to be present in the moment, accept the world as it is, and trust that everything is as it was intended to be.
Ari Kiev0 -
sandra, my thoughts and prayers are with you both. Shuf
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Karma is simply the law of cause and effect. If you plant an apple seed, you don't a get a mango tree. If we practice hatred or greed, it becomes our way and the world responds accordingly. If we practice awareness or loving-kindness, it becomes our way and the world responds accordingly. We are heirs to the results of our actions, to the intentions we bring to every moment we initiate. We make ripples upon the ocean of the universe through our very presence.
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Hoping it will be a good Monday for all and that each of you find some positive areas of life to enjoy. We are back into sun and heat, but my little lady is back at the Manor from the hospital and we will pick up to the schedule we enjoyed there. I'm hoping to see some progress -- but sometimes I just have to allow that it is not in my hands and be willing to accept it all no matter how it goes. So here's hoping to progress for all.
Jackie
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Thanks, Jackie. Your positive thoughts and quotes are always appreciated!
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Mornin all,
Today is a good news/bad news day for me. Good news is my DIL went home Tues (not pArt of the good news- I miss Lu so much) but my DS moved in Sat for the remainder of camp. He had to stay at his MIL's house until her friend could take her dog. When I got home from the store about noon Sat, he was all moved in, watching TV in his room. He came out once -to get some pizza he ordered and didn't come out again till noon yesterday. He said he had to get up and move. The moving he did was cleaning out my garage. Not the way Tracy and I do every so often which is straightening up out there- he cleaned it out. My DH was not a hoarder in the true sense, but anything he came across that "might" save him money "someday" was stored in the garage. Tracy has inherited that trait sort of-if Dad thought we needed it, we must need it. Never mind that the drawers were so full you couldn't find anything, there was useable stuff in there. Rob, on the other hand, thinks if we haven't used it since Bob passed, we don't need it. One of the differences of opinion was cable wire. Tracy says we use it. Rob says it is way outdated and might be usable as a temporary fix, but would be limited from doing the full job. He filled 3 trash cans of stuff. When I thanked him, he said not yet Mom, I still have about a third of the garage, and the three outdoor sheds, but don't worry, it will be done. ThaTs the good news.
Bad news : my sister called yesterday and the Dr's have decided to stop chemo for my older brother. He has melanoma which is metastasizing even while getting chemo. So they said that the chemo is not only not working, it is seriously damaging his quality of life. I gather he is in denial to a point because our cousin brought lunch over yesterday but my SIL called them before they got there to ask them not to mention that hospice is coming today. His wife said they have told him about hospice, but he does not want to talk about it. Their son lives in Germany and is coming over in Aug with his family. I asked if my younger brother and I could come before their son, and his wife asked that we wait till after. I have no idea what if any timeline they were given. My brother was not with his wife and daughter when the doctor told them there was nothing more they could do, so I am not sure how much he knows. Once again, I feel like I am back on the cancer planet. I HATE this disease, and how unbelievable random it is. My brother is one of the few remaining true gentleman, who spent his life saving others as a NY firefighter. He worked in the busiest firehouse in the nation for a while, then worked at the least busiest house- all without moving to a new house. He worked in the South Bronx and after so many years, there was just nothing left to burn. Because of his schedule at thefirehouse, he was able to be a really hands-on Dad. As you can see, I am not dealing with this very well. I am frustrated and angry. He is 72.
Enough for now. Hopefully I will be back here with a funny story about one of the grandkids.
Anne
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So sorry, Anne. That is certainly difficult news about your brother. Thinking about you and your family.
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I'm with Dara and sorry Anne for some of your recent family health developments. It is a very un-forgiving disease and so mystifying as to why someone gets it and survives well, and others don't. Just have to trust that God knows what he is doing..........
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Sandra and Mike, and Anne.....My thoughts and prayers are with you and your families.
We took the grandkids home that were here with us for a month. our son from PA came back to Illinois with his family and we had all 4 of our sons and 8 out of 9 grandchildren together for the 4th weekend. So much fun and all the kids got along great. No fights and they have not seen each other for 3 years. One of our sons got a little mad at another so he left the party early but he will get over it. Our next group of kids and parents come here in August. We had to stop shopping for things for the house while the kids were here so now we have a month to find to finish furnishing our house.
Have a good week.
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He who experiences the unity of life
sees his own Self in all beings,
and all beings in his own Self.
- The Buddha0 -
Waiting for some later storms today while the humidity just soars. Will be like walking through a hot wet sponge today. Tomorrow should be better.
Thinking of all of you undergoing issues with family. Prayers, loving thoughts, immense hope, and strength for whatever may come.
Hugs to all.
Jackie
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Storms have not arrived here. Maybe today. I'm not looking forward by any stretch for that, but that is among the things we can't do anything about but just get through. Still thinking of all of you today -- especially those who are undergoing medical issues for yourself or loved ones. Puffin, you are on my mind as well.
Wishing strength for all.
Jackie
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You are so thoughtful Jackie. I'm reading posts everyday, but still feeling stymied waiting for test results. Not sure why it takes so long for CoH to get the results to me. I see the genetics doctor tomorrow. It seems a little after the fact as I originally wanted the results to determine surgery decision. That was 6 weeks ago! They only have office hours 2 days a week, so it takes quite a while to see the dr. Then Monday, I finally see my MO for the first time for onco results and treatment plan. I know surgery was only 4 weeks ago today, and they want to wait 4-6 weeks to let you heal, but I've gone ahead and put in a call to the BS nurse to see if I can get results before Monday. I'm kind of obsessing about researching, and it's kind of dumb because I don't even know what I'll need. I just want to go into appts with the right questions, so I can make the decisions for MYSELF.
I am still taking my photography class through the art museum. This next phase of class is working with LightRoom and Photoshop to organize and edit pictures. I really need this as I have about 6,000 pictures all with just the image number and no other identification!
Hope the storms are short and mild! Thanks for all your positive posts for all of us. Dara
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Dara, My DIL goes thru the photos as they load them on the computer and gives names to the good ones. Then later, she can delete the ones without names and doesn't have to look thru them again. It really works for her. I haven't actually tried it for myself. A friend does a lot of foreign travel. She was delighted to see that her GPS was putting the location on her photos. Important on her trip to Morocco where the building styles are very similar.
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Wren, thanks, I hope to eventually do what your DIL does. I think I was just too busy when I worked, and then the task seemed daunting when I retired. LightRoom is great because when you import the pics you like, you can use key words and even rank them with stars, then do a key word search and find what you're looking of. I figure it's a good thing to work on while going through therapy. I'm having to put my pottery on hold as it's a challenge with upper body strength. Meanwhile, photography and jewelry making will help keep my mind off things. Thanks
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Hi all,
Dara, I think we all understand you're doing research without knowing specifically what to research. I know when I got my Dx, my entire world spun out of control. By doing research, I'm sure you are grasping for some control, in any way you can. And it fills part of your mind for awhile. Every once in a while, I still have moments when I think "wow, I had cancer and I no longer have boobs". Of course, I'm aware of the aftermath of it almost every minute, but when I see a posting about relay for life it hits me, and of course, when my 2 new granddaughters were born and my son got married, I think of it and praise God that I am here.
My photos are a mess as well. I have umpteen copies of each picture, but in different folders, or with different tags and I get overwhelmed at even thinking of sorting it all. I used to keep busy making myself t-shirts with pictures of my grandchildren, but have not done that for about 5 years.
I am still reeling with the news about my older brother. I knew he had a melanoma brain tumor in 2014, but was told they got it all in the surgery. I knew he had a horrible gall bladder infection that took a long time to heal. I knew he was having problems with his blood, needing transfusions fairly often. I knew he had just been in the hospital with double pneumonia. I knew there were some issues with his colon. I did not know it was all cancerous and chemo wasn't working. I did not know they were at the point of stopping treatment and contacting Hospice. They are, and always have been very private people. We call each other on birthdays and holidays and when a new grandchild was born. They came to Ga when I was having chemo. Which surprised me since they have come to Florida every winter, but have only been to my home once in 33 years. I have been emailing his wife since I found out, and have to say, I still dont know much. One of the things I don't know is if my brother is aware of what's going on. His wife asked my younger brother and I to wait until their son and his family visit in Aug for three weeks, because that's when she told Bill we were coming and she doesn't wAnt to upset him with our coming earlier. I told her we will agree to that unless there is a major change. Our cousin, who is more like our older sister brought lunch over to him n Sun, and she says he has lost weight, and seemed tired, but was happy to see them and enjoyed their visit.
Tried to FaceTime with Lucia this morning for the first time since she left last week, but she was too busy playing with the kid that took care of their yard while they were all down here. Their backyard goes out about 10-15 feet, then there's a steep little hill, then the yest of the yard is again flat. THey specifically told Hunter not to try to cut the hill. He's a teen and invincible, so he cut the hill anyway, and ended up losing a toe. He was there playing with Lu so there are obviously no hard feelings. Rob and Anna have offered to pay any copays or out of pocket expenses, but his parents have not accepted that, because they say he chose to cut the hill after being told notto, and that is not Rob and Anna's fault.
Time to start dinner
Anne
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Listen to the clues. The next time you feel real joy, stop and think. Pay attention. Because joy is the universe's way of knocking on your mind's door.Hello in there.Is anyone home?Can I leave a message?Yes? Good!The message is that you are happy, and that means that you are in touch with your purpose. -Steve Chandler
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Good Morning all,
We are back to muggy after quite a storm yesterday afternoon. I was amazed. I did expect a bit of wind and rain, but we got far more of that them I expected. We ended up with a few small limbs down here, but as I mentioned elsewhere -- there must have been some straight line wind. I think it was blowing North and South --- we live East and West direction ( we are actually East ) so shortly after the wind began we lost all power. Sat around hoping for a quick fix on that but not happening. Fed the outdoor dogs and then headed to town ( didn't want to open the fridge ) for something to eat. Had to go to the West side of town for a restaurant. No rhyme or reason for who had power and who didn't. We saw so many trees down on the way into town. Hope and pray any of you that post here or anywhere on here stayed safe and sound.
Sending good feelings, peace and love to all.
Jackie
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Jackie, stay safe, and be careful driving in those storms!It's been hot, hot, hot here and prediction is hot again! We always worry out here because of the fire dangers. At least we have ac so I just find projects inside.
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When it rains, it pours. Just got off the phone with my sister in NY. My brother, who I told you about earlier in the week, was moved to the local hospice today BUT not because there has been a change in his condition-- his wife is in the hospital with an extremely low blood count. As of this afternoon, they had no idea why. There was no other option for my brotherfrom what I've been told. Noreen went into the hospital yesterday afternoon, and my cousin's husband went over to stay with Bill until my cousin's daughter, who is a registered nurse could get there to stay with Bill overnight. Bill's daughter was at the Jersey shore, getting some really badly needed down time, and had to rush home last night. She has called her brother in Germany and told him they need him here now, not as scheduled in Aug. Bill can return home as soon as Noreen is home, but hopefully their son will be there to do whatever is physically needed and at least he can share the burden with his sister. They are an extremely close family and I cannot imagine the pain they are feeling.
Thanks for listening
Anne
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Anne, Just read about your sister. If it is her platelet count that is very low and they live in the North east , they may want to suggest investigating Anaplasmosis. It is a tick borne disease which my hubby was hospitalized for several weeks ago. The symptoms vary, he was dizzy and very weak, cud hardly walk! his platelets were extremely low , as was his blood pressure by the 3rd day of trying to get a diagnosis. Most people are aware of Lyme, but the staff at the hospital said they have seen quite an increase in Anaplasmosis this year. DH had no idea he had been bitten, those deer ticks are such tiny buggers. Every dr. tried to tell me it was dehydration, but I didn't buy t hat , as his eating and drinking had not changed in 30 years! ~I kept telling them it was something else as his eating and drinking had not changed in 30 years. They put him on Doxycillin and things improved. Lyme test was negative, as was the test for Anaplasmosis, but it is recommended that treatment be started, even with negative tests, as the first 5-7 days testing is usually negative. His most recent test came back positive! I was right. there are several diseases which can be quite serious, if not treated, people need to be educated about them , not just Lyme. This may not be the answer, but might be worth looking into if they don't know what's causing her illness,
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Thanks Bonnet,
Actually theylive right in your backyard, in Goshen. I will mention the tick to them, I sure hope the Dr's are aware of the increase in Anaplasmosis. Your message certainly offers an idea that we haven't considered. Most of the family are assuming that it was a stress reaction to hearing there is nothing more that can be done for my brother, her husband. But I don't think a stress reaction can do anything to your actual blood count. Curious thing is my brother has been fighting low blood counts for about two years, needing frequent transfusions. But his are supposedly due to the cancer and the treatments he has gone thru. I will mention this to them, including the fact that the tests can come back negative if if you have it.
Anne
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So , I imagine she is in Orange Regional, where my hubby was. The symptoms, according to my research can vary from patient to patient, it is a sneaky thing to diagnose. Keep me posted
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I think there was a NYT “Think Like a Doctor” piece about a year ago in which the diagnosis was a tick-borne disease other than Lyme or Rocky Mt. Spotted Fever. The patient was living in the Northeast--CT, I believe. (There is also an increase in these diseases in south central WI, spreading across the state lines into NW IL and IA).
But this shows that hospice is not just for people in their final days of life--it provides needed respite care for those whose caregivers have suddenly become incapacitated. I’m hoping your SIL can be stabilized and discharged; and as soon as she’s able to resume caring for your brother he too can be discharged from inpatient to home hospice. Prayers for them and for you, Anne.
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