Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
Comments
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Glad to know I'm not alone with my dental phobia. My bad experience was when I was in elementary school. Living in the Bronx, we had to take the Ell train to the Yankee Stadium station to go to my Mom's dentist. BTW- he never used novacaine, and I had no problem with that. With 4 kids, my Mom was going to the dentist all the time. So she decided we could use the very popular dentist on the next street - We could go there on our own, and it just made more sense. His office was jam packed every day after school with kids. I went week after week after week. I told my Mom I didn't like him, and he didn't even wash the tools or his hands between patients. My siblings didn't seem to mind as much, I don't think. But I was adamant enough (and I was not an adamant child, I was a bookworm) that my Mom agreed to go back to the old dentist. The first time I saw the original guy, he called my mother intothe exam room and asked her "who the hell" did she take me to. He said almost every tooth had a filling, and even the spaces between the teeth had fillings. Then, it didn't help when my oldest DD contracted Hepatitis from her orthodontist.
All that said, they were wonderful. I told them how long it had been and how scared I was. I need one new crown and have to get one replaced because it is broken, then they have to put something in 4 places due to bone loss. I asked if she could give me something I could take before I came for the actual work. She asked if I was okay with laughing gas, which I agreed to very quickly, and she gave me a script for Xanax or something. She said if I just get laughing gas, I will be fine to drive myself, but if I take the Xanax, I will need a driver. When I got home, I took an Ativan to calm down.
They know and love Tim, so that was nice. They have met Nissa and knew he was married.
We are all about Hurricane Matthew right now My youngest DD, the one who lives in the warehouse is in a panic and can't understand why I am not already heading out of town. All five kids + some spouses were mass messaging each other all morning about the hurricane. I sent them a message saying I was home from dentist, but had taken an Ativan to relax myself. Jamie comes back with "Don't take that, Mom. It causes hallucinations and suicidal thoughts." My response was to tell her it was Dr prescribed along with every other medication I take, and that's why I was still seeing that Dr every three months. I didnt tell her I have been taking 2 of them every night before bed for years and have had no hallucinations or suicidal thoughts.
We have bought extra water, milk, bread etc. Our gas tanks are full and we have 2 five gallon containers of gas for the generator if needed. Two of the guys Tracy works with live in trailer homes and have asked if they can come here during the storm. I hope they do- may be old fashioned of me, but I prefer to have a man around in these types of situations. Tomorrow Tracy's company is closing down at noon. We will start then to bring in all the outside furniture and other stuff. Then we will just wait it out, as we have done many times before.
Will keep you all updated.
Anne
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I take 1/4 mg. of Xanax as a sleeping pill—no hallucinations, sucidal thoughts or anything of the sort.
Anne, stay safe & dry down there. Funny you should mention your childhood dental experiences in the Bronx. When I was a kid in Brooklyn, we'd go to a general dentist in Crown Heights (right near the IRT New Lots Line Utica & Eastern Pkway stop) who married my mom's best friend from the old neighborhood & high school. In fact, we called him “Uncle" rather than “Dr." He was not a pedodontist, orthodontist, endodontist, restorative dentist or maxillofacial surgeon—but he did all of those anyway, without specialty certification. I never had a cavity till I was 14,—until I began orthodontia at 10, all I saw him for was a twice-yearly tooth polishing and a tchtotchke (usually a pencil or a decoder ring or the like). Before orthodontia, I didn't even know people were afraid of dentists. But he wasn't a very competent orthodontist—my braces always fell apart, and when he'd tighten them it hurt like hell—to the point where I had them removed….at age 20, a week before my wedding, just in time for him to extract an impacted wisdom tooth with nothing stronger than novocaine. (He had always mocked me for crying because my braces hurt and when he drilled my first cavity without anesthesia; but when I got through the extraction without a whimper, he decided I wasn't a wuss after all—he likened pulling an impacted wisdom tooth to getting a bullet in the jaw). My first cousin was a dentist, but he lived in FL. When I visited him & his wife just before my 15th birthday, he took a look at the temporary filling my “uncle" had done and offered to finish the job. I began shaking, and he said, “don't worry, I won't let it hurt." He gave me novocaine—which surprised me, since my “uncle" had led me to believe that anesthesia was only for major stuff, not filling cavities. I was amazed—I barely felt the shot and didn't feel the drill.
From then on, I stopped being afraid of dentists. (And while a law student in Seattle, I had plenty of work done for next to nothing at the U. of Wash. dental clinic—deathly slow, because it was done by dental students, but painless and completely supervised by professors). Once I graduated, I saw the dentist two doors down in the professional bldg. where I practiced law. When I moved to Chicago, he gave me a referral to a dentist, periodontist and orthodontist (who specialized in adult patients). The Chicago dentist retired, and a young guy inherited his practice. 35 years later, that young guy is still our dentist—and has treated three generations of my family. One thing didn't change—getting my braces tightened still hurt like hell (to the point where I'd get stomach cramps before every appointment). But I had recently started taking NSAIDs for menstrual cramps--it had just been discovered that their prostaglandin-inhibitor properties made them superior painkillers for anything involving inflammation, and the gynecologist, Penny Wise Budoff, who discovered that advocated first using Ponstel and later Zomax for dysmenorrhea. On a “girls' night out," Bob's fellow residents told me they were using Motrin, which had just gone OTC. So I took a bottle with me on my next orthodontist visit and showed it to him. “Wouldn't hurt. Probably would help and be a lot safer than codeine. Tell me if it works for you and maybe I'll write a paper." Now, it usually took me four days after a tightening to be able to eat anything harder than mashed potatoes without pain. But I took a couple of Motrin before leaving the chair. Two days later I was eating ribs. And I did end up the subject of a paper presented by my orthodontist. Mind you, this was before NSAIDs were being used for anything other than gout, arthritis pain or cramps. Now, of course, they’re everywhere!
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No doubt we would all agree with the sentiment:" There's more
to life than things. " Yet much of our lives seem to be spent in
the acquisition, maintenance, and disposal of material goods.
Certainly we cannot enjoy the basics of food, shelter, and clothing
without a concern for things.The truly important things of life,
however, are those which cannot be encountered by the physical
senses, purchased with money, or placed on a shelf.When we
take a look at what we value most in life, we generally find family,
friends, health, peace, contentment, laughter, helping others,
and communion with God foremost on our list of priorities.
Unattributed0 -
Be more concerned with your character than your
reputation, because your character is what you really are,
while your reputation is merely what others think you are.
John Wooden0 -
Anne, my dh's sister has amyloidosis. She was diagnosed 4 or 5 years ago. Until then, I had never heard of the disease since it is somewhat rare. At first she was evaluated for the same treatment that Sandra's husband underwent but was not approved because she had too much heart and lung damage by the time the disease was diagnosed. Instead she began chemotherapy and improved greatly. One of the drugs had a huge out of pocket expense.
Whenever the chemo was discontinued, the "light chains" in the blood would increase again after a time. Two years ago she entered a study at Mayo taking an experimental drug but no chemo. She got worse and quit the program and resumed chemo. Now she is in another Mayo study, taking the experimental drug and chemo at the same time. At present she is able to drive herself to places but cannot walk any long distances.
The disease is incurable and the medical approach is to "manage" it so that the person has some quality of life.
My sister-in-law is more fortunate than many people with the disease because her dh is a retired physician and has navigated the medical waters on her behalf. She has a nursing degree even though she never worked as a nurse.
This morning I took my Prius to the Toyota dealership for a routine servicing. Then I dropped off a check at Allstate for our home insurance, which jumped $400. Don't guess we can blame that on Obama Care, can we?
While I'm sitting here, nobody is cleaning the house or doing the laundry. So I guess I should get myself in motion!
Thinking about those being affected by Matthew.
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I too have been thinking about Matthew, Carole. Been watching a lot of CNN and it sounds like it will be so bad. Sure hope people have been able to safely evacuate. Listening to someone say their biggest hurricane has only been a 2 and this will be at least a 4. Just hope for everyone.
Warm here today, but so far having windows open and fans on have sufficed. Had furnace guy out and he will get us some estimates on replacing our commercial unit that sits out doors. Our unit is 17 yrs. old and they don't usually make it past 20 yrs. so we have to get some quotes and figure out what to do. Most of the parts you replace ( heat exchanger, burner jets and a couple of other small things ) are about $1,400.00 before installation and we have done that once already so at the age of the thing it likely is time to let it go to Hvac heaven.
Acorns still coming out of the trees and hitting our medal roof. That is tiresome, but at least we can park our car on the drive-way now as those trees seem to have emptied out.
Hope you are all having a good day.
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I invited my 87-yr-old cousin and his 85-yr-old wife (who still spend 6 mo/yr RV-ing) down in Aventura to stay with us in Gordy’s room while he’s in California for the week, but they said they’ll ride out the storm in their seniors’ condo building—they couldn’t get a flight out and would have ended up stuck on the freeway in their RV, and have plenty of food, water, flashlights & batteries. They’ll stay in the designated windowless storm shelter area with their neighbors till the winds have passed. Their daughters & families were able to evacuate inland; but their son is a cop in Cocoa Beach and as a first responder cannot leave town. Praying for them all.
Bob had a 10 am appt. with the ophthalmologist down on the SW Side near his own office—to which I had to drive him because he still had the patch & shield on his eye. There was horrible traffic on Lake Shore Drive due to both the storms and the Grant Park diversions & closures for Sunday’s Chicago Marathon—and all of the idiot drivers in the Midwest seemed to be out in force. We were nearly an hour late. Then we went even further south because Bob had some restaurant gift cards that were about to expire. By the time we got home I could barely keep my eyes open, so I went upstairs and napped for over 2 hrs. Meanwhile, Bob was happily reading again, polishing off weeks of CME medical-journals. He had planned to take the entire weekend off, but his interventional-cardio colleague is taking his boards on Mon. & Tues., and Bob can drive again (at least during the day), so they traded days so his colleague can study over the weekend. Bob & I will stay over at the Oak Lawn Hilton Sat. night so he won’t have to do any night-driving till Mon. None of the scenes I’m in for the Bar Show are called for this Sat.’s rehearsal, so I won’t have to take the CTA early Sat. morning to be in the S. Loop by 9 am. But next Sat. I do have rehearsal…..with a gig back up north late in the afternoon.
Our house is 108 years old and has no ductwork, so our A/C consists of window units, and we have hot-water heat via a boiler sending water to standing & baseboard radiators. Central air and forced-air heat would cost about $20K for the ductwork alone.
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We can cultivate an inner solitude and silence that sets us free
from loneliness and fear. Loneliness is inner emptiness.Solitude
is inner fulfillment.Solitude is not first a place but a state of mind
and heart.There is a solitude of heart that can be maintained at
all times.Crowds or the lack of them have little to do with this inward
attentiveness.It is quite possible to be a desert hermit and never
experience solitude.But if we possess inward solitude we will not fear
being alone, for we know that we are not alone.Neither do we fear
being with others, for they do not control us.In the midst of noise
and confusion we are settled into a deep inner silence.
Teresa of Avila0 -
I am very happy to report that the hurricane missed us totally. We sat here all day yesterday, waiting for the first band of rain to hit. The night before they said it would hit between 9am and noon. Then it was between noon and 3pm. Then they said we would feel the worst of it by 9pm. Finally, about 4pm, they said they were cautiously optimistic that we were not going to be hit. For 3 hrs yesterday, the storm moved directly north instead of the northwest path it had been maintaining all along. Right now my neighbor's tree is moving with the Wind, but no more than it does during an any day thunderstorm.
I think I told you my youngest DD was in a total panic about the storm. I called her on Wed to see how and what she was doing. She said she was mAkng her plans right then and Would call me. She and her husband's stepmother were heading to some land the MIL owned. That's at least a twenty hour drive- with an 11year old daughter, an overactive 7 year old boy, and a six month old daughter. Jamie is not a good traveler in any circumstance. She has a real phobia about hotels, freaks out if she has to fly, etc. My oldest DD in Atlanta finally heard from Jamie about 7pm Wed night. They had ditched the plan to Kentucky were going to an acquaintance of the MIL in Atlanta. You can only imagine Nancy's reaction to that. They didn't arrive at the acquaintance's house until about 7 last night. As soon as Nancy heardJamie was near Atlanta, Nancy had begun asking Jamie where she could pick her and Jamie kept saying it would be rude to ditch the MIL like that. What?!?! The MIL lives about 10-15 minutes from Jamie and makes very little effort to see her. Nancy has had a very special relationship with Jamie from the day Jamie came to live with us and was a second mother to Jamie's oldest two. In fact , Nancy has said that if she knew Jamie was going to have another child, she never would have left here. Nancy, who is another one who hates traveling, flew down for four days by herself just to see Alexandria when shewas born.
Finally the MIL said they could go to Nancy's from noon today until noon tomorrow. But, Nancy had to pick them up and bring them back. We are all mystified at Jamie allowing Beth to make those decision. I texted to Jamie last night that she would go crazy in the home of a total stranger and she would be extremely stressed trying to keep Kayden from running around the house and if Alex cried during the night. Nancy's home is a two story and Kayden can run around as much as he wants - Nancy has no problem getting him to stop when it gets too crazy, and as far as Alex waking up at night, I can almost guarantee she will be in Nancy's bedroom, and Nancy will be the one to get up and feed her. The MIL is talking about heading home tomorrow or Sun, and I texted Jamie she better keep a good eye on the hurricane-- we're clear here in South Florida, but the hurricane is still out there and the last thing she wAnts to do is ride right into it.
Carole- my cousin's DH has been through chemo and some trial drugs and it all just made him worse. He is a mountain of A man, always very athletic but his body just cannot take the treatments. They live in Vero Beach and did leave for the storm. I think they are heading home today - He checked with a neighbor and they had no damage and power is on.
Anne
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My cousins in SE FL are okay—even my first-cousin-once-removed, the Cocoa Beach cop who lives in Melbourne. The storm surge didn’t hit their neighborhoods. Whew!
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The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies;
but let the thankful heart sweep through the day
and, as the magnet finds the iron,
so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!
- Henry Ward Beecher0 -
Hello to all. I had a nice Saturday. First the gym. Then lunch with my mother at the nursing home. I bought her an oyster sandwich and myself a salad from McD's. I spent the rest of the day with her and with my niece and her daughter, who are visiting from TX.
Tomorrow I'm taking her to church and then to lunch. The niece and great niece will be joining us.
I'm so thankful my mother is doing well with her 94th birthday coming up in Dec. I want to enjoy her company while I can.
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The present moment is never intolerable. It is always what
is coming in five minutes or five days that makes people
despair.The Law of Life is to live in the present, and this
applies to both time and place.Keep your attention to the
present moment, and in the place where your body is now.
Emmet Fox0 -
Carole, think of me when you hug your mom ---- then I'll have a mom to hug too. You are so right to do what you can to enjoy every moment. I miss my mom everyday. I know where she is and that is GREAT comfort, but it is so often the physical experiences of nearness. You know some of the times that are best when it felt like you had whole conversations with almost no words said at all.
I also by the way miss my dad as much. Many said he was rough and gruff but that was just what often sat on the outside of him -- inside and kept hidden was the wonderful marshmallow. I did not always appreciate my parents growing up but I don't think that is necessarily unusual. I in fact think in lots of cases that might be exactly what has gotten you in later life to a much better place. Life's lessons are mostly good things giving you all sorts of views that help form you, all along the way.
We have it cool, have had our little I-heater on this morning, but the sun is out on this fantastic day. Though we seldom speak here of political things, ( there are indeed other threads for that ) I will say that about ? 75 miles away to the west of us, across the river, the second Presidential debate ( in the form of a town forum ) will be held this evening at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. Washington University is very connected to Barnes Jewish Hospital which is where many people from here and surrounding areas are sent for difficult medical issues. Their teaching staff is always been considered top-notch and usually people are generally happy to be referred there. Hope things go well.
Fall, hmmmm. Looking out at our parking area full of VERY brown leaves. While our lawn remains nice and green which is certainly a pleasant sight, I really don't feel ready for Fall. I am always hesitant to see summer go. Always working, I tend to feel like I've not gotten to enjoy it, but to be honest, I also realize that I don't do things I could a lot of times, so part of it is my fault. I just dread it getting too cold.
I hope everyone is going to have an enjoyable Sunday. Just seeing the sun this morning makes me grateful.
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My day with my mother yesterday went well although it was strenuous for both of us, getting her into the car, into the wheelchair to go into church, back into the car, back into the wheelchair to go into the restaurant, back into the car, into the nursing home wheelchair when we arrived at the nursing home. Her final transition was into the bed. I got my exercise getting her personal wheelchair in and out of the back of my Prius.
She seemed to enjoy her lunch, especially a cup of gumbo.
This morning I'm off to the gym and then a PCP appointment at noon. She won't be any more pleased about my weight than I am.
Wishing everyone a good day. Jackie, I will be glad when I can mention some cool weather!
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Many people do not know that they can strengthen or diminish
the life around them. The way we live day to day simply may not
reflect back to us our power to influence life or the web of relationships
that connects us.Life responds to us anyway.We all have the power
to affect others.We may affect those we know and those we do not even
know at all. . . . Without our knowing, we may influence
the lives of others in very simple ways.0 -
Didn't have our heater on this morning, but we could have. Though not a worry, it will warm a bit more through today then it has been for a few days so we didn't want to have to 'cool' the house later in the day. We just braved a slight chill -- not bad at all with a hot steaming cup of coffee.
Dh cleaned the drive-way-parking area yesterday so it looks a little less Fall-like outside, but a bit of wind and we will be right back to where we were. Still fighting the dust on our freshly oiled and chipped roads. The pea gravel is so darn dusty. Normally, we have enough heat left ( sun ) to warm the oil below enough for more of the gravel to sink into it. That is not happening so far this yr. So, lots of car washing. Soon I need to get an over-all heavy-duty clean up. If I go over to my cousin's she will help me. She is such a good person. Always willing to lend a helping hand with things.
Going on Wednesday to the V.A. Hosp. in Marion -- 75 miles south to have my ears examined by the ear Dr. I'm glad that they take the time, but I'd be the first to yell if I was having issues. I have that pin-prick hole in one ear drum which hey could repair. The only thing is ---- if I don't get my ears wet and get infections it doesn't matter a whole lot and I can skip a procedure. I will also go for another audiology test and I think new hearing aids will be ordered for me. I think I mentioned here recently --- they seem to know about how long these things will last ( comes to 4 yrs. for the ones they use ) so that will be done as well. So, some time after I will have another trip in my future to pick up the new set.
Hope Monday is as sunny for you as it is here. I think maybe around 77 today --- which for me if no humidity is really nice.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PUFFIN
Hope you have a great day!
Anne
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Hope you have as many more as you want. Enjoy your special day.
Blessings, Jackie
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Happy Birthday Puffin. I hope you have a great day.
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Puffin, Hope you have a wonderful Birthday!
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Happy Birthday, Puffin!
Jackie, I also had to turn on my heater for the first time since April. The thermometer indoors said 65, so I set the thermostat for 68 and hit “on." Knowing heat rises, I ran the ceiling fan in the bedroom upstairs. When I got home from Oak Lawn yesterday afternoon, I watered the tomato & herb plants and picked one tomato that was beginning to show a bit of “blush" at the bottom, and put it on my sill. (Can’t trust those squirrels to let it ripen unmolested on the vine). Amazingly, the tomato plants are still flowering. Perhaps they'll make some new small green tomatoes that I can keep on the vine till first frost.
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Happy Birthday, Puffin!
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Flexibility is a goal worth the striving. It eases our relations with others, and it stretches our realm of awareness.Letting go of rigid adherence to what our perceptions were yesterday assures us of heightened understanding of life's variables and lessons.Being torn between two decisions, feeling ambivalent about them, need not create consternation, though it often does. . . . Our contradictory responses, which we may express to others or to ourselves, keep us on our toes, lend an element of excitement to our lives, and push us to think creatively about our perceptions.Growth and change are guaranteed. -unattributed
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Happy Birthday Puffin. Hope you have a wonderful day!
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Good morning to all. My schedule today includes a trip to the hair lady for a trim and a trip to the supermarket.
I played golf yesterday and got tired. The ole gray mare she ain't what she used to be!
My mother has a UTI that is hanging on after rounds of meds. She will see a urologist. I'm told that UTI's are very common in nursing homes. It has to do without emptying the bladder completely.
Wishing everyone a good Wednesday.
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Humility accompanies every experience wherein we let ourselves fully listen to others, to learn from them, to be changed by their words, their presence.Each opportunity we take to be fully present to other people, totally with them in mind and spirit, will bless us while it blesses them.Offering and receiving the gift of genuine attention is basic to the emotional growth of every human being. -unattributed
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Going to rain here later. In about ten minutes we will get in the car on our way to Marion V.A. to have my hearing checked again and see the ENT Dr. See you all when I return.
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Slept in today and missed morning service at temple. Solved the “am I ‘sick’ for purposes of dispensation from Yom Kippur fasting?” conundrum (is AI therapy “treatment,” or would I have to be recovering from surgery, undergoing chemo or rads, or suffering terrible SEs or mets?) by deciding that I would eat & drink for sustenance & health. I need my one cup of black coffee to keep my asthmatic lungs open, and avoiding water is ill-advised for all but the most hardy. As to solid food, I decided to eat only enough protein to keep my blood sugar steady, my strength up, and my body continuing to heal itself—and not for enjoyment. So I had an egg. That should hold me till sunset. Had planned to go to afternoon/memorial/concluding service, but it’s about to storm (awoke to the sound of thunder) and I don’t relish having to walk home in that (or wait in the rain for the parking shuttle). My sinuses and my sore LE arm have been confirming the plunging barometer even though the rain has yet to start.
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ChiSandy, I think your adjusted fast for today is well within Halakha. G'mar hatimah tova
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