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

A little late, but have a happy extended birthday, Jackie!

Encouragement is being a good listener, being positive, letting others
know you accept them for who they are. It is offering hope,
caring about the feelings of another, understanding.

Gigi Graham Tchividjian

Chevy, Think how much closer San Diego is than Orlando. Driving distance for a vacation.

We ought not to progress in life by a series of violent jerks, but should learn to navigate our lives upon the flowing stream of change. By being amenable and adaptable we should cease to resent either life or conditions, and seek to "change" them by changing ourselves. -Ronald Beesley

Hi everyone.....just checking in........still above ground and taking nourishment.........lol

I have been told how lucky I am that out of 6 children, 18 grandchildren, and 8 great=grandchildren only 2 (grandchildren) are not within 20 minutes of my hone...........so I guess I am very lucky........one is Chicago, the other Dalls.......so God is good..........have to show you my 2 new GG kids....one is 3 weeks, the other 3 months.......I am so blessed......

Ducky -- just gorgeous. You are fortunate so many of your loved ones are so close. Trying to keep up with them all would keep my head spinning, but in a delightful way. Good for you.

We are back in a mini-heat wave. That is okay -- this time of year no weather can have much of a lasting quality if it is of the harsher variety. Wondering Carole is your summer went as fast as mine seem to have. Some of the trees have started shedding some leaves -- not too many right now, but it foretells quite easily what is to come. Seemed I barely got a good start and still have so many 'warm' weather things I need and want to do. Oh well, there is still enough to accomplish a lot.

Good to hear that you, your family and all you know are okay after those horrid hurricanes. Difficult to think of all the WORK that will need to be done by individuals and Uncle Sam to try and get through the destruction. Not meant as 'political' discussion by the way but just a statement of how enormous the task will be and that it will HAVE to be shared and carried by so many.

Dh had yesterday and today off. More work for me in a way, but nice too. I tend not to be nearly as productive, but I was able to sleep in my own bed last night. Been doing some night work and now don't need to do it, so just fantastic. Is it a sign of getting older ??? no other place feels so right and so welcoming as my own bed. I always think of myself as flexible, but it does seem that in the where I sleep regard, apparently I'm not. Oh well --- its a learning experience so is all right.

Hope you are all going to have a great Saturday.

Ducky, 2 cutie pies! You are very lucky to have kids so close. I see so little of mine. Lovely day her. Sat in the sun for a little while.

Quiet day today. Went to a book club meeting and enjoyed some interesting conversation. Then I had lunch with a former co-worker & caught up on the latest gossip. Tomorrow, it's back to the windows & blinds.

Jackie, I do believe I missed a timely opportunity to wish you Happy Birthday! I hope it was a special day, as you are very special to so many.

I am still recovering from a long oral surgery but tonight DH got take out seafood from my favorite local restaurant. I had no problem eating the meal, and there is more left for tomorrow. I will be having work done for the next 5 months. My speech is still affected slightly; but I did teach three classes and the students are very nice.

I hope that everyone here has recovered from brushes with hurricanes. This week Jose will be close by; but today the weather channel says it will move east (away from the coast). I hear we will get the rain and some breezes. I have Yankee tickets for Tuesday PM which is when the storm may bring that rain. I hope not!

Happy week end, everyone...for those of us who are working, it seems way too short.

Welcome Freshstarter -- I'm so glad you found us. I hope your pain will subside soon. Sounds like you are in a good spot though. Good to get a number of these milestones out of the way so that we can get back into a varied life. Difficult thing at any time, but we here mainly are somewhat older. Thinking I believe for the most part that we had retirement, traveling, grandkids or other things to occupy us when out of the blue we find instead we will deal with a diagnosis no one wants at all. We are fortunate these days so much can be done and so many can spend their yrs. ( maybe with a bit of a time out ) almost as planned and dreamed of for a long time. I hope you continue on doing really well and hope you will come often

We are a small group, but a caring group devoted to staying in touch with each other and just offering each other and anyone who comes as much encouragement and understanding as we can. Lots of chat and ideas and good feelings passed around here. We talk about almost anything but avoid politics and religion since they most often seem to stir up dissension.

I hope you all have a fantastic Sunday. I think it may rain a bit here -- have to wait and see.

Very pretty out this morning though the a/c has already been on. It's going to be a god day I do think. Been looking at apple recipes --- this being the time of year it is. There will be lots of cider and other ( candy apples ) good things and I am fond of apples. I put diced apples in a lot of my salads -- whether green or tuna, and chicken salads. Pecans or walnuts usually find their way into my green salads. We are washing the house down though it should have been done in Spring. This is the way it seems to go lately but that is all right.

Yesterday was a really nice day here despite a touch of rain. I thought we'd have more but it didn't come.

Hope you are all going to have a really nice day -- a magnificent Monday.

Mornin all,

I was reading an article the other day that says anyone who has been effected by a major hurricane, whether they stay home or evacuate will have a physical stress reaction I am having a hard time focusing, even on simple things, and sometimes get extremely tired for no apparent reason. I switched houses yesterday, I am now with my son in SC and just feel so out of place.

Ducky, can I just say how envious of you I am for having your grandchildren close by. I had that with my first five grandchildren and enjoyed every minute of it. Now, my almost 15 yr old grandson lives in my house with his mother, everyone else has moved away. I miss them all so much, I can't begin to tell you how much.

On the first Sat I was in Ga, I took grandson #2 with me to visit his brother at college. We ate at one of the dining halls, then Michael gave us a tour of the fitness center. That was enough to make Andrew decide he wants to go there (not that he is into fitness at all). The next day we picked Michael up when Irma was getting ready for the storm. It was really windy, and our power was out for 23 hrs, but it wasn't very scary, the weather was really cool- upper 60's, and my kindle screen is lit, so I was fine.

The insurance company has been wonderful so far. The adjuster called last week and told me he couldn't get out to me till this Thurs, so he told me as long as I take pictures of the damage, I can go ahead and replace it. I'm not ready to do that until I have something on paper. I have several decisions to make. When I was talking to the adjuster, I told him that the family room floor was damaged, but that is the floor from the doorway, past the family room and in those three bedrooms. He said, as long as the rooms touch, they will replace it. Then I have the dining room, which was done years before the family room, and the front living room and office was thatwere done at a different time, as welI. I thought at the same time as the family room but my daughter says no. Either way, I have to have them done as well to Or it will be painfully obvious that they are different. They do touch the other laminate, but I don't know if the insurance will cover those. The floor there now is really cheap laminate. It was okay at the time, but laminate has improved so much in the last ten years. I am really interested in replacing it with wood tile. It is so much easier to care for. We got two written estimates from Home Advisor, then Tracy thought of her ex-mother-in-law's brother, whom we have known much longer than we have Tracy's' ex's siblings (in fact, the first member of that family that we knew was my grandson's great great grandmother. We attended the same church, and had been to her home on many occasions. Then her granddaughter started coming to the churchwith her husband and kids. Tracy babysat for them all the time and was very close to them. It is the father who Tracy contacted. He is an excellent worker, and in fact, made a bedroom set years ago for one of our children.

Ron immediately said he would do the job for the price of the lowest estimate and he will include all three of the other rooms whether the insurance covers that or not. If not, I will have to pay for materials only. And he told Tracy, that for us, he will push back any other jobs on his calendar and do us first. And he will, and prefers,to do tile, where the others would only do laminate. So, my floor will be done by the one and only Ronald McDonald.

We had planned (my brother and I) to return to Fl the same way we left it- he would drive and the next day I would fly. I started looking at flights and couldn't find anything for less than $350- one way. There was one for $103, but not from the Charlotte airport- my son would have to drive an hour each way to get me there. So, my brother is meeting me here tomorrow, and we will drive home together.

And that's just for starters....more to come,

Anne

Anne, I'm so thankful to hear ( despite the PTSB ) from the storm, that you came up with such a great solution to the Fla. home/house issues. How wonderful for Tracy to recall the perfect person for the job. He sounds like a dream come true for all of you -- and darn, once in awhile something needs to go right for us, doesn't it??? There are so to speak silver linings to some things and I'm so thrilled that you will end up with matching floors and work done in good time -- not 6 mos. or a yr. from now when your name FINALLY comes up on the list.

There is yet another storm out there but seems like it won't get to the U.S. with more than maybe a bit of wind ( minor for coming from a hurricane ) and maybe a bit of rain. I pray that is all anyway.

We still have tons of things to do here. Took Dh to Marion yesterday -- I'm always thrilled we have the V.A. but hate that we often have to make the 150 mile round trip for something like an X-ray. Three minutes to have a finger x-rayed, if that and we wait for the results and the determination of what to do. For a yr. or so there has it seems been something under Dh's fingernail/cuticle area and it has started to hurt a lot and make it difficult for him for things done with this hands --- like the computer at work. So, time to deal with it --- meaning all the outdoor work we needed to do was put off for another day. I'm to the stage I think I am just going to plan on doing it myself and if Dh is off work and able -- he can help.

Sunny today here. Hope it won't be too hot, but it did rain through the night so sure could be humid which won't be great either.

Poppy, I can think of a couple of things about the exercising thing. Part of exercise is to keep your core in as maximum state as possible -- so that is never a bad thing. Also, things done all the time can sort of put you in a spot where your body expects it so it does not react by allowing wt. to come off. As well, you might need just a little more exercise ( oh horrors ) rather than less. My instructor has been saying that exchanging rates of doing things tends to help as well --- like five minutes of heavy duty and then 10 easier -- or five minutes walking as fast as you can -- then slowing for the next ten. Little dietary changes also. I have found that I lose weight by giving up as much as I can. Like using crackers for tuna, chicken, ham salads rather than using bread. I was actually shocked how easy it was for me to 'lose' when I actually followed the advice of ditching the bread. I still eat it --- but usually not more than one piece per day. Also, sometimes there are things done that you don't always count for calories -- so I know I am off that way a lot of times as I use creamer in my last couple of cups a coffee per day. I know too --- that I don't drink enough water. You can 'feel' fuller when you drink enough water and also nourish tissues and dilute the negative things. There are so many parts to it all. I often feel frustrated but I do know how OFF I let myself get at times. Hang in there --- your are keeping your core strong with that exercise and that is really important.

Both my trainer and my PCP warned me that exercise alone will not result in weight loss--for that you must also alter your diet. (The converse, though, is true--you can lose weight with diet alone even if you're a couch potato, though you will be in lousy shape despite being thinner). Weight and resistance training does build muscle, though, and muscle weighs more than fat. But it also takes up less space. You might not see the needle on the scale move (or be discouraged if you see it creep up), but you may notice your clothes are looser.

Sunny today, but not hot. Will get the car washed and buy a round challah for tomorrow night (Rosh Hashonah starts at sunset & services at 8pm). Have an early workout tomorrow (my trainer also needs to get ready for temple). Meanwhile, hoping Bob can fit into his most recent suit--he's gotten a little bigger in the gut and might need a new suit pronto, since Sat. night we have a formal hospital dinner-dance at the Adler Planetarium--the season's first Black-Tie-Gala-From-Hell. His navy blazer, white dress shirt and gray Dockers probably fit--but in a ballroom where half the guys will be in tuxes he'll stick out like a sore thumb. A black suit is a good compromise. I'll be enough of an embarrassment wearing black flat sandals with palazzos, a sequined tank and sheer swing-jacket (my "uniform," and I don't care who notices I've worn it a zillion times before). Sat. he's working during the day (what else is new)? I swear, if I could take his measurements to Men's Wearhouse and simply buy him a suit off the rack w/o alterations, he'd insist I do that.

At the close of life the question will be not
how much have you got, but how much have
you given; not how much have you won,
but how much have you done; not how much
have you saved, but how much have you
sacrificed; how much have you loved and
served, not how much were you honored.

Nathan C. Schaeffer