Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
Comments
-
Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don't wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it's at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.
3 -
eleanora, my GM's family originated in Burlington, NJ. One GGM (maternal & first generation Irish) from Bristol, PA and my GF from Philadelphia where he was first generation Irish. Maternal side from Philadelphia area with Irish German roots. Lots of Irish genes though.
Severe storms predicted for last night were not the reality though we did get some lightning and rain. Saw the grapefruit sized hale they had in the mid-west and glad we escaped that. It is another gray and rainy day with temps only in the 40's after being near 80 yesterday. Snow is in the future again.
I was able to get the rug down in the dining room yesterday and we moved the missing furniture pieces back in. So it is restored to order. I still have a few items in the living room that were in the china closet and I am debating about their disposition. I don't plan on righting the living room today.
I need to play with my new laptop which I had been postponing until DH was able to install older version of Microsoft Word. What he had purchased originally he was unable to load onto it and it was also a concern that I would be unable to access older records inn documents. He returned what he had purchased for a refund. Meanwhile I have lost some HP access (included in purchase) that I will be able to recover, so that's another push to get on today. I'll have to download any recent records to transfer over though. Here's hoping it goes smoothly.
The blue in the rug, the chair seat covers, and the drapes now pops, and I no longer feel the drapes overpower the room. I am happy with the paint choice, though DH is still not sold. He loved the previous color, but after 20 plus years, I needed a change.
Doing some laundry to finish up what I started yesterday. One load done and one more to go. I'll make the bed once the sheets are dry and the last load is towels.
We had a sudden snow storm this afternoon that left the ground covered and the driveway slippery. It didn't last long, but it was a warning that the past few days were an aberration. We still have some time to go before Spring is officially here.
Hoping everyone had a great day and waving "hi" to everyone.
2 -
betrayal - sounds like your dining room looks great with the new paint.
Yesterday I learned that pagodas are for worshipping Buddhism and temples are for worshipping ancestors in Vietnam.
Waving ‘hi’ to all
Tran Quoc Pagoda, Hanoi
We are on a one night cruise of Ha Long & Lan Ha Bays
3 -
harley07, gorgeous scenery and photos. How long was the flight? How warm is it? Keep the photos coming. Learning the difference between pagodas and temples is new to me, thanks for sharing.
1 -
Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.
0 -
Harley, thanks for sharing photos and new knowledge.
Betrayal, I read an article about our weather in the US yesterday that predicts a year of extreme weather ahead. Return of El Nino. I retrieved the LL Bean fleece blanket last night, and dh opened a bedroom window for a return to winter sleep. It was probably down to 40 degrees earlier but is 45 degrees now and sunny. DH just left for a trip to the gym. He's an early bird. I plan to go to senior exercise at 11:30, a schedule that suits me.
This "cool snap" won't last long. A couple of days. Winter is over. After March 15, people will start planting gardens.
1 -
I'm brand new to interacting on this site, and I was immediately drawn to the "forum for older people with bc." I'm definitely one of those, at age 83. BC showed up out of the blue, it seemed, and fortunately it was small, contained (clean margins), and operable (September 2025). I wrestled with whether to add the recommended radiation and/or five years of drugs… and chose to take my 10% (statistical) risk of recurrence. My oncologist initially argued with me about that, but wound up totally understanding that at my age I was choosing QUALITY OF LIFE vs. any potentially debilitating treatments. So for now I'm enjoying all my fun hobbies (clay sculpture, jewelry making, photography, gardening, writing poetry, drawing, etc.). My dear husband is supportive and enjoys his own hobbies (karate at the top of his list).
Next week I'll have my first post-op diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound. Wish me luck!
So, hello from sunny California!3 -
Welcome, quality4me. Fingers crossed your mammogram and U/S are free of any issues. We hope you will continue to post. Many of us are beyond treatment, but continue to post like we are old friends keeping in touch with our lives now. I like to garden as do several others on here, but spring for us won't really show up until May. I do have hyacinths, daffodils and unfortunately Bleeding Hearts (they won't last like they used to ) erupting.
Paradise, CA was the site of that fire in 2018. Were you there then?
We went out to dinner to an Irish pub and had a really good meal. DH had lamb stew and I had the corned beef and cabbage special. For dessert I had one scoop of the best mint chocolate chip ice cream I have ever had. Seems they buy the base ice cream from a dairy in Bally, PA, and then someone at the restaurant makes it into mint chocolate chip with their ice cream machine. This is a favorite place of ours and we would stop there for hot fudge sundaes and half gallons of their homemade ice cream after our forays to the German festival every July. They will no longer hold the festivals so we plan on making a trip up there anyhow. It's a nice ride and the town itself is beautiful. I got a slice of Irish cream chocolate chip cheese cake to bring home. I've had it and it is delicious and very filling.
I'll still make the traditional Irish corned beef, boiled potatoes and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day anyhow because DD and DSIL will join us. I only make it once a year and we usually get 2 meals out of it.
DH noticed the winds we had knocked two very large tree branches out of one of the trees and of course, they knocked down the fencing we had erected around the azaleas. The deer can't get in so he is delaying removal until tomorrow. These are really large branches that will need a chain saw to cut them up. I want him to call DS to help him because he has a really good saw.
It's winter here again with morning temps in the low 30's and now it is 45. It was hazy all day, so I am longing for some sun.
Hoping everyone had a great day and waving "hi" to everyone.
3 -
@quality4me Welcome. I am one of the younger crew on here (at 73) and am stage IV so I will always be in treatment. After ten years of oral chemo, if my current IV chemo stops working I will let it all go so I totally understand your position. I was a SO CAL girl born in LA and grew up in Garden Grove, so I was way south of you. I read all but post little. Just know we are pulling for you and are here to answer questions and lend our support.
2 -
@betrayal
Yes, hubby and I had been living in Paradise since 2002. Along with the entire town, our home and all contents were incinerated in the 2018 Camp Fire! Our insurance company was good to us, and we were fortunate to find a rental for a while (severe shortage!). We purchased a home in April 2019 where we've lived since then. At the time of the fire, I had just begun 6 mos. of immunotherapy and chemo for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (in remission since early 2019) so, as you can imagine, late 2018-2019 were VERY challenging years for us!Yes, I'm certainly hoping/praying that my mammo & U/S next week will confirm NO CANCER!
5 -
Quality4me, welcome to our forum. I just turned 83 last Sunday. I admire you for being involved in so many interesting hobbies. Good luck with the mammogram.
Our supermarket had a good sale price on corned beef briskets, so I impulsively bought two. One for the freezer and one to cook tomorrow in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Cabbage was also on sale. I'll get out the Instant Pot to cook the corned beef but cook the vegetables on the stove top. There's too much risk of overcooking the vegetables in the Instant Pot.
It's 50 degrees outside now and sunny.
3 -
quality4me- a warm welcome and we look forward to having you be part of the conversation. Best of luck with the mammogram.
Betrayal - it’s a 19 hour flight plus a 3 hour layover in Tokyo for the Chicago - Hanoi flight. Going back home the flight time is 17.5 hours due to good tailwinds over the Pacific, however we have a 10 hour layover in Tokyo. Ten hours is not enough time to get out of the airport and into Tokyo. DH was not interested in adding a few days in Japan to our already 24 day Vietnam trip. Since I’ve been to Japan over 50 times I’m fine with not staying in Tokyo. Daytime temps in Hanoi have been in the low to mid 70’s with high humidity. Tomorrow we are flying to DaNang to stay in Hoi An and Hue. Temps will likely be in the low 80’s.
This week I learned that Vietnamese food is delicious - banh mi, bun cha, egg coffee, fried spring rolls, fresh spring rolls, pho, pomelo pudding etc. There is absolutely no concern that I will lose weight on this trip. 😀
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all. Wishing safety to everyone in the path of the winter storm4 -
Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.
2 -
quality4me,
Welcome! 😘
1 -
Order restored to living room today with rug laid and furniture arranged. So first floor is no longer feeling chaotic from dining room painting. Rug was heavier than expected so my back is sore.
Winds have felled quite a few large major branches exceeding 12 inches in diameter. The largest one is in the woods, there is another large one about 8 feet long in the azalea enclosure which is pulling the fence down and has destroyed two of the fence stakes. Hoping to keep the deer out until DS can help tomorrow. There are various other sized branches all over the backyard and two had fallen around the bird feeder blocking access to it. It is supposed to be bad on Monday with our area under a tornado and high wind watch. We are not normally part of this tornado weather pattern. Sorry, but I do believe in climate change and we are all experiencing it. Can't wait to see what El Nino brings.
harley07, I wanted to explore that part of Asia on a cruise, but the 17 hour flight was the deterrent. When we flew to South Africa that was over 13 hours and that was my limit. We flew Air Italia which has since gone out of business. No onboard entertainment and no leg room modeling itself after America Airlines. Our longest flight after that was London to Cairo, Egypt and I forget how long that flight was, but it was direct and shorter. So I will live vicariously by enjoying your photos.
Gave up on wanting to go to Australia for the same reason and I try to avoid flights with layovers unless absolutely necessary. Our cruise next fall has a layover on return, but it was the only flight we could schedule. I think our layover will be in Phoenix.
Misty is bugging me to brush her. She'll have to wait because I want to start dinner which will be spaghetti and a choice of an Italian sweet sausage or a meatball.
Called rug cleaner today to schedule pickup of 2 large and 2 small rugs from primary bed room and the runner and an area rug in the hallway. I collect antique Persian rugs, though my dining room room rug is from Morocco, the ones in my DD's old room are Chinese Aubussons and the living room one a Chinese rug bought in Turkey. These are the last to go out to be cleaned and moth proofed. I am also asking for appraisals on the 6 rugs not previously appraised, that includes 2 that were cleaned and returned, but I forgot to ask for appraisals. I called to let them know I am sending them back for appraisals. They still have my name tag and the style tag attached. The one labeled Shirvan is actually from Azerbaijan, not a Persian, so that's a surprise to me. It's lovely, but I actually like Sarouks more.
It reached 51 degrees today in spite of the winds. I ran to Giant to get a corned beef, some cabbage, and of course, some pies to honor "Pi" day. The corned beef, cabbage and green grapes were on special today so the prices were really low. Corned beef was less than $2/pound, cabbage 12 cents per pound and the grapes half price. DD and DSIL will come for dinner tomorrow. I'll make enough so they can have a leftover meal on St. Patrick's Day and they provide the Guinness plus Irish soda bread. One year I made it, one loaf with raisins and the other with craisins. Both were delicious.
Hope everyone had a great day and waving "hi" to everyone.
2 -
If you have a caring life partner, you help the other person when that person needs it. I had a life partner who thought my work was as important as his, and I think that made all the difference for me.
2 -
I lost it! Forgot to copy before checking the previous page.
Big snowstorm going on. Some stops and starts, but predicted to be 11 inches, and that including some hard layers between. Did not go to church. Took Tippy out for a pee. Was willing to let him pee in the tub, but he is not perfectly dependable with that. Bought corned beef and cabbage, and eager to have some. Will I cook it before Tuesday? Wait and see as the suspense builds.
Ordered a tee shirt this morning, just couldn't resist it. It is about Catholic abstinence from meat on Fridays. On the left is "not meat" on the right is "meat". On the left are a capybara, and a beaver. On the right are a duck and a cow. Easy to research nowadays, I just tried it.
Quality4me, welcome! I am sorry you had to go through that inferno. I have relatives in Northern California and get nervous every fire season. I watch the fire maps like a hawk. My brother missed a big one a few years ago, and he has severe respiratory problems. Prayers for you on the tests. I opted for aggressive treatment, as I was in my late 60's.
Harley, I will be watching your posts on your trip. My ex couldn't stop talking about "G——"
I think I caught most everything.
4 -
Chris - stay safe in the storm. I have family in the middle of it that are expecting anywhere from 18-30 inches of snow and 50 mph winds. We were not suppose to see much of the storm in northern Illinois, however there is now a blizzard warning in place for our town. Hope everyone stays safe.
Today I learned that water buffalo have only bottom teeth (no top teeth) so they chew on soft things. Grass is their primary diet. Storks sit on their backs and eat the flies off of them. Picture taken while on a three hour bike tour in Hoi An much of which was through rice fields. Loved it.Waving ‘hi’ to all
2 -
It'll keep you alive for another 10 years if you get yourself a laugh once a day: either provoke it, or look around in the wildest laboratory in the world, the public.
3 -
harley07, great photo. The Cape Buffalo in South Africa has a bird that lives a symbiotic relationship with it. It is called an oxpecker. It lives off the ticks, larvae and other pests plus blood from any open wounds it can find. When it storms, they seek shelter under the Buffalo. They lack upper jaw incisors with a pad like the water buffalo, but also have upper and lower premolars and molars for grinding. So different continent, but similarities among the breeds. Checked and it seems bison have the same dentition.
I am impressed that you have the stamina to do a 3 hour bike tour. You must have seen some amazing sights surrounding the rice paddies. Your description of your food experiences was also interesting. We had a local Vietnamese restaurant and ate there one, but then it closed. Based on your descriptions, I'd like to find another.
It is a gray rainy day with temps in the low 60's before the horrendous storm reported by the weather people is to hit us this evening. It is expected to last all night with high winds and possibility of tornadoes. Not looking forward to this. DH and DSIL were able to manhandle a branch about 20 feet long out of my azalea bed. It had knocked down the fence and essentially one azalea took a direct hit. The azalea was about 35 years old so I am not sure if its remains will make it. I lost about 50% of it. This branch must have fallen at night because we did not hear it hit and it took out the fence in 3 spots and broke about 5 fence poles. They were able to get the fence netting up again, but it, and the posts will have to be replaced this spring. We will have to fence in the Golden Mop Cypress trees, too. The deer did a job on them this winter after 30 plus years of never nibling on them. I am not sure if the damaged branches will get needles again.
The guys came around 10 to pick up the rugs and they will get serviced today. I have some mending to do for my DD and some ironing to do. After all the cooking I did yesterday, I plan on taking it easier today. I made corned beef with boiled potatoes and cabbage. DD brought Irish soda bread and Irish potatoes. We had 2 bottles of Guinness and some Killian Red so we were covered for beverages. I made them platters to take home so they can eat them tomorrow. Plus a platter of different pies from PI day. We have enough leftovers for us to have another meal tomorrow, too.
I have tete a tete daffodils and early snow glories in bloom in the area beneath the Japanese maple. I think the squirrels move the early snow glories bulbs because I did them out of the lawns and then replant them in the flower beds. They do naturalize as do the tete a tetes, so they will eventually fill in the beds. So spring is on its way. Noticed that I have one white snowdrop in bloom on the crescent bed by the driveway.
DS had his deviated nasal septum surgery done today so I will give him a call later to see how he is feeling. He had his nose broken as a teen, it was set and healed incorrectly. They reset it but again it healed wrong. Hopefully this is his last surgery and he'll be able to breath without issues. Both DD and I have had this done. She broke her nose when someone shoved her down in a pool and I got hit by a car door. I called my MD but was told that because it hadn't bled, it wasn't broken. When I couldn't breathe out of one nostril, she agreed it had been broken, but by then it had healed. So i had the same surgery, DD fared better because we took her to the MD sooner and they were able to do surgery quickly.
Chris, sorry to hear you have been hit with another severe storm. Hope you are able to get out when needed especially with Tippy. Does he like snow? Hoping anyone else with severe weather is safe as well.
Hoping everyone has a great day and waving "hi" to everyone.
3 -
He doesn't like the snow and cold as much as he used to. Yesterday he went out and peed (at least ten seconds each time) three times and was eager to get back inside. No walk until the maintenance guy had cleared the sidewalks, They are clearing the parking lot right now, so the sidewalks should soon follow. The snow and wind are done with. Going down for a nap now. Tippy is already sleeping.
3 -
betrayal - you don’t need to be too impressed as we only rode 8 miles in three hours. We rode through a fishing village to a pottery village where we had an opportunity to make a small clay pot (it was not fired or painted so it stayed there), rode to a pagoda, visited and learned more history, then rode through rice fields and saw the water buffalo and lastly we stopped for a coffee (coffee culture is huge in Vietnam) while chatting with our guide about Vietnamese life.
Today, we rode 6 miles over two hours as we visited an herb garden and the central market. This was followed by a cooking class in which we prepared a five course lunch of traditional Vietnamese food which was yummy. Loved the ride even though I was terrified much of the time due to the chaotic traffic. Few traffic lights, no stop signs, and no one obeys the rules of the road - riding wherever, parking on the sidewalk, riding the wrong way and motorbikes passing so closely our elbows are almost touching. On busy roads, there are bicycle lanes however the motorbikes ride in the bike lanes so it kind of defeats the purpose.
Chris - if your ex served in the war, I can understand his anger. I’m sure his experience was very different than what I’m seeing today.It’s now 2pm and I’m sitting in the shade by the pool in the 82F and sunny weather overlooking the rice fields. I have no plans for the remainder of the day. As we’ve gotten older we have slowed the pace of our travel so that we have time to relax and enjoy the trip.
This is a beautiful resort with lush foliage. The first night it was dark and I missed two steps down and fell. I was mostly embarrassed but do have some ugly bruises on my left leg and both palms plus a very swollen left ankle- fortunately no pain so I’ve continued to sightsee as planned.
Good luck to all who are in the path of this ongoing storm as it moves east.
3 -
Every St. Patrick's Day every Irishman goes out to find another Irishman to make a speech to.
2 -
Good morning. I just got back from NC. The bad weather followed me. It is 39 degrees in at my house in FL. I also came back with a bad cold. My niece and I woke up with sore throats on Sat and Sun we were sniffing and coughing all the way back to FL. We still had a fun time, with the exception of finding evidence of a mouse in the house. We never heard it of saw it, but it left nuts and poo in our beds. It had built a nest in my dresser, chewing holes in 2 shirts and tearing up a stuffed animal. We washed all linens and threw away the torn items. I slept in the living room. There was no evidence of it there. I can handle repairs, but can't handle mice. LOL We set traps and my friend in NC will check the cabin for any dead mice. Since it snowed in Murphy, yesterday, it may have crawled back inside.
Welcome to the newest members. I have been on this site since 2019 and most of the ladies have been here even longer. We have grown older together. They have supported me through cancer, the death of my mother and the death of my husband. They are a great group!
5 -
Our last guests left on Friday night. But their flight was cancelled. They didn’t call me because they knew we had a birthday party to attend, and they were being put up at a nice local hotel. They were back at the airport at 5:30 AM; fortunately they were put on a direct flight and home before 1 PM. Long day for them.
We’ve been running since who knows when. Guests, vacation, guests, so for the past two days I’ve hunkered inside going no where. Cleaning was one objective, but resting was another.
I did load tax software on SO’s computer, and ended up doing my taxes. Software had no previous years to pull info from (all on my dead computer), so I had to enter every detail. I even had to log into the IRS site for my 2024 AGI (2024 paper copy is in NY). I now have another password to remember with IDKey. Then I couldn’t get the completed taxes to print - SO never set the printer up on his computer.
That sent me on a mission to find the disk to load the printer on his machine. I purged nightstands, end tables, the tv stand, and even a dresser drawer I use as filing. The end table shelf the printer sits on turned out to have information on the printer. There is no disk anymore, all done online. So I sat with his computer and went to their site to load it all. Finally able to print. Giant thick folder with all sorts of paperwork I didn’t need (standard deduction is raised again), I added the printed taxes. Mine are not complicated, and I hope to get my federal refund soon.
The money spent on NY house for the two AC splits, with heat pumps, gave me a $600 credit. I’d read about no more than $2k, but my max was $600 - better than nothing!
quality4me, welcome to the place none of us intended on being. You choose what’s best for you. You’ve been through a lot, BC and the fires destroying everything. Hoping your mammo & ultrasound are good.Betrayal, my azaleas are in bloom here in FL. One fully bushed out, other one sparse. After blooms drop I’m trimming it back hoping it will bush out more. Low 50’s this morning, might hit 70 - perfect day for walking.
Carole, we attended a party on Saturday for St Patrick’s day with all the foods. I haven’t bought a corned beef but wonder today if any is left to buy. I should look or suggest we go out to dinner!
Harley, I forgot you’re in Vietnamese, I’ve been busy with guests. Can’t wait to see more pictures. The three hour bike ride, even slow, seems long to me! You did great, deserving of hanging out at the pool - which looks dreamy.
Petite, ugh, the dreaded mice. Upstate NY mice are just a fact of life in camps and older homes. I put poison out for them, leaving bags of it in the attic, kitchen, back porch and even the garage sometimes. I can’t remember if you take your cat with you, if so I know poison is off the list. Hope your cold goes away quickly. We’re only getting a high of 70 today in SWFL. Stay in and stay warm.2 -
No mice at my house. Only LARGE wood rats occasionally in the attic. Yuck. 85 degrees in Houston yesterday & 38 degrees this morning.
2 -
petite - my sympathies on the mice in your cabin in NC. For a few years we owned a cabin in Wisconsin and mice were an issue. They creep me out worse than just about anything. Good luck!
2 -
I fully expect to deal with the aftermath of mice visitors when we go to MN in late May. We couldn't get our large slide totally closed last fall.
I had a hair trim yesterday and went with about an inch shorter in the length. I like the slightly shorter style. It should be easier to dry and style.
Today is Wednesday, the day when three exercise class friends and I go to lunch after the class.
1 -
“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men or women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must—at that moment—become the center of the universe.”
Elie Wiesel
0
