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

Nothing for spasms. However, I have some leftover tramadol from the second hand surgery. Will take that at bedtime tonight.

Chris, glad you made out so well! FYI - I love that skirt. Is it a wrap? It looks light & breezy.

Another scorcher today. I did quick garden work and pool work early today. I think it said we were a “feel like” 106. I read a book and ate most of the day.

Tomorrow it should start coming down in temperature. I need to run to CVS so I will leave as soon as I finish my breakfast.

Yes. It is a wrap skirt. I will have to take new pictures tomorrow. I had a friend take pictures, and most of them were in movie format. I'll ask the mods if they can convert them, otherwise I will take my own pictures. With the dreaded mirror.

Chris, good news on the surgery. I'm envious of your figure.

Our cool June weather has turned into hot July. Thankful that the two a/c units are working in the 5th wheel.

Today is laundry day. I will get some steps in by walking back and forth to the laundry room.

Happy Birthday, USA!

Yesterday's trek to the new fair that replaced the German festival was nice. It takes us about 90 minutes to get there and we were able to park on the grounds. It was disappointing in the sense that it is a mere shadow of its former self, but nice that some of the old vendors were there, as well as many new ones. There were only about 50-60 vendors, but attendance was low compared to the crowds in the past.

It could have been due to the heat because a local church had a sign which displayed the temperature as 104 degrees. There is very little shade and only the barn that once displayed quilts for sale is air conditioned. All others only have very large commercial fans. There were so many buildings that were empty that once were full and only about 1/4 of the grounds were in use.

We did have Porky's BBQ for lunch. It was good. I had pulled pork, Mac n' cheese, delicious baked beans and coleslaw.

I walked over to the one building and found a chair to sit in. I was quite warm and had drenched hair from sweat and the misters they had stationed around the grounds. One of the vendors came over and presented me with an icy bottle of water which was so kind. We had brought plenty with us, but they were with DH. I had bought a straw broom from this man before and ended up buying a cherry wood dust pan from him that can be used for charcuterie. It was such a kind gesture.

I bought some new birds for my yard and was able to tell them I was the one who had written to them to ensure they were going to be there. I bought 2 new birds and will send photos once I have them in place.

We stopped at Longacre's dairy for our traditional ice cream sundae and I bought 4 half gallons for my freezer. I got vanilla fudge, strawberry cheesecake, pralines and cream and chocolate peanut butter swirl. They make the best ice cream. I also have a teaberry and a cherry vanilla in the freezer,too.

Today is again very warm so I am avoiding going outdoors. I have sweet and hot Italian sausage with peppers and onions in the oven, homemade potato salad, coleslaw and corn for dinner. DD and DSIL are coming over.

We stopped at Costco on our way home and this was my first time there with DD. She loaded up the cart with things she wanted and I picked up a few necessities including a large cheese pizza which was delicious.

I hope everyone had a magnificent 4th and enjoys the festivities in their area by being there in person or watching from indoors. Be safe. What an experience to bear witness to, 250 years!

One other thought/question. I have had insomnia since the start of menopause so I’m used to be tired, but the fatigue I feel at times now has been worse than anything I’ve experienced pre-surgery. Has anyone else experienced before starting any post surgery treatment? I’ve had back surgeries and bounced back from them. Not this.

1946taco

Thanks so much for your kind response. I haven’t started radiation yet since my RO wants me to see my surgeon before starting. I saw the PA for my post op. The surgeon’s appt is this Wednesday so hopefully the radiation will start the following week. It will be 4 weeks. The MO said it will be minimum 5 years of the estrogen blocker (I’m not sure which one yet.) and if I remember correctly, 2 years of the cycle of Kisqali. I told them from the start I wouldn’t do chemo so decided not to have the oncotype done. If I was younger or my kids were younger my decision might have been different.

Unfortunately my vanity is going to show here because I’m concerned about the weight gain and hair loss. I was skinny my entire life until menopause and since then I’ve been battling to lose 10-15 pounds. I just don’t feel like myself at this weight. My hair has thinned a good bit in the last few years anyway and I just don’t have a face to pull off the bald look. I’m the type who has always hated to have my picture taken.

My mother died at 54 from breast cancer when I was 12 and my dad at 62 from lung/brain cancer when I was 26. I did the genetic testing and only had 2 of VUS. The one good thing to come of this is that my 43 year old daughter is now established with the high risk clinic and will be screened with mammograms and MRI. My cancer was found with MRI.

Ive tried looking to find a thread with the same diagnosis but haven’t found one so far. Just hearing from you has been so helpful, so thank you again.

We live in the suburbs of Cincinnati and fireworks were set off up the hill from us. I had given our 2 dogs sedatives ahead of time. Neither is afraid of thunder and I didn’t want fireworks starting that fear. My Shepherd mix sat and watched out the window. Funny part is we couldn’t see the fireworks, just hear them. :)

l1ttlc, welcome to our forum. We're all sorry you have reason to join us. We are at different stages of treatment or recovery but are open to sharing whatever you choose to share about your bc journey.

Betrayal, except for the heat and humidity, your trip to the fair seems like a lot of fun.

We had a very successful farmers market yesterday. Big crowds and enthusiastic buyers. The rain held off until we were packed up and on the way home. Then the skies opened up as a weather system moved through.

I feel as though I didn't get fully involved in our country's 250th birthday. Part of the problem, I think, was the partisan element in national celebratory events. I am grateful to be an American citizen and wish we could become a more united citizenry for dealing with challenges to democracy. Hope these sentiments don't break the No Politics rule.

Happy Sunday to all.

This is the rest of the piece that went into that skirt.

littlc, welcome! That post was just before church. Yes, trusting in the Lord was definitely what got me through it.

I also gave my dog Tippy some Trazodone. Knowing that we can't hear while we speak, I listened whenever he was barking at the pops, and told him "Pops all done." when each series was finished. He would then quit barking. After a while, he did not bark when he heard them. We slept in the bedroom with the door and window closed, and the pops didn't bother us for the rest of the night (we went to bed at nine).

I have heard of the PT during chemo. Sounds like a good idea.

My cancer was rare. No need for AI's. When Herceptin was discovered, one of the least lucky of the types of BC became one of the most lucky.

I know that they recommend supplementing your regular diet with canned protein shakes if you are losing too much weight.

This is the other side of that skirt.

And here is a kaftan made from what was left.

More later.

mcbaker, I wish my dogs listened that well! I have a sweet, but neurotic 2- year old Shepherd mix and a 10-month old Golden Retriever puppy. This is our 3rd Golden and definitely the highest energy of all of them. Of course I’ve forgotten the fact that my husband and I are both 25 years older than when we got our first Golden. I had been working on training her everyday until I got the diagnosis and then the training started slipping. If I had known about the diagnosis ahead of time I probably wouldn’t have gotten her. Hindsight…🙂

This is a sheer fabric. The pants have shorts as a lining underneath. You can see a line about elbow height where the pants and the camisole meet. I would usually have a dark green cami underneath. This is a very recent project. It has no pallu, the more ornate part that they throw over the shoulder to the front.

Another top that goes with the shorts