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

I like that quote, Betrayal. It spoke to me.

Petite, we stayed at a nice RV park in Murphy, NC, many years ago.

The morning is starting off dreary, with the patter of rain on the roof, but dh is dressed for golf at 10 am. I will probably go to the gym about 10:30. By then the noisy class is over and the women have left. The parking lot isn't full of cars. I'm starting to look forward to going to the YMCA at home again and attending senior classes. Also, going to lunch on Wednesdays with our little lunch group.

Happy Wednesday to all.

ok older gals….what about breast reconstruction? There used to be a current shortage of plastics here so not getting reconstruction at time of mastectomy. My surgeon says he will refer me anywhere but wants me to heal first.
i have been reading about breast reconstruction as I think that is what I would like vs prosthesis….but… one thing I saw is they don’t really like to do a DIEP flap on women > 70 as it’s such a long surgery and they usually don’t recover as well. I am 74. I have pretty good mobility but I am not an exercise person.
I have been reading that people whether they do flap or have silicone implants have multiple surgeries, many are still not happy with them. I am in a quandary.

@jaspercat - this is such a personal decision I’m not sure that any of us can advise. I would check with your insurance regarding coverage.

Have you already had a mastectomy? If so, then I presume Medicare (are you in the U.S.?) has approved this as medically necessary. Is this a unilateral or bilateral mastectomy? I believe Medicare as a rule that reconstruction must be covered.

Best wishes.

Jaspercat, the surgery to change implants is quick and easy. I had mastectomy and temporary magic expanding implant at the same time. Then had the "permanent" implant. Lost thirty pounds and had a water balloon hanging off my chest. Had an exchange. I have lost twenty pounds since then. Hopefully I will hit equilibrium soon, so I won't need another exchange. Very quick and easy. But remember that it is better for the back and neck if the breasts (or absence thereof) weigh similarly.

Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.
Khalil Gibran

carole, glad you DH was able to see so many of his wares at the weekend markets.

cindyny, your exploits do make me laugh. You remind me of myself at times when I take on a challenge and it really proves that it lives up to its name.

As far as 9/11, I was taking my usual nearly 2 mile walk around our block. I had just reached a distant part of my road when a stranger stopped his car to tell me about the plane hitting the north tower. He was upset by what he had heard on the radio and asked me if I knew anything and I had to say no. I told him I was on my way home and would turn on my TV. I got home just in time to turn on the TV to see the second plane hit the south tower.

A friend of my DD's was a flight attendant on that flight. He was the youngest of 7 children and his loss destroyed his mother. I was devastated by what I saw and work called to cancel classes that day. My cousin's husband worked there and had survived the 1993 bombing. He also survived this day because he went late for his morning break and was in line for the elevator to go back to his floor when the plane struck. His friend told him he would meet him at the coffee shop because he was also running late. He did not survive.

Yesterday was the annual street fair in my home town. We haven't been for quite awhile. Our family used to congregate after at our parent's home for a meal with each of us bringing a dish. It was always a great way to get together. It started to fizzle out after my mother moved in with my youngest brother. He sponsored it for a few years, but then Covid killed it off. The fair went on pause during those years and did resume, but we weren't able to attend. Considering this was a 250th anniversary of the nation, it was a really well attended and had loads of vendors. The town was actually founded in 1667, so it is much older. DD and DSIL accompanied us and we spent far more than we expected.

The town library was my Saturday hangout from the time I was about 8 until I graduated from high school. I loved the smell of those old books and wandering through the stacks to find this week's reading material. The elder librarian realized that by about age 10 my reading skills were beyond the Nancy Drew series, and introduced me to age appropriate books by adult authors. Yes, they existed and she would refuse to check out a book that she thought was "off limits". Initially she controlled how many books I could take weekly, but then over the summer she would relax and let me check out as many as 8 every week. It was distant from my home and carrying that many books, crossing busy roads and getting home could be a challenge at times. I loved that librarian. The library was selling off books, hardback and paper back, CD's, DVD's and old record albums. I bought 7 hardbacks and DH got 2 DVD's. We gave a donation to the library.

I bought a long oval fall wreath for the front door and DD bought a Christmas one for her house. The guy who made them was there and held them for us while we explored other vendors.

They had a produce vendor so we were able to get some Jersey cantaloupes, tomatoes, and corn. They also had huge bouquets of flowers that they were assembling on site. I bought two and DD bought one. Some of the flowers in each bouquet can be dried and I will try to do that. They are so fragrant.

I bought a shawl for the cruise and I have to remember to take some of my other ones. She provided a pin to hold the shawl and I asked if I could change out the one she displayed because it was a horse and I wasn't fond of it. I picked out a bird that resembles a phoenix and has blue rhinestones on it that reflect one of the colors in the shawl. The shawl has peacock/rainbow like colors in it.

They aways sell gingerbread squares and I bought some for us to have for dessert. I want to get some lemon curd to pour over it. They used to see it this way, but stopped many years ago. If you haven't had it, give it a try, it is delicious. DSIL bought us gingerbread men and he bought a loaf of gingerbread which is really bread like, not cake-like. He gave us 2 slices and I gave them 2 slices of the pumpkin bread, which is cake-like. I got DS 2 small yard flags: on is a buff Frenchie and the other is a black Frenchie. He has 2 buff and one black Frenchie. Bought DGD some scrunchies in colors she likes.

DD's one dog got my finger when she lunged for a treat. It's an L shaped wound on the tip of my right index finger and it kept bleeding yesterday. I got blood on my shirt, my slacks and had to be careful not to touch anything with my right hand. When we went to dinner, it started again when I was trying to cut up my entree, so DD took over. It's fine today and I have not been using it trying to give it time to seal.

Today I ran to the place I got Bumblebee to replenish my stock of canary seed. I got it and they also are a nursery so I went shopping for some perennials for the big rock bed. We are in the process of fencing it in because the deer have decimated my irises and the red Crocosomia. They left the lavender and the coral bells alone, but they have eaten them in other areas. I bought a bunch of different color cone flowers because they will naturalize. I want this area to look like an English garden. DH got some mulch to replace where he had to dig holes for the posts and now I'll have enough to recover the areas where I have to dig. Once he gets the fencing on the posts, then I'll introduce the plants.

The past 2 days have been lovely. It rained last night and early this morning. It finally stopped around 11 and the sun came out. It was mid 70's with virtually no humidity and a nice breeze.

Hope everyone had a great day and waving "hi" to everyone.

The three hardest tasks in the world are neither physical feats nor intellectual achievements, but moral acts: to return love for hate, to include the excluded, and to say, 'I was wrong'.
Sydney J. Harris

Lost a post…. cindy, yes it's over 100 most days in Houston, but don't forget - all buildings have A/C running like the arctic. I always have to take a sweater to a restaurant or a show.

Today may be my final golfing with the women's league this summer. I will need to rent a cart. I also have to remember to take the Thank You card for Linda, our leader, with cash contributions from members. The league has been enjoyable, thanks to the nice women.

It's amazing how quickly fall arrived in September.