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

duckyb1

Praying for Texas...

IllinoisLady

"In the midst of hate, I found there was, within me, an invincible love. In the midst of tears, I found there was, within me, an invincible smile. In the midst of chaos, I found there was, within me, an invincible calm. In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there's something stronger - something better, pushing right back." ~ Albert Camus

IllinoisLady

I continue to send prayers for lots of positive energies for those in Texas. It has been raining here today ( a nice rain ) and I ran way late as I needed to run over and babysit the new puppy. Adults had a couple of tests at the hospital and little puppy totally disliked the crate --- so I went over first thing and stayed till the hospital testing was done.

Fingers crossed that things turn out fine for you Anne. I've had some ( intermittent ) white coat issues -- but not bad for me. Hang in there....

ChiSandy

Anne, I know it sounds impossible, but keep calm. Good idea not checking your BP too often—after awhile it’s like DIY white-coat syndrome. There’s an arsenal of meds that can bring it down, usually a cocktail of several pills. (I’m on a combo ARB/HCTZ).

Seconding ducky’s prayers for our TX sisters—LA too, as Harvey is turning ESE again.

Had to blow off training this morning, due to digestive issues (was afraid of an “accident” or puking during workout). I had mentioned the gory details over on the “drinking” thread, but my guts were flip-flopping all weekend because my son Gordy left early Fri. evening and didn’t come home till last night. I stayed up past 5 am both nights, sick with worry. Wasn’t answering his cell, posting on FB/Instagram (except one pic Sat. aft) or Tweeting; used his bank card exactly once, for dinner on Sat. He left his computer here, and it’s password-protected so I couldn’t check for clues. Ashamed to admit I went to his FB feed to see if any of his friends had tagged him or he had posted any comments. He finally returned my texts twice, but cryptically, to tell me he was ok and had his meds & inhaler with him. Finally texted he’d be home by 10pm, and he was shortly thereafter. Turns out he was with his new girlfriend…had no idea he was finally dating; they’ve been seeing each other for a couple of weeks but he didn’t say anything lest I get pushy & start dreaming about wedding bells & grandkids. She even lives in the neighborhood. But my gut is still taking time to recover—not just from the weekend, but reacting to being off three weeks of iron supplements. (I have lost two pounds—so I’d been literally “full of it”). Even had a tiny bit of spotting (kind of anemic-looking) from my ‘rhoids. My tailbone is still bruised & sore, but now I’m getting a preview of the SEs of Wed.’s prep. Already hitting the diaper rash ointment.

Wed. is gonna be crazy. Begin liquid diet in the a.m., with something with enough calories to get me through training, then mani-pedi (no time for cardio before that), then the (yuck) prep. Stocked up on chicken bone broth & flavored waters (coconut, maple, peach—all of them clear. No Gatorade—it tastes too much like prep). Then Thurs. a.m. more prep, followed by my highly intimate and extremely uncomfortable close-up. Hope all they find are the hemorrhoids and that’s what’s causing the iron loss. If they find anything more…well, one step at a time.

Anneb1149

Thanks for the encouraging words.

I don't, as far as I know, have white coat syndrome. The daughter that lives with me does- when she goes for her PAP, they want to admit her to the hospital. Twice, they have made her get a full cardiac workup before they will give her the birth control pill. I have found out my brother also has white coat issues.

The first time we realized my BP was so high was at physical therapy. I have the same therapist most of the time and I am very comfortable with her. There have been other times that my BP was high, and we just retook it after a few minutes and it was okay, so that didn't make me nervous.

I just got back from the Dr. She, also, cannot find any cause but she did double my BP meds, because she says I was on a very low dose.

Someone (male) called me today from my old Dr's office. I guess they are still on my file at the hospital. He said he was a "customer service" rep for the practice. Wanted to know how I was feeling, yadda, yadda. Then he asked if I had scheduled an appt. with my Dr as instructed by the ER. I told him no, that I was no longer using that practice and why. Said after 30 yrs, I couldn't handle calling for an appt and being told first available was 6 weeks away. Couldn't handle seeing a PA twice about the pain in my back and being given Percocet and told chiropracty was my only option other than surgery. Couldn't handle being told to get an MRI stat, and being told they would have the results that afternoon, only to find out the Dr had left for the weekend ( it was Thurs) and no one called me back till Tues. I told him by then, I had already seen my new Dr, gotten the results of the MRI, and had appts for an orthopedic Dr and a pain management Dr.

He told me that practice now has an urgent care facility that I could go to for most things. I said that was nice, but no one told me about it, and regardless, I didn't think I was asking too much to be seen by my doctor in his office with a serious back problem sooner than first available in six weeks. I stayed very calm and conversational, but made my feelings pretty clear.

Anne

Anneb1149

OMG Sandy - I would lose my mind if I couldn't reach any of my kids for 36 hrs. There is no excuse in this day and age for worrying someone like that. My kids are all grown and most live quite a distance, and we don't talk or text every day. But if I tried to reach them and couldn't after 12 hrs, I would lose my mind. They are the same about me. If my son in So Carolina usually calls me on his way home from work every day. If I don't answer by the second time,he is on the phone with my daughter in GA to find out if she knows about any special plans I might have, if she doesn't, he's texting the daughter I live with. (He doesn't call her, because once on the phone with her, you never get off). Usually I am just on the phone with someone else, or maybe out to dinner, but me being unreachable freaks my kids out.

Back to your son, him not letting you know he wasn't coming home for two nights is unthinkable. I understand wanting privacy while the relationship is new, but a simple text saying "Mom, everything is fine, I am staying with a friend for he weekend" would have not caused you the 2 sleepless nights. We live in such unstable times that "dropping" off the map for 48 hrs is not acceptable. Accidents, drugs, terrorism - things our parents didn't have to think about are, unfortunately, an almost every day occurrence now.

Sorry you had to go thru that. Tell him you have a GPS system on his phone, and if he disappears again, you will show up wherever he is in full Mama Bear mode and totally embarrass him in every way possible.

Kids!!

Anne

VelvetPoppy

~Anne~

I have white-coat syndrome - mostly where needles are concerned.

~Sandy~

I understand your anxiety when it comes to your son. Mine is in his early 30s & I pace whenever he goes out. He rarely says where he is going & so I worry. He has never stayed out overnight, but there is a girl friend (I made the mistake of asking if he liked her & nearly lost my head!) that he sees a lot. I know her from work and I like her. They used to work together & still do in a way. Same system; different departments now. He is very private and I won't ask questions either. Both are working on their Masters and then want to establish their careers. So, I have asked him to at least let me know if I can lock up before I go to bed (he doesn't always remember his key) & then lie awake until I hear him come in.

IllinoisLady

Sandy, hoping your innards turn out to be totally fine and stay that way. I think we all worry about our kids ( even we don't have too ) because they are an extension of us. We have gotten to where we are in one piece and want the same for them. Also it is a different far less safe world. As you say -- gangs, drugs, and terrorists, and all sorts of negative type events that never came into play years ago.

ChiSandy

OK, he told me her name & age (twenties), how they met (social media), and what she does (teacher).

marijen

Marie Barone!

ChiSandy

At least my husband's nothing like Frank Barone! (Although he’s from just over the city-Nassau County line in Bellerose, Queens…practically L.I.). I’m a Brooklyn-brat myself. Old Brooklyn, Brownsville/E. Flatbush—not the “hip” part. but the “hip-hop” part. My old ‘hood is unlikely to ever be gentrified like Bedford-Stuyvesant or Bushwick. Neither will East New York. Maybe Canarsie. (And 10 yrs ago nobody dreamed those would go the way of Williamsburg, DUMBO and Greenpoint. When I was 13 and we decided to move out of Brownsville because it was too rough, we used to say “at least it’s safer than Bed-Stuy, East NY or Bushwick”).

I recently looked at Google Maps and was shocked to see how close the neighborhoods all are to each other—when I was a kid, it seemed that E. Flatbush was almost a suburb, and once we moved there we never set foot in Brownsville again. Blew me away to discover on the map that we’d moved less than a mile!

marijen

I lost my younger son, somewhere between Germany and Scotland. He traveled to Europe and sent a cryptic text one day, then disappeared. I had the Embassies looking for him. I was beside myself for a good ten days, total stress. Only to finally get a text that his phone didn't work where he was visiting a friend and he was on his way home. Probably aged my heart ten years. That was seven years ago. He doesn't tell me much now because my need to know is way overboard.

ChiSandy

Whatever did we parents do before cell phones?

marijen

When he was a user on my credit card I could track him,but now he's got a good job and has his own card. There is no way for me to check on him unless he gets a new girlfriend

ChiSandy

LOL! I’m a joint account holder on his checking accounts, so I can top them up online to prevent overdrafts (and monitor for any suspicious charges—such as one a few months ago for vertical blinds in Pakistan). But he can’t access the joint accounts my husband & I have, from which we replenish his accounts. He is an authorized user on Bob’s Amex, but he's never used it (never even carries it).

IllinoisLady

Simply give others a bit of yourself; a thoughtful act, a helpful idea,
a word of appreciation, a lift over a rough spot,
a sense of understanding, a timely suggestion. You take something
out of your mind, garnished in kindness out of your heart,
and put it into the other person's mind and heart.

Charles H. Burr

IllinoisLady

It is a beauty of a morning here. Rain from yesterday is gone, and won't be back till the week-end. I'm back to my regular schedule after emergency help at former employers home yesterday. They needed some hospital tests so put brand new puppy in crate. Little Leia was in-happy and showed it by howling. How can a puppy that only weighs 1 & 1/2 pounds howl --- very pitifully. So, they called on the way to get the tests done and asked if I could go over. We always knew that things ( fair variety ) would come up so I was asked to keep the door-key.

I am also allowed to go over whenever I wish to interact with the puppies. Makes it good for me as I am out everyday to feed feral cats --- so am about two minutes from their house. Makes it very good for me.

I have been able mainly to be sensitized to what my kids ( adults ) are up to, but it was a long haul to get there and I admit -- there are conditions when all bets are/would be off. Like my daughter recently needing a biopsy on each side ( much like my first diagnosis ). Hers along with my very recent one turned out to be the fatty cystic type ( whew !!! ) but while I'm fairly cool most of the time --- I can still be reached.

Hoping every one has a fantastic day, but prayers, thoughts, and positive energies to Texas and next door LA. Calling Carole. How is your family members there??

Wren44

I just can't stop from watching the news. We lived in Houston from 1960 to 74. I can't think of anyone I know still living there. The last house we lived in had a flood that reached the middle of the yard, so I assume it was underwater this time. I'm hoping Velvet Poppy is still ok. Her last post said they were an island with exits blocked. The rafts of fire ants are a person's worst nightmare. They are so dangerous and the sting/bite? is so painful. I think they have killed a few unlucky people in the past.

ChiSandy

OMG—didn’t know ants could float. A friend went down to Orlando a few years ago, put his suitcase down on the ground while he opened the door to his timeshare. Enough fire ants hitchhiked on the valise that he ended up in the ER on a Benadryl drip.

Illimae & Minus Two are still hanging in there, dry so far.

IllinoisLady

Every act has its effect. To do nothing is an act that stems from feelings of hopelessness and despair. Please remember, no matter how dark the future looks, you can make a difference. When you live the true life you were sent here to live, the difference you make will enhance life rather than destroy it. Do not spend time worrying how big a difference you make. Anything that enhances a life makes a difference; helping one individual recover from a broken heart; easing one person's pain; helping one ugly duckling discover his or her beauty. Keep working as long as you live, and live as long as you can, and when you finish your marathon they will hang a medal around your neck that says, "You Make a Difference."

Bernie Siegel

IllinoisLady

Just wow !!! That amt. of water is just so devastating. I'm getting almost reluctant to watch the news as it is so down heartening and even though I know few people in Texas, my heart is heavy for all those trying to survive -- and so many with nothing left at all. Storms are truly fearful and my prayers will continue on.

VelvetPoppy

We have an exit... no rain for more than 24 hours. H & I drove around the country yesterday. A lot of flooded pastures & homes with water all around. Hard to tell if any got inside. Most back roads are clear, but you can see where the water came up. The current in the pastures was so strong from the wind that it made little waves. We had 40-45 mph tropical winds yesterday; still windy today, but not as bad. Sunny. H & S on roof clearing limbs & checking for damage.

Rescues still going on in Houston. Beaumont, Galveston & Louisiana getting it now. Many under-passes still under water.

H & I drove to Lowe's this morning. Roads are clear, but we aren't sure how far in. We live in Fort Bend County and it got hit pretty hard. I have a friend in Fulshear who can't get out yet. We have been told not to expect mail service until at least next week; don't know when trash will be picked up. We are going to venture out to Kroger to see if we can get some groceries tomorrow. Some stores are open, some not...same with gas. The Pilot truck stop off the freeway here ran out of gas Friday, but stayed open for the truckers & locals through the storm. We went up to Arby's in the truck stop for dinner last night and were told they had 17,000 gallons of gas delivered that day. The truck stop across the street is still closed.

Yes, fire ants float...they are like the cockroach; nothing will kill them! High waters also bring in snakes & alligators.

~Wren~

We are hearing on local news that areas that have never seen flood waters and are considered to be out of the flood prone zones are flooded.

~Sandy~

Have you heard from your friend in Sugar Land? The exit ramps, under-passes and parts of Highway 6 can flood really bad. I missed two radiation treatments in April 2016 because of what they call the Tax-Day Flood. I was able to get to where I needed to be, but couldn't get off the freeway because of the high water. My doctors are in the Methodist Hospital complex off Hwy 59/I-69 in Sugar Land.(I know we can't use doctor's names here, but is it okay to name the treatment facility & location?). I guess if this is deleted I'll know.

Glad to know Illimae & MinusTwo are okay.

Wren44

I saw a list of open grocery stores in Houston and area. What a great idea, to give people a destination that will be open if they can get there. I think floods are my worst case disaster. Of course, I haven't been in a severe earthquake yet so that opinion could change. Fires and tornados are over much quicker. But just the idea of a house full of stinky mud turning to mold horrifies me.

I'm glad our people in the area are OK and dry.

VelvetPoppy

~Wren~

I think I'd take the flood. I have been through a few hurricanes since moving to Texas and while this was the worst (and we came out safe & dry), I was never more terrified than when we had to hide in the closet & bathroom Saturday because a tornado was heading in our direction. Fire would probably scare me too because I saw (during a live broadcast) how it can "jump" when the Hill Country had those horrible fires a few years ago.

Hurricane & flood you can prepare for & get out of the way (most of the time). I do agree with you about the stinky mud. I have leaves, twigs & mud in the utility room from this mess and everything smells like a big, hairy, wet dog...including my dogs.

ChiSandy

My friend is okay—her home is still dry—and tweeting.

VelvetPoppy

~Sandy~

Glad to hear she is okay.

Wren44

Velvet, I was thinking more house fire than forest fire. Forest fires are truly terrifying and very unpredictable. We had massive fires in E. WA and there are still people without homes from those. I would probably take a flood over a forest fire.

MinusTwo

My SIL called Red Cross this afternoon. Apparently they have a number on site that the funds will go directly to Harvey victims. I understand the items in Houston Food bank are OK. The officials just can't get to the building. But in any case they will need to re-stock & need help distributing so Lacey's thought was a good one. My nephew & niece went through their closets to find clothes & bedding they could spare, then stood in line to at one of the rescue centers to turn it in. Below is a link from the NY times about how to donate and how to avoid scams.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/28/us/donate-harvey-charities-scams.html?mcubz=3

If you have a favorite cause - such as diabetes or pets or children's diapers or blood - there is a need. I'd pick something that you relate to and try to get in touch with that group.

Sorry I can't be more helpful I haven't been out of my neighborhood, so I don't know much more than what you're seeing on TV.

MinusTwo

Just received this information from "crimestoppers".

Giving to Charity. As a non-profit, it is wonderful to see so many giving to charitable organizations doing wonderful work at this time. Please remember to:

• Give to known organizations
• Give directly to the organization itself, there is no need to use a third-party
• Investigate the charity first – the FTC (FTC.gov) has posted useful information with links to charity watchdog groups called Wise Giving in the Wake of Hurricane Harvey.

VelvetPoppy

~Wren~

Yes, a house fire would be scary, but I think I would still take a flood. We have smoke & carbon monoxide detectors all over the house. We are one-story and (you can laugh if you want..others have) H keeps a bat near his side of the bed to break the windows for escape if needed. S has one in his room, too.