Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
Comments
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Simply to have all the necessities of life and three meals a day will not bring happiness. Happiness is hidden in the unnecessary and in those impractical things that bring delight to the inner person. . . . When we lack proper time for the simple pleasures of life, for the enjoyment of eating, drinking, playing, creating, visiting friends, and watching children at play, then we have missed the purpose of life. Not on bread alone do we live but on all these human and heart-hungry luxuries. -Ed Hays
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Sorry to hear solutions others have used won't actually work for you either Sandy. I do believe that we grow through our trials, but like a couple of the other ladies here, you seem to be getting a really lg. amt. of those trials. Your appreciation level when this is all over I bet is going to be sky high.
A bit warmer today. It will be okay, but the 'cool' was only to have a limited time and time is slowly running out . Plenty to do so no matter. Some inside, some outside. I might be able to get to my car today -- hope so as it needs a good going over inside and out, along with regular indoor cleaning chores. Have to stop at the vet's and get flea meds for the dogs. They have done well this yr. but its time.
Hope you all have a fine Monday.
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Hot as the dickens here today--perfect day for Gordy's apt. to have a power failure and the A/C in my car to go out...at 97F. Fortunately, was able to "reboot" the A/C. Had a slo-mo hour of hell at WallyWorld. First, there was only one Customer Svce. person--and 10 people in line when I had to return those bras. Then, responding to the text that my Nasonex Rx was ready (at a price of $230) and confirming by phone that they'd honor my GoodRx coupon, I went to the pharmacy counter and presented the coupon. The clerk said, "we can't do this at the pickup window--go over to drop-off, they'll run it, then come back." Went to drop-off, and the clerk there said "no, the coupon's already in the system, go back and pick up your meds." Went back--and the pickup clerk said the computer said "No patient associated." It took 3 calls to GoodRx HQ to straighten it out. PITA, but $76 is cheaper than $230 (or even CVS' $164 coupon price). All because cheapo Part D insists I take weak OTC nasal steroid sprays instead. Last year, when 4% lidocaine patches went OTC, they stopped covering 5% Lidoderm Rx patches (as well as Flector diclofenac patches). I fully expect the next time I try to refill my Dexilant Rx ($480 for 90 days) they will tell me it's no longer covered because I can buy generic OTC lansoprazole and triple up on it (getting up to take another 4 hrs after bedtime).
Shrink told me to cowgirl up and have the surgery tomorrow. Surgeon says if I don't, my L hand may never heal; and the R radius fractures are mild enough that I don't need casting. He says I can skip the wrist brace and elbow sling in order to use my R hand: "it'll hurt but you won't be harming it." Good thing--I can't put either one on w/o enlisting the L hand.
1/2 hr left before I must go NPO--so enjoying my last Aperol spritz till I come off painkillers...which might be a long time. Must take my night meds by midnight too. Good thing I made a great dinner & had dessert.
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ChiSandy,
I'll be in your pocket tomorrow......good thoughts and wishes for a successful surgery.
I assume you will be in a cast and I found out when My arm was in a cast from a forearm/hand surgery my fingers swelled and were "weeping"....my solution was a foam finger/toe separator used for manicures....at my knuckles...,problem solved
Hugs,
Di
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It is amazing how much you can accomplish
when it doesn't matter who gets the credit.
- Anonymous -
Thoughts of highly positive results coming your way Sandy. Healing and goin on with life is the thing to do. You have been given a fair amt. of your plate, but you are a tough one and always in search/finding the answers that keep you going at your highest level. Wishing all to be a huge success.
Busy this a.m. New cat ( he was in neighbors yard and though they are sweet, they have pit bulls. So, they were nervous about letting the cat stay there. As they had a pit bull about to give birth I sort of understood. Anyway, Gordy is a big yellow cat with eyes about the same color as his hair. Don't know if he escaped from someone or not. He had been out awhile. Looked much bigger than he turns out to be mainly due to very knotted up hair. His hair felt quite un-kempt as well. My vet said that they would sedate him and then shave him completely --Un--- no. I was not in favor of doing it that way nor was I in favor of the $85.00 bill I would have to pay.
In the meantime I bought a $2.00 cat brush and while it was difficult, began to brush Gordy any time he was close enough to me. I think he got the idea that he wasn't exactly an attractive fellow. Over about a week or two's time ( and finding areas in the house where piles of fur lay ) Gordy pulled out the knots himself. He now looks perfect and is quite a handsome fellow. He did such a good job of knot removals that we discovered ( though we were fairly certain before ) that he most definitely was a male and had the appearance of being VERY un-neutered. So today was the DAY. Unless you are a breeder, un-neutered pets can be a problem. They also wander off when females are in heat from several miles around. We have no idea how old Gordy might be, but he is fairly young. I'd guess about a yr. We didn't want to take in any 'young' cats but sometimes things happen. Our issue -- if an animal spends much time with us --- we are hard pressed to let it go.
Cleaned out the outdoor cat room this morning as well. Be glad ( the lady called this morning ) when the new piece for our front door can be picked up. We are entering the cat room from the ( you must walk around the house ) outside door rather than the interior front French doors. Workable but definitely not great in the warmth. At least it was early and not near so bad. I also threw away the kibble in the bowls and washed them -- so I think they are cozy out there for now.
Have a wonderful day.....
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Your “Gordy” is the polar opposite of mine—appearance-wise. (Mine is 5’11”, has dark brown wavy hair and medium tan-hazel eyes, fully capable of self-grooming). 😉
I was supposed to be in a Munster cast, but because the incisions were a bit smaller than estimated I was sent home instead in a pressure dressing over a hard splint. That comes off in a couple of weeks in favor of a short forearm cast, 2 wks later a plastic brace for 6 weeks. Still can’t feel or move my fingers, though. I seem to be feeling some mild tingling further back on my hand, although it still seems I’m holding someone else’s arm (there is a bizarre Beatles parody in there somewhere)
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Sandy, reading about your frustrations makes me less whiny! Lol. Dh and I made the drive to the twin cities yesterday with a stop for lunch at Portillo's, a favorite when we're in Chicago land. Dh had read that Portillo's had expanded to twin cities. I had the Italian beef sandwich with sweet and hot peppers. Dh jumped at the chance for a good hot dog. Actually two hot dogs!!
After a couple of additional stops, we arrived at our hotel near the airport where I discovered dh hadn't loaded all my luggage. My laptop bag was back at Pine Hollow. I wasn't happy. Understatement. My kindle was in the bag and a Sudoku book. Chargers. I went to nearby Walmart to buy a paperback book and another Sudoku book. What a different look to that Walmart. Women in burkas, including employees.
The flight to KC and on to NO went fine. My sister picked me up. When I arrived home I had a flat tire on my Prius. Dh got some blame there, too. He had been putting air in the tire and should have had the tire fixed before we left. Fortunately my sister knew about compressors. I backed the car back to dh's workshop and we called dh to get instructions on finding the tire gauge, etc. Sister inflated the tire.
So here I am at home. AC working, thank goodness. Using an old tablet until laptop arrives Friday. No cable TV but do have the free channels. Things could be much worse. I will have the tire repaired or replaced today, buy some food and visit my mother.
It's too much trouble to write more on this touch pad!
Happy.... Wednesday?
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True humility is contentment.
- Henri Frederic Amiel -
It's a gorgeous day outside. Have to go get Gordy shortly. Later we will go get our 'door' strip with lock. Sure will be nice to have our door back and working. Will make it so much easier in dealing with the screen room. We/Dh also had the three new lights to install. I may be increasing the list a bit much but one can hope.
Though I'm not thrilled I wasn't able to get my car washed so will probably have to use the car wash to avoid looking un-kempt auto-wise. I do dislike being out and about ( in town here is not so bad ) when it SEEMS like everyone else has a clean car. Most people around here realize we live down a dirt road and may not be quite as tidy.
Glad you got home safe and sound Carole. Just sorry the good stuff ( laptop ) has to wait. Sigh !!! Well, you are home and the good news is your car will be much more ready for you after you pack up and come back home at summer's end. Glad you had your sister who seems really able to maneuver some of the ins and outs of compressors and tire gauges. I should have learned some of those things long ago but didn't. I do keep a tire gauge in my car at all times, but usually forget how much air my tires take. Sigh !!! I guess I'm spoiled by Dh who was in his early days ( before bad accident did his back in ) a Mercedes mechanic. His idea that I learn to drive and at the time I didn't want to -- so his penance is keeping my car going. Sure glad though that he 'made' me do it.
Sandy, sounds like you are on your way to what I hope will be a great relief and well healed wrist/arm when it is all done.
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PERFECT weather today—sitting out here on the deck, sipping seltzer with a sprig of home-grown mint, typing on my iPad (love that Smart Keyboard), schmoozing with neighbors across the fences, and about to tuck into a BLT my housekeeper made me before she left for the day. Wish I trusted myself to walk down the stairs to the yard without falling and pick some ripe black raspberries!
Not only can I feel my fingers (though still tingly), my wrist & arm hurt—a good sign. Had I known beforehand that the anesthiologist was going to give me a 14-hr nerve block, I'd have waited till 2 am before taking that first Norco, rather than as soon as I got home as I was advised. NP says to take 3 Advil BID so I don't burn through the Norco too quickly (had to take 2 Q4h), though I'm picking up a second Rx to hold in reserve—and not fill it till I'm down to one last dose of Norco. I have plenty of Tylenol 3s, but the surgi-center nurse said that though they have more acetaminophen than Norco, the 15mg of codeine in them is less potent than the 5mg of hydrocodone in Norco. We'll see how I do tomorrow.
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The tire had picked up a nail. The repair cost $15. Good point, Jackie, that it should be inflated when we get home in October.
I do miss cable TV, mainly my two preferred news channels. It was my decision to cancel DirecTV for the summer. I'm too practical to pay for it all summer to use it for two weeks.
Yesterday I had just checked out at Walmart when the skies opened and a south Louisiana thunder storm pounded the roof with loud rainfall. I waited 30 minutes along with a lot of other customers watching the parking lot become a vast lake.
Today will be a typical July day, hot and humid and a chance of thunderstorms.
Have a great day.
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No life can be barren which hears the
whisper of the wind in the branches,
or the voice of the sea as it breaks
upon the shore; and no soul can lack
happiness looking up to the midnight stars.
William Winter -
Long day yesterday. We took the circuitous route to the lumber yard which is a nice euphemism for we got lost. Took almost no time to pick up the piece so we spent a lot of drive time thru areas that were not at all interesting. Sigh !!! Still have to admit -- how fantastic to walk out to the screen room this morning the easy way. I was a little afraid I'd forget and exit the kitchen. So nice.
Lights are still waiting but that is okay. Dh hopefully can start those on Friday which is his next day off. So -- onward we go.
Storms will arrive here maybe on Saturday night. Friday we will get humid again in preparation. Sigh !!! Maybe they are coming from La. At least I will have a nice car for a few days.
Not too much going on here. I hope you are all going to have a really nice day. Hi to all who haven't posted in awhile.
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Saw my oncologist today for my 6 month check up. Doing my arm machines at the Y and lifting weights paid off, my arm dexascan results improved and I don't have to start on Prolia injections. Yeah! At my January appointment she'll order the test that tells if I would benefit from staying on Arimidex for another 5 years.
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Congrats, Puffin!
Got out of the house, if only to pick up and fill prescriptions. Warm (85), dry, fair. Tomorrow it’s back into the schvitz. Enjoying myself out on the deck with a little cup of homegrown black raspberries I picked and a “mocktail” garnished with mint from my garden. It’s the kind of day and evening that reminds me why we bought this place—repairs, taxes & all. Was even able to use both hands to break an egg w/o destroying it
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Sun is shining outside. A July day ahead, hot with chance of scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. I'm off to Anytime Fitness this morning. Would rather go to the YMCA, but we put our membership on hold for the summer and join Anytime Fitness in MN for four months.
Later I will go to the nursing home and spend several hours with my mother, who is doing very well.
Happy Friday.
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Refuse to be average.
Let your heart soar as high as it will.
- Aiden Wilson Tozer -
There are no hopeless situations; there are only men
who have grown hopeless about them.
- Clare Boothe Luce -
Yay! I have my laptop! It arrived by UPS yesterday along with my Kindle. I've been using a Surface notebook with a touch pad and typing is so much slower on it.
It occurs to me that this group has dwindled to about three people lately. I wonder what everybody is doing and how they are getting along. Jackie and Sandy, do you think we might be boring them to death? LOL.
Here it's sunny and hot. Surprise, surprise. My plans for the day are to go to Sam's Club this morning and pick up a prescription and a few other items. Buy lunch at a local seafood restaurant and take that lunch to the nursing home to share with my mother. About a 30 minute drive to the nursing home.
This afternoon I'll accompany her to bingo. Yesterday afternoon there was no bingo but she and I played some card games in her room. She beat me at Casino and also at Crazy Eight, much to her pleasure. She and my father played cards every afternoon after he retired.
Enjoy your Saturday!
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I'm reading. Just nothing going on to talk about. Supposed to be 84 here today. Doesn't sound too bad except no A/C. Our bedroom is upstairs and gets really warm during the day. Even our ancient cat was all stretched out trying to be cool.
Our neighborhood association is having a street cleanup today. Can't decide whether to go or not. Going to a plant nursery this afternoon with a friend. Must restrain myself.
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Oh my, I hope your wrong Carole. Puffin did come the other day. I think Chevy ( and this does happen at times ) is just wearing out on keeping up with the threads. I'm sort of built in because I leave quotes three different places. Still as Wren noted -- sometimes we don't do a lot and I do worry that no one would get excited too much by my days which are in the main, all pretty much the same.
I wish Chevy though, and others would say hi now and then. I worry about them if we don't hear for awhile. Anne with her big family seems busier with events, good and not so good.
I'm getting ready to go to the Dr.'s birthday party. His sister came from Arizona to cook for everyone. I will be so happy to meet her. Talked to her on the phone a lot the yrs. I stayed at the house with my patient with Dr. was gone with his wife. She was always wonderful to chat with on the phone so really looking forward to this.
Anyway -- maybe some people will stop in and say hi -- they will save us from our boring selves, right !!!
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Did anyone see on the news where a woman doing research in eastern Washington called 911 to report she was 30 ft up in a tree surrounded by wolves? Someone offered a helicopter which saw the wolves and landed, which scared them away. Very grateful researcher was rescued. I think this is the ultimate measure of a bad day. From now on I'll tell myself I'm not 30ft up in a tree surrounded by wolves.
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Hi, ladies. I am also reading - just not a lot to write about. Very hot & humid here in the greater Cinci area. Trying to stay cool!
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I keep up with reading too. I spent3 hours both yesterday and today helping sell brats at a fundraiser for our DAR, in a shack in the parking lot of a grocery store in the 88 degree heat. So relieved I didn't have to be out in the sun grilling the brats, I took the customer's money. Looking forward to some cooler weather this next week.
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Upon reflection, cooped up indoors in an air-conditioned living room hemmed in by kitties definitely beats being treed by wolves.
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I'm glad the researcher in the tree, surrounded by wolves, was rescued! Yes, being stopped in traffic on I-12 a mile from my exit is definitely better!
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The first principle of ethical power is purpose. By purpose, I don't mean your objective or intention-something toward which you are always striving. Purpose is something bigger. It is the picture you have of yourself--the kind of person you want to be or the kind of life you want to lead. -Ken Blanchard
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Seems once again it is proven that most of us don't ( no matter how upsetting or deeply annoying ) have such awful problems. Then again -- we are meant to learn many useful things from our problems. Like the best way to solve them that is beneficial as well as ethical -- and to show to others that it is possible. We never know who is near-by that has some need of learning too. It is not always ourselves but others who will get some benefit. I will admit though -- whether you look at things ( and I do ) like this or not, it can get VERY frustrating at times. So here's to being a little more okay with our personal albatrosses. Thanks Wren, I think we all needed that.
Had a storm last night -- that we thought was going to miss us. We were able to get home though before any real water though there was plenty of thunder and lightning. We had been at Dr.'s B 80th. birthday party. The coming storm ( though we were there plenty long ) cleared out the invitees fairly quickly once it became imminent.
We will have a dryer but humid Sunday. Don't need to say humidity is quite disliked. I do hope you are all going to have a great Sunday and I do want to say a big thanks to all who checked in. I feel good that all are okay and just 'doing' your thing mainly. Blessing both Carole and Joyce who keep their mothers close in their hearts. They can only stay so long with us so making the most of that time as you are able will keep any regret at bay.
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We missed the storm last night, so I'm heading out to the deck to water the tomatoes & herbs. Strangely, the variety we have is Brandywine "SuperDwarf," which is supposed to produce full-sized purple heirlooms on a short stalk in a smaller pot. Our plants are about 4' tall, transplanted into 18" pots, and fruiting copiously in cherry-tomato-size clusters--which are ripening while still small. Wonder if they will enlarge after ripening?
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