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

IllinoisLady

I know this is something you've probably already thought about, but wondering if maybe someone can drive with you. Mainly thinking to warm the car up good, so you only would have to go from house to car, then let you out at the door of the chemo center, then reverse the process going home. Do you get an extended forecast so that maybe you could skip this appt. and make it for a few days later.

Just a couple of thoughts off the top of my head. I think waiting a few days shouldn't be a major issue but your chemo center could also tell you that. I don't blame you a bit for the huge apprehension/upset and fright. You have to do the things that FEEL right to you to take care of yourself. I hope you get good answers that can make you as comfortable as it is possible to be.

MCBaker

A warm car is not a problem. I use a transportation service, and the car is well warmed when they come to pick me up. But they sometimes shut down when conditions are too dangerous, which would remove me from the decision.

I will have to call and see what they can do. Going over Tuesday when the weather is (slightly) warmer, and staying overnight would be an option, if they do such things.

IllinoisLady

When our life is filled with the desire to see holiness in everyday life, something magical happens; ordinary life becomes extraordinary, and the very process of life begins to nourish your soul.

Harold Kushner

IllinoisLady

Brrr, but it is all right for now -- about 40 degrees. The cold artic air will be moving in though likely after maybe some rain. Hmm, it will be tough for a couple of days or so, but warmer is returning -- I hope. Sounds faster than I thought for sure. Maybe our ( oh I so hope ) our shortened winter will start to move away with only an occasional OFF day or two to remind us that we are starting to look forward to the ascent of Springtime. A lot of work will begin then since we were not able to get to the fall cleaning chores.

I don't see it as much of an issue. It is a lot of work all at once more or less no matter if it takes place in late fall or early spring. I just look forward to the activity of using the energy to get it done. Good for what ails me calorie wise for sure during the winter days that keep you inside.

Saying hi to Joan and others. Hope you all have a good Monday and can take steps to protect yourself from the harsh weather many will have.

MCBaker

Appt is rescheduled for Friday. I guess some called in to cancel. Glad I rescheduled, The quicker I get done with this twelve weeks, the better.

ChiSandy

Starting tomorrow night, we will have the coldest temps we've seen in decades. 19 now and snowing (sigh, again), going down to -1 overnight. High of 3F tomorrow, dipping to -22 by Wed. morning. High Wed. will be -13, going down to -24 by Thurs. morning. (We may even break the record low of -27). Thurs. high will "climb" to -1, back down to -3 by the time we leave for Midway Fri. morning for our flight to Vegas (assuming planes are even taking off). Natch, once we leave it'll be back up to the 30s & 40s here. Wonder what awaits us on our return Tues. night?

Meanwhile, the always-controversial "dibs" tradition has begun. In Chicago, for decades many people who shovel out their cars mark the spot with lawn furniture, weighted plastic milk crates, orange traffic cones, sandbags, whatever. They figure that they've done the work but nobody else should be able to avail themselves of it. We have a 2-car garage; but Bob's Fusion has low ground clearance and might not be able to clear the "hump" down the center of the alley or make it into or out of the garage. (The city doesn't plow alleys--the best it can do is send garbage trucks forward & backwards to compact the snow. Back in Jan. 2014, someone paid a Sno-Cat to come through our alley and flatten out the "hump"). Our snow guy shovels out an "apron" behind Bob's side of the garage, but he (the snow guy) is in extreme demand and might not make it back for another pass before the end of the evening.

As for me, I drive an Outback (which Bob refuses to drive--he says he'd rather pay through the nose for Ubers down to his S.W. suburban hospitals) with AWD. I've never gotten stuck--but then again, this is the first year since 2014 that we've had so much snow. And I might have flat spots in my tires--hoping my emergency inflater has a long enough hose to reach from the power port to all four tires. (Not to mention my tires have nitrogen--not sure if it's safe to add plain ol' air). My housekeeper spent 2 hrs. shoveling out first her backyard parking slab (husband's car) and then her own car out front of her house--only to find a flat tire and 3 gradually flattening ones. By the time she got out of JustTires, it was already way past noon. Hope I see her tomorrow--she says she'll be in each day the rest of the week.

All that remains of our weekend leftovers is salad, salad and more salad. I'll probably try to make some pasta or risotto tonight. Might order out for Chinese food from the pan-Asian joint around the corner. I'm not crazy about their stir-fries, which are all sauced with sweet-spicy brown glop regardless of what protein they contain--but it'll be hot and I won't have to go out to get it. I am also getting very low on one of my meds for which I must bring in a paper prescription (which I have, but waited to fill because Humana says it was too early). Not going out tonight. Hope I don't have to go out tomorrow--because my pharmacies don't deliver. At least it's a pill I split into half-doses.

Just had some instant (Starbucks K-cup) cocoa. Funny how it warms me much better than coffee or tea! (Filling, too).

Wren44

Sandy, I do not envy you those temps. Yikes, it's worse than Alaska. And I do remember the wind in Chicago. The same weather system is giving us warm temps and sun until Thursday. 49 here right now.

ChiSandy

Just found out Vegas will have highs only in the 50s while we're there, so we will keep our light jackets on after stuffing the down coats, hats, scarves, gloves & boots into the empty suitcase we'll be checking. No need to pack swimsuits, as the pool is outdoor only and closed till March. It'll rain Sat. but IIRC the resort lends umbrellas. The spa supposedly offers nail services (will call for an appt. Wed. if I decide to cancel my regular mani here due to extreme cold). We'll be returning to 20s & 30s here Tues. night & Wed. I can certainly live with that. (Hope NOLA in mid-March will be warmer).

IllinoisLady

We are all of us cut off from nature, and not only the town dwellers. It is perhaps important to remember something that we sometimes forget: that a field is as much a human product as a street. It is only on the seashore, on the moors, and in a few forests, that we see nature anything like what it was before man interfered with it. Yet if we are intellectually and emotionally cut off from nature, we suffer a loss which is hard to define.

J.B.S. Haldane

IllinoisLady

Sunny here this a.m. I must say Chicago is really getting hit hard. We will not have it nice here, but next to Chicago, tolerable for a lot of people. Wren, I think you are right -- the lakes and the wind in Chicago can do a lot even when the temps. are not near what they are going to be in this cold snap. Just hoping all who live in Chicago and here do okay and can skip having to be outside as much as possible. Even being used to colder as Chicagoans are, it will be brutal.

Here as mentioned, not great. We had a local ( sent by computer ) advisory to start our faucets dripping. We will do that a bit later. I think we will be okay this morning and while the sun is out fairly strong. But no need to take chances. We have never had to worry before, but since this cold snap is only for a couple of days I'd rather be safe than sorry. I think we have wrap on some of our pipes, but it may not be enough. A couple times in the past yrs. our water came through pretty slow so not going to take a chance. We have not updated any of that ever. Dh is no longer flexible enough to go under the house so we need to do other things -- like dripping the faucets.

Thinking of all of you. Stay safe and stay in if you can. I'll go out and see about my kitties but plan to go out and start my car at least 10 to 15 mins. prior to using it. If I do find a need that sends me out I don't plan ( hopefully ) to have to stay out any longer than possible. Also because I'd like to re-heat my car as fast as I can if I need to go somewhere. Thinking mainly groceries of some kind. Tried to get all I thought I'd need yesterday -- so should be okay.

Wren44

This would be the time to pay extra and have the store get everything together and ready to load in the car. A couple of stores do that here (competing with Amazon). I don't know what it costs, but I've seen clerks putting it all together from a list. Here they also advise leaving the cabinet under the sink open if your sink is on an outside wall. We have only needed to do that a couple of times.

The weather just seems brutal in the cold parts of the country. And someone just posted that Australia has been the hottest place in the world during the past week.

IllinoisLady

Wren, never thought of leaving a cabinet open. Only our kitchen sink is on an outside wall. I'm going to leave it open. Our shower is on an outside wall, but the bathtub and sink are not in the same bathroom -- so I think we are okay. Sure not looking forward to the drop in temps later today. Started at 13 this morning. I think it got up to 19. I think the sun is making it very tolerable outside but I still wouldn't spend any more time out than I had to.

ChiSandy

Can't leave the undersink cabinet open, as it contains stuff like cleansers and dishwasher pods...and we have curious kitties. But we're trickling all the faucets--as advised, a mix of hot & cold water. We do that whenever it dips into single digits. And after the end of gardening season, we always turn off the faucet at the hose bib and wrap it in burlap. Going upstairs to change into Spanx & sweats (with a fleece hoodie over them). We have the thermostat cranked to 80, but the front room downstairs can't get warmer than 60-65.

If I am crazy enough to go out tomorrow or Thurs., I will wear long johns, T-shirt, sweater & jeans--plus either UGGs or 2 pr. socks in my waterproof no-skid boots. Hat with earlaps, fake fur infinity scarf, muffler over my nose & mouth, and either my insulated leather parka or long shearling coat (which I hope will stay closed--the buttons keep loosening and I can't keep velcro dots glued to it without them falling off). Shearling mittens too. (And if the shearling coat, will swap out the black hat for a tan shearling one). Fri. morning it'll still be around zero, with light snow (ugh, not again). I will wear a leather blazer beneath a down puffer jacket, plus UGGs & all my hat/scarf/gloves gear, and put a pair of sneakers & socks in an otherwise empty 32" suitcase. When we get inside Midway, I'll change out of the UGGs into the sneakers & socks and we'll all put our winter gear into the suitcase and check it.

It's 1 above right now--with more snow showers. This is already getting old.

ChiSandy

Oh, and dunno if I posted this, but:

My new Warby Parker readers. (They look big, but, like the new progressives, are classified as "narrow" fit. That's how narrow my face is. Not sure why my right eye looks smaller from that angle, but other angles aren't so flattering). I put them on to read a magazine, and didn't have to hold it far from my face. I'd forgotten how good a proper pair of reading glasses can be. (Because of astigmatism, I can't wear "drugstore" readers--they make all rectangles & squares look like parallelograms).

Wren44

Sandy, Those are downright cute! I like cat-eye glasses.

I have astigmatism too. When I saw Van Gogh's Starry Night, I thought, yeah that's how they look to me too.

IllinoisLady

"The light of meaning is within us. Happiness, peace, and love are energies that vibrate though the universe. And you and I are channels through which the light of meaning flows."

- Lauren Rosenfeld

IllinoisLady

Brrr, very cold this a.m. It will warm I think to as much as 18 degrees. The sun is out bright and that will be the thing that does it. Our water is fine this morning and glad to have that sun though it won't be on the back of the house which is where our kitchen happens to be -- but we checked it all out and no slow-down so we are okay for now. We do have the next 24 hours to get through though. Hopefully will do fine. After that we go back to better temps -- almost balmy actually. Unbelievable to a degree to have such wild swings -- but something we have seen ( this is a bit more on the drastic aside with the polar vortex ) for the last few yrs. I've kept Claritin in business that is for sure.

Take care everyone.

jo6359

chisandy- glad you're able to catch a reprieve from that horrific weather in Chicago. I had to laugh when I read a description of how you pack to travel to the airport. Hilarious. I'm sitting on my patio with my fire pit on. The temperature is in the high 60s. It was a gorgeous day blue skies and sunshine. We are expecting cooler weather during the next few days. Nothing like most of you are getting up north and in the Midwest. If possible stay inside or catch a plane to a sunny destination

ChiSandy

Awoke to -22F and warmed up to -11F, before heading back down again. (-16 now, -27 predicted by morning). We won't see anything in Chicago as warm as 18 above till we return next Tues. night. And as I predicted, there will be lows in the single digits, and snow again after we get home. It may be as warm as zero by the time we get a ride (IF we can get a ride) to Midway Fri. morning. And there's no guarantee that even if our flight doesn't get cancelled, we won't get bumped in favor of those stuck at the airport the past 3 days. And if that happens, SW is under no obligation to compensate us or get us to Vegas by Fri. night because the problem is "weather-related." We'd have no recourse, and could lose the prepaid cost of our suite Fri. night if we can't fly out till Sat.

JCSLibrarian

Geez! Flying is a crap shoot anymore. My father was an airline pilot and he couldn’t stand the way the airlines started running. Good luck tomorrow ChiSandy!

Saw the Genetic Counselor today. We will do a panel testing 29 genes for mutations. Hopeful that at least one is responsible for the cancer and can be targeted with some kind of chemo. If not the info will be kept for future use. The oncologist came in and we chatted about the new “cure” being touted by the Israeli company. He said while anything is possible, it is not probable that this is a cure that will be ready by 2020. The oncologist also stated he did not like or understand why people drink green smoothies. It is fun to tease with him. Columbia is so small we determined the counselor’s family is distantly related to my husband’s family. And I played cards tonight withsome girlfriends. Wore my new wig. They all thought it looked great.

Hope all are staying warm as can be expected. This should be out of here by the weekend. Super bowl predictions?

jo6359

JCS- I'm betting on Tom Brady in the Patriots.

ChiSandy

JCS, I'm with your onc on the green smoothies--they look and sound like punishment, Bleccch. If i want to drink veggies I'll chug a V-8, sodium be hanged.

Bob has a patient with a stretch limo. If we offer him enough, and he wants to drive in subzero snow showers, that may solve at least the problem of getting to Midway on Fri. (In rotten weather, we've learned that trying to reserve or order a rideshare or taxi can be dicey).

IllinoisLady

As soon as man does not take his existence for granted,
but beholds it as something
unfathomably mysterious, thought begins.
- Albert Schweitzer

IllinoisLady

Have we really learned enough about caring for ourselves if we have not learned the very deep value of caring for others. We really are just one -- different shades, different textures, different lives all feeding back to the heavens as one.

We are all citizens of one world, we are all of one blood.
To hate people because they were born in another country,
because they speak a different language, or because they
take a different view on this subject or that, is a great folly.
Desist, I implore you, for we are all equally human. . . .
Let us have but one end in view: the welfare of humanity.

Johann Amos Comenius

IllinoisLady

I believe that the first test of a truly great person is one's humility. I do not mean by humility, doubt of one's own powers. But really great people have a curious feeling that the greatness is not in them but through them. And they see something divine in every other person. -John Ruskin

IllinoisLady

Just wow !! It was nice yesterday at about 45 degrees, and today we are starting the morning ( oops, no sun ) with fog. It will warm to around 56 or so and then the next two days in the 60's. This is a bit more like what our February weather can be like though even then it is normally more toward middle of the month. It is just very nice ( hello sinuses ) to go from that bitter below zero wind chill when we were at zero two or three days ago to what almost feels like summer warmth. I do think I can get out and start doing some moderate yard cleaning though we will go back to cooler fairly quick. I will get a chance to try out that new mower we bought when Sears here was having its final days.

Other than that -- not a whole lot going on. Have to run to the bank this morning and put in the bill paying funds. Also feed my feral kitty. The pretty white female was trapped and will be spayed and handed over to a rescue. I will miss her. I'm sure Lisa took her thinking that she would be as easy adoption. I hope she is right. She was white with lt. crystal blue eyes. Very attractive. in the five yrs. I fed her I was only able to touch her once. She was very feral, but so pretty and I think a lot of people 'tried' to get her to take home which never worked and only made her more wary of people. I hope she does well. So, I have one regular, and several on occasion, kitties.

Hope you all have a great Saturday.

ChiSandy

Slowly adjusting to being out west, in a 24/7 culture with (relatively) nice weather. Yesterday was a very long day, arising at 6:30am CT and going to sleep at 1am PT (and I actually started falling asleep during Bill Maher's show at midnight). Irregular eating too: a shot of espresso before leaving home, a bag of mini-pretzels and two cheese sandwich crackers on the plane as breakfast, half a tuna sandwich as late lunch, and sharing an “omakase" Japanese dinner at Katsuya with Bob, Gordy & his DGF Leslie. Slept till 10:30am today and am slowly trying to (as Bob used to say when we were much younger) figure out which way “up" is. Tummy kinda touchy after coffee this morning, and I hope dealing with it doesn't occupy the bulk of the rest of the day. The kids are going to Rao's for dinner before seeing Van Morrison in concert tonight. Bob & I haven't figured out tonight for ourselves, but most of his day will be in the casino at Circus Circus next door. I don't like to gamble (I'm no good at it anyway) so I will likely Uber it to Fashion Show Mall toshop for a pair of sneakers. Lots of walking here due to distances between venues; I spent too long in my good walking oxfords yesterday and need to give them a rest, and my orthopedic flats aren't up to very long walks—especially In the chilly rain predicted for the rest of our stay.

Did visit the Essence dispensary last night to get just enough THC to microdose with my CBD for pain-free sleep (didn't think it was safe to bring a THC-containing edible or tincture across state lines). Turns out that a patient with a valid MMJ permit from any state can buy on a NV dispensary's medical side rather than waiting in long lines on the recreational side. Got some gummies I can cut up for microdosing. (Will have to figure out how to get them discreetly home—worst that can happen is the TSA sees them when X-raying my checked bag and confiscates them; not gonna try carrying them in my carry-ons). I got a first-timer discount; and the medical stuff here actually has more CBD & CBN for therapeutic purposes. It's a different world here: even the hotel spa where I had my manicure yesterday carries CBD topicals! (I got a transdermal patch in case my back doesn't behave itself)

Leslie has to leave early tomorrow a.m. to be ready for work Monday morning. We have to sit through the obligatory timeshare review presentation at 1 tomorrow (Gordy too, as he will inherit our points); the game is at 3:30, and not sure if there is a Super Bowlparty (and space still available) at the sports book at Park MGM, where we're seeing Lady Gaga at 8. There's an Eataly there, but I don't want to eat anywhere that has a Chicago branch—sorta like going to Europe and eating at MickeyD's (which I've seen fellow tour members do because they feared the unfamiliar). It's gonna be rainy and in the 40s most of this trip; in fact on Monday Chicago will be warmer & drier than here! We go back Tues night to more winter, though they took the deep-freeze out of the forecast. We have to check out at 10 am Tuesday but our flight isn't till 7 (get to the airport by 5). Not looking forward to sightseeing in chilly rain.

IllinoisLady

People who have never had an ideal may hope to find one; they are in a better state than the people who allow the circumstances of life to break their ideal. To fall beneath one's ideal is to lose one's track in life; then confusion rises in the mind, and that light which one should hold high becomes covered and obscured, so that it cannot shine out to light one's path. -Hazrat Inayat Khan

Anneb1149

Hi, all

What wacky weather you northerners are having. Even growing up in NYC , I don't ever remember the temps being negative numbers. I could be wrong, but this seems very extreme. Never been more thankful I live in FL. I sent an email to my family in NY, inviting them to take refuge here, but got only one response and that was negative. Oh, well, I offered.

The "shower replacement" in the master bath has grown. We are replacing the shower, but are also changing the vanities, medicine cabinets and lights in both bathrooms. I paid for the shower from insurance and my daughter offered to put the same amount in for the other stuff. The contractor told us the tile for the shower would be about $300- I don't know where he was shopping, but I ended up paying about $1000 on it. I am very frustrated because I can't find the sinks I want. I LOVE the countertop in my bathroom in GA, but I don't know what it's called. It's not a polished finish, and Home Depot didn't have any samples of what I'm looking for. This contractor does very good work, but communication leaves something to be desired. We asked him about making the vanities and he said sure, but hasn't given us a price. Plus we are at the weekend, and the shower is not done. He texted to ask if they could start Tues instead of Mon, and I said no problem. Luis came Tues and demolished the shower. He said Juan ( the contractor) had mentioned that we wanted a niche for shampoo's and stuff, but our walls are not thick enough. I called Juan to see if he could come by with ideas. He couldn't make it till Thurs, so Luis didn't show up Wed. Why one was connected to the other, I don't know. As we were heading in to the bathroom to brainstorm niche ideas, I popped up with the idea of cutting in to the master closet to fit it in. They all said that was a great idea, so as they left (about 7pm) my daughter, her son and I emptied the one side of the closet. What a job! We ended up doing the whole closet on Sat, which was a job my daughter put off for years.

I, of course, am stuck in the house while they are working, which doesn't give me the opportunity to search for sinks. I've tried doing it online, but you can't be sure of the texture. The other thing that drives me crazy is I ask at the end of each day what time they will arrive the next day- they consistently say between 9-9:30 but never arrive till 11. I can't get the them to understand that I don't mind if they work from 11-6. What I don't like is having to set my alarm for 8 so I am sure I am up and dressed up in case they ever do arrive on time.

I probably haven't heard from my daughter in Lake Placid since the day after Christmas other than her responding okay a few times to my "I love you, how are you" texts. Then she texted me this week asking if I could come up and watch the kids on the 7th and 8th at their house. Her ex is going to some seminar. I can't wait.

Hope you are all nice and warm and cozy,

Anne

Wren44

Snowing lightly here. Barely coating, so won't last long. It's supposed to be 27 tomorrow at 7am. Yikes! I plan to dress very warmly for my bus ride. I have an appt at the top of a hill tomorrow morning and I'm not even going to try to drive.