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

Taco1946

Beaglelove - Anxiety on top of anxiety is not good. I agree that more cancer is unlikely at this point, especially if your 3D was OK. Hope you can follow through on the suggestions about seeing your chart sooner. Maybe an extra call to your therapist? Do you have a cancer nurse navigator? Maybe she/he could hurry up the results.

We welcome lurkers but love it when you check in. Small group but very caring. I didn't start hanging out here until after treatment - I was already on several threads - but am glad I have.

Sandy, sounds as if things are going OK. When can you expect the path report?

My excitement for the day is that the clothes rod in the closet crashed. Ken got to remind me again that I have way too many clothes. Went through about half on the floor and have two garbage bags of outfits that I haven't wore in forever to take to the food bank thrift store. Some don't even fit since my weight loss. Ken thinks he can fix it if he can find the bracket - but he really is Lowe's/Home Depot adverse and I don't know if our local Ace Hardware will have what he needs. Oh, and my daughter's foster kitten count is again up to five. How she does it, I'll never know. She is definitely not "one kitty short of being a cat lady."

karen1956

Beaglelove - with time the scanxiety lessens. Give yourself some grace and kindness.

IllinoisLady

Cat ladies. I don't think there is a bad one in the bunch. If you add to that a dog lady as well, then watch out for some overwhelm which does clear up.

IllinoisLady

The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help that would never otherwise have occurred. A stream of events issues from the decision, raising unforeseen incidents and meeting and material assistance, which no person could have dreamt would have come his or her way.

W.H. Murray

IllinoisLady

Overcast this morning and we will have to see if there are showers. Definitely forecast for tonight -- but it sure seems cloudy now. I have to admit back here where we are in so many trees it can look darker than it really is so maybe I am being silly. Nothing much planned for the day. Just going to do what pops up in front of me -- that will keep me good and busy.

I hope you all have a great Friday.

petite1

Good morning, Ladies. Bright and sunny, but should rain this afternoon.

Mom2bill, Welcome.

ChiSandy, My BFF's brother was close to the path of the storm. He still does not have internet. Hope the eye pain is not too bad today.

CindyNY, Glad to hear about the pool. It seems you have been waiting all Summer.

MCBaker, How was the date?

Illinoislady, How are you feeling?

Cowgirl13

IllinoisLady, the W.H. Murray quote is incredibly helpful for me today. The words so describe what can happen when one commits oneself. If I ever needed to read this, it was today. Thank you, thank you.

Liz

IllinoisLady

You are so welcome Cowgirl13. Just an aside, I consider 13 my lucky number. I was born on Friday the 13th. I have also found in my life that my commitments from the heart seem to get great pushes from somewhere that were no-where in evidence before.

Petite -- I am doing pretty good. In a couple of days it will be just about a month since the operation. I still have some very slight soreness at the incision areas, but so thankful that it was laparoscopic robotic surgery which kept me from having one big incision. I have been able to go to bed in my own bed ( no more un-comfy recliner ) and stay there for the last 8 or 9 days and be very comfortable.

The one thing that seems mainly to have helped me is that I sleep fairly soundly. I do get up a couple of times a night to go to the bathroom, but I barely remember it despite thinking on the way back to bed that I hope I can fall asleep easy. When we moved into this house there were two walk-in closets -- one slightly smaller than the other in the bedroom I chose. I took the smallest one and had it made into a half bath. I still wish it has been big enough for a shower stall, but no way to work one in. Minor though since I don't have to walk through half of the house to go to the bathroom at night.

Wren44

Illinois Lady, I'm so jealous. Our bedroom is upstairs and the bathroom is down. When I get up during the night, I curse the stairs that hurt so much to go up and down right now.

MCBaker

The date went fine. He also stopped by today. Another friend was there also, so that inhibited things a bit.

Sandy, I hope your eye thing continues to go well, and is effective in stopping that stuff in its tracks.

I took Tippy for a walk, and he ran into some cockleburrs. I started carrying him, but seventeen pounds was too much for me, so I drafted a guy on the street to carry him the rest of the way. I totally streamed sweat for ten minutes after we got home. I got one out with a comb, but he is wise to that now. the other one I will put some peanut butter on to soften the spines.

Physical therapy is going fine. I am coming to accept that the mild neurological problem I have had all my life is probably CP. But right now I am more concerned about my feet. Using the hiking poles helps me relax while walking, and not fear falling.

CindyNY

Wren44 - me too! I can count those stairs with my eyes closed, and have for many years. FL house has master bath feet from our bed, oh how nice it is! NY house has double hand railings on the stairwell. HA!

petite1

Good morning, Ladies. Rain this morning. Looks like it will be on and off all day. Good day to work on projects. I am refurbishing some old jewelry boxes that I will donate when complete.

IllinoisLady

Silence must be comprehended as not solely the absence of sound. It is the natural environment for serenity and contemplation. Life without silence is life without privacy. The difference between sanity and madness is the quality of our thoughts. Silence is on the side of sanity.

Norman Cousins

IllinoisLady

Great project for a rainy day. I think someone is going to be happy with those boxes.

Okay day here. There is sun -- a bit warmer in temps. then I like but not that bad. It is going to be a lazy Saturday for me. I am only starting to re-plan how I want to get back to all the things I thought would be accomplished by now. The nice part of ( not that I really ever liked it this way ) of having to re-start over for about the third time is that I'll likely be even more ruthless about getting rid of things. That won't be bad at all.

I hope you all have a beautiful day.

ChiSandy

I'm being super-careful descending stairs, of course. (Both banisters, one slow step at a time). I am reading, by zooming the screen and balancing my reading glasses precariously (the "good eye" side's temple over my ear, the other side tilted against the lead shield). In my guest room alone at bedtime, I just have to wear the plastic shell, so my glasses fit fine and I can watch TV and read my cell phone. My poor little girlcat Heidi can't understand why she can't come in and cuddle me, so she meows pitifully and bangs against the closed door. Come Monday, it'll be all right (apologies to Jimmy Buffett).

Beaglelove

Karen1956

I received a call Fri morning that my MRI was benign

I was so happy for about 40 seconds then my mind decided maybe they were just trying to keep me calm as I already had an appointment set up for the 20th but my therapist kindly explained that even before the breast cancer my flight or fight is extremely developed and my mind defaults to the negative but I am learning to retrain my brain ... apparently I'm a slow learner!

Taco1946-I did as you suggested and called my therapist and it was very helpful I started to call about my MRI report when Dr office called me my nurse navigator is out of town but her office still called What a relief.
lovelau- I have been treated for years for anxiety and depression so many drugs I can't list them allThe Psychologists I see now was recommended by my oncologist and she explained that reading my history the meds I was given was for depression and what I actually have is more anxiety due to childhood and this they have other meds that are better for anxiety then when we talked more she asked me a series of questions and said that I have PTSD regarding breast cancer and the other issues. I'm doing a 12 week session especially for PTSD and I have to say I'm down from a 10 to a 7 And at week 6 It's hard work but I see a little gleamer of hop

Beaverntx

Sandy, good to see you posting! Staying in your pocket until some time after Monday.

Karen, great MRI news, the kind we all hope to hear.

Petite, good looking jewelry box!

Weather here is just purely hot and dry!! Running for a record number of triple digit days. There really are some records I would rather not try to break...

CindyNY

Pool: Last night I went out about midnight to see how high the water was. Well, before I got to the pool I spotted a skunk. I ran like the dickens back to the house! This had my heart rate going. The water shut off valve is near the house, so I just turned it off and waited until this morning to finish filling it.

Nieces daughter, soon to be 11, couldn't wait to get in it. It was very hot earlier, but gray clouds with a few rain drops showed up. After all sense of a storm left the area, she jumped in. She loved it! I got the DE in the filter, tested the water, and added chlorine after she was done. I never got in. LOL

Now to get some landscaping done back by the pool. It's all dug up dirt right now. Yard is 150' deep, pool is at the back edge of property. I'm thinking landscaping fabric and stone to cover it all! Such a mess right now. Last pool was installed so long ago, I forgot the mess.

Everyone sounds to be doing well today, except Sandy's kitty Heidi. Soon she'll be snuggling!

Take it easy and enjoy Sunday. I'm hoping for a lazy day after a good nights sleep.

IllinoisLady

Beaglelover: Wow -- so glad the Dr. you have now has figured out that you will likely have a good deal more success with your meds if they are for anxiety. That with the PTSD work sounds so promising. I am wishing you so well.

Cindy: Sheesh -- the skunk. I would have ran too -- you would have had to fill your bath-tub with tomato juice if you had tangled with that skunk. Maybe they have something better now ??

((((Sandy )))))

IllinoisLady

No person can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep in the dawning of your knowledge. The teachers who walk in the shadow of the temple, among their followers, give not of their wisdom but rather of their faith and their lovingness. If they are indeed wise they do not bid you enter the house of their wisdom, but rather lead you to the threshold of your own mind. -Khalil Gibran

MCBaker

My daughter sent me a package of bedding from her deceased dog. She wants me to make a stuffed comfort-animal to ease her grief. I tore the bedding apart last night, and tossed all except the plush cover. Tippy and I went to bed mad at each other, but by morning the smell was gone, and we forgave each other. The plush did not permanently absorb the odor. Only smells heavily of laundry perfume.

My PT will be doing a re-evaluation in a few weeks, and she already notes a big improvement.

BlueGirlRedState

CindyNY - aren't skunks fun! We were sleeping on the porch and thought the dog might want to join us since he was barking. Before I could grab him, he scampered into the night. Only gone for a minute or two.......came back with a grin and smelling like skunk. The various skunk-offs sort of work, but often hard since face involved.

ChiSandy

Beaglelove, you asked about where to get CBD. It is legal everywhere now. Most chain drugstores nowadays (CVS, Walgreen's, RiteAid) carry the topicals and some even have the pills or capsules. A lot of natural food boutiques carry them too. Online, the brand I like best is Receptra Naturals (receptranaturals.com)--sustainably farmed in Colorado and independently third-party-tested and verified. It comes in tinctures (oil you put under your tongue as drops) and capsules; as well as topical forms for muscle aches. For tinctures, I also like Bluebird, Evexia and Select. Other brands I like for capsules are Mary's Nutritionals, Plant People, Sopris and Sunsol. I would avoid shops with signs that say "CBD Kratom Vape" (or in whatever order)--they usually are more for vapers, and most of their staff don't have the necessary expertise. If you expect to get drug-tested for work (or, heaven forbid, traffic stops), make sure you get "zero-THC," "THC-free," "isolate," or "broad spectrum" brands. "Full spectrum" is the most effective, but it can lawfully contain up to 0.3% THC (which will show up in a drug test). "Broad spectrum" has all the beneficial terpenes that help produce an "entourage effect" (i.e., the synergy of the terpenes and the CBD) but no THC. If you can buy in person, I would advise doing so because the mails are so slow these days (the worry over "when will it get here?" will do your PTSD no favors). The chain drugstores usually carry the Charlotte's Web or Medterra brands. Or request UPS delivery. The stuff isn't cheap, but it is quite effective. Start low, increasing dosage gradually until you notice relief.

Wren44

Good advice, Sandy and exactly what I'm looking for. My back pain is really intense and Tylenol doesn't do much. PCP doesn't want me to use Ibuprofen because of high BP. I'm using it anyway. I'm also begging for more diagnostics since it's looking like a pinched nerve somewhere.

Taco1946

Beaglelove - So glad you got an early call and also that you called your therapist. Many people suffer PTSD just from a cancer diagnosis. I can only imagine how bad it is when the diagnosis is added to previous trauma. It's OK to talk about your fears here. No judgement. We just want what's best for you. The 12 weeks will be hard but sounds as if you are getting lots out of it.

DH isn't the least bit handy but he did get the pole in the closet replaced and I have five bags to take to the thrift store so hopefully it's won't collapse again. Cleaning the closet is of those jobs I kept telling myself to do but hadn't. Have two grant proposals to write for the food bank this week.

Usually we'd be in Maine this week with family. My sister's birthday is tomorrow and our daughter's 50th is Saturday. I keep reminding myself that it is minor disruption to our lives compared to so many others. We had surf and turf at our golf club last night - the only place I feel comfortable eating. But it was excellent - not making up for fresh off the boat but very nice.

Hope all goes well tomorrow, Sandy.

IllinoisLady

We can develop gratitude for all conditions, good or bad. Each has its necessary place in our development as healthy, happy people. We need the sorrows along with the joys if we are to gain new insights. Our failures keep us humble; they remind us of our need for the care and guidance of others. And for every hope dashed, we can remember, one will be realized. -unattributed

IllinoisLady

(((((Sandy))))))

Looking nice outside. I think we are in for cooler this week. Sure hope so. Maybe a spot shower this evening. Usually means we won't see anything. Just as long as we don't have to get the dreaded humidity it will be okay with me. We have been super wet so I don't need the rain. I do need to get my car cleaned up though. It shows the effects of the last round of rains. Bath time.

Hope you all have a really nice day. Wishing everyone well who are dealing with medical issues or home repairs. Hope it all goes great.

petite1

Good morning, ladies. It is hot and muggy. Tuesday I have my mamo and ultrasound. Weds. it will be 1 year since the cancer diagnosis. As my husband says, the Oh S**T moment.

IllinoisLady

There is a Native American saying: "Don't judge another person until you have walked a mile in their moccasins." It is a freeing experience to suspend your judgments, let go of demands, and imagine yourself in the shoes of another. It expands our understanding, leads to compassion, and helps us to become closer to one another. -Charlotte Davis Kasl

petite1

Good morning, ladies. So far it appears my mammogram and ultrasound show surgical changes. I see the MO next week. Hope everyone is having a pleasant day.