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

ChiSandy

Good to hear from you again, Puffin. Hope you're staying safe. Another of our ND sisters, ruthbru, is battling COVID at home (she caught it despite being ultra-careful). As of last night she was improving. Fingers (and toes and even eyes) crossed for a complete recovery!

Had my ocular-onc appt. today. Bad(-ish) news is that we don't have a path report because the location & minuscule size of the tumor made it impossible to safely harvest enough cells to assay for markers w/o risking spread. (But I'd been warned that was likely). Good news is that the tumor has shrunken by 10% (in 3 months). The onc. says that's excellent, and it should continue to shrink (albeit more slowly) over the next 3 years, possibly to only 40% of its original size (which was 2.6mm). My vision has improved with the new progressives prescription: I gained 2 "lines" at the bottom of the chart in the L eye and lost nothing in the R. The onc. says there will be a staff meeting at UIC Hosp. this week, which will probably result in a decision to cancel all elective procedures (i.e., those not for life-saving purposes). So no cataract or retina surgeries till the "curve bends" down sufficiently. Think I'll defer rescheduling my allergy challenge test too, which is as "elective" as it gets. I will likely keep next week's mani-pedi appt. so long as the salon is allowed to remain open. (Our state's new "Tier 3" mitigations under the "stay-home advisory" are less strict than those in force during last spring's "stay-home order"). Bob says Christ Hosp. has already canceled electives--and may actually include heart valve replacements, LVADs and Watchman implantations in that definition. We dipped below 10K new cases today for the first time in well over a week, but deaths & hospitalizations are up.

The "kids" will come over T'giving eve to sit on the deck for distanced & masked cocktails, coffee & dessert. Bob & I will have Cellars' catered turkey-breast dinner delivered hot on T-day itself--just the two of us.

Taco1946

We're going to cook although there will just be us and our "bubble bubbies." I'll send left-overs home with them and we will enjoy them too. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I still do several recipes that were served at our extended family dinners when I was a child. I will get out the china and silver and table cloth. I don't do that very often any more. For the last two years, Debbie and Larry were with family so we roasted a chicken but we did do a couple sides and pumpkin pie. I was grateful to find a reasonably sized turkey today when we were buying turkeys for the food bank. The FB expects to provide food for 6000 families M-W. It will be crazy over there.

Beaverntx

We are planning for the two of us for Thanksgiving. We said no to DS1 and DS2 and their families (a total of 10 to 12 depending on which college kids are at home) in the hope that it might be safer for Christmas. So hard to say no but with rising covid rates, just does not feel safe or wise to mix households.

carolehalston

Sorry to hear about Ruthbru. I hope she recovers without lingering health issues.

DH and I will be home alone for Thanksgiving. His nephew who lives south of Chicago promised to call and Facetime with us. He is having a small Thanksgiving gathering. I'm thankful we had no invitation to a large family gathering to be declined.

Our Covid numbers are rising, too. I'm afraid the gyms will need to be closed again.

Dermatologist appointment today.

I'm loving the wonderful cooler weather. Cold nights with temperatures warming up during the day with sunshine.

petite1

Good morning, ladies. Warmer today 63 this morning and going to 73. I have a follow up for labs and visit with MO today.

jhl

I have my first post-lumpectomy 12 month mammogram tomorrow. I feel oddly calm about the whole thing. I am a bit concerned about pain in my surgical breast but I know it is fleeting.

We are joining our DD & DS and their families for Thanksgiving. We have maintained our 'bubble' safely these last 9 months so we feel comfortable together. My assignment is desserts which is pretty easy for me. I do have to find some gluten free recipes for my eldest grandson though.

Jane

Beaverntx

Jane, what kind of gluten free recipes do you need? I am sensitive to gluten so I have been looking into such recipes. There are some excellent websites. I'd be happy to chime in if you are looking for something in particular.

jhl

Thank you for your offer. My grandson is six so he has the peculiar tastes of children. He also has biopsy confirmed celiac disease so I am very careful to only bake on days I will not be baking non-GF foods. So, I need to have it be a make-ahead dessert (like the day before so I can be sure my oven is clean). Like all six year olds, he likes chocolate & peanut butter. He really avoids things that are too sweet though. For example, he likes the taste of hot chocolate but can't finish it because it is too sweet (his words). He might like pumpkin but he's never had much because he would say his tummy hurt before he was diagnosed.

So, do you have any recipes that are GF with a chocolate/peanut butter &/or pumpkin profile that is not too sweet for a child?

Thank you so very much. This is only the second Thanksgiving I am embracing GF cooking & I want him to feel included, not excluded.

Jane

karen1956

Jane - what about almond flour - I've used in recipes and substituted almond flour for regular flout. Chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies. Costco has almond flour at a decent price for a large bag.

jhl

Karen,

I admit to not being familiar with how to change a regular recipe to a GF one by substituting flours. If I can learn how to do that I can adjust my regular recipes to GF.

Jane

ChiSandy

Birch Benders makes 2 kinds of keto, GF pancake mixes--regular and chocolate chip. High Key makes GF keto choc. chip mini-cookies. Bob's Red Mill makes a paleo baking blend (no grains).

petite1

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup brown sugar

6 ounces chocolate chips

1 egg

pre heat oven at 350 degrees

beat peanut butter, brown sugar, baking soda and egg. Stir in chips.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 10 minutes - cool

IllinoisLady

The key to success, and to happiness,
is being fully engaged in life -
leading yourself with inspiration and committed action -
setting your own fine and honorable example.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Beaverntx

Jane, if you can find a frozen gluten free crust you could make a pumpkin pie. To suit my father's taste I learned to make the filling with less sugar, more spice and a bit more milk (clearly he liked pie but was not enamored with the taste of pumpkin!). When I have been able to find the GF crusts they worked out well. When I have extra pumpkin pie filling I bake the filling in a small Pyrex dish, who says you have to have crust?😃

kathindc

Beaverntx, I have made the pumpkin pie filling and poured it into the individual size baking dishes. Makes a nice single portion and cuts out the extra carbs of the crust. And I am prone to using double the spices.

IllinoisLady

Petite, the cookies sound yummy. I don't have any diet restrictions -- but if it sounds good, try it, I say.

karen1956

Jane, At Passover I use my regular recipes (from year round) and use Almond flour instead of potato starch and matzo meal). That is the only time I use Almond flour.

Wishing everyone a safe, healthy relaxing week-end.

CindyNY

I'll be making 3 or 4 pies for the holidays. So far we're lucky no dietary restrictions. I made a mistake 30+ years go and used sweetened condensed milk in my pumpkin pie. I like it much better and still use it to this day!

We got up to 58 today. Got the walk in, yard work done, even set the Ring door bell up outside. We had it situated in the front porch, but knowing we plan to leave and with warm weather, it was time to move it out.

Latest home improvement, we're getting a new roof. We could get a spot or two repaired but it's close to 23-25 years old, and brittle. Winters have taken a toll. Probably start on it the week after Thanksgiving.

Enjoy the weekend!

pingpong1953

Keywestfan, Sandy was on Jeopardy? Really?

MCBaker

pingpong:

That slid right past my eye. Good catch.

Nov 18, 2020 04:52AM keywestfan wrote:

Sandy,

On a different note, of course you were on Jeopardy- you know tons about tons of everything

Sandy, it is up to you to confirm or deny.

keywestfan

Pingpong1953.Really

IllinoisLady

The simplification of life is one of the steps to inner peace. A persistent simplification will create an inner and outer well-being that places harmony in one's life. For me this began with the discovery of the meaninglessness of possessions beyond my actual and immediate needs. -Peace Pilgrim

ChiSandy

It was in 1996--for years, my mom had been nagging me to try out and every time we visited L.A. I made excuses why I hadn't. But we were there for Northwestern's appearance in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day, so to get her off my back I promised to call for the test, knowing of course it would take far more notice than that. I called a couple of days before leaving, but to my surprise the production assistant said the last test of the season was the very next morning and there was room for one more. I went the next day and got only one out of 50 questions wrong. Only five out of 40 qualified based on the test, and we all passed the audition as well. We were told that we'd be called in June. Well, 2 weeks later I got the call--to tape on Valentine's Day. I practiced like crazy with a penlight, boned up on a billion things.

Unfortunately, I was matched with the guy who at the time was the all-time single-day money winner, and another guy who'd won 3 games and lost his fourth in Final Jeopardy. He appealed (on the basis of semantics) and that day became his 5th try (but he lost again too). I was doomed. (And it was years before I could hear Weird Al's "I Lost on Jeopardy" without cringing). I got a satellite dish system (with USSB & DIrecTV subscriptions) and "lovely parting gifts." Turns out the system was worth $1100 back then, I had planned to ditch cable & buy a dish anyway, and the L.A. Pen Show was the next day--so I had a little "mad money" to indulge my fountain pen collecting habit.

I did appeal, though--the returning champ was 7 ft. tall, folded his arms, and hid the buzzer in his opposite armpit. The rules expressly stated that you had to hold the buzzer in one hand and use only the thumb or fingers of that hand to hit the button--not the desk or any other body part. The other guy & I were sure he was working the button by flapping his arm, so we both appealed...our appeals were denied because camera angles couldn't tell whether he was using his armpit to contact the button or simply his thumb (albeit hidden). I was told I could re-audition in five years...but by then they changed the rules to ban former contestants from re-testing. They did say I should test for "Wheel of Fortune," however. (Never did).

Other rule changes since then: in 1996, dollar values per question were much less, any winnings over $75,000 (even cumulative) had to go to one's charity of choice, and after winning 5 games one had to retire as an "undefeated champion" eligible to return for tournaments. (Way, way before Ken Jennings & James Holzhauer).

jhl

Goodness Sandy. That is truly a story for the ages.

Who knew we had a real celebrity with us?

IllinoisLady

Truth is the beginning of every good thing, both in heaven and on earth; and the person who would be blessed and happy should be from the first a partaker of truth, for then that person can be trusted. -Plato

CeliaC

Sandy - How great that you were on Jeopardy! Especially poignant with the recent passing of Alex Trebek. DH and I are faithful followers of Jeopardy & depending on the topics, some days we get more answers than others. We always challenge one another on the Final Jeopardy question. Thought about taking the test, but a friend from work is an absolute trivia whiz stated she took it and did not pass. Wonder what will happen to Jeopardy when they run out of the currently taped shows.

ChiSandy

Dunno if I mentioned it here, but the first money I ever earned was on the original Art Fleming-hosted "Jeopardy." I was 14 and a high school sophomore. In NYC public high schools (which for all except parochial school grads started with 10th grade), we had a 2-week "intersession" between semesters. One day my friends & I took the subway into Manhattan and went to see as many game show tapings as we could (they were freebies, and there were "barkers" on the sidewalk outside the studios looking for audience members). The announcer for "Jeopardy" did the warmup, asking individual audience members to "question the answers." I won a crisp new $2 bill, which I still have...packed away somewhere. After the shows, we went to the Automat before heading home.

IllinoisLady

A garden that never died eventually would weary. Robbed of springtime, unacquainted with the extraordinary perfume that rises from the soil after it's had its rest, the garden that winter doesn't visit is a dull place. The return every spring of earth's first freshness would never be kept if not for the frosts and rot and ripe deaths of fall. So when I go out from the garden for the last time in autumn, I leave the gate open behind me.

Michael Pollan

carolehalston

DH is a long time Jeopardy watcher. We still watch it every night at 6 pm followed by Wheel of Fortune at 6:30. It's sad watching the last shows with Alex Trebec. DH had a head full of useless facts and answers lots of the questions. We both have big gaps in knowledge of more current culture, movies, music, books, tv shows.

Sandy, you are a very knowledgeable person in many categories.

Wren44

Scary day today. I have an appt to have my teeth cleaned. That will be the closest I've been to anyone except DH since the pandemic began. I'm overdue and really need it or wouldn't have signed up. I'm somewhat reassured because the dentist has always been spotless and they have always worn masks while working on me. Still, it's a little scary.

This Thanksgiving we've given up on the turkey. DH found a turky-less roll with dressing. Close enough for me. We'll have some green sides along with potatoes and gravy. The potatoes and gravy are my love anyway. Turkey is usually pretty dry, anyway.