Spirited and Lively Older Women Thread

wow!Barbara; the orchids are beautiful... glad everyone is ok AMY jo...     3jays

   I used to have a green thumb, but now the only things that I have left are the hardy plants since I seem to neglect them a little more each year.  I was out raking a few leaves this morning just to see if it really is as tough to do a DH (you know it doesn't stand for dear) says....it ain't easy as the song goes, but it can be done.  See in the back we have all this ivy and vinca and groundcover the previous owners planted because they were elderly and did not want to cut grass in the back.....now I am probably about the age they were since I have been in this house since 88.  I have a chronic bad back and Tim is lazy and likes to do everything the easy way so as a result the yard has gone downhill.  He thinks we should just leave the leaves (that is sort of like a tongue twister) in the ivy....well, what is happening is everything is just dying off and there is a layer of old moldy leaves and I want them GONE.  We now have an ad on Craigslist looking for someone to do it and 10 responses came in so there are people out there willing to work.  I want the leaves done, and the bushes trimmed and there is a ton of weeding to do.  I used to have this Irish Moss back by the pond and it has just disappeared...it is pretty much all shade back there, but I did find shade loving flowering plants and those are mixed in with the hostas and ferms.  If it ever gets back in shape, I will take a pic.  I am sitting here drinking my ReadiCat milkshake...my scan is at 10:00.....then I have the MRI right after.   I figure today might be a good day to start on a diet. 

AmyJo and any others in the path of the tornadoes.

I've been thinking of you.  Seeing the videos of the damage on TV breaks my heart.  Hope this trend ends soon.  Glad you are okay, Amyjo.

Have just started my gardening here in CO.  It is very dry this year.  Our elevation is 7500', so our options are limited, although I try my best.  Gardening is one of my favorite hobbies.  It does me so much good mentally, although, man, my joints feel it at the end of the day.  But the Femara has been my friend, and I can tolerate the ups and downs.

Hugs to all.  I've been a little out of the loop recently, but hope to get back on track.  In general, I'm Spirited and Lively, and so grateful and happy to be 61!!

Lane

Hi Barbara,

Love your spirited and lively women!  Finally some nice weather here, although windy.  But, at least no snow.  Wouldn't surprise us, though, if we got one more big snow storm, just in time to freeze my tulips!  That's what usually happens.  Have a good day!  I'm looking for old photos of lively women as we speak!  In the meantime, there's one to the left of my post!

Lane

Oh Ducky - go ahead and whine!  The trouble with reading the info and knowing all the side effects is that it is scarey. I've been on Femara for a year and half now. One thing seems clear -whatever side effects happen at first  - they change. I had some things a year ago (like trigger fingers) that don't happen now. Other things do happen. And we all react to it differently.

Ducky and Lassie,

I've been on Femara for a little over 2 years now, my first hormonal since mets diagnosis, and it has worked very well.  I have my 6-month PET next Monday, so we'll see if I'm still with NED.  I try not to complain about the SE's, and the arthritis-like pain does seem to shift from one area to another, just when I think I can't stand it any more, I'm on to other exciting symptoms!  Right now it's my wrists and into my forearms.  It isn't constant, which is good.  Working in the yard makes it worse, but the joy I get is worth it.   Ibuprofen and joint meds don't seem to help me much.  But I've had months when the problems have almost disappeared.  So, it's tolerable for me, and IT'S WORKING!!! 

When I think of the alternative I'm very grateful.  I try not to worry about SE's, knowing that they have to list every little thing in the literature, even if it's highly unlikely to happen.  Lassie, I had a little bit of the trigger finger thing for a few days a year ago, then it disappeared.  Also, pins and needles in the soles of my feet first thing when standing, but that disappeared also.  When I asked my onc, he said "We don't know why it does this."  They call it Arthralgia.  So, I try not to wonder.  And, I hate to admit it, but I probably do have some arthritis at my age, anyway.  Which is exacerbated by lack of estrogen.  I guess I never realized that your body continues to produce a little estrogen even after menopause.  We are learning so much, aren't we?

Good luck to you both.

Lane

LWD and Lassie..................Lassie, thanks for the permission to whine.  I appreciate it.............LWD...........thanks for your info too.........I'll just put on my "big girl panties", and do whatever it takes to survive,..............isn't that what we're all trying to do.............I do have arthritis now, and also the friggin ostopenia, but I was told to load up on Vitamin D.  Can't take any of those other drugs to stop bone loss, cause I have some of the pleasantries that they say "and if you have" don't take it...................So I'll try the Vitamin D..........I take 1000mgs. in my multi-vit, now, but I'll down a little more for safe keeping..............hugs.

When I first started Tamoxifen just about 5 yrs ago the joint pain was pretty bad.  With all my doctors approval/consent, I started taking chondroitin/glucosamine supplements. They take a while to build up in the system, but after 4-6  weeks I saw noticeable improvement. I still take one daily and aside from bad knees in the morning, which I think I might have had at this point anyway, I'm really doing pretty well with the other joints. 

Thanks ladies, good info

Thanks, Barbara.  I love Lisa's pics and hope that her trip is going well. 

yummmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!   Wanted to share a little something with all of you ... went for my regular 6-month visit with med onc today and since I'll be going off hormonal therapy next month (it being 5 yrs since I started), I don't see her again for one year!!!  It felt so nice to check-out and get an appt card for a whole year from now.  I still see surgeon every 6 for an area where rads did damage, so the cord isn't being cut totally on the follow-ups, but it felt real good. And I swear to God, one of the first things I thought of was - I can't wait to tell all my BCO buds, like each time one of us passes some milestone, we all do, ya know?

Good news Marle; thanks for sharing, and how well you said it - there is a shared bond when one of us passes a milestone.

Lane, I hope you get some good gardening this summer - at 7500 feet you face some real challenges. 

 I'll take one of Lisa's pears too!