MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN 40-60ish
Comments
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Chrissie, Welcome to the group. I'm married and have 3 boys, 12-17yrs. I'm in the middle of rads.
Deborah, Clean mammo is great news. Your foob ribbon for Super Bowl is hilarious.
Years ago, I worked in a medical lab. I HATED dealing with the poop samples. Opening the ones that came through the mail was the absolute worst. At risk of TMI, I have a recommendation for catching the sample. The paper is hard to use. Use a disposable cup to catch your poo sample. Lean slightly forward so pee doesn't end up in the cup.
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Excellent suggestion, Poppy!! -
Thanks for all the comments on my wild trip across the country! As soon as I get some pictures from my son I will post a few.
Poppy - I imagine the family stories from this trip will long outlive me! All the beauty and fun definitely outweighed the trauma. Just kidding, no trauma... but close. I read that particular part of Oklahoma was having a problem with an overpopulation of bears. I don't know if we were supposed to be his dinner or he thought we wanted his dinner but now I'm wondering why I thought it was such a good idea to leave our cozy little home on wheels and listen to the river at 3:00 am in the first place! I just wanted to absorb the peace and quiet for a moment before we left the next morning but we got a little closer to nature than I intended. And it was most definitely not peaceful, haha!
Glennie & Mel - someone else said going to see the Grand Canyon was obviously not meant to be so I'd have to make another trip. So yes, I'm already thinking about flying into Phoenix, renting another RV and seeing a little more of Arizona this time. I also really wanted to go to Sedona. I did stand on a corner in Winslow, Arizona - haha!
Mac - I knew there had to be another woman on here that wanted to make this crazy trip! Funny, it seems like women want to try an RV trip more than men. My father had a free one at his beck and call and just would not do it! It was so great, you should definitely do it. PM me if you'd like to know the details about the rental, etc.
Barsco - I had to laugh about the "sample" you have to give. My brother was sent out by his wife to mail her poopie sample and he was told that it was considered "Hazardous Materials", hahaha, and he had to drive far away to find the post office to handle that. I think that person was misinformed but I love that my brother had to go to so much trouble for his wife's poop!
Deborah - many times I feel like Elaine in Seinfeld. I feel like I'm firmly grounded on Terra firma but craziness is spinning all around me. I possibly contribute somewhat...
I love the foob games with your hubby! Hope his father feels better soon.Eph - It would have been great to meet you! As I was racing to Seattle I thought, "what a beautiful state". I wanted to go to the Oregon coast, too. Well, next time will be more leisurely and I will let you know when that is.
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Standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona!! HA!! Love that!! You will definitely have to go back.
I've made two cross country drives when I was in my 20's. Ah,, wild youth! Each trip was with my boyfriend of the time! One drive was from Florida all the way to Alaska! It was awesome. I have so many break down stories! But we made it. That trip we lived in a camper that fit on the back of a Toyota pick up truck. Can you say small space? Alaska is beautiful. Go in August. Salmon fishing season and the horrible bugs of June are gone.
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Ah, sweet wild youth! I miss that! Someone on here said they wish they had run around naked, gone topless and had more crazy sex when they were young. I agree, and I wish I had taken cross-country trips with the boyfriend at the time, too! I had a couple of opportunities and didn't do it, aargh!
You've given me an excellent idea about Alaska - my son lives in Seattle, so we'll rent an RV there and drive up through Canada to Alaska, yeah! He might whine about it though. When we picked up the SUV in Los Angeles and he followed me back to the RV park he got into the RV and said, "Hey Mom? There's something I have to tell you. They've got these things called airplanes and rental cars... you really should look into those sometime." Haha! He said he didn't realize how tense he was while he was driving the RV until he got behind the wheel of a real car again. Kids! Youth is wasted on them! (see: my missed opportunities above).
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My hubby and I are thinking about a "special" vacation this year, you know, those you usually get to take only a handful of times in your life- if you're lucky. Thinking about overseas destinations. But then I think about all of the beautiful spots in the US, including national parks that I have never seen, and the idea of renting an RV is appealing. Especially since we could possibly take our two 12-year-old dogs with us. It would crush them if we disappeared without them for a couple of weeks. They get visibly depressed when I go to the grocery store, let alone when I roll out my suitcase... Our "unsigned contract" with our dogs is that we will love and take care of them until the end, just like we would family members.
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heartnsoul: excellent idea!!!staynsane: Yes,,, take the doggies with you! An awesome thing about RV'ing.
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justamy, Hope birthday is a joyful celebration this year and good luck with the upcoming surgery shortly thereafter.
ndgrrl, Good to hear from you. Yes, I have heard that reconstruction surgery, grueling as it may be, produces a lot less anxiety. Probably because we can elect it. Some don't get recon, and that's fine; but if recon gives a woman a better feeling about body image then she should go for it. I think we should try to reclaim everything that BC tries to take from us! It is possible to acknowledge BC, yet still try to negate as much of the changes it puts you through...and I don't see a contradiction in that either.
Deborah 2012, Your foob is so mischevious!
HnS, That was a wonderful trip for you and your son to take. Never did RVing myself, but the idea of traveling with my own bathroom on wheels has a whole new appeal after my CRC, ya know? Barring any earthquakes, the Grand Canyon should still be there when you return.
All you ladies pursuing fecal endeavors: Just be aware that the smear cards by no means replace getting a good, ol' nasty colonoscopy at recommended intervals. Why? Because the cards are made to detect blood, which could mean cancer is already there! The colonoscopy, however, looks around for delinquent cells (non-bloody polyps,) and they can be removed them before they can join a cancer-gang and start committing any bloody colonic mayhem. I know whereof I speak!!!!!!
Yeah, that paper collection method is so tricky, and who really practices for that skill set? (I don't know quite when, but somewhere along in my CRC saga, I acquired a plastic collection pot thingy, so I'm past the paper---but I don't think it ruins anything if a molecule of pee gets smeared onto the card, so don't worry too much about that.
And speaking of bowls... When it comes to Super Bowl, I never have a horse in the race. Lived in Seattle once, and they are the underdogs, so I might root for them. My husband probably won't since they tromped his Packers in the last seconds to get to the Bowl. Which means it is even more likely that I will root for them, just to irk him. Hahaha!
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Is an ice 'statue' or a ghost?
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Deborah - I don't remember reading about "no peeing on the poo" and my kit is nothing but an envelope with some wooden stir sticks in it. I will have to take Poppy's suggestion about the cup. Oh the things we do. Eli - have done the colonoscopy. Is the poop test really necessary if the colonoscopy is clean?
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I have to do the colonoscopy every 5 years,,, I'm due again this March. I haven't had to do the poop samples,,,would think if you do the colonoscopy, you wouldn't have to. Thoughts?? -
That would be my thinking glennie. I see my primary dr in March - maybe will discuss with her at that time. She tends to go overboard with tests sometimes.
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glennie19, I think I hold the answer to that question. Although the colonoscopy is the gold standard, it has a ~5% miss rate (of which I became well aware!!!) so, if you do the relatively cheap "smear on a card" (FOBT or FIT) during the interim years, you may catch something that has been missed, while only micro/occult blood is present and that will tip you off to go in for colonoscopy whether it is "time" to or not, just to rule out something very bad happening in there. If you don't catch the blood in the occult stage, and you start seeing actual red blood, there is a terrible chance that it could be an advanced tumor.
Cancer takes 8-10 years to go from abnormal polyp growth to full grown cancer. Picture this scenario: Year 1, you get colonoscopy, all clear. Get nothing til a year 5 interval colonoscopy, also clear (but wait, it missed something that maybe had been developing since year 2 or 3.) No visible symptoms for a few years, or even until you go back at 10 years, and (holy cow!) there is a full grown cancer in there now. However, if you had been doing the smear all along, some occult blood could have alerted you to the presence of an invasive cancer. The early detection being the difference between possibly just getting a cancer-y polyp removed, or having a tumor that has grown thru your bowel wall and has spread to nodes already. Like BC, early detection usually does lead to less surgery needed and a better outcome.
And, yes, it was the good old 3-sample smear card that gave me the first clue that I had a problem. In my case, that led to my first colonoscopy, which then missed my CRC anyway. Geez! So, I kind of missed out on the early detection. And if that isn't just the most appropriate example of the saying "sh*t happens," then I don't know what is!
Hehehe!
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Elimar, you have the answer! Now we know why to do this,,, which makes me wonder why I wasn't told to do that during the preceeding 5 years. (Father had rectal cancer) so now I'll know to question this. Thank you for this,, but sorry you had to find out the hard way. (((Elimar))) -
Also, there are a few, rarer cancers that grow quicker than the average polyp, so it could spot one of the rare ones if it chose to begin it's quicker growth during the interval years. I had the garden variety adenocarcinoma (slow grower,) so, they missed it---not that anybody stepped up to admit it.
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Thank you Eli - your explanation makes total sense. I knew that your CRC had been missed on the colonoscopy, but didn't realize it was the sample that sounded the alarm. So I guess I am back to looking for a pot to poop in.
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Oh, Barsco, metaphorically so are we all!
p.s. Hey, did you you know that my caption in the high school yearbook said, "Most likely to de-mystify the annual collection of fecal matter." Ha!
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Haven't posted on here in a while but have to chime in. I found the paper supplied with the poop tests miserable. I could never "float" poop on that raft. Found TP works better and float plenty of it. I've collected plenty of poop specimens as a nurse and never worried about pee in it. My only caveat was if a woman was on her period that is a whole other matter.
I also did not realize the sequence of events for you Eli. I think that was about the time I joined this thread.
http://www.fritolay.com/company/media/media-articl...
Just for you Eli, the newest Cheetos snack, Sweetos. Sorry all the other links I found were TV or had disturbing other news on them.
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luv, It has been a while since I felt like Cheetos binging. Sweetos do sound intriguing. Can I only dream that if I do like them, the nutrition label won't be too appalling.
Much as I tout the deliciously cheesy snack, my new favorite is any crisp made out of chick pea flour. I get them at the "health food" store. They must be one nano-squizzillion percent better for me, coming from a health food store, and all.
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I get my "healthy" chips at Fresh Market. It's called The Better Chip,, spinach & kale corn chips. It has KALE!! It must be good for me,, right??? -
I am still a fan of the crispy, crunchy Cheetos and almost broke down and bought some today. Thought better about it when I remembered there was chips (and not the healthy kind by any means) and other snacks at home. I have become somewhat lazy when it comes to eating healthy. Need to get myself back on the wagon. But those Sweetos do look tempting luv. Maybe I will let the wagon pass by just once more - hehehe
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Well, aren't we just a shipload of poop knowledge! Amazing! Elimar, I can't get over your fecal foreshadowing decades ago. How lousy to get both BC and CRC. Finally, My poop test must be the latest and greatest because it was NOT a smear test. I had mastered those years ago. The new-fangled one was hi-tech. It came with a specially capped "pen" device that had what looked like those "Gums" teeth cleaning tooth-picky dealies (only not green) inside the pen. It collected the tiniest bits of sample in the grooves (5 piercings were required!). Then, it was screwed into the "pen", capped, and well shaken with the liquid that was already inside the pen. Perhaps that's why it admonished any urine contamination? No stinky smears. Poppy, wished I'd of thought of the cup collection method rather than try to earn an honorary degree in civil engineering via toilet seat paper bridge suspensions and "load" bearing calculations.
My father-in-law passed away yesterday. It was a relief and a blessing. It was devolving into a hideous situation and we were relieved that he went quietly at home- even after 5 days of home care. Truly, if it had dragged on much longer, all were concerned it'd take a few years off my mother-in-law's life and kill her dead, too. She's in good shape.
Next fiasco: My son shows up at 7:30 a.m. in NYC today, Monday Jan 26th for his Step 1 Medical Board test. This is a huge test. It basically determines what residency choices in the USA you'll have. Due to the impending blizzard, it's been CANCELLED! He went to bed at 10 p.m. and missed an email at 10:30 p.m. from the Boards canceling the test. He and one other kid showed up at the test site this morning. It had begun to snow lightly. He called me at 4:30 a.m. PST to inform me.
My son's New York weather history so far- 1. He's there for Hurricane Sandy because he had his MD PhD interviews for NY med schools scheduled and Sandy hit. He had to reschedule those. 2. Step 1 Boards- "The Storm of The Century" for NY is bearing down. Auuggh! poor kid, he was so ready for the test. They are going to try to offer it again tomorrow. If not possible, then Weds. He's to leave for an Asian vacation on Thursday. The only vacation of any length he can fit in for the next 5 years in a MD PhD program due to their scheduling. Here we go....... If only I can reach the brass ring on this merry-go-round!
Gotta catch some ZZZZZs
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boy, I'm off the boards for a few days and all the info I need is right here. What is going on? I have an order in my purse for a poop test. I had no idea what it involved or how they were going to collect it! Now I got an idea. I am getting a whole panel of tests. I think my doc is testing for all sorts of stuff, like parasites and all. Also all sorts of tick borne diseases. I've had the order since last week, but haven't been in any hurry to get it done. Now an act of God has it on hold.
But I sure am glad that I am not alone in this endeavor. It's not quite the same as chasing the dog around with a plastic bag. Which I had to do just last week.
Sweetos, wow, what a change for the cheeto aficionado.
debrorah, so your DS showing up for a test in NYC is the reason we are all hunkered down for a region wide state of emergency? Hopefully, he will be able to take it in the next few days.
oh my gosh, would someone let the air outta these guys yammering on and on about "deflategate"
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I sooooooo wish there was a "like" button on BCO so to all who have posted over the last couple days
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macatacmv, it's like some winter rite of passage on this thread to have a poop kit! I wonder if there are regional differences as to which part of the country gets which type of kits? I'd wager there may even be more than two different types. My DS was able to get out of NYC by taking Amtrak early in the day to Philadelphia. He is scheduled to take the test in Philly on Wednesday. There better not be some other natural calamity in Philly when he's there. I hope your power doesn't go out. We're very spoiled and wimpy out here in CA when it comes to blizzards. We haven't a clue as to how you all manage. Good luck weathering the storm!
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Deborah--my sincerest condolences on the death of your Father-in-law.Death truly can be a release in many circumstances.Your poor Son, too bad he can't pick another city for all his tests and interviews and such!Hope they can test tomorrow.
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still hunkered down listening to the wind howl. The power was out overnight but came back this morning. My internet and home phone aren't working so I got out my trusty little jetpack and kindle fire. It's kinda nice not having tv, all they want to talk about is the weather.
My DD just gave me a jig saw puzzle that is based on a murder mystery story.There is no picture, you have to read the story and figure out the clues to put the puzzle together. A very fun project for a snow day.
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Ok - so, this is really rather ironic, but, my doctor ordered one of those poop tests for me yesterday!! How odd is that...I had read a few of these posts about it over the weekend, and then hadn't been on since I hadn't been feeling well and I log on this evening to see the poop stories have continued. Let this be a warning to anyone reading this thread...beware...if you read about the dreaded poop test then you will be asked to do one!!
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Nooooooo why did I read the board today!! I don't wanna do a poop test!
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Ohhhhhhh, noooooo....you've done it now justamy!! Will be hoping you are immune to the curse of the poop test!
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