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

Good Morning -- and it's very pretty here.  I think another warm day for us is in store.  I took my car to the carwash and gave it the heavy-duty -- wheels, un-carriage, double wash and rinse and some spot rinse and wax.  I took out my floor mats -- they are actually fabric bath mats with shag type nap, and they are in the washer.  I need to sweep it thoroughly, then take Armor-all and clean and detail and it will be like new ---or like a 2004 that is fairly clean and neat. 

Teacher -- I agree with Wren.  It is harder to "watch" someone else's cancer journey.  Thinking back to many of the early months of my own personal journey.....I was very consumed just with getting through it all as well as I could.  I seldom had time to think about a lot of it --- there were some big struggles and part of it was just not knowing.  I think with being close to someone else 'doing' it all now, it would stir up a lot of buried fears and huge areas of discomfort.  Maybe part of the "fear" is wondering if this person's outcome will be as good as we feel our own is -- which certainly eases some of what we went through. 

Chevy -- it is so very difficult to 'remember' our beloved furry family members.  I certainly would not use the word luck in this case, but I do feel having been and still to a degree, being a "rescuer" and so having LOST a lot of furry loved ones has to that degree, but only that one, made it easier for me.  When ( it does still happen now and then ) I become sad about one of my 'friends' I find comfort in the fact that these companions generally always have far shorter lives than we do.  Also, their yardstick is different --- if we smile, give them little treats and pretty much show them nothing but love they are totally fulfilled.  They generally ask for nothing except some recognition from you and when they have it --- they have a perfect life.  They don't ( other than pain or other disabilities ) fight against the inevitable -- and seem so much more accepting of their leave-taking then we are.  We always want more --- but as long as you show them love -- they have had it all.  They fulfilled their role in their own life and know it --- and so they go to the Bridge where health and sunshine, and frolicking 'become' them once more.  When I think of my 'losses' I usually think of all the ones that are gone playing and enjoying a life once more that had become hopeless and futile while still here.  They graduate back into good health ( just in fact as we do ) and get to play until the day they reunite with us again.  I guess you'd say I'm more ambivalent --- missing them, but seeing them healthy and happy again and waiting for the day I show up. 

Off to do some more fun things.  Hope you are all going to have a wonderful Saturday.

Blessings

Jackie

Hi all-

Happy to say the surgery was a success ( according to the Dr) but the patient had a really rough night. I had no problems thru the surgery, and they gave me a Percocet before I left the hospital, so I pretty much rested all the way home. I couldn't begin to tell you where we went. It is a new facility for my BS , and we left the the house at 5am so I was not aware then either. Anyway we got home and Nancy insisted I eat, so I had a bowl of cereal. Then I dozed for an hour about 1 pm. I came out to the family room about 5, talked to one son and one daughter and ate some dinner. Went back to bed about seven and the pain was awful. About 4 I had taken half a Percocet to try to stay ahead of the pain. My bandages are about 7-8 inches on each side. I propped them up with pillows but got very little relief. I took another full Percocet about 7. Then I began to panic about sleeping. I can only sleep on my sides. I took all my regular night meds and once I take my Ambien, I usually have about 45 min until I check out, even if my eyes may still be opened. Not last night! Two full hours later, although I was to the point of tears I was so exhausted, I just couldn't get over that edge. At 11, I took yet another Percocet. About 1:30, I finally figured out to put a pillow under my stomach, below the bandages and another one under my shoulder above them, so there was no pressure on the bandages at all and I could lay on my side. I finally fell into a restless sleep till about 4am when I took another Ambien. I slept till almost 2 this afternoon, but I feel much better. There is still some discomfort, but I haven't needed any pain meds yet. Hopefully, if I do, Tylenol will suffice. From what the Dr had said, I had planned to take my grandson to Old Navy today (hopefully with my daughter driving ). He has gone thru a growth spurt and looks like he is wearing his younger brothers hand me downs. Well, that ain't happening! Maybe tomorrow.

Hope you are all having a great Sat

Anne

Compassion is not religious business, it is human business; it is not luxury, it is essential for our own peace and mental stability; it is essential for human survival.

 the Dalai Lama

Good Morning all,

Happy to say today's surgery update is much better! Nancy talked me into going out for pizza last night- just her , one son and me. I was skeptical, but she does so much for me, I hated to say no. It turned out fine, and by the time we got back, maybe an hour and a half later, I felt much more like myself. Based on that, I did not take a Percocet before bed, just took my normal meds. Propped the pillows like I had finally figured out how to do at 4:30 the previous morning, turned off the light at 11 and went to sleep. I did wake up several times to turn over, but went right back to sleep and got up at my normal time. What a difference a day makes! I am still somewhat uncomfortable, but definitely at a level I can deal with without major drugs- maybe some Tylenol later if I need it.

Hope everyone is doing well

Anne

Anne, it is good to hear that you are feeling better.

Our labrador Sarge has had seizures since for about six years since he was 9 weeks. We could have taken him back but had already fallen in love with him. I am just glad Sarge picked my DH when he went to a buy a dog. Someone else may have put him down. The vet just says to keep track of when and how long the seizures last. No meds until they are more frequent and longer. He says the meds could cause more problems.

Not much going on around here. Went to the dr. on Wed. after being horse and sounding like a dog barking. turned out it is seasonal allergies throat beginning to look infected. Came home with an inhaler, nose spray, antibiotic and told to keep taking the allegra. So far feeling much better --still sound like a dog barking. We watched our youngest GD (10months) on Saturday. She is such a good baby and so happy. Today my sisters and I went to see our aunt (she lost her husband a few months ago) at the living assistant place she now lives at. Then did a little shopping. Now home and listening to the rain outside.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Termite, I am glad Sarge picked your Dh as well.  Things can happen at any time in a furry friend's life --- and the same people who might have put Sarge down when he was so young, would have likely spared him later once they were totally smitten.  Always good to hear that someone gets a chance to bloom where planted.    I have dogs with issues --- but I'm in great fortune as nothing is so bad that I need to do anything drastic.  I've a couple and both have different hip issues.  I'm really hopeful that they will go of something else.  One has some breathing spells that could be better, but he too is marching into his old age without anything getting too far out of hand.  They all were like that when they got to my house and though it would not have made a difference to me ( being a rescuer ) I didn't know right away. 

This is the time of year for those darn allergies to rear up -- and sometimes pretty good.  So far for me, so good.  Blow my nose for a fair length of time in the morning but other than getting a lot of frogs in the throat -- I'm doing ok.  Fingers crossed.

We have had rain off and on all day.  I think it actually started sometime during the night last night.  I'm about four hours south of you  and I think south of where I am is where the rain originated -- after it left Texas and Louisiana and any of those states below us.  It stopped for awhile so I was able to go out and feed kitties.  Don't know what is on for tomorrow.  Hoping it is not more rain.  I do know we are not going to get our nice temps back for a week or more.  It will stay in the mid to low 60's now I think. 

Hope you have all had a marvelous Sunday.

Jackie

Sorry about the pups seizures you guys.... It's just that we are all they have... their lives are in our hands, and we have to take care of them like they are our kids.... which they are....

Jackie, I keep meaning to ask, how close were you to all those tornado's? I was thinking about you, and watched video footage of them going over those small towns!

Hope everyone had a "pretty good" week-end....

Whatever our individual troubles and challenges may be, it’s important to pause every now and then to appreciate all that we have, on every level.  We need to literally “count our blessings,” give thanks for them, allow ourselves to enjoy them, and relish the experience of prosperity we already have.  -Shakti Gawain

Quiet morning to all,

It is sunny outside at the moment though maybe a shower later on.  Guess I can live with that.  It is cooler ( high 60's ) than it has been, but while I'm pretty sure those temps helped get Spring started properly --- it would be worrisome if they stayed up for a long time.  We are still in the period where each day can be a little iffy.

Bonnets, your cruise sounds fantastic.  Hard to have to come home and dig right back into the mountain --- but that is what those "trips" are for in a way.  A little refreshing and some things are easier to face in general. 

I hope you all had a fantastic week-end -- saying hi to all and will be back after work. 

Blessings

Jackie

I'm glad you took that back Chevy --- it sounded like people who maybe were already compromised in some way ( like a bad infection already present ) were the ones that had something to truly fear -- but I say better save than sorry.  You don't always know when you  are coming down with something --- and I hate to think you got 'super' sick when it could have been  avoided. 

I don't usually get upset by those things either but I think when we are older ( its actually the very young as well ) it is a burden to get sick and if it can be avoided I'd likely try to do it.  I have found once in awhile that store/generic brands can be quite good.  I know that I usually won't buy anyone's brand of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream but Aldi's which is called Belmont.  I've tried all the NAME brands and for some reason I just can't anticipate eating them like I do when I have the Aldi's brand.  In fact, though I've managed this time ( I sure don't know how )  to not gobble it all up in two or three days -- that is what usually happens. 

Off to exercise class for my torture session.

Jackie

I am livid. On Sat. we went to Las Cruces, NM to see our GS and have lunch with him and his dad. We stopped on our way through Van Horn and got a breakfast Burrito. Went on about 3 hours later my stomach filled up with gas tell the pain was almost unbearable. We went to lunch at Chillis I had about a quarter of a bowl of potato soup. We headed back and stopped and got some Gax X. It releaved it alot. At 9:00 on Sat. night I ate 5 crackers and took my meds. My stomach was hurting profusly on the right side. At 6:00 AM on Sun. we headed to the hospital. They put me on iv's, ran all kinds of blood work, did an ultra sound, CT and X-ray. Gave me Moraphine and torodol. A couple of hours later the pain had subsided. The surgeon on duty came in and said he thought it was probably my gal bladder, but the tests were not conclusive because of my bc he wanted me to have a hideascan and that would show it for sure. They do not have a hideascan in alpine, so he wanted me to go to the hospital in Midland which is a Texas Tech teaching hospital. It was early afternoon and DH said well I can take her up. The surgeon said oh no we have to fly her. So they flew me to Odessa. I got there about 3 pm and finally got a room at 7 pm. Of course they had to draw blood etc. too. Finally at around 9 pm I got some food.

Monday morning came and DH and GD came up it is a 200 mile drive. The resident team came in arond 10:30am and said they were going to consult my ONC and would get back to me. Well by 4 PM we had not seen anyone, by this time DH had enough. I was ready to get on my clothes and go. So the team came back in and said they had talked with my ONC and he said since I was doing OK to send me home. ONC office called while I was there and told me to be at the center Friday at 9:15 am. No test was performed for my gall bladder

There was no reason for them to fly me to Odessa that is a $40,000 trip. They except whatever Medicare and Supplement pays, but even then. What if someone else had came in and needed the flight.

The hospital in Alpine should have kept me over night and let my FP see me on Monday Morning.

I filed a fraud complaint with the Federal General Inspectors office. Like I said I am a woman with a mission and on the war path.

Hope all are fine, thanks for letting me bend your year.

Mommarch, I too am so glad you are ok.  That was some ordeal.  I'm sorry that you had to be rousted out of one hospital and into another only to basically have nothing done.  I think I'd be pretty upset as well. 

Hope you continue to be ok.

Hugs and blessings,

Jackie

Look closely... See with new eyes... Don't just pass by what is familiar without a thought.  Pay attention and look closely.There is beauty - there is discovery -
there in a whole new world hiding beneath the face of the familiar.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Good Morning,

Sunny here but much cooler today they say.  More like the earlier spring temps. for the most part.  I can live with that as long as pretty Mr. Sun hangs up there in the sky.

Chevy -- how funny.  I didn't say it yesterday, but I was thinking too --- some food poisoning that only lasted for a day or so.  I also believe it is possible for two people to eat the same thing and only one "react".  Of course, I also think ( I've had it happen to me ) that for the one who 'reacts' something was already a little off and it caused a big collision with the food we ate.  All's well that ends well but I do still think rushing someone out of one hospital into another wasn't at all wise.  Better to have proceeded a bit more cautiously.  Guess the first Dr.'s decided to ERR on the side of caution but nothing sounded life threatening -- so why????

Guess that is why I'm not a Dr. and they don't ask me.  Being a Dr. has lots of potential hazards.  I read and saw on the news that Dr. Oz is having issues.  The other Dr.'s on the medical/surgical board he is on are not happy with him and feel that he is making money  -- lots of it, by hawking items that aren't really good.

Well, I do feel that how could someone be on t.v. for now several yrs. and KEEP coming up with things.  The thing is there are a lot of people who are in need of "quick" fixes I think -- and Dr. Oz can apparently guide people into things that "generally" won't harm you if used correctly.  Still, I think over the long haul -- you could do nearly as much on your own with care and diligence.  What I mean is -- I don't take wt. loss supplements because I know what my issues are and if I did take ANYTHING it would only maybe help while I was taking it.  The things/changes that work are the ones your pretty much willing to do for life. 

Still, I think Dr. Oz is valuable in that at least a lot of people find out beforehand what they can use ( per directions ) that won't cause them some sort of horrid damage or even their life.  Maybe his show would do better as a less hawking supplements and more about working yourself into good health by the willingness to change your habits for a life-time.  If that would suffice.  Anyway, I stopped watching his shows because I got tired of all the 'new' cures or even the different ways to use things we already have.   I just have to trust that the Dr. I use will STEER me into what I really need.  Otherwise you drive yourself balmy trying to keep up with what your supposed to do now.

It also bothers me that many of the things that people take -- especially the supplements, are not regulated or checked by the F.D.A.  So, you could at any time be getting far too much of something in them, or not enough to help you much.  So, the money spent for your "good" health is wasted and only enriches  the supplement industry.  I guess there are not a lot of good answers though I think its Nature-Made or one of those that has their products checked for amts. etc.  The companies that do that will say so on the label so guess if we are using supplements --- we are better to pay a bit more and KNOW we are getting just what we think.  I don't take supplements other than the Calcium & D3 and I get that from the V.A.  Long ago when I voiced that I did not feel safe with getting that supplement on my own -- they wrote out a prescription for the V.A. pharmacy and I've gotten it there ever since.  I know they are very STRICT and my blood tests ( they always test that ) have always been good.   

Onward for today --- saying hi to Blondie, Joan, Puffin, Mimi, Bonnets, Termite, Anne, Wren, Camille, and any who can't for any reason jump in here all the time.  I am thinking about you and hoping that life is being good to you. 

Blessings

Jackie

Carole, I "quilted" but I did the sewing by machine.... On THIS one, I printed my favorite pictures, onto transfer iron-on paper, and then put the pictures on blocks, and sewed them altogether... I lined it with batting, and a fleece backing...

I put on our "family" pictures, and a poem my youngest Daughter gave me, around the outsides... I made one for each Grand-son also.... But this one has my folks, My Grandma, Grandsons, friends, even my folks 50th anniversary.... and OUR 25th anniversary..... I hand tied the top to the backing, on corners of the squares.... I bought almost everything for it at Super Walmart.... Ha!

I also bought a couple yards of each pattern, and cut it myself, instead of buying the blocks....

You can see the afgan/blanket under the top picture.... also across the back of the sofa...... I crochet those, and also scarves....