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

Well, the sun is still shining here in central Illinois and the temperatures are way above normal for this time of year. This ol' gal is not complaining one bit! I love it, but know that's probably about to make a drastic change! :-)

The election is over! I am so glad. I was tired of the jabs and negativity that accompanied the campaigning. I pray that the victor will lead our country with some dignity and find the knowledge to help heal our nation, a task that either candidate would have been faced with upon victory.

For you book readers, I have discovered a new author that I just love....Linwood Barclay. He writes very good mystery books that I have difficulty putting down. It was way too late last night when I finally turned off the light and put down my book!

I hope that everyone is doing well today and that each of you have a great weekend. I am off to search for Cubs World Series Champion tee-shirts as I'm buying one for all the good Cubs fans in my family for Christmas. \

Rita

I wore a long-sleeved shirt and cropped pants today to play golf and was comfortable. It stayed overcast which suited me. I hope we get a stretch of fall weather and it doesn't switch back to summer for many months.

Rita, I made a note of that author's name. I'm always on the lookout for good mystery writers.

With conservatives in power in all branches of government, I worry about preservation of our wonderful national parks. I wouldn't like to see condos at the Grand Canyon. These sites are a treasure and materialistic politicians look upon the world with dollar signs in their eyes. I also worry about destroying this wonderful earth that is in the care of mankind. It baffles me that people can choose not to believe science.

I guess I will be supporting the Wilderness Society and some other defenders of nature.

Hope everyone enjoyed today

Hi all,

I just wanted to let you know I am still around. It's been one hell of a week here, and I leave for SC next Sat. Before I get to the disasters, my sister has been home for the week. She finally got to a Dr today, but was only able to see the PA that she seemed to like. They prescribed an inhaler for her that is over $100 that she doesn't have. I gave her some info about a NY program Bonnetts had told me about for low income seniors. It is income based and since she qualified for subsidied housing for seniors, I think she might qualify. If not or if it takes a while, I told her I would pay for her medicine. They gave her the oKay to drive again, and her grandson's were with her, so the seven year old asked he Dr if Mimi was well enough to do sleepovers yet. (He spent most Fri nights at her house). The Dr said that if Mimi felt well enough, yes, Mimi could do a sleepover. I'm not sure who was happier, Ryan or Mimi.

Now for my week - first, my car wouldn't turn on. It just click-clicked. Thank goodness Tracy works at a construction machinery place. She took it to work the next day. It came home with a new battery and no less than 5 mechanics checked it out, so that was that.

Next was the cable TV. It has been having trouble since before I went to my sister's. Basically, we have 2 DVRs and each one is connected to one of the main TVs in the living room and family room. We had a bit of a storm surge for a few seconds one day, and the TVs have been a mess since then. Sometimes the TVs work, sometimes they don't. My DVR only works in my bedroom, but my live TV doesn't. Both the living room and family room get Tracy's DVR, but again the TVs only work sometimes. We finally decided we were going to bite the bullet and pay for them to rewire the whole house. The guy came out Wed night, and said there would not be any charge for the rewiring because we are their customers. Even better, after he checked the wiring, they don't have to change any of it, we just have to update the equipment. They will be here Wed to do it.

Then, the washing machine died. Someone came out, looked at it and mumbled something about it being replaced under warranty cause there were several key components that needed to be replaced. Tracy has spent hours on the phone trying to get it taken care of. Today, someone at Whirlpool told her it most likely was going to be replaced, but that that could take weeks. We went and bought a new one today and they will reimburse her when the decision is made. That is being delivered on Mon.

Next, we got upgrades on our phones last Sat. Mine kept locking up, so we had to take that back today.

And last, but not least, the freezer stopped freezing. I called the guy who replaced the compressor in May, but he is in Columbia, South America, and his company can not make any decisions without him. The receptionist thought she was being helpful when she said he usually emails them every other day or so. I asked if someone could come out and tell us what was wrong, so we could decide if we wanted to fix it or replace it. Apparently that cannot be done without his permission. This leaves us in a real pickle. I don't want to replace it if it is a simple repair, or under warranty, but I am heading to SC next Sat and won't be back till mid-Dec.

All of that happened this week. Yesterday I had a routine Dr appt, and when I got out, I called Tracy to see if she wanted me to pick something up for lunch. She had taken the day off, thinking that the washing machine and fridge people would be here taking care of business. When I asked her about lunch, she burst into tears. She is overwhelmed with everything going wrong at one time. I understand her frustration, but all I can think is that all these problems are solvable and they repairable or replaceable. After losing my brother in Aug, and coming real close to losing my sister a few weeks ago, I just can't get upset over "things."

Hope everyone has a good weekend

Anne

Anne, the world is still running because of you. It is a wonderful outlook you have though. It will all fall together, even if it falls apart first.

Bonnets, I'm just starting to think after about two and a half months I may be able to quit taking my allergy ( Spring & Fall ) meds. Thankfully they are not expensive, but it gets so tiresome, as do the allergy reactions themselves. I may try not taking it tonight and see what happens -- though I'd probably need a bit more time to figure it out.

Otherwise all is well.

Jackie

It’s been such an unusually warm autumn that the molds have been able to grow long past the point at which in any normal year frost would have killed the spores. Pollens hung around longer too. But here in Chicago, amazingly, there’s only one source for pollen & mold counts: an octogenarian allergist at Gottlieb Hospital in Melrose Park, Dr. Joseph Leija, who early every M-F morning during allergy season goes up to the roof of the hospital, collects the slides that have been out for 24 hrs., and counts the pollen & mold spores (for molds, he has to use sampling & extrapolation based on aggregate “blob” size). He then reports them on the hospitals website, to which ABC 7 News has a link in its weather reports. Problem is, in any normal year the allergy season runs from Mar. 15-Oct. 15, after which time he apparently hibernates (or at his age, probably “snowbirds” in FL or AZ). But it’s still going on, yet nobody seems to be measuring the allergens.

Hi all just wondering if any of you live in Orange County New York Looking for a good upbeat oncologist who is closer to home Found a wonderful radiologist who I'm happy with. Thanks for your help.

thank you

Good for you Goincrzy. In the beginning that really is about all we think about --- even when we push it out or think we have, it is sneaky and still there lurking waiting to spring into action and get us "going" again. Now grandies around are usually strong enough to do the trick. I'd get your son to take a week-end jaunt somewhere.

Jackie

Hi Gals,

*Detachment* has helped me get through this week, well...every week, honestly. I suspect that you, like me, are pretty damn shock-proof by now whether personally or politically. We stare death in the face every day and spit in its eye.

Thought some of you might appreciate these random Buddhist quotes:

"Bodhisattvas are committed to their practice, which means to sit, to get up, and to sweep the garden — the whole world, close in and far away — every day, no matter what. They have always done this, they always will. Good times, bad times, they keep on going just the same. Bodhisattvas play the long game. They have confidence in the power of goodness over time. And they know that dark times bring out the heroic in us."

"Think of what the Dalai Lama has gone through in his lifetime. He maintains daily practice, he maintains kindness for everyone, though he has lost his country and his culture at the hands of a brutal regime. Yet he doesn't hate the Chinese and finds redeeming features in them. He maintains his sense of humor. He has turned his tragedy into a teaching for the world."

"Another thing I've been thinking about is the reality of impermanence. There is nothing in this world- nothing- that lasts forever. We are lucky that impermanence is built into our system of government. The value of recognizing the reality of impermanence is that a) we cherish the people and circumstances that bring us joy and b) we know that hard times pass."

So let's play the long game and sweep our gardens today.

*I had to remind an old friend after I posted these quotes on FB that detachment didn't mean inaction or impotence...never again means never again to me, too.

I'm making a big pot of vegetable soup today.

Katty, 64, lifelong Houstonian, married to my best friend, mother of a 35 yr. old son , Meme to my 24 mo old grandson, head-wrangler to a houseful of critters, our beloved dogs and cats that rule our world, sometimes without mercy

"Dignity does not consist in possessing honors,

but in deserving them."

Aristotle

Hugs for you and Mike, Sandra.

I'm off to the gym this morning. Later I hope to wash my Prius and vacuum the inside.

Our comfortable cool weather won't last. The heat is coming back as the week progresses.

Happy Monday.

Carole, maybe you could send a little of your heat this way. Well, the good news is the HVAC man will be here on Wednesday to begin installing the new furnace. If Murphy's Law kicks in as that seems to easy ( almost a sure thing in a way ) it will be in just in time for our warmer weather. It won't be a lot warmer, but we have been going to the earlier side of the 40's at night ---- and the house cools rapidly in the woods as this time of yr. with the sun not so strong -- the cooling cycle begins quicker which is late afternoon. Still, I hope it will help Dh not HAVE to have such a warm house --- it will also save on our heating bill although this winter we will be ok. They are though already aware that next season the fuel prices for propane will be much higher.

This yr. we are only paying $55.00 a month ( budget billing ) but have paid as much as $115.00 per month. Don't know whether to "bank" some money or not. Well, maybe in the meantime we will win the lottery and not have to worry so much about it.

Say hi to all and hugs all around for those that need them.

Jackie

Good morning ladies. Went to see my PCP/onc yesterday. He in formed me a CT I HAD FOR GALL BLADDER ALSO SPOTTED AN Adenexal cyst, which he said, at my post menopausal age, can indicate cancer or mets. Have to have an ultra sound . He noted this was also seen in 2013. Neither time did anyone stop and inform me of this, until now! It is small but has grown since 2013. So I am anxious , to say the least. Asking for your prayers as I wait to get results. I did ask if he will be doing a CA125, which seems to be the usual path before removal/biopsey.

Dreams come true; without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them. -John Updike

Wonderful quote. One I believe. Thanks