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

I saw a new doctor this afternoon, I like her. She said the ear tube looks good, it's in place and is not plugged. She threaded a scope up my nose and looked around up there and did a CT scan of my sinuses, which showed some thickening in a couple places. She's having me start a new antihistamine nose spray twice a day ($42 for a 50 day supply) and drew blood to do new allergy testing, which will cost me $400 because insurance won't cover the blood allergy testing, even though I can't do the skin testing because I can't stop taking my heart pill for 48 hours prior to the test. It'll take 3-4 weeks to get the allergy test results back.

The throat clearing could be the culprit. My ENT said to cough to clear my throat because it's easier on the vocal cords. Who knew? I hope you're over it soon. And I do think you can develop immunity to your own cats. Some cats really bother me and others not at all.

It's not how much you accomplish in life that really counts, but how much you give to others.It's not how high you build your dreams that makes a difference, but how high your faith can climb.It's not how many goals you reach, but how many lives you touch.It's not whom you know that matters, but who your are inside.Believe in the impossible, hold tight to the incredible, and live each day to its fullest potential.You can make a difference in your world. - Rebecca Barlow Jordan

Hi everyone

My brother is still waiting for the kidney stone to pass. My DD is safely home from her business trip. That's the good news. We have had a scary week, though. You all know my daughter is moving 2 hrs away this weekend. On Tues, I had a dentist appt to get my permanent crowns placed, and I asked Jamie since she was going to be here anyway, to drive me to the appt and I would call her to pick me up when I wHen I was finished. It is a less than 5 minute drive, but if someone drives me, I can take some Ativan to calm me down a little. Anyway, I texted her I was ready for pickup and got no response. I waited a few minutes and called her- no answer. I'm starting to tell myself I should have known better- Jamie is never where she says she'll be at the time she says. Anyway, she finally arrives and I get in the car

She says"Kayden's gone". WHAT??? Seems Kayden was teasing his sister and her friend so they decided to go for a walk around the block. He wanted to go with them. His mom said no, because they were already fighting. So he just took off. It had been about 30 min since she had realized it. When we got back to the house, she got out with the baby, I got in the drivers seat and started driving around. Within a half hour, some of our neighbors joined the search. Every child that had a bike or skateboard were sent around our five streets. One neighbor was in her golf cart, her husband in his car. I drove to his school and the park we stop at after school. By now it's pretty dark. My fourteen yr old grandson called and told me he had found him by his school. When I got there, Doug had his arms around Kayden. He literally threw Kayden in the car. I got out of the car to talk to K in the back seat, hugged him, which he really didn't accept, and thankEd my grandson and his friend for their help and told them to go straight home, I was going to drive around for a few minutes, or stop for a few minutes to let K calm down. He tried to get out of the car when I backed away, and Doug and his friend again had to throw him back in the car. I drove to the Park near the school, and before I could get the car in park, he was out of it and gone again. Luckily, Doug had not gone home but was right behind us. Kayden ran and jumped over the school fence. Next thing I see is three cop cars, lights flashing, but no sirens, flying down the street to the school. By the time I caught up with them, one of the cars had already left with Kayden to take him home. The cop who brought him home told Jamie he wasn't a typical eight year old runaway. He said when he brings a typical one home, they don't acknowledge their parents at all, and head straight to their room, slamming every door they can on the way. Kayden got out of the car and hugged Jamie, and when I pulled up ran to me and hugged me, then wouldn't let go of my hand.

When we all got back n the house, he was very honest about how he was feeling. He said his friend Faisal had agreed that Kayden could live there if he wantEd. We had not only never seen Faisal, We had never even heard his name. Jamie asked why he wanted to live there, instead of with her and daddy, and he said they were nice and you are mean. And that he wouldn't have to move away from evEryone. Jamie blew it off, saying he doesn't like having a baby sister, and is scared, just like anyone would be facing a new home and school.

I tried to get her to see that he really loves his baby Sister, just resents that Mom is so nice to her and So mean to him. And moving for him isn't so much an adventure- last time they moved it was from a broken down old house to a warehouse with no walls, and even more than that, no windows. They could not go outside at all because they weren't supposed to be living there. He has seen the property they plan to eventually live on, and it is in the middle of nowhere, so he thinks he won't have any friends. Meanwhile, the appt they are renting up there is only two bedrooms. She has tried to get the kids on board by saying they are each going to have their own room. Technically she's right- K & V won't be in the same bedroom- but the baby will be in V's room and Mom will be sharing K's room. Daddy doesn't sleep they tell me but when he does, he sleeps on the floor because of his back.

Next day, she gets a call from the school. They have Kayden on all their security cameras, walking through the school that night- they weren't going to do anything, because it was clear on the tapes that he was not doing anything but walking the halls. Again, Jamie saw thiS as his breaking into the school- I see it as him going to the one placE (other than my house) where he feels safe. I gave him a paper that night with all of our numbers anD said he could call any one of us before running and we would help. Victoria has an iPhone, but It is not hooked up for service. I took it yesterday and put all of our numbers and emails in her contacts. I know her mother isn't happy about that, and thinks we are setting hEr up for failure, but we are basing the future on the past.

Don't you wish I had small little posts about the weather?

Prayers and hugs to all,

Anne

Yes, I am taking care of my little lady. She actually requires very little --- I'm mainly there to see that the girls come in and help her into her recliner and reach anything for her not near at hand. Sometimes we get down the picture albums and go through them. It makes me happy and makes sure that she has someone and is not glued in her chair with no one close at hand to talk too or get things. She does not really ( never actually has ) used the call light. Then again, since someone is there a lot she hasn't had too.

Anne, that is sad that your grandson is taking this so hard. I'm hoping that he isn't so dispersed by the time he goes that he is too overwrought to see possible advantages ( though there may be few ) or not recognize good opportunities to connect with some of the others his age, who may be around him and could turn into good friends.

Hi everyone

Today is the 3rd anniversary of my surgery. And for the first time since Dx, I am sick. But, I am not fearful that it could be something bad, because it is very familiar to me- laryngitis. I have had it many times, with the cough that goes along with it.

My brother finally got an appt with a urologist. Problem is it is March 1st. That is a whole month away! He had already decided to find out if his insurance will cover him here. He is going to call them first thing Mon morning and plans to be here sometime this week.

I think my grandson was surprised at our reaction to his running away. I don't know how his parent's handled it, but my other two daughters and I have told him how scared we were that we might never see him again, and how devastated we would be. I took his sister's phone the other day and put all of our phone numbers in it. She asked why I put my daughter in Ga (who they both are very close to), and my son who is in So . Carolina on the phone since they are so far away. I explained that they both still have friends locally- including police officers, that would be there in ten minutes or less to help them. I also just found out that a couple I used to work with, now live in Lake Placid, and the other grandmother of the grandson who lives with me, is very close to the wife. Bill was an administrator at the school, but also a Ft Lauderdale cop, and knows Jamie's not so nice history. I plan to get in touch with them and have their number available for help close by. And he would keep the kids from going into the system and vouch for my being given custody. It's awful to think like that, but with them, you never know. This is he first time in her life, and especially since she has children that she will be completely on her own.

I thought we would have the kids all weekend, but they need them to help with the moving. Then I asked if we couldn't at least have the baby. Poor thing has spent much of the last month in the car or crib. She is crawling now, and Jamie won't allow her to crawl in the warehouse, and the apartment is too dangerous with everything just dropped everywhere. So the only place she has some freedom is here. Jamie thought that was a great idea, for Alex to stay here, but I guess her husband didn't cause she's not here. When Jamie came to pick the other two up after school yesterday, I went out to say hello to Alexandria- she had absolutely no response. Usually she gives me a big smile and fusses to be put down so she can get to me. Yesterday, not even a sign of recognition. She was totally zoned out.

Other that that, I am trying to pretend everything is normal, or I cry. I looked up Bus fares between us and it's only $30. And my daughter in Ga found 2bed cottages in Lake Placid for under $50 a night. I am thinking I might go up by bus on Wed or Thursday, then drive back with Jamie in Fri. Of course, while my brother is here, we will go both ways by car.

Anne

Sandy - thanks for all the info re laryngitis. Thank goodness, the only singing I do is to my nine month old granddaughter. I am drinking a lot of tea, and water. I love my yeti cup. I had stopped drinking tea because I would forget I made it and when I finally remembered, it was cold. Now I make two cups, put them in the Yeti cup and it is still hot hours later.

Hope you feel better soon.

Anne

Went to see La La Land tonight, and had dinner in the theater’s restaurant next door. We were definitely the oldest folks in the place—the TV monitors had movie-quote trivia questions alternating with the women’s Half-Pipe Snowboard finals of the X Games. (Yup, the world is changing, all right).

My new cold is progressing in a direction I hadn’t expected—it feels exactly like hay fever in August. Both eyes and nose itching like crazy, hanging on the edge of a sneeze. Can’t be anything in the house, because I also felt it outdoors and in the restaurant. Hope it’s not the sulfites in wine. I guess I will go back to using my Nasacort and taking Zyrtec again—will just have to drink more water.

Sandy, I hope you get to feeling better. I don't know if age, but I was really surprised with my sinus flare. It is doing well today, but I don't recall ever experiencing it in the far colder months other than having to empty my nose in several tissues in the morning. Don't know if it is age, weather changes or a combination.

Puffin, I would love to do some of the things I 'used' to do, but I think I'm well past ice skating and roller skating. Walking, now I do still seem to have that down pat. I was pretty much always a 'gutter' bowler. The only sport I ever really excelled in was relay racing and seems as I was always a taller person, I had that as something of head start combined with longer stride. I was always chosen first in school for relay -- last in anything else.

Anne, sure hope your brother can get things ironed out very soon. Sounds like you both would benefit greatly by being able to share life right now right across the chair from each other.

I found LaLa Land charming—despite its contemporary setting it had a romantic 1940s movie musical feel to it. It and Hidden Figures were uplifting and inspiring. Manchester by the Sea was beautifully shot, but exceptionally bleak. It flashed back and forth in time but not as explicitly as, say, the TV drama This is Us; the flashbacks were somewhat disconcerting as it often took about 15 seconds to realize they were flashbacks. The arc of the narrative, therefore, didn't really become apparent until about 2/3 of the way through. And it was hard to empathize with or even like the protagonist (the problem that, I believe in retrospect, sank Sting's musical The Last Ship).

Lungs clearing up a little. Allergic symptoms abated, throat not burning-scratchy now but definitely feel a soreness at the back, near my vestigial tonsils (they regrew somewhat decades after they were removed when I was a kid). If I'm running a temp in the morning and still coughing up stuff, I will go to Immediate Care to find out what's up.

Brr, outside this morning, but the sun is out ( sure hope it stays ) and temps say up to 51. I also hope that is right, but it will be temporary. In fact, likely just a one day thing, though if the rest of the wks. temps stay a bit higher than predicted, it won't be too bad. I held off washing my care so it is looking yucky. If those temps come up maybe right after work I'll hit the car wash as I should dry out well enough that the low nights temps won't matter.

Looking forward to this week. A little stressful over the week-end --- so here's hoping and I'm going to be looking for the sun every day even if sun is not predicted. Some times you just have to make it go right. Hope you are all going to have a good Monday now that marvelous Monday is here.

Sun came out this a.m. but went back into hiding. Had some snow yesterday but it stuck only to grass and bottom rims of car windows, and it melted away. Going up to 35 today, and 37 tomorrow (which is forecast to be very windy). Sunny & in the 30s for the Lincoln Park Zoo’s groundhog on Thurs.—not sure of the forecast for Punxsatawney, PA, which is the official determinant. I predict LeBron James will see his shadow, which means six more weeks of basketball.

Don't let anyone else take the measure
of your worth and capabilities.
Always stand proud in who you are.
- Margaret Spellings

Wow—$6 for a car wash? Ours charges $13, more for SUVs or minivans. (But it’s a hand wash—the automatics cost about what you’re paying).

I can't use the automatics because I can't disable the collision avoidance system, which stops the car washes that use mobile tracks and prevents those drying systems using cloth strips (where you are instructed to drive forward through them). The CAS sees these mechanisms as “obstacles." Disabling the CAS is an involved process that must be done with the engine on in a specific sequence, that takes too long to get into & through the wash w/o incident. And it resets to “on" every time you restart the car. The only automatics I can use are the Mobil “On the Run" ones at the Tollway Oases, where you drive in, shut off the engine, and don't turn it back on the car is fully dried, and the exit door opens so you can drive out. (The entire wash & dry apparatus does the moving, not the car). To get there, I'd spend as much extra on gas to bring the price up to the neighborhood hand wash—which cleans & vacuums all interior surfaces; and whose waiting room gives me my choice of free hot beverages, cookies, a parakeet to watch and a TV.