For Older People with Sense

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  • Alyson
    Alyson Member Posts: 4,308
    edited May 2017

    Hi Ginger and all. Popped in to say hi.

    Big hugs.

  • MCK54
    MCK54 Member Posts: 41
    edited May 2017

    Hi... I too would like to join this thread. I laughed at the tile " older people with sense." I am 62 yrs old with stage 1V bc. Since my diagnosis 6 months ago, it s changed my way of looking at life. I ve thrown my usual good sense to the wind in my determination to live each day to the fullest. In a way...I may be the one that has no sense at all.lol.... For example, I m usually a thrifty type of person but this week I bought 3 pairs of new Summer shoes. Did I need them? No...but they were on sale and looked great on me so I thought what the heck and bought them. My husband said jokingly, " I think your good sense has gone to the wind". So I felt I just had to join this thread when I saw its name. That being said, I have a great sense of humour and a positive attitude and simply don t have the time for negativity. I look forward to the support, encouragement and guidance and perhaps a little fun along the way

    Ps...if I figure out how to insert pics on this thread, I ll post a pic of all my new shoes...lol...

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 16,818
    edited May 2017

    Hi Ginger et al!

    Hi MCK54! Welcome to the thread. I'm also stage IV and have been since 2009......doing exceptionally well and like you loving life and living it well........not always with good sense though....lol.

    Ask any question you need, at anytime you need and look forward to loads of love and support.

    To post a pic just click on the pic icon at the top of the reply box and follow the prompts......it's that easy. Would love to see your shoes!

    Love n hugs. Chrissy

  • MCK54
    MCK54 Member Posts: 41
    edited May 2017

    Chrissyb! You re Amazing ..2009 diagnosed and stage 1V and living well. Would you mind sharing some of the positive lifestyle changes you ve made since your stage 1V diagnosis and also tips you ve learned that help that are practical and make good sense...lol....at least in theory...It seems that it s part of the puzzle of us all living longer with MBC.

    I had my first 3 mo Onc appointment this past week and the Drs were pleasantly surprised at the improvement in my bone mets....My cancer is an aggressive grade 4 and scans showed my bone mets are almost all healed over. I m on Fas/Xgeva injections with just a couple of side effects.

    When the Drs learned I lost 30 lbs in the 3 mo and on an exercise program, they were really surprised. They actually weighed me a second time...lol ..didn't t believe the scales I guess !

    You will prob laugh but in Jan. I was supposed to see the cancer clinic s social worker and learn all that was needed for end of life but I cancelled the appoint. I remember thinking to myself " screw that plan...if I am going to leave this life, I m going to leave kicking"! Lol ..

    And so began my journey to work on something positive and that felt I had control of....diet and exercise..It wasn't t easy at first I ll admit. but now it s just routine.

    I m chuckling as I remember my Onc s last words to me last week after I told her I cancelled the social worker appointment. She said with a smile, " something tells me you re not going to need it anytime soon my dear"

    As I left her office, wearing my new pair of peach coloured shoes and matching purse and scarf, I skipped feeling a few steps of happiness. Life suddenly feels good!





  • SoCalLisa
    SoCalLisa Member Posts: 13,961
    edited November 2017

    miss our group 😘

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 16,818
    edited November 2017

    Hi Lisa!! I think life has taken over and a lot have moved on although I still watch this thread.

    Obviously not close enough as I have, for some unknown reason, missed your last post MCK54 and for that I apologize.

    Wow! You are responding really well to your treatment and that is a huge plus in living a long time. Congrats also on your weight loss, I seem to be not disciplined enough to get rid of my weight and the fact that I am hampered with other problems exercise other thank a gentle walk limits me there also.

    You asked what was my secret and what have I changed since diagnosis in order to be where I'm at. The only major thing I can think of really is removed all stress. I've also learned to not sweat the small stuff as they usually sort themselves out. Diet is and always has been good, I'm an old fashioned cook who uses almost nil canned or packaged foods so I do get my full compliment of nutrition. Other than that, I just make sure my day always includes laughter and lots of it.

    Hope you are still skipping.

    Love n hugs. Chrissy

  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited November 2017

    I too have this thread in my favorites and miss the back & forth.

    Lisa - I still have San Diego on my bucket list, and may get there next year. Hard to believe that I was raised in the SF Bay Area with a brother in the LA area and still have never been to San Diego. I've had such fun meeting BCO members in different cities.

    Crissy & Alyson: It's only a dream that I might get to Australia or New Zealand so glad to hear your adventures.

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 16,818
    edited November 2017

    Hey MinusTwo! Nice to see you!! Yep, I've got lunch in San Diego on my list of things to do as well. You never know, I could find an air fare that's suits my pocket and surprise you all!......lol. Now wouldn't that be a bit of a hoot!!

    Love n hugs all! Chrissy

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 16,818
    edited November 2017

    Oops!! Hit the wrong key and posted too soon.

    Lisa, how's the ankles going? Are you beginning to get moving again? Oh my gosh that has been a saga for you! Unfortunately ankles are not very forgiving when they break or shatter as one of yours did...........it's taken nearly two years for my daughter's ankle to get reasonably normal function but it still gives her heaps at big weather swings. I'm loving all you flowers on FB again.

    I need to get sewing again as my wardrobe is sadly lacking in summer dresses. .........I have the time, I have the fabric, I have chosen a pattern now I just need to find a little more ooomph to enter the sewing room and get 'er done!

    Hope you all had a Happy Thankgiving!

    Love n hugs. Chrissy

  • SoCalLisa
    SoCalLisa Member Posts: 13,961
    edited November 2017

    my ankles are coming along.. my left one is pretty good, my right one with all the hardware not so much. But I am vertical and threw away the wheelchair and walker. It's amazing how many muscles you use just to stand up if you haven't stood for 4 months. No weight on the feet really cramps one's style.

    So good to see everyone. Wouldn't it be fun to see everyone in San Diego, especially a return from you Chrissy.



  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 16,818
    edited November 2017

    I'm working on it Lisa!!. .....lol.😊

    Good to hear that you are at least verticle without heavy aids......are you using a stick for added support? Oh yeah, those muscles you dont use when immobile. .....they are such a pain (literally) when you are coaxing them to work again but luckily start to recover their strength fairly quickly.

    So, my guess is you are not quite ready to get on the dance floor?.......soon, may be......lol.😊

    Love n hugs. Chrissy

  • SoCalLisa
    SoCalLisa Member Posts: 13,961
    edited November 2017

    you are too funny Chrissy😎

  • SoCalLisa
    SoCalLisa Member Posts: 13,961
    edited December 2017

    i simply want to wish all who celebrate a very Merry Christmas. 🌲🌲

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 16,818
    edited December 2017

    Thank you Lisa, Merry Christmas to you and all who celebrate.🎄🎄

  • Wren44
    Wren44 Member Posts: 8,585
    edited December 2017

    Merry Christmas to all who celebrate and Happy New Year to everyone.

  • Hogwarts
    Hogwarts Member Posts: 60
    edited March 2018

    Hi all,

    Just discovered this thread and thought I'd jump in. So sad to hear that some (one?) of these threads can get contentious. Thankful that the ones I've visited haven't been. We need all the love, hugs and support possible.

    Being diagnosed can send one right to the edge of a cliff, looking waaaaay down! I was a deer-in-the-headlights while waiting for any results. Lost 15 lbs, for loss of appetite, and couldn't sleep. Am nearly 3 years out now and doing great. Decided to have a BMX and not worry about future mamos, etc. Being small, I absolutely hated them! While there is some chest wall nerve pain, and the psychological stuff that comes with what we have gone thru, I'm alive and healthy and celebrate that.

    Love how you ladies are so supportive of each other, though it is impossible to read all 300+ pages. LOL. Kudos for taking up photography, art, writing, whatever. Expressing oneself this way is so healthy. As an artist, I would suggest that you not worry about whether or not you're work is 'good,' whatever that means. Just do it and enjoy it for yourself. It will make your heart happy.

    Interesting that someone earlier gave the name PTSD to what some of our reactions are to this whole exercise in living well, despite our surgeries and treatments. Therapy is helping me so much. And I'm told that time further out from our dx does as well. The hardest part is remaining neutral in the docs offices but that's getting much better with therapy as well. Helps so much to keep grounded.

    Right now I'm dealing with a minor case of shingles on one side and it itches like crazy with anything touching it. The only thing that brings relief is a gel pack to numb the area for a bit. Wonder if putting a silicone foob in the fridge then wearing it would help. LOL Hope none of you have gone thru chest shingles. Yikes! We've been thru enough already, for heaven's sake.

    Anyway, my CA numbers have always been low normal and I'm very thankful for that. Life is good and I'm healthier now than before because of how I've made healthy changes. Feels good to take care of my self; I deserve it!

    Happy Easter, Happy Passover, Happy Spring, Happy Happy evreything and hugs to all!

  • Egads007
    Egads007 Member Posts: 1,603
    edited March 2018

    Hi Hogwarts!

    Loved your post. I'm not over 60 yet so I'll make this fast before I get kicked out of here

    Winking

    So glad you're getting the most of of therapy. I've considered it myself but thought I was doing okay. That is until I had a recent scare over a mammogram call back. All was good (whewww!). The thing is, and like you, the 'deer/headlight' syndrome hit me like a ton of bricks....freaked me right out no matter what I tried. I've been a firm believer that all survivors suffer some form of PSTD, now I'm convinced. Perhaps I should check out some therapy, I might get better coping skills for the next mammo. As a matter of fact, better coping skills period. I find I'm extremely tense if I have to enter any kind of medical situation, even at hospital visits to relatives! The smell of a hospital turns my stomach, and makes me jumpy. I tend to block out the sight of a medical building while driving by.......so yeah, I think it's definite worth a peek at therapy. As you said, 'feels good to take care of myself', time I started to doing that for my peace of mind. Cheers! :))

  • Hogwarts
    Hogwarts Member Posts: 60
    edited March 2018

    Hi Egads007,

    Love that name as that just about says it all, what we have all been thru.

    But, as soon as you (someone else?) said PTSD, that resonated with me. And, I can readily understand how you feel around anything medical these days! Sooooo glad you're considering therapy. Don't give up on yourself if things start to feel uncomfortable at some point. That only means you're getting ready to expose some gold nugget that will help you. After all, considering what we have all been thru, exploring our feelings is a piece of cake!

    I thought I was doing okay, too, till about a year later, I had a melt down and thought it was an 'anniversary' reaction. Just started crying without any prompting. Nope, it was just some stuff that was begging to come to the surface to be healed. I'm told that stuff like this, and I'm gonna call it the grieving process, won't go away till we look at it and own it and love it free. Denial doesn't work at all.

    So hang in there and go for it! Better than being sick driving past anything medical. ;-)

    Hugs, Judy

  • SoCalLisa
    SoCalLisa Member Posts: 13,961
    edited March 2018

    Hogwarts..Good to see you post. I had shingles last year over one side of my torso. I found aspercream with lidocaine helps. Plus I went to a sporting goods store and bought " Body". It looks like a deodorant bar but lays a layer over your skin to protect it from hurting and itching when your shirt rubs over it. Hikers and bikers use it so they don't get blisters.

  • SoCalLisa
    SoCalLisa Member Posts: 13,961
    edited March 2018

    roses are starting to bloom

    image

  • Hogwarts
    Hogwarts Member Posts: 60
    edited March 2018

    Hi SoCalLisa,

    Thanks for that info on 'Body!' Will have to check it out. And thanks so much for the beautiful rose picture. Can almost smell it just by looking.

    Egads007, forgot to say I'm delighted that your recent mammo was good. That's great!!!

    Cheers, y'all!

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 16,818
    edited March 2018

    Hi girls and welcome to both Hogwarts and Egads.  

    Egads you don't necessarily need to be over 60 to join this thread, any friendly face is more than welcome.

    Hi Hogwarts, yes this sure is a journey (although there are a lot who hate that word) it surely is that.  Lots of ups and downs and round abouts.......almost like being on the scariest ride at the fair ground.  

    I heartily agree that self care and love is very important to dealing with the emotions and feeling that this disease will bring to the surface and sometimes that can take years.  PTSD is a perfect way to describe what can happen and a good councillor is super important to helping to cope with it all if you need.

    Hey Lisa!  Nice to see you and your beautiful rose, I knew it was one of yours without even registering who the poster was......lol.  Lovely to see you.........how's the ankles?

    I've been busy and continue to do well.......Still NED and have been off treatment for 15 months now and hoping it will stay that way for a long time.  Been getting back into my photography and spend a lot of time exploring the capabilities of my new camera.......the jolly thing keeps surprising me.....lol.  Needless to say I'm very happy with the one I finally decided on and find the Mirrorless light enough that I don't have a problem controlling it without using a tripod.  Having said that, when we were in France I had to take a few pics with my phone as I kept running out of memory cards (I took heaps!) as everywhere I looked there was something photo worthy.  The first  pic was taken with my phone the second with my camera......enjoy.

    image

    image

    Love n hugs all,  Chrissy


  • SoCalLisa
    SoCalLisa Member Posts: 13,961
    edited March 2018

    great pix, Crissy. You need to unearth more!

    I just took this from my kitchen window

    image

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 16,818
    edited March 2018

    Thanks Lisa there are oodles more where they cam from plus a whole heap from around where I live.

    That little bird is such a cutie! I love your pics but for the life of me can't remember what camera you have. I look forward to seeing what you see.

  • Egads007
    Egads007 Member Posts: 1,603
    edited March 2018

    Hogwarts, glad you liked my screen name....I think I did actually say it when I discovered my lump! As for the therapy I'm definitely going for it...enough of the denial or just stubborn pride on my part...it's getting me nowhere fast...time for the golden nuggets! Thanks for the congrats as well. All yourkind words and support are SO helpful and appreciated!

    SoCalLisa - I had shingles last year too! Didn't that just totally suck! Uggg. Thank you for posting the beautiful pics...you take gorgeous shots! I've broken most cameras I've ever owned hence why the family album is only 3 pages long :)))

    ChrissyB - thank you for the warm welcome...whew! Glad to see all are welcome and I didn't get kicked out for being under age lol! Your pics of France have me itching to travel again...thanks for posting! Big huge congrats on 15 months NED!!!

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 16,818
    edited March 2018

    Egads, I'm 15 month no treatment but six years NED which is pretty cool as I'm stage IV........lol......sometimes my mind goes faster than my fingers and I forget to put things in.  Thanks for the congrats.

    Travel is great and I want to do a bit more of it before my body gives out.......the only thing I have to remember when I plan for it, is that my feet are no longer able to carry me on great ambles so I will need to micro manage it all.....lol.  Photography is a passion and I am super chuffed that I now, after many years, have a really good camera and it really does improve the quality of the shots.  The thing is, that all photographers can take a good pic but there are some that are super talented that make their photos talk to you.......I'm still practising.

  • SoCalLisa
    SoCalLisa Member Posts: 13,961
    edited March 2018

    Chrissy it's a Canon SX60 bridge camera. I bought a new SLR but like the SX60 better.

    Chrissy is a world traveller literally she went round the world through BCO friends. We miss seeing our Aussie in Southern California.

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 16,818
    edited March 2018

    Oh that's right, I remember now.....it's a little cross over camera that does both point and shoot and you can operate it manually as well.  What SLR did you get?  It takes a little bit to get used to using an SLR after the point and shoot as there is way more to remember....ISO, light, f stop, shutter speed etc, etc, etc  you almost need a college degree to operate one.....lol.  Gets a little taxing on the old brain at times but I really do enjoy fiddling......lol.

    Oh yes, my trip around the world.....now wasn't that an adventure!  I so miss seeing all the girls I met along the way and there are some that I will only see when I leave this realm.....sigh......time passes, life goes on and it's up to us to make the most of it and I'm sure not growing any moss!.....lol.  One of these days Lisa you will get a message from me asking for a good place to stay as I fully intend getting back there for sure......beside all you lovely ladies, California has some fantastic places to give my camera a good work out.

  • SoCalLisa
    SoCalLisa Member Posts: 13,961
    edited March 2018

    Chrissy, the SLR isn't that different from my old film cameras. The problem is that the lenses I would need to get a 60 times optical zoom would be huge. The reason for the SLR was for quick change from auto focus to manual and I wanted an easy way to set infinity without trying to do it on my tiny screen

    We shall see. I didn't want to spend a lot for the body as the technology changes so rapidly.

    How do you like the mirrorless?

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 16,818
    edited March 2018

    I love the Mirrorless!  It is so light in comparison to the normal SLR, fully loaded with a 50-230mm zoom lens it still only weighs just over a pound or about 650grams.....with the standard 35mm lens it is well under that weight.  The one I got is The Fuji X-E2 Mirrorless........it combines the best of the Pro2 and the R2 without compromising weight.

    I went shopping on line after checking out the local camera stores as I found them rather expensive.  I ended up getting the body and the two lenses for $1600 Aus and that was what they were asking in the camera store just for the body.  Needless to say I was pretty happy about the cost and it only took two weeks to get here by post. 

    I know the technology changes quickly as does most technology today but a good camera is pretty well a must if you are being really serious about your photography.  I have managed to sell a few of my photographs since getting this camera as it allows me to shoot in RAW or jpg or both but I have been using RAW most of the time.

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