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

Befriending the life in others is sometimes a complex matter. There are times when we offer our strength and protection, but these are usually only temporary measures. The greatest blessing we offer others may be the belief we have in their struggle for freedom, the courage to support and accompany them as they determine for themselves the strength that will become their refuge and the foundation for their lives. I think it is especially important to believe in someone at a time when they cannot yet believe in themselves. Then your belief will become their lifeline. -Rachel Naomi Remen

Love is the ultimate meaning of everything around us.
Love is not a mere sentiment.
Love is the ultimate truth at the heart of creation.
- Rabindranath Tagore

Only had very muted sun in the late afternoon yesterday. So, no outside work. I have to get Dh ( before Friday ) to get my mower fixed. It needs ( I have no idea what its called ) the little rubber thingy you push that brings gas to it so you can start the mower. I could get the leaves on the ground ( not very many ) mulched so easy -- if I had that mower. He says he has some of those rubber replacements -- ah, well, ok dearie, we should get this done then.

Not bright out today but 5 day shows most days starting out a bit on the darker, cloudy side. Hope we get more of yesterday's sun today. I have tons of things I need to catch up with, but I could vary routines with the outdoor work too. Dh ( we think having his surgery on Friday ) won't be able to do much for awhile. So I'll be back to double duty here which is okay, but I'm hoping to get a bit of a head-start. I can get a little help from my cousins with the yard -- but because the walking and other aspects would be good for me -- I'd like to get that going early and keep as much cleared and ready for the cousins as I can.

Hope you are all going to have a really nice day.

In your occupations, try to possess your soul in peace. It is not a good plan to be in haste to perform any action that it may be sooner over. On the contrary, you should accustom yourself to do whatever you have to do with tranquility, in order that you may retain the possession of yourself and of settled peace. -Jeanne Guyon

51 & cloudy now in SW MA, but rain forecast in a couple of hrs., with possible snow showers & high 30s an hour north in southern VT where we’d planned to go leaf-peeping (maybe about 1/4-1/3 peak color down here, same latitude as Chicago). So we’ll wait till tomorrow for that, and go down to Lenox or Stockbridge for indoor (museum) sightseeing today.

Back acting up again—using my CBD balm and lidocaine roll-on, as well as my PT exercises. Still no recreational MJ here even though it’s legal in MA—taking awhile for dispensaries to set up reg. sales. The resort gift shop sells CBD stuff cheaper than back home, as well as pocket tins labeled “Medical Marijuana” for carrying MMJ. (Big Boomer and slightly older guest demographic here—many have ailments that qualify here and are also MA residents)

Going to VT tomorrow for more promising leaf-peeping. This is from most of the way up (2 mi. from the summit) Mt. Greylock yesterday:

Recreational weed is legal in VT now as well as in MA—but amazingly, there’s still nowhere to buy it in either state except with an MMJ card. (From that state). Only way to get and possess rec. weed legally in either state is for someone to gift you some (or pass a joint around, indoors and not in public—unlike Canada where folks are toking like crazy right on the street starting today. Canada did it right—dispensaries got their rec. permits and set up sales systems to be ready on the day the new law took effect. Been legal in VT since 2016 and in MA since Jan. 1, 2018. State estimated that the shops would be good to go July 1.....(crickets)...

Sunny today ( oh so nice ) but going to stay in the 60's and will do that for several more days. I think our 'heat' has come and gone. Not sure we had any Indian Summer this year much. Something could still show, but I have doubts. So onward and upward. I'm working on making progress. My job due to start in couple of days had to cancel as a family member is ill and not expected to be here long. That helps me at this time with things here and seeing Dh through his back surgery on Friday. Had been trying to decide how to best work in my job. Sometimes the universe just sort of steps in so the path is more straight-forward.

Going to do Thanksgiving here. Mainly for the friend who lives in town and has no where to go. I really thought I wouldn't ( not sure of a work schedule in advance ) but it can be worked out. I will be doing some work, but can do a bit of advanced cooking a day or two before and my little job then will finish on the 24th. So, I can make it go right.

Hope you are all going to have a big yellow sun to enjoy outside today. It is so pretty outside -- and the sun does make the cooler temps easy to tolerate w/o needing too many heavy clothes.

Pretty picture Sandy -- hope there are more.

So pretty, well except for that snow but delightful once out of the shade. Thanks Sandy.

Dh seems to have come through his surgery fine. He was/is required to lay flat ( not even a pillow ) for 24 hours --- so should be able to bring him home somewhere around 2 p.m. today. He does have orders to do a lot of walking afterward. I will be glad to get him back home -- just because. I was not able to see the Dr. after the operation, but once back in his room, he was asking for water because he was sooooo dry. That is understandable, but couldn't have anything until they got his temp so that there wouldn't be an effect on it. All he while I was there they had issues getting the thermometer to register. Finally he got his water ---- and coffee which he REALLY needed to.

Later on, they brought in a tray of food. That was interesting -- eating fish and French fries and slaw laying totally flat on your back. He was such a "hungry" sport he got it down along with some jello and sherbet. Of course, that made me feel like he was doing pretty well. He did finally wear out from it all and since it was getting dark and a break in the rain I came on home.

Going to be from all appearances sunny today -- good and hope it stays that way. I have a lot of food fixed that we can nibble our way through. All the working, running, and trying to keep up with things has helped me drop below 190 which seemed to be a bit on the impossible side. Well, not if you don't have time to eat, or at least eat much. So, maybe I'll be able to continue being careful.

Hope you are all going to have a great Saturday.

Glad jour DH's surgery was successful and he's doing well, Jackie. Very chilly here now (rained a bit yesterday, flurried overnight but not here by the lake). I can see the clouds rolling in--we're supposed to go down to 30 tonight with possibly more snow flurries or even wet flakes.

NWS and NOAA predict the northern part of IL (as far south as just s. of Chicago) should have a slightly warmer winter, but from the south 'burbs on down, plus the mid-Atlantic, mid-South and deep South it's expected to be wetter than normal. Bracing for a snowier winter this time--hope it's not another Snowmageddon like 2015 & 16.

Front moving through is making the hardware in my ulna ache, but schlepping luggage yesterday had to be partly to blame. Bob turned 69 yesterday, so we went out to Chicago Cut (city's top-rated steakhouse) for dinner. The kids got my leftover prime rib (I deliberately ate less so they could have it) and our leftover sides, but the birthday boy brought home half his filet mignon. Saving it for him to eat for dinner--I'll find something else.

Unless there's a cancellation, no back PT till Nov--they're that booked up. (Therapist was sick a week ago Fri.; but she did have a cancellation...Monday, when we were in MA).

Intubation and its aftermath are frustrating. Not only does it make the throat & trachea sore, it also can make one very hoarse.

Glorious sunny day outside, as was yesterday. 27 degrees last night though. The outdoorsy kits did come inside. They have done it this way ( because we encouraged it ) since they took up living here full time when their owners next door moved and left them behind. The leaves will be soon falling like rain from the trees if our nights are going to continue to be so cold.

My cousin will come over and help me deal with the yard. Her Dh ( Viet Nam Vet ) is having some pretty fancy work done on his one good eye to try and maintain what site they are able for him. We ( cousin and myself ) are hoping after a couple more visits to the city ( St. Louis across the river from us ) her Dh will be through the worst. He will though still have to use caution for awhile and will be getting some other type of glasses -- not sure when that will come, but may be fitted this time. I'm not sure just how long Dh ( mine ) will be laid up, but likely through most of the leaf removal. I'd just as soon he be over-cautious for the most part. I have been doing double-duty a lot of the time anyway due to his previous work schedules -- so, it won't hurt if he plays the slacker now for sure.

Good breakfast success the a.m. I got a couple of cups of coffee down Dh, and then a bowl of steel-cut oatmeal with plenty of milk skipping the walnuts I usually drop in as I thought they might be hard for him to handle. He did great. In fact, he went back to bed and will likely doze. I'm off to feed the feral cats in a bit and then figure out what to fix for lunch.

Hope your Sunday is as pretty where you are as it is here.

I am new here. Biopsy early this month confirmed C. I will have an MRI on Wednesday, then meet with the team on Thursday to decide what we are going to do, and when to do it.

I need to take a break from information gathering. Went to Mass this morning, then ate brunch at local restaurant, by the time I finished that and read the newspaper, the vape shop was open, bought another bottle of CBD. This time I diluted it with Veg glycerin and PG in hopes I could get it to last longer. He gave me their discount for vets (PTSD can also mean present traumatic stress disorder)..

Now I need to get to work with my quilting project, and take a few walks. I didn't do much yesterday, other than research and recreational reading.

It is expensive, but for what you want it for, a bottle should last two months. And it works for me. I can show pictures of some of my past projects. But right now I am nearly finished putting together the blocks of my latest project. Mind you, I am the junior member of the quilting club.