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

Never pass up an opportunity to speak a kind word of appreciation. There are six billion people on the planet, and 5.9 billion of them go to bed every night starving for one honest word of appreciation. -Matthew Kelly

Yes, we would love to see some wedding pictures as well as photos of the MOG. It is so exciting to have a family wedding and to actually enjoy the day after all the time spent in planning.

Sad that Central Market is closed. I love their muffulettas and actually ordered their olive salad online, my DD located a round loaf of Italian bread (no seeds sadly) at a local Italian restaurant/store combo. We bought the meats (used CM's list of meats) and hollowed the bread to stuff it with all that goodness. It wasn't quite the same because NO adds something to the taste but it was quite good. My DSIL didn't even notice that Swiss cheese is part of the sandwich. I also had a King Cake from Gambino's that I ordered online. It was delicious, came undecorated so DSIL and I decorated it. I found the baby so I get stuck buying one again next year. The best ones we had came from the open market in NO and we made several trips back there to buy more. I prefer the ones with the cream cheese filling. We used to go there for spring break when we worked. Now I am having a craving for beignets at the small store in the mall where we could sit outside on the deck and watch the ships enjoying both the weather and the view.

My brother posted yesterday that when he was in the hospital with COVID he watched FOX, and his blood pressure spiked and his oxygen levels dropped to the 70's. He was also diagnosed with emphysema. They banned him from watching that channel, and he has followed through at home. He also trolls the trolls, just to get the anger out, and had to quit that. I certainly hope this is a lasting about face for him.

Taco, I can identify with you. It is hard on a lot of days for me to get started. I keep trying to do things faster ( so as not to sit so long in one spot ) but it seems it is not happening. Well, maybe Spring and better weather will help me organize some "walking" exercises. Just walking around the house here doesn't seem to produce much stamina.

Mary, I do hope your brother is able to stay away from what he knows to be un-conducive to his general health. It is hard when we see things on t.v. Good to stay informed -- but a bit more distance. Here's hoping. I do not watch Fox since they won a lawsuit to lie and do so most of the time. They mostly seem to be a propaganda channel. That is all I will say re: political things

Going to PCP this morning -- with fingers crossed. I do know one item will be somewhat out of bounds --my urine test was not good. This though ( as I mentioned to them ) is I don't think a UTI. We went thru that when first I started needing a Urologist. It is quite likely more bladder cancer clusters and that makes the urine appear as though I have an infection. Like my first trips to the Urologist and after three or 4 bouts of antibiotics ( none of which helped ) I don't have the pain and burning and urgency of a UTI -- feel none of that.

I wish I didn't have to start treatment all over but I think it likely after I have a scope soon enough from now. I go to the Urologist tomorrow. I think he will set up the scope and we will go from there.

I do expect all the rest of my test numbers to be fine -- fingers crossed.

Hate how when you log in from a forum when you wish to reply that you get kicked out and have to scroll through to get back. Hope they soon work out all of the kinks since this seems a very slow and tedious process to return to "normal".

Taco, sorry to hear about your husband's health issues and your anxiety. I hope your daughter can clear her calendar to make that trip home. I think denial in men is related to how they perceive their role as family protector and masculinity. My DH has used it for some of his current medical issues and I see it as an attempt to protect his ego from being seen as vulnerable/weak. He's not fooling anyone but it is hard to not see it for what it is. Change has always been hard for him.

Jackie, sorry to hear about the "urine" test results and hope that it is not the bladder cancer again. Please keep us informed since we do care about you.

It is bitter cold here with a return to winter for today but a week of weather that is predicted to give us all 4 seasons in just one week. The poor daffodils are drooping from the cold. I can remember one year where they froze and when my children touched them they were reduced to dust. All are not in bloom yet so I will not be losing more than those that are currently in bloom.

Love today's quote. It speaks to so many levels of life and its challenges.

Update: Sometimes ( despite medical problems ) I am so happy to see my PCP. She is relatively young ( that would be relative to me at age 76 ) but is such a fantastic Dr. I have not mentioned having felt mild depressive feelings over the fact that I've not gotten very far in my rehab. After speaking with Dr. Neeley and she finding I did not yet have cardio rehab going, ( turns out it is likely a good thing ) she took a long look at my numbers and feels like I'm still in an after surgery anemic state and rehab wouldn't even work for me. She also found that like me, the cardio Dr. seems to be somewhat blasé' about issues since he happily referred me right back to her when I voiced my lack of progress issues to him --- basically saying that she put me on certain meds so she can continue to monitor them.

So, before I left her office she took four more vials of blood -- gave me a fecal test and will have tests done for anemia, and stand prepared to order supplemental iron for me. She finds nothing to support at the moment any bleeding anywhere. I'm also back on Lasix and potassium once a day for the next week at which time I will have a phone consultation with her. She is very willing to take over and get me dx-ed and going in the proper direction and helping me get on track to produce red blood cells which I don't have now. She wants me well ( as well as you can be with my circumstances ) knows I'm not there and feels like no one is willingly trying to find what is not right and fixing it. So, back to my being patient -- but I have to say -- it is a relief to me as I was getting to the point I felt some mental instability for not being able to get very far in my healing and re-gaining some of my former abilities. It is easier having found the possible culprit is a medical, fixable one and not due to my laziness and inability to formulate a personal program of needed changes in home rehab.

Hoping this post works. Have been lurking--can read posts on my Kindle but not reply as the "new" site does not support my Kindle browser and I share this computer which has been in use to prepare taxes.

Congrats to Betrayal on house progress, finally!

Re the hair discussion, I will never have thick hair. My hair has been baby fine my entire life, thinned while on Tamoxifen but seems to be recovering now that I am no longer taking that.

Jackie, so glad you have an excellent PCP who has your best interests in mind.

Sandy, good luck with your wedding clothes. Reminds me that I need to be planning for our oldest grandson's wedding coming up in May...

We are dealing with going from three cars to one at our house in a one week period. Granddaughter had an accident on a rainy night that totaled her car (she is OK and essentially healed physically but still not feeling comfortable driving again), the next week my husband was waiting to make a left hand turn when someone tried to pass him on the left (against oncoming traffic) and they have filed a claim with our insurance so our not-safe-to-drive car has been sitting at the repair shop for over three weeks while the insurance companies fight it out. Personally, I had a knee injection for a not quite yet bone on bone knee which has provided some relief but am now dealing with facial cellulitis and on an antibiotic with the common gi consequences. To top it off, our younger son is undergoing whole brain radiation for recently discovered multiple tumors in his brain. We are basically hanging in there for the moment.

Beaver- sorry to hear all that is going on with your family.

Betrayal - nice to hear that there is an end in sight to the repairs.

Jackie - hope you get good news.

Sandy - hope the dresses arrive sooner than later.

I'm on spring break and it is nice to have some time to me! Time to do work in the house and meet a girlfriend for tea. I have my hematologist appointment tomorrow afternoon. I'm expecting the appointment to be boring. My CMP numbers are wonky, but I don't think most of them are so far out of normal limits. I see my medical oncologist on April 8th.

70s today, 50s tomorrow and rain.

Beavertx, you are dealing with more problems than any person should have to cope with.

Jackie, sorry you're having depression on top of all the medical issues. Understandable.

No fog this morning. The sun is out and we're supposed to get up into the high 70's today. I am playing golf, the first time in several weeks.

I wonder why all the text has shifted to the right side. So far I don't recommend the tech company bc.org used for the redesign.

Good morning. It is warm and sunny after the fog lifted. I am planning on doing some hiking. We have some great trails, but the weather has to be right and before bugs start biting. Today and Wednesday are good.

Wow !! Most od the written weather reports I have say some sun. Well, we have already had some raindrops and looks really gray in spots in the sky. I'll keep hoping for the sun but carry an umbrella. Thanks for all the well wishes. I've taken my Lasix and potassium for today -- will be going later to the Urologist. I think his intention was to explain his findings from the last fancy urine tests. Then he will likely recommend a time to get his scope preformed. Sigh !!

Have to do it. I will only be allowed the light anesthesia. I should do okay with it.

Nothing much else planned. One excursion out two days in a row is wearing for me. I'll likely come home and have to sit down for a dose. At least it is clear to me why I "need" something like a dose that has almost never worked for me before. I've done it so often that I'm thinking I may never quite quit.

Hope you all have a good day.

I love that none of us would recommend the tech company in charge of this “new” bc org site. Not that anyone asked us! It just made me giggle. Whomever was in charge better not use this project as an example of their work. Near fatal flaws.

I’ve been trying to stop my own pity party of eating everything I wanted whenever I wanted. 62 year old body has added on covid pounds, then toss the inactivity from hamstring surgery pounds too. My big question lately is am I hungry or am I bored. Boredom wins out a lot. So I’ve got to get a handle on that. OK to feel bored, not ok to eat 1/2 a bag of kettle corn due to it.

91 today, tired a record. Might be as hot tomorrow too. Baseball game tomorrow afternoon, always fun even if it’s hot.

Enjoy the day tomorrow (after midnight, so today?)

CindyNY - The company that worked on this project, Work&Company, has put out a press release about how great they did on this project, seemingly with BCO's help and approval. Also, a business magazine called Fast Company wrote a glowing article about what a fantastic job Work&Company did here. It's all on the Work and Company website. Not only do I think it's terrible that they are promoting this as some great success in the business world, but I also hope they do not try to get credit for some sort of charitable contribution here too, since BCO is a non profit.

I'm so happy to be able to read this site again. I do wish I could only see my favorites, as before. I've been dealing with DH, who pretty clearly has dementia. He had a cognitive test yesterday and was clearly in the dementia range. So far his personality has not changed for the worse, which is good. He is incontinent most of the time but doesn't want to wear protection because it's not always the case. I'm definitely trying to change this. Our kids came through like champs. DD & family took out a ton of stuff from DH's study to make room for our bed. The next day DS & family moved the bed downstairs and DH's dresser. So we're now sleeping on the same floor as the bathroom.

The woman giving him the test suggested a steno book where we could write notes to each other. Neither of us has a clue. We're 81 and 82 and have been married 62 years. Without going somewhere, there's not a lot to talk about. I think keeping track of the days is a good idea. When she asked him the date, he was off by the month, year, and day of the week, so prompts are a good idea.

We're still moving somewhere in August, so reading about others' accomplishments around the house is inspiring. The amount of dust in his study was overwhelming and I'm sure some of the other rooms are just as bad. I wasn't able to do much when I was on a walker and things really went to heck.

Betrayal, maybe this is a good time to step back into your friend's life. Especially since your home is nearly complete in being put back together. It is amazing what we can survive if we see ourselves as having no other choice.

Wren, so nice that you no longer have to negotiate those steps. Last night I tried to take the elevator at church, but it was locked. I ended up walking around the church to take fewer steps-- I don't know which was worse. I have been sleeping poorly lately, too much time on my feet. Cutting way back on physical activity for a bit.

My mother had Alzheimer's during her last two years. It was painful to watch her so carefully tracking the conversation between me and my brother the last time I saw her. She died of a heart attack shortly after moving to a memory care unit. I think the stress of a different environent was too much for her fragile heart.

Carole, yes, we are all getting older. I think it is inevitable. Don't quote me on that.