Pot Bellied Stove / Water Cooler

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  • isyvanek
    isyvanek Posts: 1,039 Member
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    Hi all.

    Sheryl, SO great to hear from you. Very sorry to hear about John but understand as you said that it is a sorrow but also a relief. Will keep praying for you. Hope you can drop in again soon.

    It has been in the 60's to low 70's this week. Cool but a nice change. I've been walking 4 to 5 mornings a week and really enjoying it! I thought I only had 2 strength training sessions left but my trainer said that I have 4 so that is a nice surprise. Our morning bible study girls are getting together for lunch after the study this coming thursday. Looking forward to that.

    My beef soup turned out really good. Hubby loved it. The only thing I would do differently is skip the neck bones next time. I was so afraid that the small bones would separate and get in the soup that I probably pulled the bones out too soon and didn't get much meat from them. Next time I'll just use the stew meat only which was fabulous!

    I just finished a REALLY good book called "The Nightingale" by Kristin Hannah. One of the best books I've read. I cried several times (it was a 4 tissue book!). It is a historical novel based on fact that takes place in France during WWII.

    Well, that's about it for this week. Take care all!
  • arobed53
    arobed53 Posts: 2,004 Member
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    Howdy on a cold cloudy day. We’re getting a little moisture but it’s still above freezing so going to 4-h shouldn’t be a problem. Tonight is our achievement so we have pizza and then recognize what kids did last and recognize new members. I went and set up this morning. The church secretary was nice and set up the tables and helped with the chairs. Then I got all my stuff set out and came home and finished the rest – calendar, ordered the pizza etc.
    Last Monday I had the entire day at home and worked on short jobs and felt like I got some things done but the list was just as long the next day. :) Tuesday was Good News Club. It was nice enough to have our cookies and water outside since we were meeting upstairs in the auditorium since it was election day. Wednesday was Bible study. About noon, they came and looked at the air conditioning (Ralph had gotten the heat fixed) and now we’re waiting on a quote. Not a big hurry since we won’t need it for awhile. Was in the nursery in the evening and had one baby to watch. Thursday I went to visit my friend in the nursing home and we worked on bracelets. We are both glad she is out of the hospital. Friday was our usual errands, In the evening we went to see Anne of Green Gables. One granddaughter had a small part. They did a good job. When it was done we went to pick up two granddaughters for the night. Only one was home. The other was still at a party so we went to meet at a certain corner and had to wait 15 minutes. So it was a late night. Both girls fell asleep but woke up enough to get into the house and to the couches they sleep on. In the morning, they ate and I took them to jam camp (Baseketball). Then the parents didn’t have to get out so early (we live closer to the school). Saturday I did stuff for Sunday. I straightened the house, baked rolls, made lasagna (found a recipe that didn’t use cottage or ricotta cheese) and some other little things. About 5 I texted sister about going to Berean play so she picked me up and we went. Sunrise had done the play last year so it was interesting to see another interpretation. Sunday was SS, church (I was in the nursery so didn’t hear much) watching 5 kids. Two of the kids and families were here. One came later for eggs and then I got some of my 4-H stuff done. And that brings us back to 4-H Monday.
    Next is getting ready for Thanksgiving – will only have about 25 here. Trying to find out what the others want to bring so can decide what else I should do. I want to get a load to the thrift store and make the room I’m working on look better. I accidentally dumped a container or two while hunting for something so made more mess.
    Also, I’d like to ask for prayers for a friend of mine. Her father was diagnosed with bone cancer about three weeks ago and elected to do nothing. He passed away Sunday morning. Then this morning her husband passed away in his sleep (he has health problems but this was still unexpected) so she has loss to deal with and two funeral to plan.

    Isabella, I’m sure your beef soup will be delicious. I often just use hamburger but yours sounds really good. Thanks on the tooth. Done nothing more as it is not bothering me. That is wonderful on your A1C. That’s a big change in a short amount of time. When you do things at home with the weights and resistance band, please talk about them and maybe I’ll start doing something too.

    Sheryl, I’m sorry to hear about John but he is in a better place. It is hard when they don’t know you but we know you loved him to the very end. Praying you can rest up and keep fighting the cancer. Always love to hear from you.

    Isabella, a 4 tissue book – oh my. You did enjoy it. It is a bit rainy out and down to 34 so will enjoy 4- H and then be glad to get home. We have doctor appointments in the morning so hope it is not slick.

    Take care all. Thank you for your special friendships.
  • arobed53
    arobed53 Posts: 2,004 Member
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    Hi, had a good week – lots of evenings out. Monday was 4-h and it’s our achievement night so I had bags to get ready for everyone, set up at church – tables and got all my stuff out and did the calendars and stuff. I ordered pizzas for the meal. We had 55-60 there – biggest group we’ve had in a long time. And it all went okay. Did have two pizza left but you never know how much and I don’t like to run out.
    Tuesday was hubby’s birthday (turned 84). We started out with a doctor’s mid year med check and all is well. We did a few errands and then went to McDonalds for a McRib. Then I had Good News Club and was glad to have the evening at home.
    Wednesday morning was Bible study, at home in the afternoon – starting to clean for Thanksgiving and always projects to do. Took hats to church in the evening and hid ends while the other person and I were in nursery with no kids. :)
    Thursday I was home in the morning. Went and spent time with my friend in the afternoon – we counted bracelets and have 400 ready to go. We went to Aldi’s and got our ham for Thanksgiving. It was cold enough that we knew it would be fine in the car. We picked up two granddaughters and ate supper at McDonalds (yes, we do go there a lot cause of the deals we get) and then we girls went to 4-H Council meeting. Lori met us halfway so we didn’t have to drive quite as much going home.
    Friday was our usual errands to town. Then in the evening we went to a JR/SR High Choir Concert. They did a really good job – God honoring songs. And it only lasted an hour so we weren’t out too late.
    Today was a fun day. Our family met at the church and had pizza I ordered. We celebrated the two November birthdays and then set up to pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. We had to put all the shoeboxes together and then get all the items lined up. Our oldest buys most of them although I pick up some things and our youngest crochets a lot of bags. One granddaughter wrapped all the soap in washcloths and put them in sandwich bags. And we weren’t quite all there but we packed 150 boxes – the most we have ever done and the actual packing didn’t take much longer than 30 minutes. Then everyone pitches in to clean up and we were home 4 ½ hours after we got there. Tomorrow they lots of other boxes will be brought to church and out coordinator will load them up and take them to the area collection center. Since we were all together today, I’m not having anyone over tomorrow so not having to do anything for food.
    Had a smell I didn’t like in the guest room – finally checked the trap which has been sitting there for a long time and found a mouse. Hope it was the only one but will reset the trap after hubby empties it.
    Oh, I see no one else had been here since I was. So I’m giving you even more to read.
    HAPPY THANKSGIVING to each one of you.
  • isyvanek
    isyvanek Posts: 1,039 Member
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    Hi all, it has been a tad warmer this week. mid to high 70's and will be 80 degrees on Thanksgiving day. I've been taking my walks a bit later in the day since it has been cold in the mornings. Still really enjoying it. Did my usual shopping yesterday then just puttered around the house. Dan and I worked the puzzle together for a couple hours. It was fun. This is a tough one. It is a picure of Positano Italy. Lots of houses on the hillside and a table in the forground with a red and white table cloth and wine bottle and glasses. Then a sunset on the left top corner of the puzzle. This is the last of the puzzles that were given to us so the next one will be a puzzle we purchased and therefore a picture we chose.

    Lunch with the bible study girls was really nice as usual. I am so thankful that the Lord led me to this wonderful group of women. I didn't think I would find another group of gals I felt as comfortable with as the girls in the study I participated in for more than 20 years but God is SO gracious!

    Not doing much for Thanksgiving. I will pick up a rotisserie chicken at Sprouts and make mashed potatoes to go with it. I also bought a frozen veggie au gratin dish from Trader Joe's to make as our veggie this year instead of green bean casserole. It will be pretty fattening but hey, it's Thanksgiving! :)

    Debora, sounds like your week was busy as usual. Glad the weather hasn't gotten too out of hand yet. Nice that you didn't have to cook the next day since the family got together to do the shoe boxes. It is amazing how many you all get done and contribute. I'm doing good if I can donate one. I can't imagine saying "we're only going to have 25 people for Thanksgiving". Whew! That's a lot of people to prepare for. I'm sure it's always great fun though! I used to love Thanksgiving at my brother Carmen's house as a child.

    I'll let you know when I really start the workout at home. I've been doing some stuff with the bands using the illustration sheet that came with the band. The book I read called Strong Women Stay young has lots of illustrations of exercises you can do either with or without weights (or even at the gym). I'll try to figure out how to copy some of the pages and send them to you if you'd like. Stay tuned for further details. :)

    Have a blessed week all!
  • sannferris
    sannferris Posts: 1,432 Member
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    Good morning, I've had a very busy week and I feel it. Tuesday of last week I was very short of breath at PT and my therapist insisted that I call the cardiologist right away. My oncologist had mentioned that he wanted another echocardiogram in December to go with my next CT scan. I feel the same as when the fluid was building up in the pericardial sac. Since it felt like I needed to be checked earlier, I called on Wednesday to set up an appointment. Well, the schedule is full and I probably won't get in til later December anyway. Since I was so short of breath, I took it easy last week. This week is different, I have something going every day. My neighbor has a housekeeper come in every other week, and sometimes she shares her with me. Inna is from the Ukraine and speaks very little English, but she has been here a few times and knows what I want done, namely floors. Vacuum and wet mop the kitchen and bathrooms and clean the bathrooms. I can do everything else. Well, Monday, Inna didn't make it but sent her sister and mother in her place. They do not speak English and I had a terrible time communicating. If this happens again, I'll decline their services. I was so exhausted when they left, it just wasn't worth it. Tuesday was PT again and it went better than last week. Even the therapist said that I was breathing better than before. This afternoon, I have an eye appointment. I believe all my problems right now are a side effect of the chemo. When I beat this cancer and get off the drugs, my whole body will heal.

    Tomorrow, I'm invited for Thanksgiving at my neighbors'. These are new neighbors, Annie and Quentin and their 11 year old Cooper. The Lord sent these terrific people into my life just as I needed them. They moved in last November and have watched over me for a year now. I love them so much. I was invited to Brent and Beth's also but declined. Due to my eyes, I'm limiting my driving and as much as I want to spend Thanksgiving with family, I don't think it's wise to drive the 2 hours down to their house and definitely don't want to drive back home after dark. This year, I'll just walk across the street and join a smaller group. Annie said there will be 10 people total and she wants me to meet her mother. I'm sure it will be nice.

    I still feel very close to Jack and Gayla, but they are also having health issues and we don't get together as much as we used to. This getting old is the pits. None of us can manage to do what we used to do, or what we want to do.

    I received John's death certificate in the mail yesterday. Now, I can start closing some accounts, however, Norma told me not to rush into it. I may still need John's name on a bank account to deposit whatever checks may arrive that I forgot about. I guess it's wise to wait til at least the first of the year.
    Debora, I'll definitely be praying for your friend. She's going through a tremendous loss, having lost two.
    I don't have to plan a funeral, John and I decided years ago that neither of us want a service. John is cremated and I'll have his ashes here at home. I have a burial plot with my parents at Rose Hills and they tell me that I can have John's ashes buried with me. I had never thought of that, but it works out perfectly.

    I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving. We are so Blessed and I'm so thankful that I have you in my life.
  • arobed53
    arobed53 Posts: 2,004 Member
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    Hi, hope you all had a great Thanksgiving week. The only usual activity I had was Good News Club. That left me time to do a bit better straightening/cleaning than I usually do. We went to church Thursday morning for our Thanksgiving Day service. It is filled with testimonies and Thanksgiving thoughts from the congregation and is always good. Then it was home for last minute food that I was doing. I did ham, mashed potatoes (instant), gravy, stove top stuffing, deviled eggs and two pumpkin pies. The table was loaded full with the additions of all the food brought. We had 23 three here – two of our kids, two of my sisters, two nephews and a niece and their families. The “kids” ranged from 7 – 22 with most over 15 but they all mingled and had fun together. Some of the adults went for a walk. We all ate too much, did a 400 piece puzzle and lots of talking. Last ones left around 7.
    Friday we did our usual Friday shopping. I got back to a project that has been on the to do list for awhile which feels good. This was a week with all evenings at home. This afternoon a friend and I met at church and worked on the Sunday School papers while hubby went to Wichita and took advantage at the sale at the used bookstores. No kids coming tomorrow. One family is still in Dallas helping at the shoebox processing center. One is decorating their church for Christmas after church. And we’re meeting the third (Not the Sunday for the 4th one to come) in town to eat and then go see the progress on the house they are building.

    Isabella, your weather sounds so nice and warm. We get up to 50 but the nights get pretty cool. Tonight we are getting some much needed rain. How many pieces are in your puzzle? We did just a 400 kid one this year so got it all done. So no temptation for me afterwards. The meal you had sounds good. Yep, Thanksgiving calories don't count (ha). Nice that you're getting your walk in. I didn't realize how much my fitbit motivates me. Mine is on the fritz. I'll have a good number of steps and then they will just disappear so I told the kids they could give me money for one at Christmas but I was going to buy one now. I found out this is one you can clip on your pocket which I like. It doesn't do your heart rate adn stuff then but that's okay. Of course, I went for the best deal so it may be a week before it comes. I'll keep moving but I know I won't do as well. I'm not good about reading non-fiction, but maybe I should get my own copy (I saw one on ebay for not that much) and see if it will encourage too. How did you choose it?
    I so glad you enjoy your Bible study group. God blesses in many ways. Mine is sure special and I do my best not to miss being with them. Enjoy your week - will be back to the usual stuff here.
  • sannferris
    sannferris Posts: 1,432 Member
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    Good morning. Another busy week coming up. PT and eye appointment and chemo treatment. I had planned to get back to Sunday services at church, but just haven't pushed myself yet. I know that I'll enjoy that fellowship once I start it again. I plan to attend my friend Carol's church, she and her husband are very happy there.

    I think I've finally got my computer back to where it was before the "upgrade". However, every time I get on here, I find something reacting differently than what I expected. It's always something with technology when I'm not 'techy approved'. I just fumble through it.

    When I was at PT last Tuesday, the therapist gave me a hand massage and mentioned that it's too bad there's not a machine to do this at home. She also wanted me to get a certain hand/finger rubber exerciser found on Amazon. When I got home, I checked Amazon and found the exerciser, plus, found a massager with heat and compression. I went ahead and bought it, it should arrive Monday. I hope it will feel good on my bum left hand. My hand is improving, but still has a long way to go to get back to normal.

    Time to refill my coffee mug. Wish you both a wonderful Sunday and a good week ahead.


  • isyvanek
    isyvanek Posts: 1,039 Member
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    Hi ladies! Another week has gone by. It has been cool in the mornings (and evenings) and will be cooler this week. Forcast for most days is the high 60's to low 70's. That's still fine with me. Great weather to go for walks. Did my usual shopping and also went to the farmer's market to get my jar of local raw honey. I treated us to a beautiful piece of steelhead trout. It wasn't cheap but the fish is SO fresh it is well worth it. We had it for dinner last night. I actually managed not to over cook it and it was delicious!

    I spent most of the rest of the day reading. I started a book by Janet Evonovich with is a very quick read and lots of fun. It is called The Chase. I read it in 3 days. Not sure what I'm going to read next. I am also reading a "health" book. It's kind of an odd one. Not sure if I agree with a lot of what this guy is saying to do. I'm not very far into it yet so I'll keep an open mind and we'll see what tidbits I can take away from it.

    Funny story about our Thanksgiving meal. I checked on line and they had 2 different closing times for Sprouts - one said 2pm and the other said 4pm. I didn't want to risk it so I got there at 1:45. Well, they were getting ready to close and there were no chickens out. I asked the guy at the deli and he said they already took the meat off the bones and had it in bins to be put away. I asked if I could have some of the white meat. He said yes, but it wasn't cold. I told him that was perfect. So I bought the meat already off the bone which was easier for us anyway! It was a bit more expensive but since you're not paying for the bones it really worked out. We enjoyed our meal and had enough leftovers to have everything again the next day. :)

    Sheryl, It is SO nice to have you back here posting! We've really missed you! I agree with Norma that it is probably wise to wait a bit to remove John's name from the accounts. Makes sense to wait till the first of the year. Scary that you couldn't catch your breath but good to hear that it was better the following week. You'll have to let us know how the massager works out. Thanksgiving with your neighbors sounds wonderful. Very happy that you have such wonderful neighbors close to you. I can't imagine what it was like to try to communicate to the cleaning people who didn't speak english.

    Debora, Strong Women Stay Young by Miraim E. Nelson & Sarah Wernick is a book I bought probably 15 yrs ago then got busy and just stuck it on the shelf. I finally read it as I've been going thru the books on my shelf to decide what to keep. The edition I have is an "updated version" with a red and white cover and has a pic of the author. It is out of print now but there is a site called thriftbooks.com that sells used books (hopefully the link worked). They usually offer various condition books for different prices. For instance you can get "very good", "good", etc. I bought a copy of the book for my friend Jami and it only cost $4.65 and about $2.00 shipping. I've purchased several books from them and have never been disappointed.

    OK, I'm going to get going with the rest of my day. Have a blessed week ladies!
  • arobed53
    arobed53 Posts: 2,004 Member
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    Just popped in to say I went online last night and found a used copy of the book for $3.95 and free shipping so it will be on it way to me soon. I did look on Barnes and Nobles for a description of the book and they had an updated new copy but what I'm getting will be fine. Most of the books we have are used books - bought at thrift stores on online or library sales. About the only reason I buy a book brand new is cause it's a gift request and I can't find a used copy in really good condition.

    Sheryl, computers do keep us on our toes. Glad you can fumble through what it throws at you. Nice that you know where you'll go to church. I think you'll know when you're ready. A funny on that is there was a woman at church today who hasn't come for a long time - she's around 90. She said she was listening to David Jeremiah and he said you need to go to church for the fellowship so she came even though it's not easy for her to do. Wonderful that you found the needed items on Amazon and I know they will arrive soon - after all it's Amazon.
    How nice that you could enjoy Thanksgiving day with good company and so close. Thankful you have such good neighbors. Yes, getting old isn't fun. Yes, keep the account open for awhile. It doesn't hurt anything. Glad you are breathing better. Communication is important plus the other person already knows what you want done. Declining sounds good if it happens.

    Isabella, very nice on getting the chicken deboned. That saved you a lot of work.

    We met Matthew and Julie and McDonad's and we were able to get the McRib one more time. Then we went to there place and saw the progress on their. House. Drywall starts gong up tomorrow. Yesterday a friend and I started working on SS papers. Tomorrow morning we will do our SS material and I will refill the bead containers for Willing Workers. A couple of Sundays ago, I burned the back of my hand on the oven. It has been interesting watching it heal with being read and then new skin forming. God has made us marvelously.

    Have a great week.
  • sannferris
    sannferris Posts: 1,432 Member
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    Good afternoon, I had chemo last Wednesday and have now slept most of the last couple days. I have the anti-nausea meds just right, so now I don't have that problem anymore. The neuropathy is still the lasting side effect that I'm dealing with. I received the machine that massages my hand and it feels good, however, I decided not to use it daily until I have my PT on Monday and make sure it's doing good and not any harm. I'll take it with me and have the therapist test it out.
    Within the next 2 weeks, I should have my next CT scan. I, and my doctor, are very anxious to see if there is great improvement. We both agree that since the stress of caring for John is lifted, I should get much better, much quicker. I didn't think I let stress bother me much, but looking back now, I don't see how I couldn't have felt stressed. So much has changed now.

    I think I'm ready to fix a nice lunch. I did not eat much yesterday, just broth and crackers. I'm getting a hunger on. This is short, but I can't think of anything else right now. If something comes to mind, I'll be back.
  • arobed53
    arobed53 Posts: 2,004 Member
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    Our weather has been up and down this week. At Good News Club so cold we didn’t let the kids go our and play afterwords, yestesrday was up to 60 and today we’re almost to 38. And yesterday was very windy and today is calm. Variety keeps it interesting.
    I just finished shaping the rolls so have some time while they rise. Monday friend and I finished up our class SS papers. It took the whole morning but we have 22 papers so what we do just takes time. I had the rest of the day at home and always have a list to work on. Tuesday I was back at church to get the bead containers ready for our Thursday meeting. Got home, fixed lunch and realized I forgot to get the cookies for Good News Club from the church freezer so it was back to the church on my way to Good News Club. At least it’s not too much our of the way.
    Wednesday was Bible study, the afternoon at home and then the nursery at church and we had three little ones to watch. It was a fun evening. Thursday afternoon was Willing Workers. I made three necklaces and helped the one who works on jumpropes. Some of our committee had conflicts so it took a bit longer to pick up so I was tired when I got home but a good tired.
    Woke up Friday morning to the front door being open – fortunately it was not too cold and I was the last one to use the door. We did our usual errands. In the evening we went to a local BB games. Both Boys and girls won but the girls had to work harder to get their win. My great-niece is on the varsity team this year and played a lot so was fun to watch. When we came home, the front door was open again so will be more careful. Not sure why it doesn’t latch well. Today I’ve ahd the whole day at home. House is straightened – had to make several trips downstairs. And most of the food stuff is done. Tomorrow we will be going all day. One part is outside so hoping for a nice day.
    My fitbit been acting up so found a good deal on another style since the one I had is not sold anymore and the one I bought a couple years ago for when needed will not take a charge. So it came the other day. Now the fitbit I have is behaving and I kind of want to keep using it. But I should switch before it gives trouble again. It was doing things like having steps and then going back to zero in the middle of a day and stuff so I got so I wasn’t even trying very hard. Now the last two days I’ve gotten back to my 10,0000 steps.

    Sheryl, nice that you are feeling more rested and hungry just have two days. Do they think the neuropathy will go away? That’s smart to take the machine along and have the therapist check it out. Yes, I’m sure you had stress with John but you’re a very calm person so it may have not shown like it would have with others. Praying that the CT scan shows good results. Enjoy your week.
  • isyvanek
    isyvanek Posts: 1,039 Member
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    Hi all, did my usual shopping at Sprouts and Trader Joe's today. I also took a package to the post office to ship Christmas gifts to my friend Grace in FL. She is the only person we exchange gifts with. It makes her so happy to get packages cuz she says it means someone is thinking of her. The main gifts were 2 hot/cold bottles and 2 canisters of herbal tea from the farmer's market. She cannot wait until Christmas to open her gifts so I should know in a few days how she liked everything. :)

    We met with the landscaper today to get a quote to plant yet more ground cover on our slope. This drives Dan crazy to have to spend money on a slope we did NOT want but hopefully this will be the last time. He will call with a date that he can do the work.

    We had a potluck at our morning bible study since it is the last day we will meet until February. We had some very tasty dishes and I was very proud of myself that I did not take any of the sweets except for a very thin sliver of a home made chocolate cake. I also took small portions of the things I did choose to eat and did not go back for seconds. This is a miracle! :) We had a really nice time chatting. My sausage, egg, and cheese casserole was a big hit. I got several requests for the recipe so I emailed it to everyone.

    Dan and I have been searching for a new pizza place since our favorite pizza joint got sold. We've found several that are "OK" but none that we like as much as the place we used to go to. We will continue the search. Next will be a restaurant called Mama Cellas. We will actually eat the pizza there instead of taking it to go since it is an actual sit down restaurant. We shall see. Maybe we'll try it in the next couple weeks.

    Sheryl, I too am anxious to hear the results of the next CT scan. I agree that there is no way you could not have been stressed with everything that was going on. Things should go much better now. You can rest and eat properly, etc. What did the PT say about the massager? Enjoy your lunch and have a wonderful relaxing week!

    Debora, glad you found an inexpensive copy of the book. Let me know what you think. Did you use the new fitbit yet? Sounds like you got a lot done and got pretty well caught up on things. I've never had a McRib. I guess I'll have to try one someday if they come back again. Crazy about the door being open twice now. You'll have to double check it when you leave.

    Well, I've rambled long enough. Have a blessed week ladies!
  • arobed53
    arobed53 Posts: 2,004 Member
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    Isabella, just thought I'd let you know, the book came Saturday, I opened it Monday and now it sits. We've been going a lot. But I do have it now. Pray I can find where I put the fitbit. I know the day it came on but sure don't know where I laid it which is crazy. It's not where I put mail.
  • sannferris
    sannferris Posts: 1,432 Member
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    Good morning. I had a week completely different than how I had planned it. Last Sunday morning, it started snowing, just flurries that didn't stick. By afternoon, it started sticking and soon the ground was all white and building up. It was beautiful to look at Monday morning, but not practical for me to go anywhere. The roads were clear, but the driveway had so much snow that I did not want to try to drive through it and I knew I couldn't shovel snow. I cancelled my PT appointment, so I don't have her opinion on the hand massager yet. I felt blah all week and ended up going back to bed several times a day for several days. Just icky, can't put my finger on any particular thing. I trust this next week will work out better. I have PT on Monday and see the cardiologist on Wednesday. Since I'm feeling so fatigued, I suspect I have fluid buildup around my heart again. That confuses me because I had that surgery 2 years ago to cut a permanent drain into the pericardial sac, so I don't understand how I can have fluid building up again. I'll find out on Wednesday. Norma thinks maybe I healed over that drain hole.

    My eyes are much better, I'm continuing the new eye drops along with the steroid eye drops, alternating them throughout the day. My distance vision is back to 20/20 and the ulcer on the cornea is almost gone. I still have trouble reading but won't get prescription reading glasses until I'm done with chemo.

    Debora, I sympathize with you regarding laying something down and losing it. I'm doing that so much these days. I just had it in my hands and now it's gone. I can see it in my mind's eye, but can't put my hands on it...right now. IT WILLTURN UP. It has to be here somewhere.

  • isyvanek
    isyvanek Posts: 1,039 Member
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    Hi all, it was a lovely day today. Sunny and cool. Temps in the mid 60's. Did my usual shopping then Dan and I did some yard work. Fertilized our lemon tree and picked a bunch of lemons. We also fertilized several shrubs.

    I had lunch with a couple of my former co-workers yesterday. We had a really nice time getting caught up. One of the gals brought me a bunch of persimmons which made me very happy. Tomorrow I'm going to a Christmas concert with several of our bible study gals. Should be nice. It is supposed to rain but I'm riding with one of the gals so it should be fine.

    I completed all my sessions with the High Intensity Fitness trainer so I checked out a couple gyms that medigap will pay for and found one that I like so I joined Anytime Fitness gym. The memebership includes 1 session with a personal trainer so I have an appointment with her on Wednesday. I'll start working out after that.

    Debora, hope your fitbit turned up. Maybe you put something down on top of it.

    Sheryl, Glad your eyes are doing better. Hope you feel better soon. Keep us posted on What the doc says and what the PT says about the massager. If you wouldn't mind I'd appreciate the info on the hand massager. I'm thinking it would be a good present for my friend in FL. If it is too much info to put here, you can email the info to me.

    OK ladies, Have a blessed week!
  • isyvanek
    isyvanek Posts: 1,039 Member
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    Sheryl, just a quick note about eye drops - I have dry eyes and one eye never seemed to hydrate no matter how many times I put drops in. I did some research and found good info on eye drops with Hyaluronic Acid. The Brand I bought is Hyalogic and they call their product HylaTears. It has been very helpful. Thought I'd mention it in case this would be helpful for your eyes.
  • sannferris
    sannferris Posts: 1,432 Member
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    Thank you Isabella, I'll keep that eye drop info for later, after I'm done with the Rx eye drops and chemo. Right now, I'm following the doctor's orders. Plus, a lot will change when I'm off of chemo for awhile. I also meant to tell you that I expect the neuropathy to disappear after chemo as well. When I had super bad neuropathy years ago due to one of the oral chemo drugs I was on, it went away once I was off that drug. I'm so hopeful that all my side effects will eventually disappear after I'm free from the drugs.

    The therapist looked at the massager and said it certainly won't hurt. So, I'm going to use it and monitor any progress. My hand is so much better already with the exercises I do at home and the lymph massage that I get every week from the professional. I do a bit of massage on myself every morning before I put on the compression sleeve, but it's not as soothing and thorough as what the therapist does.

    Here's the link to the hand massage machine on Amazon. It's advertised for arthritis and carpal tunnel.

    I see the price has increased in the weeks since I ordered it, I paid $69.99

    https://www.amazon.com/CINCOM-Rechargeable-Massager-Compression-Arthritis/dp/B0872Y3HJC/ref=sr_1_13_sspa?crid=2HQVCIBCV0NWJ&keywords=hand+massager+for+arthritis+and+carpal+tunnel&qid=1670963870&s=hpc&sprefix=hand+massager,hpc,471&sr=1-13-spons&ufe=app_do:amzn1.fos.d977788f-1483-4f76-90a3-786e4cdc8f10&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyVDk2REpCVlo0RTdGJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzA3NzAyMUNVVTY0RjA3WlZFJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA3NDc2MDQxTjhVRUNLV0M1RDlSJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfbXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

    Wow, this is a very long address...I don't know why it's not underlined and acting as a link. You may need to copy/paste it up into the appropriate space.

    I'll keep you posted on tomorrow's echocardiogram.
  • sannferris
    sannferris Posts: 1,432 Member
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    Oh, once I posted, it looks like the URL did turn into a link.
  • sannferris
    sannferris Posts: 1,432 Member
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    Hi, quick note, the echocardiogram went smoothly although I came home and slept, and slept, I guess it took more out of me than I realized. I got the full report and everything is normal, good heart and no fluid. My conclusion is that the symptoms I felt is from the new chemo drug. I have CT scan Monday and get the results of that on Wednesday.
  • arobed53
    arobed53 Posts: 2,004 Member
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    Well, I came to check on things and realized I wrote last week and never posted it so since you wouldn't want to be out of the loop, here it is since I found it. :)

    Hi everyone, we have sunshine today – up to 49. And we got some rain last night – every little bit helps. Tis the Christmas season – lots of going but fun. We survived Sunday – I ate way to many sweets but decided it was just one day (ha). We left the family at home at 1;30 to head to Brecken’s recital. Kids played the piano, sang or played the violin. Most were piano. Brecken played a beautfiul violin piece. And each one did a Christmas song but each one was different so there are lots of Christmas songs. We enjoyed the refreshments and headed for Whitewater and got there early so just sat in the car and watched those setting up. The 4-Hers did a nice job with the play and that was with one family getting sick that day so not there. I enjoyed the smore, we sang carols at the Christmas tree when they lit it and visited with people we don’t see often. We hung around long enough to go directly to church for an evening of Christmas music and enjoyed cookies afterwards.
    Monday afternoon we went to bowling practice to watch Paige bowl since we couldn’t make any of her meets since there were on Tuesdays. We made a stop at Sam’s and ate while there. Tuesday was the Fesper at church – done for those 70 and older. Weather was nice so a good turnout. We sat with the oldest woman at church (102). She told me how to play the game Wordle. Her mind is good. One woman I haven’t seen in almost 3 years due to pandemic and age and shape was brought be her son. We had a program and then enjoyed a nice luncheon. They decorate it so nicely. I took Ralph home and went to Good News Club. One couple was gone so I got to go to the school to meet the ones that come from there and the took two kids home. In the evening was the vocal/band concert for two at Berean (5-8th grade concert). Another full day.
    Wednesday morning was Bible study. I took the rest of my candy corn and peanuts and they enjoyed eating some and I finished what was left in the afternoon. And the study is always good. I watched Alan’s kids in the afternoon – a little TV, some drawing and talking. What they do is different as they get older. In the evening I helped in the church nursery and we had one to watch. She was the granddaughter of the one helping so she did most of the work. Thursday morning was a memorial service and meal and then a visit to the thrift store. Ralph got a whole box of books. We had some time at home and then it was Jeremiah’s high school vocal/band concert. He’s in the bank. Not a lot in the band but they sounded good.
    Friday we did our usual shopping. We also drove to a small town to a business a friend has gong and saw the building she fixed up. She makes jellies (ships them) and bakes lots of goodies for craft shows and has a food trailer she uses some too. We left with a jar of pineapple jelly. We were going to buy it but she just gave it to use for taking the time to come see her. She gives our church a lot of credit for her spiritual life as a child with Bible school and I took her boys to Bible School too. Today the entire day was at home. So I straightened the house, made applesauce jello, no bake cookies and sliced and buttered three loaves of french bread. We’ll also have ham, angel hair pasta with herbs and green beans. Everyone is coming tomorrow.

    Now I'll work on the current update.