WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR SEPTEMBER 2020

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  • bananasandoranges
    bananasandoranges Posts: 2,410 Member
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    Thoughts going out to all of you who are dealing with smoke and fire.
    Machka I'm sorry about your arm.
  • grandmallie
    grandmallie Posts: 9,820 Member
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    Fun day with Doris today.. my SIL quit her job so now she will be gone up north even more..
  • Whidislander
    Whidislander Posts: 3,541 Member
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    Hugs every one!💖
    💖Rebecca
  • bananasandoranges
    bananasandoranges Posts: 2,410 Member
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    @Michel, I had the same question for the VHS- DVD conversion are you able to find a way to learn it through a tutorial if Vince isn't, so far, up to teaching it?

    @Machka9 Fax Machines I still get requests for faxes occasionally: But you can send free online faxes! One bank still requires fax request for wire transfer requests!!
  • pipcd34
    pipcd34 Posts: 16,732 Member
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    We r going to sell it ourselves
  • bananasandoranges
    bananasandoranges Posts: 2,410 Member
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    Faye, I think most or all of us may have at least mild health issues at past 50. Here's a (partial) list for me.
    I'm gluten intolerant. It's kind of a pain, but I work with it. Otherwise very serious digestive issues, (everything runs right through me liquid if I eat gluten) enormous exhaustion, deficiencies in iron and some other things, etc. No fun! I'm lactose intolerant. I eat a very little dairy occasionally, but it tends to make me sniffle, sneeze, cough and throw off digestion too. Since COVID since sniffles and coughs freak people out I very very rarely indulge

    These food issues seemed to emerge and develop with age. I think I was probably slightly gluten intolerant young -because there seems to be a link between stopping gluten and end of lifelong iron deficiency, for example, but when young I had a ton of energy, and I think our "weaknesses" sometimes show up later in life. (when young I could sleep like a rock anywhere, eat most anything without issue, get over jetlag in an afternoon, etc.)

    I have foot issues(probably Morton's syndrome according to doctor's).

    Hand issue (dupuytren - not a problem for the moment since my hands were previously slightly hypermobile), torn meniscus (had to stop a hike after 3 days last summer, had to definitively stop jogging),
    Chronic low WBC for 14 years, without specific diagnosis, sometimes seems to be getting slowly slightly worse over time. Have had checked out by specialist a copule of times and was to see a specialist again in march 2020 3 days after lockdown: put off till September. Non-urgent.
    Ovaries to watch for cyst over several years (what looked like chronic endometrial cyst for about 10 years or so, requiring yearly sonogram, now, more irregular-looking requiring yearly MRI as of last year), more fatigue than I like (irregular- I can go for longish walks or swims sometimes but and super-exhausted suddenly, more often than I'd like to be, without specific reason)

    and probably other bits and pieces to survey, that I don't remember!


  • bananasandoranges
    bananasandoranges Posts: 2,410 Member
    edited September 2020
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    I went to some meetings yesterday and one today. Today was non-essential, being present for presentation of subject to students, but many teachers were absent and our presentation was earlier, so when I got there (half an hour early) it was too late! Traffic etc, was complicated so it was easily 2h round trip for nothing!

    Bummer!

    There was a PT teaching job posting that would be good to add to my profile - a sort of necessary step.
    I called a friend at that school in that area and he gave me tip: basically to apply and recycle recent application material but not spend too much time on it. Though they are legally supposed to always advertise these positions, in fact more than half the time they are made to order for a specific person in view. Sometimes the person participates in the creation of the position. But since it's unofficial it's hard to know, and even if planned for 1 person, the decision is usually made by several people and you can never be sure of the outcome.
    So I spend a good chunk of time digging up last fall's application material and recycling it, sending to corrector and got that sent off.
    No big expectations but a relatively necessary step and I can fine tune an application file that I can send around when last minute PT opportunities arise as is sometimes the case.

    Was totally exhausted after non-meeting today. Maybe stress contributed.
    Very weird year.
    At least half of classes will be distance classes this semester.

    But face to face we have to all wear masks at present. Neither is great.

    We can no longer walk down street alone without masks, unless: on bicycle, jogging, smoking or drinking. I thought of getting a nicotine-free vape...though I'm afraid the appeal of smoking action could become addictive.

    I used to smoke when young and it was no piece of cake to stop. some of my siblings still smoke.

  • Katla49
    Katla49 Posts: 10,385 Member
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    🦋
  • KetoneKaren
    KetoneKaren Posts: 6,411 Member
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    Heather-Interesting…think I’m going to ask my spouse what she thinks we should spend money on NOW rather than later or not at all, and see what she says. I wonder if there will be some surprises.

    The hearse doesn’t stop at the bank.

    Karen in Virginia

    ...
  • pipcd34
    pipcd34 Posts: 16,732 Member
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    Pppp
  • GodMomKim
    GodMomKim Posts: 3,659 Member
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    B)
  • skuehn48
    skuehn48 Posts: 2,894 Member
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    Coughing a lot today due to the smoke. Not fun. DGD was here this afternoon helping clean out a closet. We found a Starbucks gift card, unused that DH must have hidden before he died. Told DGD she could keep it.

    Pip - Good luck selling the Airstream. I think you are right, this is a good time to sell.

    Beth - Sounds as if that group home has many problems.

    Faye - I think many of us have problems. I just try not to dwell on them. My biggest is sarcoidosis affecting lungs, lymph nodes and bone marrow. I am currently symptom free except for cough exacerbated by smoke just now. I have declined methotrexate treatment in favor of nothing at this time and have been told it may come back to bite me later but have chosen to deal with then rather than deal with side effects now.

    Everyone take care Sue in WA
  • Anniesquats100
    Anniesquats100 Posts: 3,118 Member
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    Even those of us who seldom talk about our health issues still have them.

    3,3,D

    Best wishes to everyone facing fire and smoke. Hope you all come through just fine!

    Annie in Delaware where it is raining
  • pipcd34
    pipcd34 Posts: 16,732 Member
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    Ttttt
  • exermom
    exermom Posts: 6,397 Member
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    Vince must have heard me because today he not only put up all (well, most) of the pictures, worked on the coins and started copying the VHS tapes. I guess it just bothers me that to me these things could have been done earlier. But at least they’re getting done.

    Bananas – Vince is still experimenting with the conversion

    Michele NC
  • barbiecat
    barbiecat Posts: 16,993 Member
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    :) our exciting adventures today were a trip to the grocery store, Petco, and the library. Also two great meetings on Zoom
    <3 Barbie in NW WA
  • Snowflake1968
    Snowflake1968 Posts: 6,814 Member
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    Heather - I am the “driver” too. I really wish at times that I wasn’t but I’m the other hand I don’t know how I would handle not being in control.
    My parents had a traditional marriage, my Mom never worked and Dad made all decisions. I remember one time Mom asked Dad for $2.00 and his response was “you just had 2.00 last week, what happened to it”? I swore I would never be put in that position. I think that I went too far the other way though.

    Michele - I would hang the picture myself. Rodger has hung only one thing in our house and that’s because it was heavier than I could do on my own.
    In 1997 when we moved to Alberta Rodger came in September and the girls and I followed in December. During those three months we moved in with my parents to save money. I took some tole painting classes with my SIL and painted a wall hanging for Mom. I brought it home and went to hang it and she wouldn’t let me until Dad got home. I couldn’t believe it. My Grandmother did not raise her that way. If I waited for Rodger I would be waiting for an eternity, I have changed oven elements, dealt with plumbing issues, carpentry and everything. Rodger drove long haul truck so I needed to do it.

    Vicki - I hope you have a smooth transition for your new system.

    Yvonne - 😂 I’m sure Luna would be asking for Pumpkin Spice food over and over again. 🙄 I’m sorry if I offend anyone but I find that just a tad absurd. September 13 is also mine and my Grandson’s birthday, I’ll tell him who we share it with.
    That’s a cool story about William Shatner. I have always enjoyed listening to his voice. I was never a Star Trek fan but I agree with Katla that I wish we could teleport.

    Karen - I missed the story about your Mom’s furniture. She was a wise woman, but I think I would have been heartbroken.

    Julie - I would avoid those vaping pens too. I have heard horror stories about how unhealthy they are. I quit smoking 11 years ago, there have been times this year that I have missed it, but that’s the first time.
    Funnily enough I find losing weight so much harder than quitting smoking.

    Karen - “the hearse doesn’t stop at the bank” that is good to remember. I also am a firm believer that there is no law saying that I have to leave money for my kids. If I could, I surely would but I am not sacrificing to do so.

    I felt like today was Thursday all day which is going to suck tomorrow. Sometimes short weeks seem to just drag on and on.
    My boss is also back from vacation so that hasn’t helped the mood at work.
    She just shrugged off the whole department quitting. I’m sure the board doesn’t know what is going on and they are the only ones above her.

    I am waiting to hear from my daughter to know what the plan is for Saturday. We are allowed gatherings of up to 50 outside so we have offered our place for our Grandson’s birthday party. We are only allowing his paternal grandparents outside of our family though. We are being cautious since I work in a nursing home. I know his paternal Grandma will have been careful as well as she works in a hospital. His Grandpa is retired.

    I need to come up with a gift for him yet and I’m at a loss. He is only interested in video games right now and I am very against video games. I have books and pj’s but need a toy or something.

    Tracey in Edmonton
  • pipcd34
    pipcd34 Posts: 16,732 Member
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    No workout today, went on a road trip
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,208 Member
    edited September 2020
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    Regarding perimenopause and menopause
    My periods were like clockwork until mid-2009 (age 42) when I developed DVT on a flight and had to go off the pill and onto Warfarin. Different women react differently to Warfarin when it comes to periods and I actually liked the way I reacted. I was still every 28 days like clockwork, except that the whole thing would be done and dusted within about 48 hours. Massive flood for 48 hours ... and finished. 2 days each month were a little scary, but no gradual build-up and tapering off or anything.

    A year later, I was taken off Warfarin and gradually I returned to my usual periods ... still every 28 days, but with a one-day lead up, heavy for 2 or 3 days, and then gradual taper.

    But just when I had kind of settled back into my usual, 2012 came and everything started to become wonky. Very irregular.

    I got fed up with it all in late 2014 and saw a Dr who rushed me into a gynaecologist who rushed me into surgery early in January 2015. Apparently I had a very large polyp which turned out to be pre-cancerous. It was removed and things kind of settled a bit, but in late 2016, things returned to wonky again. I returned to my doctor who sent me for tests who sent me to a gynaecologist who sent me to a gynaecologic oncologist and I was diagnosed with a hemorrhagic ovarian cyst, another polyp and vaginal precancer. In May 2017, I went for surgery again to clear it all out. I go for tests about every 6 months or so (oops ... it's been a year now!) to check things.

    Meanwhile, since 2012, I've been through just about every perimenopause symptom imaginable.
    https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/menopause/31-most-common-menopause-symptoms/
    http://www.project-aware.org/Experience/symptoms.shtml

    The wild mood swings, acne along my jaw line, bushy eyebrows, night sweats, hot flashes, nausea insomnia, muscle cramps, dizziness, itchy skin, electric shocks, etc. etc. etc.

    The night sweats, muscle cramps and itchiness (especially calves and feet), and dizziness happen in the 2 or 3 days before my periods are set to start, whether I have one or not. There is a pattern!

    The hot flashes seem to be triggered mainly by stress, sometimes by the Time of Month (TOM) and sometimes by red meat. If I tense up about the slightest little thing, I get nauseated, dizzy and feel like I'm coming down with the flu and then go into a hot flash. Over and over, many times a day!


    I cannot use HRT, so I've had to resort to other things.

    I take Ginkgo Biloba in an attempt to help my memory and concentration (I'm working full-time and have been plodding my way toward a Master's degree ... I need all the help I can get!).
    I take Evening Primrose Oil for the tender breasts ... the same time I had the rather urgent surgery for the polyp (January 2015), the local breast screen clinic discovered a lump and I had a biopsy. The Dr who saw me after the biopsy told me the lump was benign, and also suggested using Evening Primrose Oil.
    I take calcium and magnesium for the cramping. And Vit D for moods. And Vit B12 and folic acid for the genetic thing which causes my blood clots and also for moods. Valerian to help me sleep. Panadol and ginger to help control the nausea + hot flashes. And a few other things too.

    I've never been one for taking vitamins etc. My mother gave them to me every day with breakfast till I was in my late teens, but for almost 30 years I rarely took any. However, in the last few years I've started again in the hopes that maybe something might help ... and they do seem to. Or maybe it's all in my head. Either way, something seems to be working a little bit.

    And in mid-2018 my hot flashes had reached a stress-induced frequency and intensity my gynaecologic oncologist put me on a serotonin-based anti-depressant to help me deal with the stress of my husband's accident and control the hot flashes a little.


    Unfortunately the two surgeries did a number on the area down there ... I didn't have much support inside anymore ... and I developed a prolapsed bladder. As mentioned earlier, I have had that treated.

    According to my gynaecologic oncologist, the whole perimenopause process takes approx. 10 years. Based on what I told him his best guess is that I was definitely into perimenopause in 2012. And based on the symptoms I was showing in 2012, I likely started perimenopause in about 2010 ... which means that I should be wrapping things up this year! At the age of 53.

    According to this, it can last anywhere from 7-14 years, so I might not be wrapping things up for another 4 years.
    https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-menopause


    However, one thing I am liking about the hot flashes is that my hair becomes curly.:)
    My hair is just slightly wavy, but give me a bit of humidity or a misty rain, and it curls ... ringlettes, little fluffy curls around my face, etc. The hot flashes make me sweat profusely from about my waist up, including/especially my neck and head ... and poof! Out come the curls. It's hilarious.
    :lol:


    And, although some of this has slowed me down, it hasn't stopped me! I'm still trying to be as active as possible.


    Machka in Oz

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