WOMEN AGES 50 + FOR SEPTEMBER 2015

Boy is that a little strange!

MareI commiserate, have history of 'Pulmonary Storms" and PEs. Instead of not eating greens I try to keep my intake consistent. I had built strength and did well til had concussion/TBI after fall on ice and hitting head on cement steps. A resting AP (Pulse) of 54 is normally considered low unless quite athletic,good job on strength training and decreasing your AP!

Karen NY - You made me smile with all your "checks"! :-)

Mindy -Nice NSV with snug jeans now needing to be pulled up frequently. Next time maybe a belt, just to get a little longer wear time out of them. The dog party sounded fun! The dog park sounds awesome. Would love to have a place with a bubbler, or at least water for the dogs. I will address SSD/Disability in a general note, but know what you mean in regards to 'invisible disability'.

Katla- Love the attitude of need to be good to self to be good to/for others! :-)
Nice pic with Rori.
Altitude changes affect many with health issues, especially cardio-vascular and respiratory patients. Sorry your Hubby was not able to enjoy his visit due to the altitude.
I like your goal of 'log every bite and swallow'.

Becca- "demand respect/attention ...you are worth it!' Great attitude, not just with spouses/partners, but relationships in general. I am trying to do this with my son, but not working well. My son has moved into my home with his son (7yrs old) to 'help' me status post TBI ( brain injury from fall on ice) due to TBI has caused ie: balance issues, foggy brain sometimes, POTS (Postural Tachycardia Syndrome), Dysautonomia ( B/P problems, GI/GU issues causing swallowing problems, and # other issues.). He can be dictatorial /authoritative which does not show respect for me and his son picks up on this. Hope I will be able to correct this soon. :-(
Enough ... I need to go on. :-)
Congrats on the 3.5# loss! :-) Hope your new 'Recorders' at weigh in become more supportive; after all, that is why we go to such groups !

Tammy - I have found some nice chair exercises on line as well. Keep your determined attitude. :-)

OOPS What am I doing wrong, thought I had that BOLD thing figured out,Guess not LOL!

Katla - sending you big (((HUGS))) Difficult when we can see things for our children, but have to put up and shut up. If they ask for my opinion I try to only give it once. :ohwell: Where are they going?

Michele - sending all my good wishes for Vince's procedure. :flowerforyou:

Mindy - you are doing so well - keep on trucking.

Maedair - another one with head injuries! Must be a few on here! I think it is so great that you strong women have it in you to never give up and are on here to turn things around. No one else can do it for us, that's for sure!

Terri - your strength shines through too. I have my aches and pains, but nothing like you have. And you are working. Hope the injections help.

Can't write any more because yoga calls. Think of all us old folks doing the downward facing dog! :laugh: Quite a few in the class in their 70s, a couple nearly 80. One has just had to put her 102 yr old mother in a home after looking after her for years. Amazing!

The women on here who are looking after/adopting young children - I think you are amazing! :flowerforyou: One day wears me out!

Lots of love, Heather UK

I got a bit disoriented when my computer was on the blink on Saturday. The micro-stroke I had a few years ago impaired my short-term memory and my ability to establish new memories. Lately I've come to realize I use my computer as an "external memory". I've become so dependent on my devices!

Since Saturday I've spent a lot of time backing up all my files and trying to figure out a feasible strategy for keeping them backed up. I've also ordered a new computer. The one I have has been with me for years and had started to malfunction even before Saturday's crash. Time to upgrade.

I'm thinking of you all, and have read through the posts, but without taking notes so I'll comment from (flawed) memory.

Great to see slightly more positive posts from Joyce and Allison. I feel you deserve much better than you've been getting. Better treatment, better luck, more appreciation.

Sorry to hear about various turns for the worse in people's health, but glad Heather's daughter in law had positive test results to share.

Concerning disability and social security, one of my sisters (in the US) works for an advocacy agency that has as its sole mission to help disabled people get the help they are entitled to by law. The rules and application procedures are so convoluted that even specialists have trouble understanding them – let alone someone who's struggling just to survive. I'm just glad I live in Scandinavia, where society provides everyone with a pretty good safety net.

Today we have two Swedish icebreakers in town. Way back when we lived in Stockholm, the icebreakers were moored near the center of town. We took the bus past them twice a day and got to know them very well. Seeing them here is like having old friends pop in for an unexpected visit! I'm posting a pic from the 360° webcam.



The yellow and black ships to the right are the icebreakers, named Oden and Frej. The blue ship to the left, Polarsyssel, belongs to the Governor of Svalbard. (And I just noticed there's a gray ship at the extreme left. That's the Coast Guard vessel KV Svalbard.)

You can't see it in the picture, but there's a little group of daycare children down at the beach, accompanied by a teacher with a rifle slung across her back. Just a normal outing with a polar bear guard.

I'm waiting for the weather to clear, then I'll go out jogging. Waiting for clear weather is not a good precedent. There will be plenty of times later this year when "waiting a bit" would end up meaning I don't get out at all. But the weather forecast promises clear and sunny and a few degrees above freezing from ... well ... from about now. Better go change!

Penny at the

Barbie how many dogs do you have that you do so much dog walking?
Maryann in Michigan

Mindy, I will be following your posts closely to hear how you are suceeding! You are brave to try to go off disability! My disabilities are invisible too, unless I am really in pain and then I limp. I have struggled with suicidal thoughts all my life- four attempts before the age of 19 when I was diagnosed and started medications.

DJ, I have gotten the cortisone shots in my shoulder and they are not terribly painful. The relief they bring is worth it, too.

Lagopus, your sister must work at the protection and advocacy agency, now often called Disability Law. Each state has one, they are federally mandated and funded through multiple channels. I was on the board of Iowa's for 8 years. My first year in, I was sent for training in D.C. and discovered that my aunt had been on Michigan's board of directors for many years as well! My grandmother was Iowa's first advocate for people in nursing homes. I guess it is in our genes.

I have not been taking notes to respond individually to all, I apologize. But know that I am reading your posts and yippee-ing your successes and mourning your struggles, each and every one of you.

17761776 wrote: »

Have such pain in my back n hip area, can't sleep!!!! Helped mom get out from the car n snap, fell more like the knee area. Any advice on how to treat n how to help mom??? She's 93 n dead weight, can't raise her body up. Her mind is great just the legs. Very hard to watch, love her so n have had great time together. Gayle Minneapolis

Ouch Gayle- I know the feeling!! I wish I had bought a different vehicle last December. It is a car and lower than an SUV or a Crossover would have been. Everybody has trouble getting up and out of my car. A better choice would make it easier to slide out. OH Well!!

Gayle - maybe you could go to a Seniors Care Home - or somewhere where they work with Seniors and ask for help on proper lifting methods.

Lisa - I hope the meds help

Heather - good news about the baby's tests

Maryanne - beautiful sunrise... I enjoy morning walks also

So today I am off to take my 88 yr old DMIL to an eye appointment in the city. My back is better, but I will phone the chiropractor on the way into the city and see if I can get in, a little bit of tweaking won't hurt I'm sure.

Take care everyone and have a good day!!

Lillian in West Central Saskatchewan

Gayle my mom had Life Alert and paramedics came when she fell. When they get to the age of your mom it is time for the pros. Sometimes their bones are very fragile and can be injured if not lifted correctly. You too risk injury. Hope you are feeling better. Those times I did take her in a car I would never do it alone. It always took two of us.

Katla when I return home I'll talk to my friend to see if she has more details. Her treatment has the advantage of building the bones from the inside out. Some of the medications they give only build the surface of the bones. Another side effect is bone growth in the jaw so having your dentist keeping an eye out and be sure to tell them about the change in medication if you decide this is the best route for you.

I am having trouble posting. I keep getting booted off. So all for now.

maeadair wrote: »

My Nanna

Mae - We always called my maternal grandmother Nanna and now I have my grand kids call me Nanna in her memory!

Elaine

Hello ladies, I am going up to visit my 2 children at UC Berkeley this weekend. Wish me luck with my exercise and calorie goals.

It’s homecoming week at the high school this week so has been quite busy. My daughter has been dressing up for school – yesterday was farm day, today is tacky tourist day, and tomorrow is “generations” day so the underclassmen dress as babies and she’ll be wearing footie pajamas. Powderpuff football game was last night and her sophomore team beat the freshman team, but the sophomore boys did not fare as well in their ironman volleyball game. Tonight is her busy night because she goes straight from school to volleyball practice then to jazz band and then to show choir. I will pack her a dinner and take it up to school so she can eat between volleyball and jazz band. Hubby leaves for another business trip today, so I’ll have some time to myself tonight. Maybe I can catch up on the book I’m supposed to be reading for book club. 

Daughter#1 texted from college to tell me she has a sore throat and may have been exposed to strep throat. Her first time to be sick and not have mom around to pamper her. 

Terri – I’m sorry to hear that your RA is progressing. You are smart to read up on the meds they want to prescribe you so that you can make good decisions with your doctor. My brother-in-law has RA and has been on meds for years and has recently been suffering from some of the long-term side effects of those medications.

Dr. Katie – Your walking route looks beautiful and peaceful.

Mindy – 10 pounds since August 6th is great, congrats! Glad to hear you had an awesome day. Thank you so much for sharing your story. Definitely not TMI. I’m sorry for all that you and your family have suffered and I wish you success as you move forward. You are definitely a survivor! I am glad that you find some support on this thread.

Michelle/NC – That is quite a story about your Bonnie. Hopefully they got all the tissue for our little girl kitty. She was a little tired and achy last night and just wanted to cuddle, but she is back to her usual ball of energy this morning. It’s an easier procedure for the boys, so our boy kitty was already running around and playing last night. It will be hard to see these kitties go when they get adopted.

Sorry to hear that so many of you are dealing with pain and injuries. I’m praying for you all. ((((hugs))))

Linda/IA

mparker1216 wrote: »

Enjoying God's beauty on my walk this morning!
Maryann in Michigan

That's a beautiful picture!

Elaine in Lansing

Happy Tuesday ! ! !

Pip – thanks. RA is a confusing disease. Basically it is the body’s immune system attacking itself, usually the smaller joints, like fingers, which is why you see some people with hands that look like claws. When a “flare” happens, it is hard to straighten (or bend) the joint, so I do stretching almost all day every day, just to delay that side-effect as long as possible. // A very happy birthday to your sister. It is so nice that you continue to celebrate her much-too-short life. I am donating blood in November to celebrate my middle sisters life. She used to donate with us.

Miriam – The disability story sure sounds familiar, except my sister contacted an attorney before even filing. Yes, the process went smoothly, but they took what I consider to be an awful lot of her money. It’s so nice of you to be so helpful to that man. Hugs and prayers ! ! !

Drkatiebug – nice scenery. Your sister is so lucky to have you ! // Stop by my place to declutter any time.

Mindy – Hugs ! Thanks for sharing. I wish and pray for you ! ! !

Maryann – Nothing Deep fried. That is a nice, attainable goal. Good thought ! I hope you and DH find something to do that makes both of you happy. // Thanks for sharing your sunrise.

Michele – laughing about bonnie. So sorry about your DH. He’s lucky to have you ! ! !

Barbie – Hugs for your hip/muscle pain, and for everything Jake is going through at this time. How nice of you to set your alarm to wake him so early. Better safe than sorry.

DJ – My rheumy said the bigger joints hurt less to get the cortisone shots; she said the hands and feet hurt the worst. It is only a few seconds of pain for months of relief (in my opinion). // Yes, I gave my Dad ALL the details, so he is now more determined than ever to attend or volunteer at an Honor Flight soon.

Lisa – Hugs for your medical problems. I hope you get everything resolved quickly. I stopped my naproxen on Sunday, and I already miss it terribly. May you enjoy your tramadol-sleep.

Katla – so sorry about your kids making sad decisions. I hope you find the peace you deserve (and that they make wise decisions before it’s too late).

Mae – Hugs for all the health issues. I’m so glad you are trying so hard to be healthy. We are going through this together, so keep coming back for support.

Gayle – do you have a transfer belt for your Mom? It isn’t much help, but using one allows for proper body mechanics better than not using one.

Cat from S.D. – Hugs and good luck with your eating and exercising while visiting. I know you can do it.

My Dad won extra Screening Passes to see “Everest” tonight, if anyone wants to drop into the Milwaukee Area and meet me at Mayfair Mall . . . But I can't have popcorn, so I may spoil myself with a large Icee (we'll see how I feel, and what my food diary says about that).

Tomorrow I am NOT going along for bowling. I don't need anything from Big Lots, and I need to finish the baby blanket for my sister's son, who is having a baby girl in October. And since I'm off my anti-inflammatories, I need to do as much crochet as possible now. Plus, I can't give DS any advise, since he is so much better at bowling than I could ever imagine, and I likely can't go to Sunday's tournament, since I will have started the yucky part of the colonoscopy prep, and not getting more than a few feet from the bathroom.

Now it is time for me to get ready for lunch (spinach, tomato without skin, and ham salad). I hope everyone is able to make wise choices today.

Hugs for Everyone ! ! !

Terri in Milwaukee

mikesmom1983 wrote: »

My walk with Jake after work yesterday. I am so lucky to be able to enjoy this whenever I need to clear my head.
Chris in MA

Beautiful picture

194 posts and 7 pages behind! No time to read through or even skim. I have been having a horrendous 2 weeks at work and home. Funeral (DSF), my DS and I had a major falling out, and 3 departments relocating at work temporarily for construction! I am stressed out, in pain (back and knee), and exhausted. Will catch up more later.

Just wanted to touch base and say I am thinking about all you fine ladies!

Rita from CT