Originally posted by johnbol: ... my recumbent trike...
Back friendliness aside, that type of bike looks totally cool.
I certainly seemed to be getting noticed. People I don't know have stopped me when I'm not on the bike and have commented that they've seen me on my bike. I also have had several friends who have tried it - including an 89-year-young friend.
There are different set-ups of recumbent bikes. One I saw the first night I was on the bike trail made the cyclist almost prone.
Wow. Hugs all the way around -- Cate, Judy, and Puck. As Gilda Radner would say, it's always something. But I know you are all smart and strong women, and you'll get through these difficulties. Hang in there.
Cate, I'm so sorry to hear about all of this. Take good care of yourself and think about how you can tap your social network. If yours is any like mine, there will be support from all sorts of corners you might not expect and it is really great if you can come up with ways to let them help you and it might help to think ahead a bit. I had a hard time figuring out what they can do but a little company at the hospital or a homecooked meal (especially with your dietary restrictions) was a blessing for me.
I second the suggestion for the caringbridge site. The constant phoning and updating was one of the areas the most stressful for me and that would've made a world of difference.
If anyone out there keeps a list of how NOT to diet, here's my latest contribution:
Sit somewhere drafty and make sure your neck gets a good dose. When your neck is good and sore, you won't be interested in eating. Especially if your neck is stiff enough to affect your ability to swallow. You will also have learned the literal meaning of "a pain in the neck". Very educational, but not that efficient -- lots of pain, little gain, and no pounds shed.
****************** “The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight because by then, your body and your fat are really good friends.”
Cate, There is a web site called www.caringbridge.org that is a simple to use blog site where you can post updates about your Mom and or Dad.
I used this site when my Mom had part of her lung removed a couple months back. It was very, very helpful in that I did not have to make nearly as many calls. I just updated that blog every few hours when things were critical and every day when things stabilized.
Bets of luck. I know it can be super exhausting to do what you are preparing to do.
Sorry to hear about your parents Cate. Hopefully your dad will continue to improve and best of luck to your mom. They can do incredible things for breast cancer these days. I know from experience that having a port is wonderful. They don't have to stick needles in you every time you turn around if you have a port. Everyone's experience with chemo is different, some get sick from it and some don't. I do know that ginger has been proven to help with nausea. You can buy capsules of powdered ginger in health food stores but you need to watch what you are getting, it might have a lot of "fillers" and not much real ginger in it. You can buy fresh ginger in the produce department of the grocery store and keep it in the freezer for a long time. It grates very easily in the frozen state if you use a microplane grater and then add a little to her food. You can steep chunks of it in hot water for about 30 minutes and then sip on it to calm nausea. Or you can use that ginger water to make tea. Ginger ale that is made with real ginger, not artificial flavors, (read the label) are very helpful also.
It is very important to eat regularly during this time but chemo makes all food taste nasty (or it has no taste at all) so it will be necessary for her to force herself to eat, even when she doesn't want to. Ensure and Boost are good supplements (loaded with vitamins) if she just can't get food down (or can't keep it down).
As for my parents: Daddy seems to be getting a little better. He is back to doing his own blood test & insulin shots but I still keep an eye on it and I parcel out his pills so that I know he is taking all of them. Mother on the other hand continues to get worse. Last night she pointed to the living room (where we put daddys recliner and tv last weekend) and said "Who is he and how long is he going to be staying?" We have an appointment with a neurologist a week from tomorrow.
Urgh. You think you are going to have a relaxing summer, be able to get things accomplished, and BLEAH.
As many of you know, my dad had a fall two years ago and had a brain injury as a reasult. He has been in a program in NYC for two sessions, which has really helped. He still has a LOT of issues, which cause a lot of complicating factors.
Three weeks ago (? maybe four, I can't remember) my mom found out she has breast cancer. She had a masectomy and is now preparing to have chemo (she had a port put in on Friday).
My dad has to leave the country this week, and is going back to Egypt for about a month while my mom goes through the first two sessions of chemo. I'm going to be commuting to New York to help her through all of this. Then the plan is hypothetically that she will be going up to Canada, meeting him there, and commuting to NYC every two weeks for chemo.
So this is going to be an interesting six months. At least. Wheee.
If anyone has any tips on chemo survival, funny websites, etc, please send them along...
Originally posted by jillybean: DD passed her test this morning for her driver's permit. This will be a true test of my patience and my anxiety level.... Anyone have an endless supply of Xanax?
Jill
Congrats to you both. Buy stock in a hair dye company.
Denise
Posts: 9221 | Location: Silicon Valley, CA | Registered: March 17, 2004
DD passed her test this morning for her driver's permit. This will be a true test of my patience and my anxiety level.... Anyone have an endless supply of Xanax?
Jill
I have no specific goal(s) right now. I am trying to find the spiritual side of myself that I lost somewhere along the way.
I am so proud to say that I have been out on my bike every night this week - even after a meeting last night. I'm looking at this as an investment in both the bike and in me!
It's tough right now, but it's going to be worth it (and IS worth it.)
I am so excited. After looking for years, I got a bike on Monday. It's a recumbent since I haven't been able to ride a conventional bike since my back surgery.
DH and I used to bike quite a bit. I am sooooo out of shape for this, but we've been out a little each night. I'm looking at this bike as an investment and don't intend to let it gather dust on the porch.
Unfortunately, my recumbent trike seems to have come with a back seat driver. I know it's just that DH is concerned and cares, but I'm haven't forgotten everything about riding a bike.
Thanks for the good wishes and hugs. I am doing pretty well- I am always aware that I am super lucky to be here and to be alive. I get to do stuff like gripe about eating 10% fat calories and fold laundry.
Anniversaries are not biggies for me either, but my body is remembering last summer- the feel of the sun, the hot temperatures, the pace of my days. It's bringing up the feel of when my sister died.
Hugs to all who need them, especially Laura and Sandy.
Strange, I'm going through an old file cabinet and just found one of the last pictures of my dad (he died 7 years ago). My dad is sitting in a chair at my sister's house and I can tell by the shirt that my son is standing behind his grandfather trying to give him bunny ears for the photo. My dad, of course, is oblivious of this.
I am not terribly anniversary centered... but I get hit at odd times of missing family members and friends who have died. My dad died 34 years ago... and just last night I was thinking about him in the middle of big band practice.
Denise
Posts: 9221 | Location: Silicon Valley, CA | Registered: March 17, 2004
I'm certain I'd end up in the dust pretty quick.
