Pentagenarians & Beyond W/B 3/2

Hi Deb, Josie, Valerie, Lori, and Judy--

Nothing for me this morning because of my early appointment. Vein closed! I have a sclerotherapy session on my other leg for April 16 and then a checkup on May 1. The reason this takes so long is that they want to see how each procedure "resolves." They also don't want to overdo things with the sclerotherapy, hitting no more than 10 varicose veins with little needle injections. Apparently when they first invented this technique, it was practiced by aestheticians (in beauty salons) and the problem is that it won't last if you don't close the big veins first--something only a vascular surgeon can do with a laser.

Deb, I watched the pilot and the first episode of The Americans. I will definitely continue--very exciting. When you retire you can be like me and get up a bit later and workout between 6:30 and 7:00. I really like this schedule. Exercise gets me going for the rest of the day. I usually do some sewing or knitting or cooking in the morning and go to my office in the afternoon. Love retirement!

Josie, no sweats for me either. I would feel like I'm recovering from some illness if I made a habit of wearing sweat pants. I think it's not that hard to find comfortable but pleasing clothes.

Lori, I have 3 Jazzercise dvds and they are definitely fun if you like something dancy but not too hard choreography. I also liked my zumba set for awhile, but I didn't use all of them and became bored with doing the same dance routines over and over.

Valerie, there was an awful article (in the NYT) about poachers cutting off the burls (because they have such beautiful grains) on the California redwoods at night, effectively wounding and ultimately killing these magnificent and ancient trees. Rangers were going to close down some major thruway at night (because that's when they were chainsawed) to try to prevent this from happening. What is wrong with people?! I think they should put up cameras or CCTV and try to catch these greedy idiots.

Judy, thinking of Echo!
 
My leg is still bothering me. we looked it up in an orthopedic book and it is almost certainly what I thought it acted like.... an abnormal gait from the first injury put strain in another area, and that's where the soreness is. it is worst when I get up, and eases as I move around. it's a minor but uncomfortable bursitis. I decided to take some NSAIDS. if I walk normally because it doesn't hurt, I will get better sooner. I didn't exercise yesterday, did go to yoga this morning. will do another workout later. probably stick to the elliptical and then upper body weights and core. I think we will head to CA this weekend. now that I'm sure what it is I feel better about it.

Lynda, that is fascinating about the vein therapy. my mother and sister have them, but I lucked out there and do not. Hope you continue to progress!

my friend has pancreatic cancer. I was hoping (but not believing) she would luck out. she will have the surgery soon. they believe the tumor is confined so think it will be a cure. I knew what the surgery is... a very complicated reroute of the area with removal of several "parts", part of stomach, duodenum, etc. chemo/radiation is unclear, depends what they find during the surgery. Crap. I am so sad to hear this. and it makes me feel so silly for whining because my knee hurts a little.

Oh gosh, I guess I'm the only sloppy retired person! jeans, tennies, zip neck t's. No sweats though. I happily gave away all heels, suits, panty hose as soon as I could. I "dress up" only if forced and most events are casual so it's not needed which is terrific for me. I was cursed with big calves so I look much smaller and am more comfortable if I wear pants.

I've heard that about the redwoods. there are some real jerks out there walking among us, poaching rare animals, and destroying artifacts and plants/trees just because no one is there to stop them. I would turn in someone like that in a heart beat. and I am always on alert for "unusual " activities. It's so sad everything has to be fenced off because idiots will destroy things for no reason.
 
Good evening,

Valerie...I am so sorry to hear about your friend. We feel the same with my brother that becuase it is a slow growing tumor it is confined and we are praying once removed it is gone. My thoughts and prayers are with you. When my husband broke his right ankle something similar happened to him. His left ankle was hurting and his back. Ending up going to the chiropracter for several adjustments. Workers comp paid for it because it was caused by over compensating. Poor guy. At one point he was in a bad way. His ankle is still not right. He'll be going in for surgey the end of april to correct an issue with calcium build up.

I think I might be a sloppy retiree too! I love extremely casual on the weekend. I dress up every day and can't wait for comfy clothes when I get home from work. However, I do enjoy dressing when we are going out to eat because it usually is a little sexier than work clothes if this makes sense.

Lynda...Hope you are back to your workouts soon and glad this round is behind you. How many procedures have you had so far and are you just about done?

Hi to deb, Josie and Judy....need to run my Chihuahua is barking and telling me to stop typing! She is very needy tonight!!! :)
 
Happy Friday!

No workout today, I got up, but am really tired. I have agility class tonight, I hope I can stay awake.

Garance, It sounds like you may be almost finished with the vein treatments. I don't remember them doing these types of things in beauty salons...wow...that would be scary. I can't wait to retire....I am so envious of you, Josie and Valerie. I won't have an office to go to in the afternoon, but will probably look for some type of part time job, something that I enjoy...maybe work in a pet store (not one with animals!) or something. Will definitely watch that pilot and see what it's like. Did you ever watch the Doc Martin movie that is on Prime? My friend did, it has the same actor that plays Doc Martin, but the other characters are different. Same basic plot about his blood thing etc. and moving from London due to that. I may watch that, although I don't want to "spoil" the whole Port Wen thing.

Valerie, I am so sorry about your friend, I hope the surgery is successful and she is ok. When will you be leaving? Tomorrow?

Lori, your poor husband...It's like once something happens, it leads to other things etc. I never heard of surgery to remove calcium build up...but that makes sense, if that is causing the pain. LOL about the dog barking to get you to stop typing. Mine bump my leg until I stop typing to pet them.. yes, very demanding..:).

Josie, going on a long ride this weekend?

Judy, thinking of you and little Echo..

Work, then agility class, then home to crash....
 
Hi Ladies,

Today is a rest day for me in order to save some energy for tomorrows 70 mile ride. We are riding along the coast to Pt. Mugu. This is part of the ALC rout on our last day of the ride. I forgot to mention that my DH and I have booked a trip to Madrid and Barcelona in July and we may go to Costa Rica in September with my DD. Can't wait!

Valerie, I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. I know how you feel and I will keep her in my prayers. My BIL has gone through this and has had great results. He did have to go through radiation and chemo and is doing well.

Lori, hope everything goes well with you DB's surgery. I will also keep him in my prayers.

Garance, I forgot to mention that I'm also hooked on True Detective. Woody and Matthew make a good team :).

Deb, have you decided when you are going to retire?

Judy, hope that you are doing well.

I will post tomorrow and let you know how my ride went.

Josie
 
Hi Deb, Josie, Valerie, Lori, and Judy--

This morning I did Flextrain (56:36).

Lori, I have had 5 vein closures and 2 sessions of sclerotherapy, but with big time lapses in between to see how well it is working. I am hoping for only one more session of sclerotherapy. My right leg looks terrific, but my left leg still has some varicosities in the lower leg. It has been interesting to see this great vein disappearing act on my legs. DH really notices the difference, while I think I had been so inured to how my legs looked that I just ignored it until my PCP suggested I have it done. One of my older sisters had her veins stripped, and I never wanted to have that done because it seemed really painful, so I just let it go. My PCP said that these new techniques with the laser were so much better, less invasive. When is your brother's robotic surgery and are you headed out west to see him?

Valerie, I hope your knee is getting back to normal and you have a fun trip. Is your friend having surgery immediately or will this take awhile? Do you plan on seeing her soon?

Josie, I have been to Spain a couple times. My younger son had a semester in Seville and I went to see him. I love Barcelona and Madrid! What fun! Only one more episode of True Detective. I think they are an odd couple--a dim bulb and a cynical hyper-intellectual ("Time is a flat circle....."), one driven by instinctual impulse, the other absolutely driven to find the killer. The acting is just sooooo good. Good luck on that ride!

Deb, I have seen both of the Doc Martin films and in them he is a very different personality. Different secondary characters too. I still enjoyed them and appreciated how good an actor Martin Clunes is to play such a different sort of doctor.

Hi to Judy!

Enjoy the weekend everyone--it's getting warmer here anyway.
 
I did 20 on the elliptical and 15 on the spin bike & core 1 yesterday anyway. I got a little sore/achy below the knee but not bad. this morning it's pretty comfortable so I will probably repeat something like that today with an upper body workout. it's a soft tissue injury, not a joint issue so need to take it easy a few more days. relieved that it's getting better.
Josie best of luck on the ride! thanks for the input regarding BIL. I am finding a lot of positive outcomes... if people are in general good health and go at it with focus and intent to get thru it. I hope my friend has a good outcome.

overcompensation injuries are pretty common, I guess. when I got the crutches for the original calf issue, he warned me about it. I tried to walk "normal" but didn't quite do it. anytime something gets hurt it throws other things out of alignment. I'm a good example! Lori, hope your DH does well with his surgical correction.

I remember my grandmother getting vein stripping procedures. sounded awful! my mother never did it as far as I remember, and I did not inherit that particular problem. lasers are amazing. I wonder how many new uses will come along that are less painful and invasive that what they replace.

my friend had a stent placed that will alleviate the pressure caused by the tumor. she is looking for a surgeon who does the whipple procedure who can fit her in soon. she lives in phoenix area so there will be at least a few to pick from. she has a lot of family and a great husband so I will consider a visit later on depending on how well she does and if she wants company.
 
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Good evening ladies,

Last night I did Circuit Blast. Been a while since I did this. No workout today as I did not sleep well last night. Just tossed and turned.

Lynda...glad your leg looks nice. I hear vericose veins can be painful. I am fortunate that I do not have any and really sympathize with those who do. I had to ask my husband what inured meant. He is a vocabulary enthusiast and was very empressed with the use of the word! Glad you are able to get rid of them. Technology is amazing now a days. My brother's surgery is scheduled for April 18. Crazy that is so far away and he is not overly thrilled about this either. It is was it is I guess.

Valerie/Deb...I miss spoke my husband has scar tissue and arthiritis from the scar tissue. Not sure where I got the calcium from!

Josie...what fun vacations. I have never been to spain and most likely never will. I am not much of a flyer and can't imagine me doing that flight! Good luck on the ride tomorrow.

Deb...every night Nilla fights for my attention. She is more demanding some nights though and last night was one of them. She is soon to be 14 and she wants what she wants!

Judy...thinking of you.
 
Good morning and Happy Weekend!

It got into the mid 40's here yesterday, sunny and it was almost like spring. Not going to last though.

Josie, have a good ride today!

Garance, I have spider veins on the outside of my one leg, was this what you had taken care of? or were they varicose veins? Now I have about 3 things to watch on Prime....:)

Valerie, are you leaving today?

Lori, LOL about Nilla...I guess when they are 14 they should get what they want! I am like you, I have not gone anywhere farther than trips to Mexico, or California......just the thought of 6+ hours in a plane makes me crazy. I would have loved to try the Concord to Europe, a little pricy though.

Judy, hope you have a good weekend, will you be going to FiL's?

Agility class today, pedi/mani apt this afternoon with my cousin, finish making the dog's food..

Have a great weekend!
 
We have changed our minds again and will do a closer shorter trip closer to home. will leave Monday. I am walking better but I don't want to do actual "hiking". rough terrain, uphill and downhill is going to aggravate this. we can mt bike and do some shorter walks with less distance commitment. this was a trip we'd planned before so it will still feel like a vacation. I didn't work out at all yesterday. will today.
it's been raining a lot here and yesterday we discovered a leak in our camper roof. it seems like one thing after another. think we got it fixed but no way to be sure until it rains again, which will happen today. .

I'm like you Lori... I did one trip (3 weeks) to the british isles a long time ago and that was it for me. It was interesting and all, loads of history, but never wanted to do it again. I don't like long flights and don't like traveling in general. I used to fly a huge amount for my work, and maybe that had an effect too. don't like restaurant food, can't sleep in hotels etc. I'm more outdoors/backpacking person... sleep in a tent, cook with a campstove.... that works for me.
 
Hi Everyone,

I'm sorry I haven't posted more, it's just been kind of a rough week. I did get lots of indoor cycling in, but no strength work this week. I need to get back to the Cathe workouts starting tomorrow.

We are taking Echo to see a Veterinary Neurologist next Friday. I don't know if they will be able to help her or not, but at least we can try. She is a little fighter and she hasn't given up yet.

On Tuesday DH and I had to get our annual insurance physical. We have to have our doctor fill out a form with height/weight/blood pressure/cholesterol numbers. For some reason we always get stressed out about this. It's really not that big of a deal.

We went to FIL's today. He is doing better now and is getting used to the oxygen. He was in a much better mood than the last time I saw him.

Valerie-our next door neighbor had pancreatic cancer. Her surgery was in 2007 and she is fine today.



Judy
 
Hi Ladies,

Yesterday's ride was tough, lots of hills and it was hot. We started 45 minutes late because there was debris on PCH, then the team leaders took to long at lunch and by then my legs were stiff from waiting around. It took me a while to wam up again, then to add insult to injury it took me 2 hours to get home because everyone was out at the beach due to the beautiful and we also had a lot of tourist that were here for the LA Marathon. It was a long day :(

Judy, thank you for letting us know how you are doing. I will keep praying for little Echo.

Valerie and Lori, I also don't like flying for a long period of time, but compromised with my DH. He has supported me through out my marathons and ALC rides and he has alway said that he wanted to go to Spain, so this is the time :)

Deb, where are you? Did you get so extra sleep?

Hi to Garance!

Josie
 
Hi Deb, Josie, Valerie, Lori, and Judy--

This morning I did RK with 1 lb. gloves (55:16). I could barely get up with the DST change.

Josie, I guess Spain is really far away if you live on the west coast. I had a hard time with the flight to Hawaii a few years ago. It's just a 5 1/2 hour flight from here to London, and Spain isn't so much longer. Barcelona has all of that gorgeous and wild architecture by Gaudi. I am sure you will love it. I like the museums with all the great art. We were in Seville in the spring when they have feria--families dress up in those gorgeous flamenco style gowns, lots of horses and delicious food. Sorry you had such a difficult ride, but I envy you the warm weather.

Judy, I hope you can find some help for Echo because she's certainly not giving up. Funny--my PCP always takes my blood pressure a second time after a brief chat and it's always lower than when the nurse takes it initially. He says this happens all the time--people have this initial anxiety.

Valerie, I hope your trip tomorrow is fun and not too hard on your knees.

Deb, I thought spider veins were varicose veins, caused by blood pooling in the lower extremities because the big veins have defective valves. I don't know. You should check with your doctor and see what s/he says.

Lori, was Circuit Blast one of those "shock" cardios? Nilla sounds like she knows how to get what she wants--attention!
 
Josie I am trying to feel sympathy for you because it was "hot"... but it's tough!! sorry the ride was hard... but I'd like to be riding in sunshine right now.

knee is better. by mid afternoon yesterday it felt normal. this morning it was sore-ish when I got up but is feeling normal much earlier so is healing. still going on a shorter less complicated trip so I don't aggravate it. it's a bursitis in a place I didn't know had a bursa.

I did 15 on the spin bike and burnsets bi's & tris plus core 1. I have been more regular with the upper body workouts and was surprised at how many more reps I cranked out on the "to failure" sets.


m Hawaii is not hard from the west coast. loads of nonstop, to all islands. I went almost 20 years ago and it's easier now. it's all the connections and changing planes that drag it out going east, especially when there are so many weather related flight cancellations. DH is an even worse traveler than I am so it's not anything I'd set myself up for.

I'm feeling a lot more positive about my friend's prognosis. a lot of people go through this and do fine. still, nothing I'd want to face.

we set the clocks ahead last night and I have to say, I didn't notice anything this time. everything seemed normal when I got up.

Judy, it's called 'white coat hypertension". I have that problem too. if you have a home cuff, you can also record your BP a few times a month and show them your record. some people get stressed and stay elevated. Hope little Echo has a hopeful report.
 
Hi all.

I got busy with food shopping, and other dog club stuff that the day just got by me and I forgot I did not post here. Go to the New Thread if you are going to post again today....I will start it now....

Deb
 
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