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Post by lagatta on Jul 10, 2018 23:26:51 GMT
I have beautiful arm muscles. But there is the crap underneath.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Sept 27, 2018 21:16:41 GMT
Sister has had her mastectomy today and is doing well. Onwards and upwards...
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Post by questa on Sept 28, 2018 1:16:22 GMT
Cheery...your name suits you well. I see you as the courageous Brit making a pot of tea after a visit from the Luftwaffe.
Your sister will mourn her lost breast at times. Our culture puts so much emphasis on women's breasts that we sometimes think that without two of them we are less of a woman. Your sister will appreciate reassurance that she is still beautiful and people love her, not her boobies.
I am over-awed by the young women of 25-35 who have been shown the DNA of their female line indicates they will develop early breast cancer. Seeing their mothers, sisters and aunts die young, these women make the decision to remove their breasts and nearby tissues and lymph glands while they are healthy and disease free. Now THAT takes guts!
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Post by kerouac2 on Sept 28, 2018 4:59:26 GMT
Obviously I am not qualified to know, but it seems as though reconstructive surgery has made some amazing improvements in recent times.
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Post by lagatta on Sept 28, 2018 11:54:17 GMT
It has (a friend has had it). Unfortunately it doesn't restore sensation.
I do have a brother but have no contact with him whatsoever, as he was terribly violent. This, of course, is far more common than people generally realise. The last time I saw that person was at my mother's funeral. Of course he wanted to "make amends" but I told him to consider it a divorce and that he would never see me again. That felt good.
But that is just a nasty memory; I have a much sadder story from that day. My "ex-aunt" drove us back to Montréal from that small town, in her little sportscar - a classic British model, but don't ask me the make. My youngest uncle is only 20 years older than I am and his second wife was much younger; only 2 years older than I am. Not much later she was diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer and died not very long afterwards. She was younger than cheery's sister.
Most of my biological family are or were long-lived though, with the exception of my dad who died in his early 60s after an array of smoking-related diseases.
And Renzo was some kind of champion!
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Post by cheerypeabrain on May 29, 2019 18:16:43 GMT
Everybody is doing well atm sister has decided against reconstruction which is fine. Other sister is getting pretty wound up about her next appointment with her oncology consultant in July. She had a scan recently...I'm going with her to hold her hand.. Very sad about your Aunt Lagatta...it must have been a terrible shock for your family...scary. Changing the subject completely:) we went to the opticians this morning for our regular checks...I'm pleased to say that my prescription has not changed...WOO HOO! So no expensive new glasses needed thank goodness. I have varifocals and reactolite lenses so they always cost a fortune. Jeff wasnt so lucky.....
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Post by kerouac2 on May 29, 2019 18:25:45 GMT
Oh god, I absolutely must make an appointment with the ophthalmologist because I haven't been in more than 5 years, and I am very much aware that I need a new prescription.
But should I wait a bit? The government has promised to improve reimbursement of optometrist fees enormously... but when? I think I had just better make an appointment. The prescription is valid for a year, so I don't have to buy the glasses immediately.
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Post by lagatta on May 30, 2019 9:25:48 GMT
Glasses aren't reimbursed by the NHS? They aren't here either, except for certain groups, including the destitute on benefits, but I don't know if they cover bifocals or multifocals. And don't want to have to find out.
I'm laughing about horrible translations on food labels - a news story here. Some of them are utterly incomprehensible. Removed link as I f-ed it up twice. Going back to bed for a bit. Livia woke me up VERY early because of the long days. She's been fed a bit and will cuddle up with me. I have the early morning radio broadcast on softly.
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Post by whatagain on May 30, 2019 10:51:43 GMT
Glasses are reimbursed in Belgium. But not the nice o es. Just the thick ones nobody wears anymore. Kerouac go to Bruxelles and get an appointment with my wife !
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Post by kerouac2 on May 30, 2019 13:16:35 GMT
Yes, I think that French social security has just two models that they reimburse. Supplementary insurance kicks in about 300 euros for working people but only about 200 euros for useless retired people. My glasses used to be well under the limit but not anymore.
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Post by patricklondon on May 31, 2019 4:56:54 GMT
Glasses aren't reimbursed by the NHS? For most people, no, but eye tests are free (to screen for medical conditions as much as for just what lenses you might need). There is a scheme of financial support for people on low incomes, and I think some opticians will carry a range of cheaper NHS-approved frames (but not, of course, prominently displayed among the "designer" names). Most will use the free eye test as a loss leader to get you in so they can up-sell fancy coatings, reactolite lenses and so on.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on May 31, 2019 8:15:26 GMT
I must add that I was completely floored when the optician said that my glasses were fine...it's never happened before...we tend to shop around but have been going to this particular one for a while. I like their '3D eye check' (probably nonsense) my macular is splendid dont you know....
There was a slight deterioration in my lazy eye but as the optician said, nothing will correct the sight in that eye anyway so there was no point me having a fresh prescription.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 31, 2019 16:15:43 GMT
My eyeglass lady told me that past a certain age, the eyes remain stable. Congratulations -- it appears you are "a woman of a certain age".
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Post by cheerypeabrain on May 31, 2019 20:39:42 GMT
Oh joy.
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Post by kerouac2 on Nov 14, 2019 18:30:09 GMT
So, I saw my doctor of about the last 15 years for the last time today. He is retiring. Made me feel kind of old. We had a nice chat and instead of paying him the usual 25€ with banknotes, I paid him with "unusual" coins (Monaco, San Marino, Latvia, Malta, Slovenia etc.) because I know he is a collector. The only reason I have had to pay him is because he is old fashioned and has never implemented the electronic protocol which eliminates financial transactions. Then I have to send in a form to get reimbursed. Since it has already been determined to which doctor I will go next time in three months, he told me "this is the last medical form you are ever getting."
It made me feel that he was the declining person, not me.
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Post by mich64 on Nov 14, 2019 20:19:36 GMT
Well I just realized we are in the declining position, for the first time our newest doctor is younger that we are. By perhaps 15 years but the bonus is we should have him for quite a long time! What a wonderful idea to pay him with those coins!
I gave my last doctor (and his admin. assistants) some chocolates from Ireland (we had just returned from our first holiday there) and a card that I bought him from the gift shop at the Trinity College Library. We were one of his last appointments on the day he retired. I miss him, a wonderful man.
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Post by lugg on Nov 14, 2019 20:21:08 GMT
End of an era K2 .
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Post by lugg on Nov 14, 2019 20:30:29 GMT
I read this the other day and it is so true for me and some of my friends,
One minute you're young , wild and free, riding bareback in the fields ... and the next you're seriously considering taking your horse's joint supplements
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Post by kerouac2 on Dec 22, 2019 18:35:24 GMT
Today I went to the movies. I biked all the way to central Paris and settled into the cinema for my movie which was to start at 9:00. Nothing happened. There were quite a few people waiting and i was quite surprised as time passed because normally two or three people go stalking out to complain in such cases. I figured no big deal, because when there is a technical problem, they just cut out the trailer and ads and start the movie direct. At 9:30 the trailers started as though nothing was out of the ordinary and then the lights went out and the movie began… Star Wars, not at all the movie I had gone to see. If I had kept my 3D glasses in my pocket from yesterday when I saw a crappy movie called Star Wars, I might have stayed since there are always new things to notice, but no, I had pulled them out of my jacket pocket as I left my flat.
So I collected my belongings and walked out (you appreciate being in the dark when you do something like that). Obviously it was far too late to go and see the movie that I had planned, and I had no intention of waiting for the next showing. I biked home in the rain.
Even though that cinema has 27 screens, it is very clear which movie is playing on which screen, so I think I might need to go to a nursing home soon.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Dec 22, 2019 21:35:44 GMT
Could happen to anyone. I don't think that we need call for the nice young men in their clean white coats just yet...
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Post by questa on Dec 22, 2019 21:57:40 GMT
Now if I could find some nice young men I wouldn't care what colour their coats were....
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Post by patricklondon on Dec 23, 2019 6:59:25 GMT
I've forgotten to pick up my keys before going out, a couple of times (and I keep them on a rack beside the front door too). But maybe I just remember too many other things to leave room for trivialities like keys. My blog | My photos | My video clips | My Librivox recordings"too literate to be spam"
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Post by bjd on Dec 23, 2019 9:31:44 GMT
Good excuse, Patrick. I just came in from the market and as I was emptying my shopping I suddenly thought about my wallet. Patted the pockets of my jacket and began to swear at my absent-mindedness, thinking I had to go back to the last person I had bought something from. As I put on my shoes and jacket, I saw the wallet where I had put it down -- on the arm of a chair rather than a reasonable sort of place.
I just think the idea of Christmas is stressing me out.
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Post by patricklondon on Dec 23, 2019 15:13:08 GMT
I sympathise with that. I often do that. Just recently, I couldn't find the little gizmo my bank sent to generate a secure access code to my account. It just wasn't anywhere I looked in my wallet, where I keep it. So I rang them to ask for a new one (which will take till after Christmas - no problem, since I can always do things by calling them, but all the same...) And then this morning it magically appeared in the wallet. My blog | My photos | My video clips | My Librivox recordings"too literate to be spam"
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Post by mossie on Dec 23, 2019 15:54:30 GMT
That is me all over. I will be working at the kitchen sink and walk over to the side cupboards, and then think "what the hell did I come over here for".
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Post by kerouac2 on Dec 23, 2019 16:22:01 GMT
I take off my glasses the moment I get home and have a specific place for putting them. Except when I put them somewhere else. Usually I remember where, but sometimes I don't. There have been times when the search has lasted 10 minutes or more the next morning before going out. I try to tell myself that it is just because I am not wearing my glasses.
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Post by kerouac2 on Dec 23, 2019 16:56:29 GMT
Uh-oh, they know all about me. In today's post I received a brochure from a private nursing home company. "Are you looking for a secure environment for a member of your family?"
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Post by htmb on Dec 23, 2019 17:18:27 GMT
Better than getting the direct cremation brochures I regularly get in the mail.
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Post by lugg on Dec 23, 2019 20:10:25 GMT
Haha htmb and K2 - not got any of those yet but am now getting regular emails / posts etc from Saga trying to persuade me to join a group holiday tour . I did consider and then discounted . Maybe one day .... but as yet I prefer to travel solo or if not only with my sis, daughter or few of my friends.
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Post by htmb on Dec 23, 2019 21:58:40 GMT
I had to look up Saga. Travel for over fifties? I think we have something kind of similar here in the US. It used to be called Elderhostel, then changed to Road Scholar. “Road Scholar is an American not-for-profit organization that provides educational travel programs primarily geared to older adults.“ I’ve never looked into it for me, but have a few friends who travel with them regularly. My neighbor and her sister went to Portugal this past fall, and they’re going on a cruise somewhere in South American in a few months.
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