Chats, Challenges & Laughs 2nd home

[Cele21]

For all my Chats, Challenges & Laughs peeps! Since we can't get on the threads I thought I would start a discussion area for us. We may not be able to keep track of points standings easily but we can still talk.

I miss you!

[Jan2512]

Hello All,

I am trying to type this with a very sore left index finger.  A couple of weeks ago I was cutting up some cheese and trying to slice it very fine the knife slipped and made cut right into my finger.  There was so much blood.  I ran it under cool water and boy did that hurt.  Mum got me a clean flannel to wrap over it and the blood just kept flowing.  I rang the "Nurse on Call" and spoke to a nurse how advised I get a cab to hospital (it was in the evening so my local doctors surgery was closed).  The closet hospital is a ten minutes away, I got there at 8:55pm, didn't have to wait too long to get to the reception where I was assessed and they put a temp dressing on it.  I then waited till 1:05am to be seen by a doctor.  It took a total of about 7 minutes clean it, redress it and give me a tetanus injection.  I was ready to leave at 1:20am.  I called my brother to pick me up (he works a late shift - 2:30pm to 10:21pm) and finally got home just before 2:00am.  

Due to the accident I have not been able to do much, and I don't know how many times I have knocked it.  Over the last week I've been doing more but it is still tender.

Glenda - thanks for your condolences regarding the Queen.  She certainly wore some colourful hats.  Because she was short she wore colourful hats and clothes so she could be seen.  The younger royals and members of the royal family don't really wear hats unless it is a formal occasion.  Even Queen Camilla and the Princess Royal as older women don't wear hats like the Queen did.

Catherine - hope things are still going well for you in your job, it is nice to read that you are happy about life in general.  I love your posts, you always have so much going on.  I hardly leave my property.  I do go out once or twice a week but that is just local and mostly walking distance.  How is your sister?  Has she continued to improve after her heavy metal poisoning diagnosis?

I read recently that so Google has bought Fitbit and will be removing the Fitbit app and website and we will need to connect through Google?  I don't know when this is supposed to happen and although we don't write on the forum much, it seems to this will probably disappear as well.  That will be a shame.

I don't think anyone on the forum lives in Florida so I think you would have been safe from Hurricane Ian, if you have family or friends there I hope they are safe.  My Mum's cousin lives in Florida, he sent an email to say he and the fur babies were okay.

Well off to the post office to pick up a parcel, I've started my Christmas shopping.

Take care everyone and stay safe.

[Glenda]

I'm sorry you cut your finger.  So inconvenient to have an injured hand but even worse if it had been your right.  Take care!!  Good for you already Christmas shopping!!!!!   Don't you think the Queen was smart to wear hats?  I believe it might be easier to look wonderful in a hat than to depend on a good hair style always.  She did wear a scarf while riding a horse.  Good idea.

[Cele21]

So quiet here. Any one still hanging out?

I don't have anything new or interesting happening.

Work, home, sleep, repeat.

[Jan2512]

Hi Everyone, still popping in to see if anyone is about.  I know Catherine & Margaret are still about as I see them in the Fitbit challenges on the Fitbit app.

Nothing much is going on here.  We got new carpet laid for the lounge room, hallway and stairs.  That has meant living cramped up for a couple of weeks as we had a lot of furniture to move but my Mum is 80 so we don't want her moving stuff and I have to be careful with my hip, knee and back problems so we rely on my brother (I help where I can),  but his shift work was making the moving stuff difficult.  Anyway, it is all done now and we are slowly getting the room straight.  We are putting up the Christmas tree on Saturday so we have to get the lounge room sorted at least.

Weather here is shocking.  It is officially summer in 10 days time but we are still having to put the heaters on.  We are also copping so much rain.  A lot of Australia has been flooded, a number of areas have been flood more than once in the last two months.  We haven't been flooded but due to poor planning and poor drainage the ends of our street (the pavement, or side walk) keep getting flooded.  It floods for about week then the flood recedes then the next downpour it floods again.  As neither Mum nor I drive and there is no pavement on the other side of the road (there are no houses opposite where I live just paddocks) we could only get out if Roy drove us.

Looking forward to Christmas, got most of my presents and food - due to all the flooding it is expected there will be shortages either as crops have been destroyed or the trucks can't get through.

Hopefully someone will read this, I would like to "chat" with you.

[reszy]

Well I tried to reply yesterday,  fibit site would not allow me in. 

Well been retired nearly 2 years. But got a phone call from local JCC theatre.  They needed a construction supervisor asap. So back to work again. But it is all fun. 

In March, I get to work on "I am not a comedian, I am Lenny  Bruce. " with Director  Joe Montegna. I can't wait.

Glad you are in summer,  last week 60 miles from my home. Buffalo got 77 plus inches of snow :snowflake:!

Wife and I are doing tai chi and yoga. 

[Cele21]

Hi Reszy! You are going to work with Joe Montegna - the actor? If so that is awesome! 

Hi Jan! Sorry to hear about your flooding but I'm glad you are so sensible about physical restrictions and don't try to do things you know you can't/shouldn't do. Too many people get really hurt by pushing themselves. 

Weather here has been fluctuating between highs in the 60's (farenheit) to low's in the 20's. A lot of people are sick with the flu that is lasting anywhere from a week to three or more. Our pharmacy is out of Covid tests because those with the flu think it might be Covid. 

Home life is good - I haven't worked out since I finished my physical therapy for my knee but am starting (again) to watch my diet. I want to lose weight for my daughter's wedding in July. Hubby finally went to the dental specialist for an evaluation. His teeth have been breaking and falling out since his chemo and radiation treatments but dental work was on the back burner until he got settled into his new normal. We are looking at about $25,000 in dental work - full extraction of his upper teeth with full denture and a partial needed for his lower teeth. No idea where this money will come from but trusting that all will work out. Pray for us.

Work life is still hectic but we have hired some extra people again that seem to be working out fairly well. Paperwork is overwhelming but hopefully will start falling into a routine.

Movie suggestion: Glass Onion with Daniel Craig. If you saw Knives Out you will like it even more but even if you didn't, it is a well made, very funny movie with unexpected twists and a handful of cameo's.

Stay safe and healthy!

[Jan2512]

Merry Christmas Everyone,

Only 10 days to Christmas, I'm pretty much finished with Christmas shopping just a couple of small things to get that I can buy round the corner.  I have to go to our shopping mall tomorrow as Mum needs to finish her Christmas shopping and as neither of us drive we have to get a cab there and back.  Mum doesn't like catching cabs by herself (she struggles with the seat belts and doesn't like having to pay by card) so I'm going with her.  Just doing a bit of Christmas food shopping so that won't be so bad.

Weather here is crazy.  We really didn't have much of a spring and so far summer isn't much better.  We are still putting on the heaters first thing in the morning and some evenings.  We did have  couple of warm days around 28C (83F) then it went down to 16C (61F), currently it is 14C (57F) which is quite low for 11:15am and the top temp for today is only going to be 16C.  Some of our mountains in Victoria have snow on them which is not usual for this time of year.  My cousin in England lives in Kent and they are having heavy snowfalls - buses are not running and schools are closed, so at least we don't have those kind of problems.

@reszy  I love retirement I retired in 2015 at the age of 52 and never regretted it.  How is it going in the theatre?  The name of the director Joe Montegna sounds familiar, but I'm not sure why.  When I was younger I used to go a lot but then it got too expensive.  Starting going again when a theatre was built not far from where I live (if I didn't have mobility issues it is close enough to walk to).  But of course of the the last couple of years theatres have been closed.  I bought tickets last week for Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap".  I bought the tickets from my Mum's 81st birthday, it is in March and we are going to the Sunday matinee.  We have front row seats.  We have to travel to Melbourne to see it.  The last production I saw in Melbourne was "Dream Lover" the Bobby Darrin story, both my brother & I took my Mum again for her birthday but that was a few years ago.  The Mousetrap was the first theatre production I saw back in the 70's when I was about 14.  I saw it in London in the West End.  I do a bit of yoga (modified due to joint problems, but I still find some of the posses difficult and some impossible.  I have never tried Tai Chi but I am intrigued by it and will have to investigate further.

@Cele21 - How is you knee going?  Have you been able to start an workout routine?  I hope you win the lottery so you can pay for hubby's dental work - that is an awful lot of money.  We pay a lot for dental work but not as much as that.  I totally agree with you about "Glass Onion".  It had a limited release at the cinema here as it is a Netflix film.  We have Netflix but I rather go to the cinema to see films then watch them again on Blu-Ray or on Netflix or Foxtel.  We both thought the second "Knives Out" film was better, but we also thought the first was great.  I read Daniel Craig loves the character and would like to do more films as Benoit Blanc rather like Agatha Christie's Hercules Poirot, I hope so.

If I don't post before the end of the year I hope everyone has the Christmas they desire and the new year is one of peace, good health and security.

[adams1]

That is great Glenda, i'm new out here and i need a friend to understand more of this, please can you add me up as a friend out here

[jkevin01]

Hi Glenda! I live in south Jersey and I took want a friend. I have been using FitBit a few years but am interested in supporting your efforts and look forward to support from you!

[Cele21]

@Jan2512 - My knee is doing well. Last year when we went Christmas shopping at the mall I couldn't walk for more than 15 to 20 minutes without needing to sit down for 45 mins to let the pain ease up. This year we were out for over two hours straight with no issues. My endurance is not there as I have been more sedentary for quite a few years due to the knee but I have a plan to sign back up at Planet Fitness and talk to one of their trainers to see what is recommended. I should be able to do the treadmill, stationary bikes, weights, etc. just no jumping or extended stair stepping. I am looking to see what kind of new year/new you deals they offer on membership fees first to keep cost down - gotta pay for those teeth :). 

I agree that Glass Onion was the better of the two Knives Out movies but I did like them both. Would love to see more.

The above was to be sent in January and apparently never posted.

The below is today - February 20th.

Hello anyone who is still out there.

I have yet to replace my fitbit flex which died about a year and a half ago.

I need to get back into better habits and think I will start saving for a new one.

My daughter was in town this past weekend and we went to my sister's to continue working on/discussing her dress and my outfit options for her wedding. She left Sunday afternoon and in the evening my husband, son and I went to see the Ant-Man movie. I really enjoyed it and don't know why it's getting slammed so badly.

If you are still lurking, please let me know you are still out there.

[ElaineJ27]

Hi, All. I’m still here but it took me a bit to figure out how to get logged in to post. 

I don’t know what I last updated but I dealt with right knee pain most of last year. I started physical therapy for what appeared to be arthritis. I continued the exercises after PT ran out of ideas. Just before Thanksgiving, I saw the doctor who replaced my left knee in 2016, hoping to get an injection. I took one look at the X-ray and scheduled replacement surgery for 1/3/23.  I am seven weeks post-op and doing well unless I forget to prop my leg up a couple of times a day, then I suffer for a couple of days. There’s a fine line between enough movement to heal and the amount that pushes you over!

Just before Christmas, my mom, whose dementia has been quickly accelerating, slapped two people at her assisted care facility and was discharged. She was in the hospital until social services found a nursing home that would take her. She is now in a nursing home in Jerseyville, which is an hour’s drive from me, but also only an hour’s drive for my sister in St. Louis. It is clean, she’s clean, and she is happy. She doesn’t know who we are when we visit, but she’s glad to see us. 

Grandkids are growing fast, with the youngest being 9 and the oldest about to graduate high school at 18 (and 6 feet, 2 inches)! 

I’m still doing Noom, still about 20 pounds down, and hoping to add more movement soon. We’re fighting inflation by trying to cook foods in their freshest state and are lucky to have access to wholesale meat from local farmers. Right now, we’re in a group of five to split a cow, so the beef comes out to about $2.50 per pound. 

Although I like the Noom program, I haven’t connected with any of the community there like I did with this group. I’ll make an effort to post weekly and hope others are able to as well. 

[Jan2512]

@ElaineJ27 - it is great to hear from you again.  I really miss the connections we all formed on this forum and often wonder what everyone is up to.  Glad to hear your knee replacement is working.  I think I will be having one done later this year.  I still take my anti inflammatory meds one week on and one week off.  I have started using on occasions my walking stick again partly due to pain in my back, pain and stiffness in my knees but also as I am having bouts of vertigo so I feel a bit dizzy which is not good when you are all stiff!  Sorry to hear about your Mum.  Dementia is such a cruel disease, I know all diseases are cruel but dementia is especially cruel to those around the patient.  My Aunt (my Mum's younger sister) in England has dementia.  I know my cousin finds it difficult at times, but she visits her a few times a week at the home she is currently in. My Aunt thinks her daughter is her sister (my Mum) and that her ex-husband is still her husband, he visits my Aunt occasionally and she gets confused. I have toyed with the idea of Noom but at the moment I am not in the right head space.  

@Cele21 - Also glad to hear your knees are working better.  I know if I could get some weight off that would be a start.  I checked my Fitbit report for the last 12 months and I am one kilo (2.2lbs) more than this time last year.  So, although I am heavy my weight is staying the same, I did loose about five kilos the middle of last year but by Christmas they were back.  I love the "Knives Out" films too.  Saw an interview with Daniel Craig who wants to continue playing Benoit Blanc over many films like Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, so fingers crossed.  Saw the latest "Antman" film last Sunday.  I enjoyed it but thought the other "Antman" films were a bit better (I think there was more humour in the others).  It was good though.  We went to the IMAX theatre so we saw it on a very large screen and in 3D.

I haven't done much of late.  Prior to Covid hitting our shores in March 2020 I would be out a the pictures at least one a fortnight sometimes once a week, I'd regularly go to sporting events and exhibitions in the City.  I'd go over to the shopping mall at least once a week, I'd jump on a train without thinking twice, I'd even get on a bus (busses are a bit difficult for me due to mobility issues).  Now we are 90% back to normal (still have to wear masks in hospitals, doctors surgeries etc and you are supposed to wear them on public transport) but I am living still like we are in 2021.  I know I have to get out more but it is a real effort.  I am not depressed (been there, done that) but I do feel more anxious than I did four years ago.  My knee pain and stiffness doesn't help.  I think the stiffness wasn't helped by lockdowns (remember here in Victoria we were locked down for quite some time, more than most other places other than, NZ and China) that we had even into 2022.  My brother has a week off work coming up and wants to do quite a few things so maybe I'll get out of this funk.

@reszy 

@CJ_Here 

@Glenda 

@Katrin 

@Margaret

I hope you are doing well.  It would be so nice to hear from you.  Even a couple of lines. Seeing posts from Elaine and Celeste this week really lifted my spirits.

Hopefully, I will hear from some of you soon.  Take care, stay safe and have fun.

[reszy]

Just wondering did anyone get email from Google, since they bought fitbit . Basically it said they would sunset these forums. Bummer.  Just finished building Addam's family values  theater set. They gave me a wood chair and they wanted an electric chair.  That was fun and when I delivered it got a ovation from the cast. Easy money when retired. BTW 2 of my neighbors ate using noom , both dropped weight. Nothing else is new . I hope google change their mind and not sunset this forums. 

[Jan2512]

@reszy I got an email from Fitbit rather than Google saying that the groups in the app are closing along with all the challenges which I love participating in.  There was a link in the email which took me to this site.  So, hopefully for the time being we can continue to use this site.  Working on the Addams Family production sounds like a lot of fun.  I must say making an electric chair sounds interesting.

I am finally back on my meds (I usually take my meds for a week and then off them for a week).  I was off them for 10 days as I want to stay on them 14 days whilst my brother is on holiday.  Being off them for seven days is difficult, 10 days was incredibly difficult I was in so much pain, getting into the passenger side of the car took me several minutes.  I started taking my tablets yesterday and feel so much better.

[alexthecat]

@reszy and @Jan2512 just to clarify, only the open groups in the Fitbit app are being eliminated. This forum isn't going anywhere! 

[ElaineJ27]

@reszy , it must feel great to spend retirement doing what you love and being so creative. 

My knee pain continues to decrease but aching keeps me awake at night. I discovered a few years ago that poor sleep affects all aspects of my life. I am not as energetic and I don’t make good food decisions. Hopefully I will be able to play golf by the time the weather allows. 

[reszy]

I use Voltaren cream on my knees and pain is gone in a day or 2. I needed it after my barre class.

[Hmkitten]

I've been out of the loop for a while now. Almost a year since I was last on the forums. From January to July of last year I slid back up 25 pounds due to surgery and an excuse from an injury. I got back on the wagon in July and started in dong keto with my Mom. As of mid November I got back down to 195 again. From there I have been slowly but steadily losing and I am now down to 179.5 (Yes. That half pound means a lot to me.). Just last month I started exercising since I finally figured out that the injury isn't going to go away and I just need to deal with it--plantar faciitis. So I have been getting in at least 5000 steps during the day and actual exercise of walking most days. And it seems to be working. So far 77 pounds down since July 2020. Slow, but it's getting there. And that's with six months of unrestricted eating. So I'm still here. I'll be here for a while.

[MaryMac123]

Hmkitten -

Congratulations on your weight loss! Great job!

Theres no reason to suffer from plantar fasciitis. I had it and saw a doctor who referred me to physical therapy. They used TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) on it over a series of sessions and I was cured. I opted for the strongest electrical current I could tolerate to get it fixed as quickly as possible.  Many years later I bought a TENS device and was surprised they were sold to anyone. I bought mine on Amazon and they’re also sold in drugstores over a wide price range. You can’t use them if you have a pacemaker or AICD. I don’t know about using them with insulin pumps or any other devices. If anyone buys one, please read the contraindications carefully. I bought a TENS unit for my knee arthritis - not plantar fasciitis - which was fixed. 

[Hmkitten]

Sounds like I need to go back to the doc. He had informed me that, "The first two times you come to me (the doc), it is my fault. The third time is your fault." So I immediately came to the conclusion that I was on a long-term case. I may be able to go to my primary and get a referral so I don't have to go back to that ...ahem... two footed donkey!