WEDNESDAY MORNING CLOUDS

[Nasoosie]

GOOD MORNING ALL!

I see by task-bar thermometer displayed by WFTV News that it is 4 below zero this morning back at my Adirondack home! I just got in from feeding Dinah and letting her do her thing outside, wearing just shorts and a T-shirt here at my Orlando house! Later we will all go for a walk.

Thanks to free Turbo Tax, I e-filed both my NY State and Fed tax forms yesterday, and all I have to do now is await the refund deposit into my checking account---it is not much, but it sure is better than my owing the thousand or more that I have been having to pay each April for many years. Feels so good to have the tax stuff over so early in the year, as well.

I need to call that imaging place that caught me by surprise yesterday to have me schedule a bone scan for tomorrow morning. After looking over my last scan and the order made by my new doc, I see that I can't have this done before April or my insurance won't pay for it----will only pay for one every two years. The girl I was talking to seemed to be new, or be un-professional in making appointments, so I will gently explain things to her.

It occurred to me this morning that my digestive problems seem to be much better since I have been drinking that bile-absorbing powder every day---I have a lot to be happy about! Now to schedule a fasting blood test to see what's happening with my cholesterol counts!

Mandy, Joe and litle O are going to my house to attend the yearly winter carnival at home this weekend, and I so wish I could be there with them! O's aunt bought him a Superman suit to wear over his heavy snowsuits so he can march in the carnival parade with his mama. The weather has been very iffy for harvesting thick ice blocks for the castle, but I guess they managed to put one up. I will have to look for pics online. If I find any, I will post some.

Here are a couple:


Scraping the bottom of the ice block to prepare it for the wall.


Fireworks over the finished palace last Saturday.

Have a happy Wednesday y'all!


Have a happy Wednesday y'all!
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[Colliemom]

Okay, guess I am going to have to get breakfast going here this mornng since nobody else seems to be voluntering, But I have to forwarn you that before you come up for breakfast, that's it's cold here. About 8 degrees, but the sun is rising and it's promises to be a nice day, but dress warm in the meantime.

So for breakfast I will put eggs, bacon, toast, cereal, sliced peaches and I have one corn muffin which we can draw for. But then I know where there is a big stash of corn muffin mix, right Alice But I will forwarn you, that I don't have coffee, so you will have to bring that. I can make tea and hot cocoa though and there's always water. I will be heading off to the gym in about an hour or so, but you are welcome to stay and sit and chat with each other. The "fur kids" will keep you company.

Tessa got a clean bill of health from her vet yesterday. Just need to finish up with her meds and she should be all set. He did give me some extra Tamaril pills to keep here in case her cough should start up again. And my chiropractor said I"m in good shpe too. The gym classes are helping greatly with that. I'll be with it for the next couple of months anyway. Then will be time to head for my new park and work.

So today I am off to gym, with a stop at the P.O. to mail a couple of letters. Then make a run to the Save A Lot store here as they have a good buy on T Bone Steaks right now, so it's stock up time. After that I am not sure what I am going to do. Might go down and visit with my friend in Roscommon if she is going to be home and up to company. She's been having some issues with her back and some days, she doesn't feel like doing much. Or maybe I will take the dogs over to the park and let them run in the day use area as it's about the only place we can walk. Everything is so icy here.

Well, I am off and running here. Enjoy your day all. Keep chugging.

[Redetotry]

Good morning all it is cold and cloudy here this morning after our beautiful weather that spoiled us so much. The news said many birds are already starting to migrate north, which accounts for the spring bird songs I've been hearing in the mornings.
Soos, you probably don't need a bone density test yet or the drug if you don't have full blown osteoporosis here is part of an article you might find helpful from this web site http://www.medicinenet.com/bone_density ... 5.htm#toch


"How often should DEXA scans be repeated to monitor treatment?

Monitoring osteoporosis treatment using DEXA scans is highly controversial. Some doctors recommend DEXA scanning at one- to two-year intervals to monitor changes in bone density during treatment. But recent scientific evidence questions the usefulness of such interval monitoring. Reasons why repeating bone density scans is extremely tricky include:

Bone density changes so slowly that the changes may be smaller than the measurement error of the machine. In other words, repeat DEXA scans cannot distinguish between a "real" increase in bone density or a mere variation in measurement from the machine itself. Typically, BMD changes 1% per year, which is less than the error of a DEXA machine (usually in the range of 3%). Changes of less than 2%-4% in the vertebrae and 3%-6% at the hip from test to test can be due to the precision error of the method."

As to why you might not want to take the drugs unless absolutely necessary (and then you might look at alternative solutions) here is a link I've put on before about how the 'disease' of osteopenia was created and how there are different types of machines to determine bone density. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... =121609815

The side effects from these drugs are very controversial now plus women have been posting online about the various problems that aren't listed for several years. Of course I'm sure there are other sites that would have a different opinions but I do think the one from is NPR is credible.

[Acadianmom]

I don't think anyone wants any coffee here this morning. My DH made the coffee and didn't put the coffee maker back together right so half the water must have gone over the basket and the basket was still full of water. I had to filter the coffee into a cup to get the grounds out. MEN! Guess I should be happy that it's not all over the counter.

I have very mixed feeling about taking the pills for Osteoporosis. My doctor put me on Fosamax probably about 8 years ago. Since I have migraines anyway I can't say for sure but I think the Fosamax was giving me migraines. I have acid reflux and fosamax aggravated that. For some reason I could only get 6 months without going back for another prescription so I would only take it for 6 months and get another prescription with my annual checkup. I complained about the headaches so he gave me Actonel instead. My doctor retired 2 years ago and I haven't seen about finding another doctor so haven't been taking anything. I don't like all the side affects of these drugs. Guess I'm going to have to find another doctor but not in a big rush. Wish I could find a woman doctor but there isn't one with group I was going to.

I put up a new cat tree yesterday. They had just about destroyed the old one. I might get another one and put one at each end of the house. They like to chase each other, climb up the tree and swat at each other from the different platforms.

Last night I went to the Cattlewomen meeting. Our club is getting smaller and smaller. The officers were begging someone to take over. We have had the same officers for probably 5 years so know they are tired of it. The younger members that have kids that show need to recruit mothers of the kids that show cattle. All the women that I know already belong. There was a big membership when we had an annual bus trip. The trips were only for 4 days so that limited where we could go and everyone got tired of going to the same places.

It's a nice sunny day for a change but a little cool. Not like the northern states. I think it's in the mid 60's but more of the cold air is headed this way.

Martha

[Echo]

GOOD MORNING SISTAHS!!!

Kinda chilly and the wind is a blowing! Took Shade out for her first sniffs and P for the day. We will be out there a few more times too. She is funny and ya just never know with her sometimes. When it's cold and I want to get back in the house she just has to take her sweet ol' time sniffing everything. When it's nice outside? HA! She will squat and do her thing and run for the door. Goofy dog!! And if it has snowed and it still lays on the ground, forget it! She doesn't want to come in the house at all. She would much rather 'play' in the snow. Brrrrrr

Didn't go anywhere yesterday so today is errand day. Need a few things from the store, check the PO box and need a good cell signal to pay my cell bill. And we need to go pay the internet bill. ~sigh~ As usual there goes all the money.

Still drinking coffee here and plan on draining the pot before I going anywhere. But I have some extra if'in anyone wants a cup!

Have fun ya'll on your day in whatever ya'll decide to do. Just remember to do it all and reamain safe.

Love to all

[Bethers]

Soos, are you still taking the weekly or monthly pill? I quit with some of the side effects they learned of a couple years ago. And got rid of problems I had no clue were attached to that. I agree, that pill is not the good thing they thought it was. I do now take some natural remedies I've looked into - and hopefully am doing more good with them than with the junk chemicals the doctors prescribe.

[Nasoosie]

I am so happy to know your opinions about Alendronate, the chemical stuff of Fosamax and Actonel, as I have taken myself off of all of them since reading about some women getting more hip fractures when they take it. Thanks for that link, BJ! Of course, this new doctor wants me to go back on the stuff, and have another bone density scan in April. I am quite active, drink and eat a lot of calcium-rich products and vegies, so I have a lot of mixed feelings about going back on the danged stuff. The Advair disk I use is known to rob my bones of their density and strength, along with just normal aging, so I have very mixed feelings. I filled the prescription yesterday, but have taken none so far, and I may not. I also may or may not go back for another bone density scan in April. I have had some horrendous falls in my later years, not the least of which was my firedancing fall over a steel bar stool, and I have been very lucky that I haven't been hurt more than a few broken ribs when I should have broken every bone in my body!

I am not certain I actually need that Advair stuff every day, either, although docs try to tell me that it only works for about 12 hours for each inhalation. I am quite sure I don't have asthma, and suspect it is lung damage, i.e. COPD, due to growing up in households with heavy-duty smokers. I also smoked for about 5 years of my life, so the lungs are most certainly damaged. Some days I really get the feeling I need some help to breathe, but not all the time. Hence, I tend to use the Advair intermittently, despite what the docs tell me. Drugs tend to be a dilemma, to say the least. Some days I would like to toss out all my drugs (I am on only 3 daily at this point) and see what would happen to my blood counts and all.

And worst of all, drinking a full 8 ounce glass of cold water once a week in the mornings to take the danged Fosamax gives me the creeps, and I got so I hated to get up Wednesday mornings! No coffee for a half hour after that gagging down water----ACK!

Thanks for your input on this stuff. I also wonder about my high dose of statins which seems to have very little effect on lowering my cholesterol levels. What it could be doing to my liver worries me. If this new powder stuff I am taking for my digestive problems lowers my cholesterol, I will try taking myself off the statins, or at least lowering the dosage, as the powder seems pretty innocuous. We shall see after my next blood test in a few days.

[WickedLady]

Soos: Are you also taking vitamin D (which aids in absorbing your calcium)?

[BarbaraRose]

Have you looked into holistic treatments and meds? Also, have you tried using a nebulizer instead of the inhalers?

[Paulette]

Ah, good subject...I too was on fosomax and recently read an article that I think Sharon put a link to on Facebook. I have now quit taking the fosomax and don't Intend to take it ever again as it puts me at a much higher risk for heart disease and hardening of the arteries. Since I am already at high risk for these things due to family history it really made me think. The article also stated that when they do the dexa scan they should be looking at the z-factor, not the t-factor. The z-factor accounts for age also, as we all lose some density to our bones as we age. I think what is most frustrating is that whenever you go,to the doctors for anything, they immediately want to prescribe a pill. Never do they suggest other ways of dealing with the natural decline of our bodies.

So, I am now my own physician and since I figure I know my body better than anyone else, I will eat more of the foods that I know have benefits to aging bones. I have also quit taking the calcium supplement, as that too can lead to calcium deposits in places other than the bones. The things they DON'T tell you is what really ticks me off. I guess that I just fit the mold of who they think should be on these drugs...I.e., small frame, female...so they just automatically prescribe. No more!