We are the same. We do not get the covid or the flu vaccine, and have never had covid and rarely even get any kind of a cold. It is looking like the truth about vaccines for covid is starting to come out, and President Trump has said that any vaccines need to be tested enough to be safe and also to prove that they actually work.
I am looking forward to hearing how you like the Honda Hybrid, @Beth Gallagher . Is it one that you charge up, or one that charges the battery as it is using gasoline ?Not much new with me; I have already mentioned my eye issues. One big thing coming up is the 5 year anniversary of my cancer diagnosis. Almost unbelievable that it has been that long. The good news with this milestone is that the higher incidence of recurrence drops significantly. So I have had 5 "bonus years" since that ordeal.
Some of you might remember that I bought a new car in August 2024. Well, it turned out to be a real, spending more time at the dealership than in my garage. I ended up trading it for a 2026 Honda CRV Hybrid a month or so ago. So far I'm happy with the Honda, though owning a hybrid is a totally new experience.
We also did some updating of our backyard and patio earlier this year. I'll post some pics of that when the forum gets established. I gave my raised beds to my son and have officially given up on growing outdoor vegetables. I'm still Aerogardening but not nearly to the extent I was. I have given many of my AGs to my kids/grandkids. Currently I have 3 cherry tomato gardens, a couple of banana peppers, and some green onions growing in the dining room.
So far I like it, Yvonne. It is the engine regenerative type that does not plug in. I didn't want any "EV" that I would have to worry about charging. It gets very good gas mileage and the ride is smoother than the little Cadillac was.
I began mysteriously losing my hearing some years ago and it was one of the main reasons I retired. I couldn't understand people on the telephone, especially if English was not their first language. I once had a great talent with languages and dialects, but that is all gone now. I went to several audiologists, who said there was something strange with my hearing they couldn't identify, so I was referred to two different ENTs by two audiologists; the first ENT was totally useless and just told me to get hearing aids. The second ENT did an MRI on my head to make sure there was no tumor then told me to ignore the left ear as it was "dead" and amplify the right. THEN I went to the VA audiologist in Anchorage. She said there was enough hearing in my left ear to amplify and that was great, as it gave me "directionality" again. A couple years later, I awoke one morning with a pillow covered in blood, so I went to the ER and was told my eardrum had burst and was given a referral to yet another ENT to check that the eardrum healed properly. Mysteriously, when the left eardrum healed, my hearing in that ear became much better. Still not up to normal but almost as good as my "good" right ear. A year or so later, fluid was detected behind my right eardrum, and I was referred to the 3rd ENT once again. She recommended a myringotomy (with ear tube). That immediately improved the hearing in that ear. Now both ears are declining again, so I don't know what will happen. Just telling you the story @Steve North because there may be hope for your wife's hearing yet, but I don't know how it would be handled in Canada. I don't know how hard it is to get a second opinion there, but I would recommend it if you can get one just in case.
I, too, have a spot on one lung that was discovered during other "work" and it is being followed. It doesn't seem to be growing and I think it is an old histoplasmosis scar perhaps. They are common among people who worked around animals or grain, although I never did either of those as a young man. My brother-in-law has the same thing and he has been diagnosed with such. If it isn't growing, I am not concerned.
Can you explain more about that scar, @Don Alaska ? I have had livestock and been around animals who eat grain most of my life. As far as I know, I don’t have any scars like that, but I am wondering how being around animals and grain would cause a scar on someone’s lung ?
There is a fungus called histoplasmosis that is carried mostly by birds, and if they get into your barns, grain bins or hay storage areas, they can cause lung problems in humans. Often this goes unnoticed and is found many years later on CT scans or chest x-rays. If you immune system is good and the exposure is limited, it may leave a small scar on the lungs that can confuse later diagnosis. If you haven't been found to have such, it is just a good thing. The southwest has coccidiosis or Valley Fever that can cause problems as well.
We not only had a second opinion,but also a third and they all came out with exactly the same result... A set of hearing aids have been ordered after they took a mold of her ear to fit properly.. They should be ready sometimes this week or next.. Our government pays for hearing aids under our medicare plan here in Ontario...
And here all along I thought that one can’t catch old because it was deemed to be highly hereditary. Silly me. All that Wikipedia research gone to waste.
Beth, 5 years cancer free is to celebrate. Please try to get rid of thoughts about dying. With all that's happened to me since we last talked, it's short of a miracle I am here now. I cannot help but be aware of dying at my age and with my heart now as bad as it is, but I don't let it intrude on my mind. My dear friend, you are too young for that.
Thank goodness for miracles, Lois. I think I am more aware of my mortality because I have reached the age my mother was when she died.Beth, 5 years cancer free is to celebrate. Please try to get rid of thoughts about dying. With all that's happened to me since we last talked, it's short of a miracle I am here now. I cannot help but be aware of dying at my age and with my heart now as bad as it is, but I don't let it intrude on my mind. My dear friend, you are too young for that.
It’s interesting to read about Covid vaccinations in other countries , we were forced to have them ….anyone in the work force was sacked if they refused to have them , we had to produce our proof of vaccination stored on our Medicare app to go into government buildings
Bless you Lois!
