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Mentor

Let’s Go Walking! Join me for a virtual walking support group

Posted by Becky, Volunteer Mentor @becsbuddy, Feb 19, 2020

Many of you living with cancer or an autoimmune disease, like me, deal with daily fatigue. You know that exercise is so important to your health, but it’s so hard. There’s always an excuse: it’s too cold or hot, it’s going to rain or it’s raining, or it’s snowy and icy, or I just don’t want to. I, too, have all these excuses, but I have a new rescue dog who wants to go out and who doesn’t care about my excuses! And I’ve got traction devices for my boots.Now I just need a walking group who will keep me accountable. People who say, ‘let’s go for a walk.'

And I thought: What about my virtual friends on MayoClinicConnect?

Mayo Clinic has an easy 12-week walking program to get us started! Here’s the link:
- Get walking with this 12-week walking schedule https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/get-walking-with-this-12-week-walking-schedule/

So let’s form a virtual walking group. We can agree to walk every day and encourage each other through Connect. We can walk outdoors, in a mall, or in the red center, or in the hallways of our apartment building.

Who’s in? Who’s going to join me?

Come on, Let’s Go Walking!

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Just Want to Talk Support Group.

Mentor
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Aug 31, 2021
In reply to @artist01 "@ess77 Hi Elizabeth. Actually, I had no part in making the decision to transition to Long..." + (show)
@artist01

@ess77 Hi Elizabeth. Actually, I had no part in making the decision to transition to Long Term Care. It was a unanimous decision made by a "team" on my behalf during my 3+ week hospital stay following my heart attack on July 8th. The reasoning was that I need more extensive care than Assisted Living can deliver in my present state of declining health, which includes my serious IBS multi diet restrictions. Apparently, one needs to have a stable state of health, and my health has been far from that for quite some time. I've been hospitalized 4 or 5 times, just since April. The team acknowledged that when I'm good, I'm really good (walking outdoors for over a mile a day, etc.) but when I'm bad, I'm really, really bad ( including ambulance rides to E.R. every few weeks), etc.

At first, I was very upset with the decision but my sons want to move me to their part of the province where there's lots of family. I've now made peace with the idea. My sons had tours of the two available long term care homes, and outright reject the first one, but really like the second one - Haven Hill in Penticton, BC.
There could be a long wait, so I'm on other wait lists for a faster availability interim placement until Haven Hill has a place for me.
There are lots of restrictions at an LTC to accept and get used to.
My brain is still really good 😊 so my main concern is being matched in a section of like- minded people.

I'm working on looking at this as a new adventure and a new chapter in my interesting life!
Hugs,
Laurie

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Ah,Laurie, I have been wondering what was happening! Such a hard decision, but so necessary as your health dictates.I am so glad your sons and their wives are stepping in to support you. Keep us posted, and know we are here to help you work through your feelings.
Sue

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1 reply
artist01 | @artist01 | Aug 31, 2021
In reply to @ess77 "@artist01 and all Thanks for filling me in on what's been going on in your life...." + (show)
@ess77

@artist01 and all
Thanks for filling me in on what's been going on in your life. This is a very tough time, isn't it. I think you are doing so well at adjusting to the gigantic changes, and to losing control of making the decisions about your life. That's the most difficult part of this aging....heck, getting old! I don't have any other family, just my son, and he wants to stay out of decisions in my life. I need and want him to participate in these kinds of things, at least discuss and help me think it t!hrough. But, not the case. He can't deal with it and he gets upset, agitated when I attempt to go there, so I only mention these things after I've made a decision. So it goes.

I do want to be settled. Get my furniture settled, get whatever reno I'm going to do and off my mind, forever! Hopefully before I leave this life! I want to enjoy my home before I must leave...times getting short.

You have a good new home, sounds like...just gotta' get there. Remember something you don't want to...we are Steel spines . I say I am a 'Steel magnolia'. You can claim that too....I knight you an honorary Southerner. So, let's act like we're doing exactly what we want, hold our heads high and be graceful ladies. I don't want to live in LTC. Can't afford the $5k+ per month for assisted living.... can afford small one BR apt. Actually sounds pretty good to be right now!

You stay strong and determined. We can do this, my friend.
Bless you...Elizabeth

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@ess77 Hi again, Elizabeth.
Thankyou for knighting me an Honorary Southerner! Haha. I, in turn, will knight you an Honorary Canadian. Methinks we are both made up of the Right Stuff. And yes, the term Steel Magnolia seems to fit both of us too. Thanks for that reminder.

I find that, as the weeks fly by, I'm feeling more excited and happy (nervously) at the thought of this big change. It will be a welcome change to have the more extensive care regarding their adherence to my food restrictions, which is something Assisted Living can't do, according to their mandate. I'm sure that help with my diet will help my IBS considerably. Also, there's 24 hour nurses available, physiotherapists, rehab, lots of activities, more Care Aids, etc.
And my goodness, Elizabeth, $5K per month for Assisted Living where you are in the States? I only pay $1650 per month, subsidized, for the beautiful place where I am now. That includes meals, laundry, Care Aid 4 times a day to administer meds, etc., showers, activities, etc.
Good old Canada with our excellent health care system! We do have private Assisted Living places costing upwards of $6K per month, but who can afford that?
Take care, brave soul.
Hugs,
Laurie

REPLY
artist01 | @artist01 | Aug 31, 2021
In reply to @sueinmn "Ah,Laurie, I have been wondering what was happening! Such a hard decision, but so necessary as..." + (show)
@sueinmn

Ah,Laurie, I have been wondering what was happening! Such a hard decision, but so necessary as your health dictates.I am so glad your sons and their wives are stepping in to support you. Keep us posted, and know we are here to help you work through your feelings.
Sue

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@sueinmn Thankyou, Sue, for your nice message. And yes, I sure do have a lot of feelings to work through. You nailed it!
It's so wonderful to get this support from my friends at Connect, and I'm truly grateful to each and every one of you ❤.
I'll be sure to keep you posted, although I'm thinking the wait list is pretty long. My nurse here suggested I go on the lists for anywhere on Vancouver Island ( where I live) and take an interim placement while I wait for my choice in Penticton, BC., so I've nervously agreed to do that. Lol.
We'll see how soon that might happen. ( gulp!) 😊 Hugs, Laurie

REPLY
lioness | @lioness | Aug 31, 2021
In reply to @becsbuddy "Hi, everyone! Are you like me and not walking? I’m not really Not walking, but i..." + (show)
@becsbuddy

Hi, everyone! Are you like me and not walking? I’m not really Not walking, but i sure don’t really walk far. This photo is of Crested Butte from the top of Mt. Crested Butte. And No, we didn’t walk up! I thought about walking down but my DIL said I’d be run over by mountain bikes. And now were home and back to unexciting walks. Just wondering if @lioness is still walking!!

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@becsbuddy Hi Becky I just started again slowly as I fell 4 months ago and my back is just starting to heal more so going slow How are you doing? I'm back on connect now after phone problems also 🙃

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1 reply
Leonard | @jakedduck1 | Aug 31, 2021

Been walking fairly consistently. 2.6 miles today. Been walking over 1 mile a day. Also got a medical exerciser who is trying to kill me piece by piece.
Jake

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Mentor
Becky, Volunteer Mentor | @becsbuddy | Sep 1, 2021
In reply to @lioness "@becsbuddy Hi Becky I just started again slowly as I fell 4 months ago and my..." + (show)
@lioness

@becsbuddy Hi Becky I just started again slowly as I fell 4 months ago and my back is just starting to heal more so going slow How are you doing? I'm back on connect now after phone problems also 🙃

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Oooooooooo. @lioness you had a fall! That’s awful! Were you somewhere that you could get help right away? I know you’ve had problems with your back—i just hope the fall didn’t make things worse. Please take care and do some painting instead of walking. Please!

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1 reply
lioness | @lioness | Sep 1, 2021
In reply to @lioness "@becsbuddy Just colored this" + (show)
@lioness

@becsbuddy Just colored this

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New phone not use to it yet sorry it didn't come through

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lioness | @lioness | Sep 1, 2021
In reply to @becsbuddy "Oooooooooo. @lioness you had a fall! That’s awful! Were you somewhere that you could get help..." + (show)
@becsbuddy

Oooooooooo. @lioness you had a fall! That’s awful! Were you somewhere that you could get help right away? I know you’ve had problems with your back—i just hope the fall didn’t make things worse. Please take care and do some painting instead of walking. Please!

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@becsbuddy I think I will stick to painting for awhile. I fell on my apt got to hospital no fractures but stored all Long healing process so far 3 months

REPLY
anncgrl | @anncgrl | Sep 4, 2021

Well, I am going to try using the Mayo plan for walking. I have challenges. I really need and want to walk if at all possible.

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