The gig is up......

I had an appointment a couple weeks ago with my GP. He did all the usual office questions and checks and sent me away with a lab requisition for blood test and mammogram. He asked me to make another appointment in a few weeks to discuss the report. I asked Old Doc Webster if we could leave it as "no news is good news"? He agreed. Last week the nurse called and said he wanted to see me, not an urgent matter. I was pretty sure it was going to be about my cholesterol. Last year, my blood work showed elevated levels of cholesterol and I was given a sheet of information with diet suggestions. The sheet got tossed on the floor of the van and after a few weeks of being pushed around and stepped on I scraped it off the floor and tossed it out. The levels were borderline and everyone knows how I love to diet! Now the levels are high. Not off the chart high but getting there. Time to get serious about this........ grr-r-r-r-r-r

(all the other tests were good)

Cholesterol is a waxy, fatlike substance that your body needs to function normally. Cholesterol is naturally present in cell walls or membranes everywhere in the body, including the brain, nerves, muscles, skin, liver, intestines, and heart.

Your body uses cholesterol to produce many hormones, vitamin D, and the bile acids that help to digest fat. It takes only a small amount of cholesterol in the blood to meet these needs. If you have too much cholesterol in your bloodstream, the excess may be deposited in arteries, including the coronary (heart) arteries, where it contributes to the narrowing and blockages that cause the signs and symptoms of heart disease.

◦High cholesterol is more common in women older than 55 years.
◦The risk for high cholesterol increases with age.

Loss of appetite occurs commonly among cancer patients.

NOT!!!

I was quite prepared for the loss of appetite that is so common with cancer treatments. I borrowed a juicer, purchased "comfort foods" easy to digest and found recipes for smoothies.

I anticipated loss of weight and the struggles to keep nourished. That never occurred.

My appetite never waivered and the iron rich comfort foods put the pounds on me. I actually gained weight!!!

I chalk it up to the "Sorrell Fondness for Food".

I would like to toss off a few pounds before Christmas.

3 Months of R-e-b-o-u-n-d-i-n-g
I took this photo in July about a month after my chemo ended, I thought I looked so much better. The chemo Me was such a sight I did not post any photos during that time...

photo taken July 20th
photo taken October 20th
I feel so good!

Today I am going to Aquafit with my neighbour Carol. Carol says the fitness class relieves her body stress, reduces muscle soreness and has help her flexibility. Carol has fibromyalgia. I like that there is no stress on the joints.

The class is 45 minutes long and the gals all hit the hot tub for 15 minutes after the class. I already know this will be my favourite part. :-)

More later

Later .....

I had a very good workout today. For the full 45 minutes of Aquafit we were moving. I had no idea that you could get such a training in the pool. Keeping my core straight and centred was a difficult task for me today... most of the exercises are done with your body set. (no twisting and turning). Although the water massages as you push and pull through it, there is also the resistance. The instructor is amazing! (Kelly), she showed us the muscle groups the different activities were assigned to.

I am feeling full-body tired.

I am going to continue to go twice a week. I want to regain my stamina and strength.

Step Two

I chipped off the henna paste and cleaned the brows with olive oil. I am not suppose to wash the skin until tomorrow with soap and water. I really like them!! The are a reddish brown shade which blends nice with my skin colour. I might colour them with my dark brown pencil if I wanted to be fussy.

We cannot direct the wind but we can adjust the sails. ~Author Unknown

Step One

..... more brow babble.....

I found a fabulous spa today that specializes in henna tattoos.

"Studio 12" http://www.studio-12.com/

Mehndi/Henna is a temporary tattoo design made by using herbal products (paste of ground Mehndi Leaves) on your body parts.

Seema, artist/technician spent a lot of time drawing on different brows and placing them in different spots.

I finally chose the brows you see here.

The brows in this photo are gobbed with henna paste. I have to keep the paste moist with sugar water for at least the next six hours. Before bed I will remove all the henna.

More AFTER photos coming.

This is sooooo exciting.

So much to be thankful this year, yes, this year while I was dealing with cancer. This blog has been my outlet. These have been my experiences and I wanted to share them with you. I am not complaining. It is part of life. I realize I am so very, very blessed. Because of the location of the tumor, it is only by the grace of God that it was found and I am so thankful to Him. I am thankful for my doctor that sent me for further testing. I am thankful for my surgeon. I am thankful for a hospital with caring nurses and staff that cared for me.
I am thankful for and I pray for those many women with uterine cancer that have been such a great support to me.
I am thankful for my precious husband that has been with me every step of the way holding my hand through it all. I am thankful for my children who have been there with their love, protection and comfort. I am thankful for my sisters and brother who made my days bright with their calls and family humour. I am not bitter, mad, upset or have any other negative feelings. I have too much to be thankful for. I will take one day at a time. I will continue to accept and be grateful for all prayers sent on my behalf.

Happy Thanksgiving

Mona Lisa has no visible facial hair—including eyebrows and eyelashes. Some researchers claim that it was common at this time for genteel women to pluck them out, since they were considered to be unsightly.

Dear old Mona and I have something in common, no eyebrows! The few hairs that have grown are curly and wiry. I look like one of those old men in cartoons.

From what I have read many women who had taxil did not get the eyebrows back or they came in sparse.

If I had any talent at drawing them on this would not be a problem because I rather like the look of a well drawn brow. The product I have (from ShadowBox) is nice and easy to use.

However, I normally have one brow going north the other south.

My niece Sarah gave me a great suggestion today. Her friend had her brows done with henna. She says the application lasted a long time and you can have them applied lightly and use this as a template to apply your eyebrow pencil.

I am going to find a salon where I can get this procedure done... keep you posted.

I took this photo in Algonquin Provincial Park

Proof that God exists

This time of transition from active treatment to post-treatment has been a bit confusing and difficult. For nearly a year my comings and goings have revolved around "the treatment plan".

The whole process is finished and I am without a program. I read this from a woman who had finished her treatments, "it isn't over when it is over".

I do not want to get stuck in transition.... I want to move forward in wellness.