Seriously, but LOL...Tuning In for Colon Health!

Monday, Monday, so good to me!   This morning I was of the mind that one week from tomorrow; Monday, I would be at the hospital for my colonoscopy.   I will be enjoying the benefits of a scheduled colonoscopy; that versus an unscheduled colonoscopy did not enter my mind.  In thinking it was a Monday appt., somehow the song "Monday, Monday" kept playing over in my thoughts.  Singing this tune you might think I actually delighted in going for the procedure...Monday Monday so good to me (?)!    It is actually taking place one week from Tuesday, but the "prep" WILL be underway that Monday evening!

While a colonoscopy isn't anything one might excitedly or enthusiastically sign up for, having such procedures available and preventative in offering insight to the health of my colon is certainly worthy of my gratefulness and especially after my personal experience with the "Big C"!

With melanoma, once you have been deemed N.E.D (No Evidence of Disease) following surgeries and prior to being approved if necessary, for adjuvant/immunotherapy treatment, there are no further scans, etc. .  While I do have ongoing cancer care in attending bi-annual skin checks with my dermatologist, annual check ups with my surgeon who had done both pre-treatment surgeries and an annual checkup with my oncologist I must confess to wishing there was a full scan annually as well.  
It's a wait and see, wait and watch for any unusual symptoms, for any visible lesions on the skin surface; recurrence.

The colonoscopy itself is as I've been told, nothing to fret and apparently the sedation is like a gift of the best sleep you've never had!   I understand and have witnessed the inconvenience of the "Prep" in the day before the procedure as the worst part of it.   My husband has had a colonoscopy and the song that comes to mind in reminiscing the experience would have to be...."Loo Loo, Skip to the Loo, Skip to the Loo my Darling!"...or RUN perhaps!

With that said, once all done I imagine leaving the day behind singing out, "Goodbye Ruby Tuesday...",  and better that song comes to mind when many less dignified tunes/names for the day might come to mind!

https://www.cancercare.on.ca/pcs/screening/coloscreening/?WT.mc_id=/colorectalscreening

*Adjuvant therapy, also called adjuvant care, is treatment that is given in addition to the primary, main or initial treatment. The surgeries and complex treatment regimens used in cancer therapy have led the term to be used mainly to describe adjuvant cancer treatments.

*Immunotherapy (also known as Biological therapy) stimulates your immune system to help it fight the cancer. Biological medications are the same as, or similar to, natural immune chemicals your body produces. Available immunotherapy include interferon alpha, interleukin-2, and Yervoy™.

Of ICING!

Sometimes you need a little something, something, not celery, not the chips n' guacamole, not the cookie,
but suddenly, somehow...Icing!  Oh, not the sports kind of icing as in hockey. My apologies if that was an exciting thought for you!   I'm talking about the "icing on the cake" and not figuratively; though that phrase is always a welcome thought to any situation, but literally the icing on a cake kind of icing!  

Icing, a saving grace when you're desperate for some sinful indulgence.  When there just isn't anything of the sinful category in your larder when you REALLY need there to be and it's just not in the realm of possibilities to go out for said items.

Icing is quickly made for indulgence with just three basic ingredients!   Icing sugar, butter and milk will create a basic icing and if you have specific tasty needs you can add any flavouring you wish!  Cocoa on hand...chocolate icing, lemons...lemon icing, and so on!    This is not an earth shattering, high priority kind of post but I just thought I'd share.    I will have you know too, this is NOT one of those "desperate for some sinful indulgence" evenings and especially as I am about to tuck in for the night but more of an FYI, because it's bad but in a pinch, it's good!

Monday, the new Wednesday!

I recall; to some degree, many years ago when downtown on a Wednesday one would find a good portion of the shops closed at noon.    It wasn't odd, it didn't seem out of the question, it was just the way it was.

Just this past Monday I was downtown and found many of the shops closed for the day.    My first thought was that somehow I was confused and had not paid attention to what day it was.   Then as I checked a store schedule on their door, it came to me it was in fact Monday.

I understand perhaps Mondays are not a very busy day and especially when most shops are now open on Sundays.   I don't blame shops one bit.    If Mondays are in fact a very slow day that would in turn make for very long hours for those working.   A busy day has a tendency to go by very quickly and a slow day passes very slowly; that for just about any field of work.

While some may not like changes as they come and go among our businesses, we all know change is just a part of life.    Running a business is a 24/7 kind of enterprise and one always has to be on their toes, growing and changing with the times, balancing life/family with demands and following trends!

Sidetracked at the tracks!

This may sound a bit like a gambler's confession!     I've been to a Casino once and to the racetrack; Kawartha Downs my one and only*once and while I could confess to the excitement and sudden rush of "I feel lucky" this is not that!    I will confess that it takes VERY little for me to be "sidetracked" at any given moment and in the midst of just about anything!   "OH, Shiny something..."!

Today as I tried very hard to pay close attention to the time on returning from a long walk lakeside; a doctors appointment next on the schedule, and about to turn to head home I looked ahead to see a stream of most intriguing vehicles lined up and slowly making their way west along the tracks near Cameco.    I was suddenly "sidetracked" and turned up Alexander St. to get a closer look.   I looped back, grabbed my camera and parked the car.   I had never seen anything like this before...a convoy of rail capable vehicles.   They resemble the familiar yellow machinery we are used to seeing in the yard of the works dept. ; like the much  heralded sight of the beloved snowplow clearing our streets in this very winter!    I walk closer and begin snapping away, trying to get my preferred angles, up close and that perspective but without getting in the way of the gentleman operating the hose for the gas line from the tanks of fuel to each of the machines/vehicles as they make their way to him along the tracks.

I can't help myself and finally approach one of the fellows; looking friendly enough, and ask where they are headed and what work they are doing.    He is friendly thankfully and tells me they're "going in", they are clearing the tracks for a scheduled train passing and they have been laying new rails!   Oh, how interesting and I tell him I've never seen such a convoy and he then tells me there are about one dozen machines lined up here at this time.   Plenty happening at the tracks but then one also notices the many trucks parked at various points in working with the operation as well.   It's quite intriguing!    This is just one such instance where I am swiftly heading home or to any other destination when something catches my attention and suddenly necessitated a full stop!    It is for this reason I always have a camera of one form or another with me in the car!   Hubby knows all about my "sidetracks", all too well.  Today at the tracks, tomorrow who knows!

Happy For the Unimagined.

Keeping tabs on aches and pains occurring since before Christmas and another since shortly thereafter, I finally decided to see my physician for the sake of putting any fears at ease.   If you have read any of my blog, particularly from 2012 you will know my history with the BIG C...oh, not the television series; which I miss greatly, but the big C that is Cancer.   Come February 15th it will be 3 years since the day of diagnosis; I remember it ever so clearly.

At this point in time for the most part it is all behind me and I enjoy looking forward.   Every so often like recently there are pains or something I can't ignore and mentally monitor in working to assure myself it is nothing!    Of course you can't help but worry about recurrence of the Big C and as you grow farther away from the initial diagnosis, surgeries and treatments you think about it less; or try to, because your life goes on!   When you can imagine so much, a great imagination is at times not such a great thing!

It's hard to imagine how grateful one can be in being told it's probably arthritis and with the shoulder, quite likely muscular and involving your rotator cuff, in comparison to hearing the alternative one imagines.  It will never be far from my thoughts when I sense something feels off, but today and for this round while I could whine about the pains I am feeling happy it's everything I DIDN'T imagine it to be.

A New Calendar Year! ...Oh the things I could do!!!!

The ringing in of a new year is cause for reflection of all that has taken place over the course of the last year and it's then too you look ahead and wonder what the year ahead may bring!  We just never know what we will have the chance to do in life, how much time we get  and of course a round with cancer really makes you look at the BIG picture and wonder about those things even more. You aren't only wondering what might come in the form of fate, etc., but what CAN you take on, what goals do you have, what do you WANT to accomplish?

There is unfortunately always a little hint of fear of a cancer recurrence weighing on my mind so the lengthy list I have, my "Living List" beckons to be fulfilled!    New employment roles
as well as volunteer and hopefully some travel, theatre perhaps, fun with friends, but the main goal is simply to try to take one day at a time and do some of those things that will be great memories and feel like great accomplishments as well!   Hmmmm, write a book, take a clowning course, do my level 3 ASL, go on a trip, find a new job, singing, so many possibilities!
Hello new calendar indeed! Happy New Year!

A Cool Thing to Do!

Reading a post earlier when someone was talking about "a cool thing to do" upon turning 40 and wondering what they might do when turning 50.   I found myself trying to remember something cool I had done when turning 50.  One of the cool things I did for my fiftieth was to be the recipient of a lovely surprise party a few lovely friends made happen; one of them nearly getting caught in making it all happen!   If they read this they and the other's creating the event will remember that!  It really was lovely!

 I recall I must have been close to 40 when I finally took the big step of auditioning for a role in local theatre, now that was cooooool!   On turning 30....well I was happy to be expecting our third; and last, child and low and behold our first and only daughter.   Her brothers were tickled too!

Back to what I did when turning 50, well that really was QUITE the year but I do remember now....I fought cancer and BEAT IT!!!   Now THAT's COOL I say!   ;)