It was exactly 4 weeks on 2/17, so it seems like its time for an update on the BLO and my health in general.
BLO Update: 1 Mo post surgery
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Category Archives: Mundania
Tiredness, FTW!
Yes, that is my attempt at humor.
Yesterday — Saturday — I worked a 10 hour day. We have a big project going to the client (hard deadline) on Tuesday and they are still writing one portion of it. One of my ‘hats’ is report production, so I went in to take all of the other portions of the report and make them pretty. This is after working a normal week.
Today is World Cancer Day
Today, February 4, is World Cancer Day. As someone in the midst of the freaking wild ride known as cancer, this is a day to mark. I am celebrating the day by going in for my Oncology Orientation. Isn’t that beautifully ironic?
This year, the theme is ‘Cancer Can be Prevented Too’ and it is a position I heartily endorse. Most illness, including cancer, can be prevented if each of us takes three steps: don’t smoke, eat well, and walk 30 mins a day. That’s it. Everything else is a flourish on the basic plan and I freely acknowledge that you can spend a lot of time discussing what ‘eat well’ means. For me, it means all foods are viable, but limit anything processed and try to stick with local, in season produce. (If the 1st ingredient is ‘enriched,’ its processed.) I will gladly sit down to a grass-fed steak dinner with salad and baked potato and butter. I’ll even have a glass or two of good red wine. But I don’t do that every night. In fact, most nights my meal is 2/3 vegetables.
Not smoking is a major factor. As an ex-addict I know exactly how hard it is to quit. Try. Try it again. Keep trying until you quit. You don’t want to end up like me, who could only stop when she needed cancer cut out of her body.
Walking every day is entirely possible. Get an iPod or (old school!) Walkman, and go for a walk. Get a friend or drag your partner up from the coach and go. Walk in the rain, the snow, and sun. Walk. I’ll eventually be allowed to do something more, but even then I will continue my regimen of waking every day. If you are really super busy, walk 15 mins and do it twice a day.
Cancer is preventable.
Smoking Cessation Products Nearly Free
I have 2mg Commit mint-flavored lozenges (144 in 6 containers, from a package of 168 total) and 7mg patches (a box of 14, unopened) and I can’t seem to get rid of them locally (Seattle, WA). They seem like odd items to give to Goodwill. So I’m reaching out to basically everyone I know to offer them up for the cost of shipping plus $5. Just email me (lisa _ at_ cybercoven.org, properly edited, of course.)
Or, if you have a suggestion for a place to donate to, let me know.
Feel free to spread the word.
Apparently, The Humane Society is Stupid
As y’all know, a few weeks ago, I wrote a bluntly scathing letter to the Humane Society letting them know that I strongly disapprove of their ‘free blanket’ campaign to raise funds.
Yesterday I got another blanket thing from them. This one is even better — it’s in a plastic envelope. So now I get to add ‘bad for the environment’ to my next scathing letter. Which will go out tomorrow at the latest.
Luckily, both of these blankets will go to help dogs at the local shelter. Along with a bunch of Sasha’s old (and still good) chew toys the like. (She quickly outgrew the ‘puppy’ kongs, which will make a small dog or another puppy quite happy.)
Things That Get Up My Nose
That is: things that really irritate me.
#1 Guilt, in all of its forms. From the subtleties of obligations and expectations to full blown guilt trips.
#2 Rudeness.
#3 Complacency.
It’s been an Exciting Week
I’m still trying not to type too much . . . but life requires it, so I’ll just be brief-ish.
J’s mom went into the hospital last week, I believe on NY’s Eve. They thought it was pneumonia, but antibiotics didn’t seem to work, and then she started to have physical issues, including not being able to communicate and unable to eat. THEN she began to not recognize family members. She’s in her early 80s, so this is not good. He made plans to fly out there (there = South Carolina) Thursday morning. Yesterday they diagnosed bacterial meningitis, which is VERY NOT GOOD (25% chance of mortality). This morning his dad called with good news, she’s able to communicate again, and recognizing people. He’s still going . . .
Except that his flight was canceled. So he called me and I suggested going tonight instead. So he’s leaving on a red eye tonight through Monday.
That means I am alone for the weekend. With Sasha. Fortunately, I have good friends and a couple of them are going to come over and go with me to the lake to swim her. I can manage the rest. J. has put gas in the car, is doing a foodshop so I have supplies on hand, and I’m making sure that anything I might need help with either doesn’t need to be done, or we’ll do now.
Because while my meeting with the pain specialist went well, and I have high hopes . . . at the moment I am still in some amount of pain. (Note to self: I think ‘post hypnotic suggestions’ don’t work well on you.) More on that in another post. Short version: it WILL help, and I already feel comfortable recommending this specialist to others.
In the end, I’m a bit freaked out. I’m reassuring myself that I will be fine, that I can call on others for help, and that I can do this. What is . . . freaking me out . . . is that these will be the first days since my surgery (8 weeks ago tomorrow) that I will be absolutely on my own.
I’m not going to dwell on that now. Instead I am going to change the subject. Today I found my dream house (although I can’t have it).
It’s perfect. Want to see?
Happy Merry Everything
It’s been an interesting trip so far.
Bright Blessings!
Things got very busy this week. Compressed work days and deep tiredness make for a non-writing Lisa.
In the meantime:
Belated Yule Blessings!
I’m off to spend the next several days with my family in San Francisco. Perhaps I will have stories to tell when I return!
How it works
Spend a day discussing hiring for a new position.
Spend a day crafting the job description and getting ‘buy in’.
Spend a few hours crafting a job posting. Make sure ad specifies three specific qualities we are looking for and the three elements that are absolutely required to be considered.
Post the ad in two (appropriate) categories on craigslist at 6:07pm.