Fun Stuff...

....not really.

I got one of those follow up phone calls to schedule a doctor's app't after having a mammogram recently. After years of normal mammograms it was a bit of a shock though I know I shouldn't worry as it's likely nothing but still I worry.... after all, I AM my mother's daughter!

Recently I signed up for "My Pocket Health" which provides me with unlimited access to my medical imaging records online and goes back years and years. After a one time $5.00 fee I can actually look at and print any x-ray, MRI, ultrasound and mammogram (plus accompanying remarks, diagnosis and recommendations) I've ever had! What a great service! So I went online and had a look at my last mammogram. There are two issues: abnormal breast density (which is common) and focal asymmetry (which is also common).  With abnormally high density, which shows up on the scan as white, it can prevent masses from being seen as they also show up white. White on white - who thought that was a good idea?

And the focal asymmetry could mean there is a mass but it can't be seen in a regular x-ray so I'll likely have to have an ultrasound or MRI after consulting with my doctor. What this all boils down to is there could be small lumps lurking around waiting to pounce that can't be seen. 

Do I feel better knowing? YES! I'm one of those people who'd rather know than NOT know. I feel quite sure that after more imaging I'll be told there's nothing to worry about. I might have to have more frequent mammograms and I can live (literally) with that. Right now I don't feel any foreign masses invading my body - gotta stay positive!

Ancestry.ca Oops, I did it again!

So I renewed my membership with Ancestry.ca.  And I've disappeared from my blog!  It is so bloody addictive! Yesterday I found my grandfather's WW1 Personnel File - all 93 pages of it. Most of it is handwritten and a lot of that is illegible. I've had to get creative while trying to decipher it all - of course most of it was written by doctors as my grandfather was discharged due to medical reasons. And you know doctors have the worst handwriting!

A few months before he enlisted in October, l915, Lorne received a bullet in his right shoulder in a hunting accident. He was immediately operated on but the bullet wasn't found. We're talking over a hundred years ago. Once overseas he spent a lot of time in hospitals for rubella (had to be isolated) and chronic bronchitis. The cure was "fresh air"!

In a weakened condition he found that carrying his pack made his arm go numb and he had "slight difficulty throwing bombs and engaging in bayonet fighting". Just slightly a problem!! I'm surprised they didn't throw him at the Germans anyway - they threw every other Canadian into no man's land during Vimy Ridge. That was a big victory for Canadians fighting in France however, thousands upon thousands of Canadian men died. Behind the lines Lorne acted as a runner and an orderly.

As his health continued to deteriorate he was sent to London General Hospital where it was determined he had lost partial function of several internal organs and partial function of his shoulder and knee (bursitis).  Finally an x-ray was taken (included in his file) showing the bullet still lodged in the right side of his chest. Because of its proximity to certain things undecipherable to my eye it was advised not to remove the bullet. Instead they gave him a medical discharge. I am just flabbergasted that I can look at and handle a copy of his x-ray showing the bullet in his chest.

I never met my grandfather, he died when my mother was only 7, yet I've seen inside his chest. I've listened to his words.  I feel like I know him now. The wonder of the internet!

When I think of WW1 I think of mud-filled trenches, lice, death and disease. Yet in the middle of all the muck hundreds if not thousands of men were going about their day-to-day business of keeping meticulous records on hundreds of thousands of men. It boggles the mind.

No Spend!

Yes, that's right...I'm putting a lock on my wallet!! Just until Friday!

This month I received an extra $310 from the gov't, thank you very much! I still have that amount left in my account and ALL of my bills have been paid. The fridge is well-stocked and Kazi is on a road trip so I don't see any reason why I can't have a No Spend week!

That doesn't mean the $310 will not be spent...it just won't be spent in Canada! On Friday, when the school board and the gov't make lovely deposits into my account I'll be headed off to the currency exchange outlet to buy more euros :) and I'll be using the bonus money to help pay for it.

As far as my  trip with Annie goes I don't think I have to buy too many more things...I wouldn't mind a new pair of walking shoes as we'll be doing a lot of "city walking" before and after the hike as well as cycling. However, I do have shoes I could take. Not an absolute necessity....

.....or is it? I'm off to get my knee x-rayed momentarily. Perhaps the technician or my doctor will recommend a supportive pair of walking shoes :) And a bottle of scotch! Okay, maybe that's a bit of a stretch!

What would you spend an extra $310 on?

In the Hot Seat...

In the hot seat, the hot couch, the hot bed...you name it, it's HOT! It's too flippin' hot to have the stove on even with the central air blasting away. So today saw me go to the grocery store in the a.m. before it got too hot so I could get the veggies I needed to make salsa (was out of green peppers), tortilla chips (to eat the salsa with!) and more onions. I think I have enough food on hand now to get through to the end of the month :) That's fantastic as I've gone over the food budget for July.
(Food budget is $280 and I've spent about $294).

Food just keeps getting more expensive around here. I had two plastic containers of veggie chilli in the freezer so I've thawed that too. I like using the chilli with a bunch of shredded romaine and/or broken tortilla chips (a great way to use up the crumbs from the bottom of the bag!), a dollop of sour cream or grated cheddar.

I just wrapped up an hour and a half in my kitchen creating said salsa and also did some devilled eggs and it's time for a cold drink. I notice a lot of people spell it as deviled eggs but that just doesn't look right to me. No alcohol in this drink - just some sparkling water with a dash of lime and lots of ice. I'll get to the alcohol later ;)

My patio is in shade 90% of the day (especially at night!) so I feel very fortunate that I can sit outside no matter how hot it gets.

Had a bit of a scare this past week. My right knee has been bothering me a little but not enough to interfere with my activities. Then I road my bike to a restaurant where I was meeting a friend for lunch and rode home again. As I put my bike away I noticed how much my knee hurt and decided to diagnose myself on google. Then I saw that it was very swollen and it was so painful I could hardly get up or down stairs. What the h-ll did I do??

Luckily I was able to get a doctor's app't the next day which was yesterday and I have to get an x-ray and ultrasound then I'll be referred (if need be) to a sports doctor. Cause I'm an athlete you know:) And I was told to take one Aleve with Naproxen twice a day. Well, I've had 3 of the Aleve so far and the swelling is practically all gone!! It could just be arthritis - will wait and see. But I feel so much better - I can go up and down the stairs, no problem. I was a little panicky to say the least as I head to Ireland in 4 1/2 weeks and I need my knee to be in good shape. I have no pain when I stand or walk but I couldn't bend my knee without pain. Just knowing that the Aleve can take care of the pain and swelling is such a relief. If anyone needs help with pain and swelling get the Aleve GEL CAPS with Naproxen, I think it's 210mg of Naproxen. Honestly I was flabbergasted at the quick results!

The kitties like the patio too though I put them inside most of the day today.

 Snoozing Luna zzzzzzz!

Snoozing Lily. The blue tarp is thrown over a chair and give them a little tent

to play in. They love to sneak up on each other and pounce! 

Summit Energy, BMI

Do you get these people at your door trying to get you to sign an "energy contract" that will freeze your natural gas rate? I just turned away another one and then looked them up online. The word "scam" was repeatedly used. It's not just Summit Energy either; there's Direct Energy, Zia, Dubai(!) etc etc. The woman at my door wanted to look at my last gas bill but I told her I had "paperless" billing at which point she wanted me to go online to see my bill. I said "no, see ya!" I felt sorry for her - I mean how desperate do you have to be to have a job like that? But not sorry enough to sign up for their so-called discounts, frozen rates and rebates.

Well, I spent a whole bunch of money today as I paid for the rest of my upcoming trip to Ireland with Annie! There are still a few more expenses, such as train fares and spending money and other B&Bs along the way but the bulk is paid for! Woot woot! My brother Kim returns from Ireland tomorrow after a 3-4 week vacation. He and his partner go there every year as his partner's family has a house there. It's vacant most of the time so they go and do repairs, clean up the garden and travel all over the darn place.

The cats are staring at me. They want to go outside so badly. I'm waiting for the sun to reach the patio as it was only 10c when I got up this morning. I don't want to sit outside with a parka on. Sheesh...what is it with the weather lately. It's either blisteringly hot or numbingly cold!

Had my physical yesterday. My doctor told me.......drum roll please........that I have the pulse(60) and blood pressure(117/83) of an......are you ready for it.........an ATHLETE!!!!!

Even better.....!!!!!......with my BMI I am in the "normal" range (borderline overweight) but I'll take it. She said and I quote "your weight is fine"!!! FINE!!!! Personally, I like to believe that I'm gaining muscle through all of my exercise which as we all know is heavier than fat! Oh the things we tell ourselves!! Truth be told I only weigh 6lbs less than when I gave birth! EEK!! I now weigh 35 lbs more than when I was in highschool. I DO like to eat! Imagine what I'd weigh if I didn't exercise!!
On the bright side I have curves now; in high school I didn't. It's all a tradeoff.

I often consider trying to lose 20 lbs, even 10 or 15 would be good but I only last a day or two on a diet so what's the point? In my dreams I'm skinny :)

She's sending me for an X-ray of the coccyx area from my fall playing volleyball - still having a lot of pain. And, thank you Cindy, for pushing me to have a colonoscopy this year (that might help with the weight, right?)!! TMI!!

Today is a trail running day. And I'll get out for a bike ride. I'm cycling for cancer research this month and raised $510.  My cycling goal is 400km over the month of June and I've cycled 68% of that so far. I won't stop at 400 - I'll keep cycling and see how far I can go by June 30th. I'll probably have massive thigh muscles!!

Imagine what those babies weigh!!