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When "Old" happens

I am very hopeful that many of you will relate to this post, and that I am not the only person that feels on some days, by 9 am, there is simply no way of rescuing the day. There are a couple of options to consider, going back to bed and resetting or push through the day with the hopes since there is nowhere to go but up, things will turn around. I am going to start by sharing an example.  I have a wired in smoke and carbon monoxide detector. The life span for the detectors is about 10 years. The last time it notified me it was needing to be changed, I simply did it. Off to Canadian Tire, I purchased a new one, switched it out and done. When a detector is done its life span, it will make a repeated ungodly sound, often at an inappropriate time in the day. Last time it was late at night, this time it was 7 pm on a Saturday evening. Trip #1 was to go to Canadian Tire to get a new detector. Trip #2 was to go back to CT a few minutes later to return the first detector and this time to ...
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The Aftermath

When I do things, I do it in a big way, that includes jet lag. As you know I was recently on a River Cruise in Europe. Traveling is amazing. To get on a plane and in a few hours, you are in another continent is just short of a miracle. Having the privilege to embrace the culture and history of European countries will stay with me forever.    Then the stark reality hits, you have to go home. My first night back I was in bed at 7 and up at 3. I stumbled through day 1 in a state of exhaustion. On Day 2, I was tucked in bed at 8 and up at 4. I have a history of being a poor sleeper so waking frequently and up early was my norm. This was different, I just couldn't seem to shake that feeling of total body exhaustion. On Day 3, I learned something I didn't know. For every hour of time change you need a day to get over it. I love direction and deadlines, and I shouldn't expect myself to return to normal for 4 more days. Day 3 was the absolute worst. I was consuming incredibly large...
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Cancerversary

A C ancerversary is a definition that was created by Bestie which means a celebration to honor breast cancer survivorship.  It all began two years ago when I suggested that we should celebrate with a trip for what was going to be her 10-year mark of survivorship. She could pick whatever she wanted to do, and I would do it. We attempted to make plans, some as simple as a weekend in Winnipeg and some more elaborate like a cruise down the St. Lawerence. For one reason or another, we couldn't make anything happen. Life stepped in our way and said, "you aren't going anywhere", and we didn't for two years. Then out of the blue  I got a text from Bestie that said, "do you want to go on a Rhine River Cruise?". This was it; she had picked how we would celebrate and I was in. Yep, we planned what would be the biggest trip of our lives in a few minutes by text. That was nearly a year ago. There is considerable planning that goes into a trip like this. Our roles wer...
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Royally Giving Back

I t began way back in Canada in January 1943. Princess Juliana from the Netherlands had fled her country three years prior to live in Canada. Nazi Germany had invaded the Netherlands, and the Canadian government welcomed her family with open arms. Princess Juliana was due to give birth to her third child. Dutch law stated that anyone in line for the throne had to be born on Dutch soil. They had to physically enter the world on territory belonging to the Kingdom of Netherlands.  It was far too dangerous for the Princess to return to her home country. The ocean was filled with German U-boats. If the baby was born in Canada, they would be born on foreign soil which meant they would disqualify them form the royal succession under Dutch law.  In December 1942 Canadian lawyers drafted a special proclamation under the War Measures Act as a solution to this problem. The document declared that whatever room Princess Juliana gave birth in would be temporarily extraterritorial. That mean...
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Things that warm my heart

I am excited for my former community that their beloved "Rosie's Farm Stand" is open for the season. The young lady that owns the greenhouse has opened this little stand for the community to buy and sell homemade items. It is the size of a small walk-in closet, but it is a wonderland inside. It has a small freezer and a fridge. She makes regular updates on the Facebook page, letting the community know what is available and if not available, when a new supply is due. My mom's dear friend Cathy provides buns, cinnamon buns, hotdog, and hamburger buns. The message is sent out that "Cathy's buns have arrived". Liv's perogies seem to be another hot item. On opening day, the supply sold out in a flash, but the Facebook page lets everyone know when more have arrived. You can get a pint of homemade honey dill dipping sauce for $14. Every day, 7 days a week, from 6 am to 10 pm Rosie's is open from mid-April until Christmas. Gertrude is the goose that stan...
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When Pink is just another Color

Just  over a week ago, Waves of Hope hosted an awareness day. We called it "A Day of Hope and Education". It was decided in October that Waves of Hope would get behind a researcher at Brandon University. Dr. Majumder is working on early detection of breast cancer, through a simple blood test. She is also researching to predict treatment outcomes for triple negative breast cancer. TNBC is extremely aggressive and has few treatment options. Her work is to lower the resistance of the cells and make them more responsive to treatment. She is also working on developing treatment options that are not so toxic, but still just as effective when treating breast cancer.  Her dream is to find a cure for cancer.  Little did we know in October what April was going to bring.  It has been an absolute honor to spend time with Dr. Majumder and her husband who I call her wingman. Sujit is her lab manager and so much more. They are two of the most caring and wonderful people I know. The...
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Endothelial Dysfunction

I am hopeful that everyone is up for a "Faye medical lesson", because if you keep reading, that is exactly what is going to happen. Today's lesson is on "endothelial dysfunction". It is a fancy medical term that describes a condition in which the thin layer of cells lining the blood vessels, also known as the endothelium, does not function properly. This leads to the blood vessels becoming larger, and more resistant. The endothelial plays a crucial role in regulating vascular tone, controlling blood pressure and maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance. When it functions normally i t releases nitric oxide that promote vasodilation and anti-inflammatory function. When it doesn't function properly it doesn't release nitric oxide and is the culprit for high blood pressure and fluid retention.  High blood pressure is considered a chronic cardiovascular disease. It occurs when the force of blood against artery walls is consistently too high, causing damage t...
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