Go to the Water

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...

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...

Let me just be clear about this, I am by no means an expert on exercising and aging. I just know most seniors have put exercise into their lives. I do have a senior exercise program. I am not sure how this has happened because I am not one who truly cares about doing the right thing to stay healthy. I just like my exercise program. It has taught me commitment to something and I enjoy the structure. I believe it is because it is like a senior play date. My gym community is important to me. If we aren't going, we will let someone know. We always think if you don't show up it has to be because of illness or on a holiday. Lots have babysitting commitments with their grandchildren. We are in the age group, that if you aren't 10 minutes early you are late. That gives us lots of time to catch up on what has happened since we were together.   A good majority of people that are retired are walkers. Many set their daily requirement at 10,000 steps. I have such respect for walkers, be...

I personally realize the importance of being dialed in. As we age, it seems we can easily lose control of our dial, and we need to focus on it more. Being dialed in is hard work and requires effort. As you know I go to senior CrossFit or MOVE twice a week. I find being dialed in for me, depends on the day. If I have "the talk" with myself, I have better results. Most days I am dialed in, others the dial is just going back and forth aimlessly. For example, I have been doing considerable biking, the options of rowing and skiing are out for me right now. We were doing a partner activity, and my responsibility was to bike in intervals for 2000 meters split with my partner working on the skier. I don't like biking, at all, but I have to say I am getting much better at it. So, off I go and I think to myself, "self you are never going to make it to 2000 at this tension, turn it down to 0". I could see a 0 so for my next turn, I would have it set where I wanted it. Well...

I read this interesting article about how successful people spend their free time. I was actually surprised that successful people had any free time. They are often portrayed on TV as starting their day with intense exercise, working 10-15 hours a day and ending with a book in bed. Coming from a farming community, I know many people that work long hours and are also successful. They spend their free time differently than the corporate world I am about to write about.    How Successful People use their Free Time 1. Exercise. They move their bodies enough to actually feel it. It helps them to clear mental residue from the day. It is a way of moving mental stress out of their body.  Because my gym time ends at noon, the 12-1 group which follows is usually large. Many are rolling in, wearing their uniforms or office clothes. They are utilizing their lunch hour to work out. So many gyms offer 24-hour access or early morning classes which allows people to work out before they ...

When I listen to the morning news, the only thing I really enjoy is the human-interest stories. I loved the story I am about to share; it just made my day and many days to follow. I am not sure where this is happening, but the concept is what is important, it is heart-warming. A humane society is pairing cats with seniors. It is like a foster situation, the senior doesn't have to pay for the litter or food, and the cat gets a loving home. The program is called "Silver Whiskers".   I read an article some time ago when a similar initiative was done with dogs. Every inmate in a federal prison was given a dog as a companion. They were responsible to look after them and look after them they did. What a win-win situation. A dog gives unconditional love, and an inmate is in need of love. What a beautiful way to teach an inmate how to love and care for something. A dog would have no judgement on their owner except to do their job, be devoted and show them love.   A dog gives...

Being busy is how we spend our time.  Being productive means being able to complete a task  or get something done.  "Being busy" is an individual behavior.  What is busy for some people, is just an average day for others.  Now that I am retired, I notice how people perceive "being busy". The first people that come to mind are the people that constantly say how busy they are. Some do it in a complaining way and others just comment that is part of their life right now. There is another group of people who are obviously very busy, but they would never say they are. They go about their lives making time for others, and accomplishing what is expected of them. They have their busyness under control.  A workplace is where you will often hear people say, "I'm so busy". We have all worked with people whose work area is a mess because as they say, they are "so busy". Somehow, they are comfortable in the disarray. Their time management is off, they seem...