Go to the Water

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...

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...

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...

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...