157. Chemo I really did it!!! (What is she up to now?)

I really did go camping in my car, but for 2 nights only!  I had to be back for my chemo treatment on Tuesday morning.  Someone asked if it was comfortable?  Let me explain that my car is a 2006 Ford Escape XLT, not a small vehicle; iow you don't have to be a contortionist to fit into the back! 😅  My husband took out the back seats and we moved the passenger seat as far to the front window as we could.   Then when the backrests are folded down it turns into a nice flat surface, measuring 75" by 22" behind the passenger seat (I measure 165 cm or 65") and 58" by 29" behind the driver's seat.  On this first camping trip I did not have a proper bed but slept on cushions instead.  During winter I sewed 5 small privacy curtains, attached to the windows inside with velcro and made 3 bug screens also.  In addition, Dave installed a luggage rack at the back of the car.

The first night I was parked on a level surface in a quiet grove belonging to a friend and I slept very well. I had 2 windows open but it got so cold during the night that I had to close them.  I did not bother to warm up the vehicle (which I could have done, had I wanted to).  The second night I was in a different location.  It was hilly there and I must not have been on a flat surface because it felt that I was going to roll out of my "bed".  I slept well when I did, but it took me a long time to fall asleep.  I was warned that it would get cold in this location so I never opened any car windows during the day and the temperature inside the vehicle stayed quite comfortable all night long.  Even though I took a single butane burner, I did not do any cooking this time.  I have to work out the kinks on this part yet!

I bought a fine piece of foam yesterday, in anticipation of my next excursion and expect to be more comfortable yet!  There is enough head space left over that I can sit upright in my "camper bed" and do some reading.  Let me point out that if you are claustrophobic, this may not work for you.  I heard once that some hotel rooms in Japan are about the same size as this vehicle.  Don't know if that's true or not.  Never been there.

156. Chemo Back from Having Been Gone

Dave and I had planned this trip for a while and I was glad and relieved that I was well enough to go.  To celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary we went to Montreal.  Why Montreal you ask?  Well, we wanted to entice our son to join us and because he is a formula 1 racing car aficionado and the Canadian Formula 1 racing is held every year in June  in Montreal, that is where we decided to go.  A lot of people from western Canada are reluctant, scared even, to travel to "la belle province" because of a perceived language barrier, but in Montreal proper you don't really have to worry about the French language, most everyone speaks English also.  Once you leave the city and go into the rural areas you may run into difficulty however.  The biggest problem I encountered was that the bottom of my feet were sore from walking, due to the chemo treatments.  So to my disappointment I couldn't walk as much as I had planned. The whole city was in a "racing mood" and Ferrari had a big presence there.  We airbnbd it outside the city in a region called Lanaudiere which meant that we had a serious commute whenever we wanted to head into the city.  But as a result, we saw a lot of surrounding farm land also.  A great trip with lovely memories thanks to our son who organized everything! 😄

Dave is amazed at the speed of the racing cars, in the rain yet.  😄 

 I am gone again tomorrow.  Ever heard of "car camping"?  Yup, that's right: I am going camping in my car.  For a few days only.  Solo.  But I will be meeting up with some friends.  Dave is staying home with our dog Gemmie.  I'll tell you all about it when I get back. I have to be back on Monday night because am having chemo again the following day.  I have asked my chemo nurse to reduce the dose: I am starting to have problems walking.  The soles of my feet hurt.  Not pleasant at all.  Yikes!  And I like walking!  Getting my blood work done tomorrow morning before I head out.  Take care!  SanTeh!  😎 

155. Chemo Irm, Watch It He Said, or You'll End Up With Cancer!

 Irm, Watch It!, the principal repeated during our lunch break.  His wife was a nurse and her mantra was: "For Pete's sake!, do not heat or cook foods in plastic containers in the microwave!"  I can't remember whether I heeded his kind warning then. I may have shrugged and answered:  We all have to die of something.  But I do remember him reinforcing it.  That was 15 years ago. I no longer cook or reheat food in the microwave in plastic containers;  haven't done so for quite a while.  Here is some interesting info on what plastics are capable of doing to our body...

The following is a (shameless 😄) direct quote from a Dutch website when you Google "Do plastics cause inflammation": "Dendritic cells have the machinery to break down bacteria but they lack the tools to break down plastic particles.  However, they try to do this and fail and keep trying.  This process is what causes significant inflammation.  Chronic inflammation is known to be a leading cause of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, asthma and diabetes."  (Dendrites are one of three parts of a neuron which in turn is a nerve cell.  Dendrites go into the nerve cell body, which sustains the life of the nerve cell and also contains its DNA.)  My burning question is this:  is chronic inflammation then capable of triggering mutations in the nerve cell's DNA???

When you Google the phrase "Do plastics cause inflammation" it will lead you to the above quote and to the Dutch website called Plasticsoupfoundation.org   If you scroll down a bit you will come across a video by Professor Raymond Pieters on plastics and the immune system.  The website has all kinds of post on plastics in our bodies and in the environment.  Mostly in Dutch, but some articles are also in English.  Interesting, but a bit depressing also.  The things we do to ourselves and to our planet!  😰

Back in about a week or so.  SanTeh!

154. Chemo Mom was Right telling you to Eat Your Vegetables (and Fruit Also!)

And Dr. Li agrees with Mom.  Dr. Li has many interesting videos on YouTube, too many to mention here.  But if you are interested in getting healthy or maintaining your health, the following video is a good starting point.  It is over 1 hour long but worth watching I think. My advice is to watch it in chunks!   In a nutshell, Dr. Li explains 5 cornerstones of having or maintaining a healthy body: bloodsupply/circulation (angiogenesis), the immune system, the microbiome (gut bacteria), regeneration through stem cells and DNA protection.  Here is the video link  Dr. Li's The Science of how the Body heals itself 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                                          Working on some summer projects.  SanTeh!   😎                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

153. Chemo I, Tina

Tina Turner passed away recently.  Although I don't consider myself a die-hard fan, I liked her music, but liked her energy and spunk even more.  My friend Myriam however is a huge fan and can, at the ripe old age of 65, still pull off some mean Tina Turner-style dance moves.  When we were teenagers we had plans to go see our idol in a Brussels concert.  She was with Ike then still.  But we never made it due to lack of funds.  I rediscovered the "Ike and Tina Turner, Nutbush City Limits, 18 great hits" CD among my stash and meant to send it to my friend.  Thank goodness I  listened to it first.  Is it  my imagination or do Tina's raw emotions convey desperation and genuine heartache?  I didn't think it was very enjoyable.  It made me sad even.  Good for her that after 20 years of abuse (I'm generalizing here), she finally dumped Ike and ventured out on her own!  And what a career she had then!  Wow!  Incredible!!  The only good thing  Ike did for her in my opinion (other than the children), was to provide her with a very appropriate stage name.  What a courageous lady!

Hope to be back tomorrow with Dr. Li.

152. Chemo The Grocery Bill These Days

Don't you kind of hate it when you talk to an older person who constantly complains about the cost of living.  "Back in the day,  ... only cost 99 cents and look what it is costing now!  You need to take out a loan to be able to afford ...  these days."  The person has a valid point, but that was then, and this is now.  Life is all about change, right?  But what has happened to us lately?  Please, take a long hard look at your grocery bill.  Sitting down may be a good idea!  If the price of a certain item hasn't changed, the quantity may have been reduced.  So who is doing the complaining now? 😄 

My husband and I are fortunate however: we are able to grow our own fruit and veggies.  I have planted a garden, not huge mind you, but, if all goes well, we will be able to enjoy the following: beets, carrots, swiss chard, parsnips, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, leeks, cauliflower, broccoli and turnips.   Even a smidgen of that would be most welcome!  It always tastes so much better than store-bought!  And we can be assured that it is absolutely, positively 100% organic!  About the fruit: the previous owner had the generosity and foresight to plant rhubarb, crabapples and saskatoon berry bushes.  Lucky, lucky us!!

Asked from time to time if I have changed my diet since the cancer diagnosis, my answer is: yes I have!  We eat a lot more vegetables than we used to.  But you don't always know which ones are helping, do you?  So, as luck would have it, I happened to come across Dr. William Li, whose YouTube videos really helped put my mind at ease.  I strongly advise you to look him up also!  

More about Dr. Li in my next post.  Back in a couple of days.  Got to get rid of some weeds first!  Yikes!  Nothing comes easy eh!   SanTeh! 😎  

Welcome to my "Garden of Weeden" 2023!  In case you are wondering, the containers are "inherited😏" from a relative, discarded soft-drinks vending machines, gutted of course and with holes drilled through the bottom! 😅

And this is my garden after I fed it a lot of fertilizer! 

No, I'm just kidding!  The second photo is from last year.  Oops! Couldn't help myself!  😄  Happy Gardening if you do!!  And slap on the sunscreen please!