Over 8,000 steps today!

I am supposed to be working my way up, and today's steps were to be 7,500.   But here it is, late in the day, and I've already done 8,087 steps.  

Doc K, my family doctor, said I should shoot for 10,000, which I will do, the week after next.  I figure if I can keep it at 8,000 for this week, and 9,000 next week, I'll be doing good.

Now if I could only talk Rick into walking with me.  It's comforting to me that God sees my steps.  He knows my heart.  He delights in my way and walks with me.   Good to know.

Job 31:4  Does not he see my ways and number all my steps?

Job 34:21 “For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps.

Psalm 37:23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way;

I know, I know...

I haven't been posting pictures. My bad. I'll try to get to some tomorrow, in the middle of my chicken-gutting and my laundry-doing and my Critter-teaching. The girls are back at piano lessons tomorrow, so we're really getting back into a routine. I love it!

Daniel actually was wishing for cold weather today. The son of mine who hates the cold the most was wishing for winter. He wants rid of the flies.

My hand is still hurting. The ND told me that perhaps it is a compression fracture, which doesn't show up on an x-ray, but hurts quite a bit. I'll say.

So, I am going to follow her suggestion to apply castor oil and traumeel, then wrap it up and leave it that way while I sleep. She thinks the heat generated by the castor oil coupled with the healing properties of traumeel will help the healing process.

I hope so, because even typing this long exacerbates the problem. So, here's hoping...

Hospital Happenings

On Sunday I was scheduled for an MRI to determine whether or not there is any permanent damage in my neck as a result of the accident (car crash)that occurred on February 8, 2007.

It was a bit disconcerting to get the notice in the mail that asked me "Have you EVER had any metallic object in your eye?" and "Are you claustrophobic?". Maybe and Yes. So, I phoned the nurse and had a chat. Upon reflection I didn't think any of the many objects in my eyes over a lifetime were metal, but for sure, I was still claustrophobic.

"Bring a cd of music you like" was the only suggestion. Oh, and I could go to the doctor to get medication.

I brought my eldest daughter instead. Rather, she brought me. She drove, and we laughed and chatted the entire way. I thought I would go and buy a "Selah" cd, so Adeena took me to Wal-Mart, where all we found was Burton Cummings and Brad Paisley. "That would do," I thought to myself. "I'll be fine."

We arrived in the MRI waiting room, and I hadn't finished reading about all the latest Hollywood babies when the technician came in. "Janet?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes, that's me," I replied.

"You can go in here and change into these gowns (two of them, for modesty's sake: one worn forward, and one backward) but just wait here until I come for you.

I changed, then disobeyed instructions while I sneaked around the corner to give my clothes to Adeena for safe-keeping. I dutifully went back to the tiny changeroom, but deliberately left the door open. I wasn't going to be claustrophobic before I had to be.

A little old lady tottered along, then smiled at me and asked me if I was scared at all. I smiled a reply, and she said, "Because you don't have to be scared. I wasn't scared at all. It was fine."

Then she added, "Are you here for a CT scan?"

"No," I smiled weakly. "An MRI."

"OH!" she exclaimed, and the tech lady showed up to take me to my doom right then.

She asked if I had brought music, and I grabbed the first one on the small pile: Burton Cummings' greatest hits, or some such thing. I didn't care.

She took the cd, stuck it into a cd player, then escorted me to the dreaded MRI machine. She explained that the machine would be very noisy, and handed me a set of headphones. "Do you want it louder?

"Yes."

"Do you want me to put a facecloth over your face? Some people find it helpful."

I was noncommittal. She got me to lie down on the trolley. She took my glasses, and got a foam slab to put under my knees. She gave me a button to push if I couldn't take it anymore. Just before I went inside the machine, she popped a facecloth over my face.

The problem was, she didn't completely cover my face. I could still peek out at the bottom.

She rolled me in, and when I felt my elbows touch the side of the machine, pushing my arms into my sides, I began to panic. My heart was racing.

"The important thing is that you must not move!"

I opened my eyes and discovered I could see. Not good. The top of the coffin was inches from my nose. My elbows were constricted against my chest walls. My knee suddenly seized up, but I wasn't allowed to move.

Then Burton began wailing, "I'm scared, Lordy, Lordy, I'm terrified..."

I knew what he meant.

It was loud inside that machine. I didn't dare move, even though my knee complained bitterly to me the entire time. "Just breathe," I told myself. "You can do this."

I figured it would take about five Burton Cummings songs. I didn't really hear them once he stopped declaring how scared he was, but I had the presence of mind to count the songs. Four more...three more, two more, one more. Consternation: Another song? Oh, no...will it never end?

It was sorely tempting to push the button. I kept on hanging on, just a few more seconds...then the blessed, lovely technician lady rescued me.

She got me to sit up, and I wobbled.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'll be fine," I said, cryptically. I was fighting the tears.

"You look a little pale. Just sit there until you feel better."

I didn't want to sit there. I wanted OUT of the room. So I stood up, testing my legs. A few tentative steps took me as far as the wall, where I hung on and put my feet gingerly into my shoes.

I made my way to the outer office, then stood there, leaning on the wall for support. "Was the tech ever going to come back and give me my cd?" I wondered.

She finally did, and I headed out to the waiting room. Adeena talked to me briefly and I just nodded my head in answer to her query. I didn't trust myself to speak... I was fighting the tears, and needed to compose myself.

Not too many minutes later, we were on our way out of the hospital. My heart felt lighter with every step I took away from the dreaded machine. I declared to Adeena that I did NOT like MRIs. In fact, I think if a doctor were to insist on another scan I would actually refuse.

I honestly didn't think it would bother me much to be in a little noisy tube for 15 minutes. The amount of panic I felt surprised me. I was vulnerable and helpless, at the mercy of the technician while I lay there. That's never a nice feeling.

Of course, I knew the Lord was with me, even in the MRI machine. He never fails.

But I am still not. ever. going. back. Not if I can help it.

Jared's hospital visit yesterday was much simpler. He has a couple of plates in his right leg, put there five years ago to repair his shattered ankle. The doc says they ought to be removed. They'll call when the surgery is scheduled.

Jared's not impressed that it took a YEAR to get an appointment, and it will take another 9 months, likely, to get the surgery.

But at least he isn't dreading it, like his chicken mommy. He told the doctor that he'd like the surgery videotaped, so he could watch it later!

What a guy! That's my boy!

And the doctor said...

"That bump on your arm that's been bugging you for months and won't go away and doesn't seem to heal is a form of skin cancer. Not the malignant, metasticizing kind...but we ought to treat it right away."

It's a sobering thing to be told you have cancer - even a mild form of it. I didn't catch the name the doctor mentioned, but I think it might be a pre-cancerous condition that can spread to squamous cell carcinoma.

At any rate, my doctor used liquid nitrogen to freeze four spots off of my arms. It stung a little, but that's a small price to pay to rid my body of cells that could prove to be much more dangerous in the long run.

I reminded my doc that both my mother and my grandmother died of cancer. He has ordered a few tests.

Meanwhile, it is good to know that my days are numbered, and that I won't die one millisecond before my God has ordained is my time of death. Not only that, but "how precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints". My faith gives me peace.

I have lost 8 lbs!

I have been on an Elimination Detoxification diet for about two weeks. It hasn't been fun, but I am persevering, simply because I want to be a better steward of my body, and I want to be a healthy mom who is around to see Christopher, my youngest, get married and have babies. He is only 8, so I need to take care of myself NOW so I can live a lot longer than my mom or grandmother did.

The diet was recommended by my naturopath.

	Foods to Include	Foods to Exclude
Fruits	Unsweetened fresh, frozen, water-packed or canned fruits (except oranges)	Oranges, orange juice
Vegetables	All fresh raw, steamed, sautéed, juiced or roasted vegetable focusing on low carb choices	Corn, creamed vegetables
Breads & Cereals	Non-gluten products made from rice, millet, buckwheat, potato, tapioca, arrowroot, amaranth, quinoa, teff	All gluten products
Legumes	All beans, peas, and lentils	All soybean products like tofu, tempeh, soy milk, soy nuts, etc.
Nuts & Seeds	Almonds, cashews, walnuts, sesame (tahini), sunflower, pumpkin, (all best consumed raw and fresh); butters made from these nuts and seeds	Peanuts and peanut butter
Meat & Fish	Fresh or frozen and water packed fish, organic chicken, turkey, lamb and wild game	Beef, pork, cold cuts, hotdogs, sausages, canned meats, shellfish, eggs
Dairy & Milk Substitutes	Milk substitutes such as rice milk, almond milk, coconut milk, and other nut milks	Milk, cheese cottage cheese, cream cheese, yogurt, butter, ice cream, frozen yogurt, non-dairy creamers
Fats & Oils	Cold-expeller pressed oils such as olive, flaxseed, canola, safflower, sunflower, sesame, walnut, pumpkin or almond oils	Margarine, butter, shortening, processed and hydrogenated oils, spreads and mayo
Beverages	Filtered or alkalized water, herbal tea, mineral water, green tea	Pop, alcoholic drinks, coffee, tea, other caffeinated beverages, distilled water
Sweeteners	Brown rice syrup, blackstrap molasses, stevia, honey, fruit sweeteners such as agave nectar	White or brown sugar, maple syrup, high fructose corn syrup, candy, desserts made with these sweeteners
Spices & Condiments	All spices	Chocolate, ketchup, mustard, relish, chutney, soy sauce, BBQ sauce, or other condiments containing vinegar or sugar

I haven't found the diet to be too difficult. When I think about it, I miss chocolate, beef, coffee and cheese/cream the most. Rick and I were in the car this evening, and I suddenly had a craving for chocolate, triggered by the fact that we were close to a convenience store. My mouth actually watered!

I tried to add exercise into the mix, but injured my hip. For two days I was crippled, and it hurt to walk, to stand, to sit and to lie down. Nothing helped. So I don't want to do that again.

If I am to lose all of the weight I need to lose, I should be on this diet ( or A diet recommended by our NPD ) until December.

It's a small price to pay for being healthy.

Janet

Oil Pulling

I am a generally healthy person, with a generally positive attitude about life. I consider each day a gift from God. I value my family, my home, my country. It's great to be alive, and I would like to stay that way for a long time.

Considering that both my mother and grandmother died early, at 65, of cancer, I have been making some changes in my lifestyle. I eliminated wheat and gluten from our diet about four years ago, after my sister told me the symptoms and asked me to do some research. I noticed an immediate change in my overall health. Rashes disappeared. No more cankers. Not as much joint pain. Not as many headaches.

It is easy, in today's world, to accidentally ingest wheat or gluten products. Unless I become a hermit, and never leave my home, I can be "glutened". Even walking into some stores gives me a reaction: itchy ears, headache, swollen tongue.

So, I am constantly on the lookout for gluten-free products. I am on an elimination diet to remove toxins from my system. I read "Alive" magazine, health articles online, and so on. I listen to my friend Loretta (see link in sidebar), who is a naturopathic doctor with great advice.

One of the things Loretta recently mentioned was "oil pulling". I didn't pay attention to it until my daughter, Adeena, sent me this link: http://www.oilpulling.com .

I read how swishing sesame or sunflower oil in the mouth for 20 minutes in the morning before breakfast will "pull" toxins from the body. "Can't hurt", I thought. "I'll give it a try."

I used sunflower oil. Checked my email while I gently swished and "chewed" the oil, allowing my saliva to mix thoroughly with it. After twenty minutes, I spat into a dish to see if the oil had changed colour and consistency. Behold, white liquid instead of yellow oil!

After rinsing my mouth thoroughly, then brushing my teeth, I was amazed at how clean my mouth felt. It was as if I'd been to the dentist for a cleaning. Each separate tooth was distinguishable from the next - as if it jumped out at me! My tongue was pink and clean. It felt wonderful!

I did notice that I had some phlegm to spit up for about half an hour after the treatment. I assume that was more tiny microbes that my body was eliminating.

After a week, I will report the results. However, if my first experience is any indication, I think this Dr. Karach is on to something.