Health

Vintage Labor Day Fun

Like many low middle class families back in the 1950’s, it was a much simpler and happier time.  Not many years out of the great depression, there weren’t a lot of distractions from the real world.  The waters were much cleaner back then and even the birds sang sweeter to me.

I wanted to share some of my early vacation pictures in Michigan.  The oldest of six children, one of my Aunt’s loved taking pictures of me when I was little so our family had a glut of baby and toddler pictures of just me or me with another family member.  We don’t have many pictures of my father because he took off when I was a teen so we don’t have any pictures as a family after the one where we at the park having a picnic.  My father was so fun and talented, but very impulsive with a drinking problem at times.  I wanted to post the few pictures I had of having fun with my father for Labor Day.

We used to camp all over the state of Michigan when we were not visiting my Aunt and Uncles cottage on Black Lake.  I only feel good when I am out in nature and still find myself walking the trails as often as I can taking pictures of the beauty I find.

Dad and me at the cottage.
Not sure what game we were playing.
In my wading pool in our Detroit backyard.
Got dad to play dolls with me!
Dad and me cooling off.
Swimming in my undies missing dad.
Dad and me playing on the Seesaw. I used to be so scared of those things!
Dad with me, my sister and my oldest brother probably in Lake Erie somewhere.
From our ages, we are probably somewhere in the Upper Peninsula.

Cancer

Just the name gives people pause.  I hate cancer.  Through the years most of my family and many friends have died from cancer or have been treated for this grievous disease.  It took my precious Aunt Ruth away from me when I was only 7 and she was 58 years old.    She helped raise me and her loss was deeply felt.  She was patient, kind and loving and used to play the organ at her church on Sunday.  She was a person raised in the Word and she lived in the Word until she went home to be with the Lord.  She used to take my sister and myself to Sunday School with her when we were old enough. img552

Saturday I lost my baby sister to the same insidious cell debacle.  While heaven may have yet another angel, we have one less loved one on earth.  She made it clear that she was not going to fight this with the usual aggression many do because she had waited until it was too late to have her symptoms diagnosed.  She had to suffer from an extremely cruel form of the disease, late stage esophageal cancer.  She was not able to eat or drink by mouth but refused to try any treatments or surgery due to the very poor 5% / 5 year survival rate for this type of cancer.  Instead she lived out the last months with a feeding tube and severe pain and digestive issues until the end.

I lost a friend to complications from breast cancer in 2007.  It was first thought that she had passed from a random infection due to her lowered immune system caused by the chemotherapy but it turned out the cancer had been spreading like wildfire into her brain and even though she appeared to be improving, she was gone within about ten days from planning her reconstructive surgery and admittance into the hospital.

Soon after her diagnosis, she had sent me an email that her daughter had sent to her entitled “Cancer Update From John Hopkins.”  After researching this online, it is stated to be a hoax.  It was never sent from this medical facility.  This is according to the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Copy of the original email hoax on about.com.

Email update regarding the hoax from hopkinsmedicine.org.

Perhaps many of you remember the constant cancer warnings that we grew up hearing in the 1950’s and 1960’s.  The one I remembered was a blow or injury to tissue.  While they now claim this is not a cause of cancer, I do know that my maternal grandmother suffered a fall and there was a lump on her chest.  They checked it after it grew and it was found to be malignant.  Now whether this was already there inside her body from her lungs or breast area, by the time they examined her, the cancer was spreading all through her body and they were not sure where it originated.  This was her third diagnosis since she was a younger woman and was treated for what the Dr thought was a late stage Melanoma.  Many years later a growth was biopsied from her mouth and found to be malignant at which time she was treated with radiation therapy.  It was over 20 years later that she finally succumbed to this horrible disease.  Both my sister and my grandmother smoked.

I wrote this poem when my friend and neighbor became terminally ill with what they called cancer of the unknown.  It was through her body as well by the time they first operated for pain in her abdomen.  At that time she was stage IV and decided against any type of treatment.  She finally agreed to some radiation because she was told that she may have a chance of being cancer free.  She was actually in good health to look at her, no real problems.  Right after the radiation treatments she began to go downhill very quickly and passed in 2011, eight months later.  It may have been a coincidence that she became worse after radiation, but this is not the first time I have seen my friends and family quickly succumb after agreeing to permit various cancer treatments.

Just go with your gut and try to make a well-educated decision if you ever find yourself about to confront this deadly disease.  Get second and third opinions, ask questions and know that no two people or cases will ever be the same.  You or your loved ones will be your best advocate to getting the best treatment in regards to your health.

Cancer Kiss My Ass!

Cancer kiss my ass
you sneaky sack of shit!
You creep inside my body
and make a mess of it.
You take away my family
and friends that I hold dear
until there’s only one of me
awaiting you with fear.
I know about the car crash
and the nutso with a gun
but you just bide your time
until you take out everyone.
Bite me!
CLewis © 2011

Clipping Coupons is Not Healthy

 

Extreme couponing is a hyped fad that couldn’t last since people have to have real food to live on.  Typical coupons are for 30 cents off two packages of refrigerated rolls which don’t come close to homemade in taste and ingredients.  It also does not save you money when you compare the prepared food to cost of the ingredients for homemade most of the time.  Most of us don’t need the additional carbs in our diets from rolls anyway.

Weigh the pros and cons of joining any price club or warehouse.  Most cost you an annual $50. fee and offer large sizes of high-end items.  You will save much more just shopping the sales in your local markets.  Part of the large quantities may end up wasted if you cannot store in properly or use it up fast enough.  It does not save money if the product goes bad before you can use it all.  Most of the food offered is frozen or processed as well.  The best idea is to get together with friends or family and chip in for one family membership that you can go in on so you can divide the food as needed.  It has the mental health perk to commune with others while shopping, as long as your relationships are not dysfunctional.  Some people prefer to shop alone.

sconessoftedge

Come On, Move It!

 blondgirl1
I am not going to waste your time on this site by posting any actual exercises.  There are many of them and most movement is good for you.  The main thing to remember is walking is the best exercise and most natural. We need to be sure to use the upper body to maintain strength as we age. Exercising with small weights can help. As an ex-dancer and dance teacher, I know what a great work out dancing is.
Anyone who has seen Dancing With The Stars can see how many of the contestants lose weight while on the show.  Belly Dancing is a sensual way to become attune to your body as you tone it! It is important not to overdo any exercise and check with your Dr if you have any health issues or are obese before you try anything strenuous.
Working out with others gives people more incentive. You might try checking out your local school’s continuing education programs for any dance or fitness classes that seem reasonable.  Don’t become obsessive about the latest diet or exercise, you need to find a way to move in everything that you do, to incorporate exercise, so you don’t feel like it is something you have to do, it is something your body wants to feel.  The glorious feeling of being stretched and relaxed, not worn out!

Exercise can never be overrated.

Your overall fitness and health depends more on exercise or lack thereof, then your diet when it comes to weight loss and muscle tone.

As long as you are not actually overeating, taking in more calories than you burn and eating really bad, fatty foods, you should be able to eat what you want in reasonable portion sizes and be able to lose or maintain your weight if you move enough.

I knew people that never did structured exercise in their life, but between gardening, having very clean houses, taking occasional walks
and going out dancing once a week, they had great figures even with their healthy appetites.  You never want to be sloth-like, laying or
sitting around all the time.  It is dangerous to lose so much muscle tone, as well as potentially causing blood clots to form.
The more muscle you lose, the more cellulite appears in its place.  Ask any ex-dancer!blondgirl2