Old Car on the Bridge #4-#6

#4 The plot thickens. 
Originally posted to Multiply June 13.

Well. The good news is: we do not have to go to Revelstoke again on Friday for a pelvic ultrasound. My dear MD had booked that too in case today's procedure did not solve the mystery of "Where is the leak?" I get to plant my cosmos and prepare for market at ease instead of in a frenzy.

The bad news is there is indeed a small tumor at the beginning of the colon. More investigations, CT scan soon in another hospital, yadayada, see the nice doctor again in 2 weeks. 

Meanwhile, with my hemoglobin back up and my right hip behaving as long as I stretch I have not felt this good in ages. I fully intend to keep doing that for a while. 

I had been doing some research on diets on behalf of my sister, so I will start the Johanna Budwig diet tomorrow. It won't harm if it won't help. Nice little note from the Universe, though my skeptic offspring will no doubt call it "confirmation bias".

As we were leaving the restaurant where we had a post-hospital lunch, I happened to glance at the table of three old ladies. On the corner of the table was a computer print-out. The subject, in big letters: Johanna Budwig's oil/protein diet.

It may mean nothing, but I liked it. And so it goes!

#5 Clearing the summer. 
Originally posted to Multiply June 25th

Energy has been coming and going in unpredictable ways ever since the colonoscopy. Drat it, I was doing great just before! Is this just the mind playing tricks? The thing is indeed malignant. I will find out what the CT scan said about spread or not on Wednesday. Meanwhile I am eating an even cleaner diet than usual, and I started using pawpaw, a close relative of Graviola. Google Graviola + HSI.

The last few years summer has been my busy time, winter is for rest. Apart from the gardens it is the season to earn some much needed extra money.  The decision to clear the schedule and focus strictly on my own health was not an easy one. I am addicted to being at the farmers market as a vendor! It is work, but so much fun. We all help each other, we have a great atmosphere. It is my social fix for the week.

And I need the money. But regarding the money, I figure there are 2 possibilities. Either I will be in my usual algae-fueled glowing health next year, in which case I can redouble my efforts and make up for lost time, or I will be on the way out. In the latter case the credit line is life insured till I hit 75, let's use it.

Cancer is a process, not an object. Even if  a tumor is removed, the body is still in the state that produced the tumor. So a bit of extra recovery time, reflection and cleansing seems in order. If I find myself chomping at the bit by mid-August I can finally get all kinds of things done at home. 

Anyway, the die is cast, I just sent an email to all my reflexology clients. I feel partly disappointed about it and partly relieved. I will make Saturday my groceries day so I can shop the market first and hang with my buddies.

#6 Three weeks of ordinary life left 
Originally posted to Multiply June 28.

Today was a half decent day, a bit of sun now and then peeking through the clouds, mainly dry, about 20 C. Alas, we spent most of it traveling to the doctor's appointment in Revelstoke.

News is not good. Tumor larger than originally thought, and some lymphatic involvement. Surgery planned in about 3 weeks, stay in hospital 5 or 6 days, total recovery time 6 weeks, after which the recommendation is for chemo, which is where our ways will probably part. 

So this will be a different kind of summer. Lots of reading and less gardening. I hope I will be able to help harvest and process the raspberries. If we get more sun we'll get a bumper crop. I still have a few weeks to plant kale seedlings and snap beans in empty spots. Otherwise, I will make my peace with the top garden a lost cause this year. And am I ever glad I never started a new flock of chickens this spring!