Author: edebock

As good as my last scan

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Fellow NET cancer patient and blogger, Ronny Allen, published a post awhile back entitled, “I’m only as good as my last scan.” That sentiment definitely resonated with me as I never know what to say when people ask me how I’m doing. For the past while, I’ve been feeling absolutely great, 100% even, but unless I’ve had a recent scan, I really have no idea how I’m doing on the inside. That’s why I was actually looking forward to this week’s treatment and it’s follow-up scans, the first look at my cancer in 6 months.

Today, let me walk you through what this two day process looks like. On Tuesday morning at 9:30 a.m. Richard and I sat down with Dr. Sandy McEwan, scientist and doctor extraordinaire and head of my cancer care team. I told him how great I’ve been feeling, he told me how great I look, and I signed consent for the treatment procedure. He also shared some of the recent findings of the clinical trial that I’m part of including the exciting news of one patient who has been surgically proven to be tumour free!

Next, we were off to the volunteer run Sunroom Cafe to kill time over a cup of tea while we waited for the next step which was having my IV inserted at 11:00. Shortly after that, we headed up to the third floor to check into my private room in the nuclear medicine corner of the inpatient ward. In preparation for the treatment itself, I was given an anti nausea pill and a saline drip was started. Then I sat back and relaxed until the arrival of the radioactive Lutetium-Octreotate, which had just been flown in from the Netherlands where it is produced. At that point, Richard had to leave and I continued to relax  while it flowed through my veins seeking out and attaching itself to my tumours. Because I’m part of a clinical trial, there is lots of monitoring to be done, so Michelle, who administers the treatment, was in and out of my room over the next hour or so constantly checking my vital signs. My blood pressure remained good and she was astonished by my slow, steady heart rate. Obviously, I wasn’t experiencing any stress. Why should I? After all, this was my sixth treatment and I’m an old hand at this now!

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Once the Lutetium was in and the lines were flushed, the IV was removed. If I lived in the city, I’d have been free to go home, but since I live a couple of hours away and had to be back for my scan by 8 o’clock the next morning, I stayed the night. Richard came back to visit bringing me a Subway sandwich as my one and only complaint about the Cross Cancer Institute is the food. It’s so bad that even the staff apologizes for it! Dr. McEwan dropped in to see how the treatment had gone and then I settled in for a quiet evening. I spent awhile visiting and exchanging stories with the patient in the room next to mine, a retired farmer from northern Saskatchewan. At the Cross, Lutetium is administered to three patients at a time.

I slept well and was up bright and early to head back downstairs for my scans. After spending the night at our son’s place, Richard met me there. For the full body scan, I had to lay perfectly still on my back with a pillow beneath my head and another under my knees. Covered by a warmed blanket, I was quite comfortable as my body slowly moved beneath the enormous camera just a few inches above me. Dr. McEwan had planned on having a second, 3D scan done as well, but that machine was down. The technicians were working on it and if he’d felt it was necessary, we’d have waited around until it was up and running again. He was certain, however, that the first scan showed all that we needed to know. My cancer is stable! The tumours haven’t grown and there aren’t any new ones. There’s also no sign of recurrence of my second, unrelated cancer. While it would have been nice to hear that the tumours were continuing to shrink or that, as in the case of the woman mentioned above, they had disappeared completely, that is most unusual and no change is also good news.

I hope Ronny doesn’t mind me borrowing his title, but he is right. I’m only as good as my last scan and right now, that’s very good!

F is for Fashion

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When you’re shopping, how do you decide which items of clothing to add to your wardrobe and which ones to leave behind?

Let me introduce you to several words beginning with F that can help make those decisions easier.

The first thing to consider is fit. In the words of Stacy London and Clinton Kelly of What Not to Wear fame, “If you don’t have fit, you don’t have style.” The key is to try things on and look in the fitting-room mirror with a critical eye. Do shoulder seams lie in the right place? Are armholes sufficiently high without cutting into your armpits? Does the garment pull across your shoulder blades? Is the length appropriate? Is there puckering or wrinkling anywhere? If you’re unsure about fit, try on another size for comparison. Then, if you’re seriously considering buying an item, leave the dressing room and head for the three-way mirror! Don’t buy anything without first checking the fit from behind!

Fit and flattering go hand in hand. First of all, consider whether or not the garment suits your body type. Does it accentuate your good features and disguise the less desirable ones? For example, I have a boyish figure; straight up and down with very little waist definition and narrow hips. The shape of this tunic gives me a more feminine profile. The three-quarter length sleeves draw the eye away from my waist and the fabric drapes slightly over my mid-section hiding the middle age muffin top that I’ve been battling with lately. The handkerchief hemline and wide band at the bottom give the illusion of girlish hips.

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Knowing which colours flatter you is also important. Back in the 80s when colour draping was all the rage, I met with a Colour Me Beautiful consultant and learned that I was a Spring.  I already knew through trial and error that black or white near my face made me look like a corpse and that gold jewelry was much more flattering on me than silver, but knowing my colours and carrying my little booklet of fabric swatches with me when I shopped was invaluable. It gave me the courage to try colours I’d never worn before and taught me to reject the ones that didn’t look as good on me. Though we were all categorized according to season back then, I understand that in Europe and the Middle East six newer themes have since been introduced: light, deep, warm, soft, clear and cool. In either case, having your colours done is fun and well worth the cost. Keep in mind, however, that nothing is forever set in stone. In recent years, as my hair has taken on more silver highlights, I’ve discovered that I can now wear black. Silver jewelry also looks fine on me now.

While we’re on the topic of colour, it’s a good idea to think about whether or not the garment you’re considering can be worn with other items that are already in your closet. If you have to buy a whole new outfit to go with it, it might not be a wise purchase.

The next F word is feel. Regardless of how well the garment fits and whether the colour suits you, if you don’t find it comfortable or you don’t like the texture of the fabric, you won’t enjoy wearing it. You should also ask yourself whether wearing it will boost your confidence or make you feel self-conscious. The tunic shown above is 95% polyester and 5% spandex. I find the lightweight, slightly stretchy fabric extremely comfortable and I feel great walking into a room in this garment.

It’s also important to think about whether or not the item is functional.  Does it fit your lifestyle? Where will you wear it? For example, I spent most of my career working as an elementary school teacher. My days often involved chalk, poster paint and paper mache, so my working wardrobe needed to be washable. I also had to be able to comfortably crouch down beside a student’s desk to help him with his work. As I was on my feet most of the time and I was the teacher who played on the swings and jumped rope with the kids when I was on outdoor supervision, I definitely needed comfortable shoes. Your needs might be entirely different. Now that I’m retired, I no longer need a working wardrobe, but I still want to look my best wherever I go.

Another important consideration is whether or not the item is affordable. Okay, this one doesn’t start with F, but I figure that the two Fs make up for that! Everyone has a different price point, so again, I can’t tell you what’s right for you. In clothing shopping, as in most other areas of life, I’m quite frugal which does start with F! I invariably head for the sales racks when I enter a shop and I love thrift store shopping, so I seldom pay full price for my clothing. The tunic was purchased late last fall at Laura in South Edmonton Common at a fraction of its original price.

The last F word might seem odd, but I think fun should also be on the list. I agree with fashion icon, Iris Apfel, who said, “I think getting dressed should be a very joyful and creative experience.”

Sneaker love

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Do you call them running shoes or sneakers? Here in western Canada, we use the terms interchangeably.

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Here’s a fun pair that I’ve had for years. I love wearing them, but I neither run nor sneak in them! In fact, even if I’m just going to do a lot of walking, I want a higher quality shoe that provides better support. For that, I depend on my trusty Merrells, pictured below on the steps leading up to the Jaffa gate in Jerusalem. The dried mud that’s clinging to them is a reminder of the previous day’s climb to Herod the Great’s hilltop palace, the Herodian. That’s just one of the amazing places they’ve taken me since I purchased them in the spring of 2011. They’ve hiked trails on the Pacific island of Saipan, walked the streets of Tokyo, climbed the Great Wall of China and explored many interesting places closer to home.

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After five years of wandering the world, I know that they’re going to give out on me one of these days, so I picked up a new pair during December’s Boxing week sales. They’re still sitting in their box in the bottom of my closet. I wonder what wonderful adventures they’ll take me on?

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If you’re looking to hit the trails in a durable, supportive hiking shoe, I would definitely recommend a pair of Merrells.

For working out, I wear this pair of Avia cross-trainers. The wider sole on this style of sneaker gives me more stability and support when I’m lifting weights.

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While I have sneakers for various purposes as well as some that are just for fun, not everyone enjoys the luxury of having any shoes at all. New Missions, a non-profit, non-denominational Christian organization, has been establishing churches and schools in Haiti for over 30 years and the Dominican Republic since the year 2000. Through child sponsorship, New Missions provides children with quality education, a daily meal and regular medical care. Today, approximately 10 000 children attend New Missions schools; 10 000 children who need shoes to walk to school. Through the New Missions Give Sneakers campaign, you can help cover all those little feet with brand new sneakers! Visit givesneakers.com to find out how to get involved. The campaign started on April 1 and continues until June 30. While you’re welcome to purchase sneakers and send them to the collection point in Orlando, Florida, postage is expensive, so making an online donation is also an option. I have determined that if I buy myself any shoes between now and the end of June, I will make a matching donation to the Give Sneakers campaign. Why not join me?

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Spring is in the air!

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Screen Shot 2016-03-18 at 11.07.24 PM 3Spring is coming to the Canadian prairie. The geese are back, the gophers have come out of hibernation and there are tiny sprouts appearing in my flower beds. Soon it will be time to put away our winter wardrobes and bring out spring and summer clothing. This is also a good time to take a look at what to keep for another season and what to dispose of, but how do we decide?

One suggestion that has worked well for me is to turn every hanger in your closet backwards at the beginning of each new season. Then, as you wear each item, turn it’s hanger back the right way. At season’s end, it’s easy to see which items, if any, have not been worn at all. Those should, of course, be the first to go. If you happen to live in a part of the world that doesn’t experience seasonal change, you could simply do this once every six months or even just once a year.

The next question is what to do with the items that you’ll no longer be wearing. Unless they are too worn to be of use to someone else, they can be sold or given away. Gently used, quality clothing and designer fashions can be sold through consignment stores that keep a percentage of the sale price in return for their services. In addition, there are many online buy and sell sites available. You can most likely find one or more of these in your local area. There are also thrift stores, women’s shelters and other charities that are happy to accept clean used clothing.

Before you get rid of a piece of clothing that you haven’t worn recently, you might want to consider whether or not it’s a classic item; one that won’t quickly go out of style that you might want to reintroduce into your wardrobe at some point in the future. The single breasted grey blazer pictured below is such an item. Until recently, it hadn’t been out of my closet since I retired from teaching several years ago. Now, it’s almost like having something new again!

The end of the season, before clothing is put away, is also a good time to check for minor repairs that might be needed. Are there any loose buttons that need to be secured or hems that are coming down? Make sure everything is clean before putting it away. This is a good time to have dry cleaning done so that everything is ready to wear when you take it out of storage again.

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My dark wash Old Navy jeans are new, but the blouse, originally from Reitmans, and the belt were purchased at the Good As New, our small town thrift store.

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At 5 foot 8 inches, I’m about 2 inches taller than my husband. Although he says he doesn’t mind me wearing heels, I feel more comfortable in flats. This pair was purchased at Payless last October using my birthday discount.

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I like the versatility of wearing something more than one way. My question for you today is, do you prefer these looks belted or not?

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 It snowed again after these photos were taken, so it’s a good thing that I haven’t put my winter clothes away yet. It won’t be long though. Spring is in the air!

Blessings in the ordinary and mundane

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What are some of the most ordinary, mundane tasks that you perform on a regular basis? Have you ever thought about the fact that there are blessings hidden in every one of them?

I hadn’t either until I was doing my Bible study homework yesterday. Our ladies group has recently started doing Priscilla Shirer’s study, Gideon: Your Weakness, God’s Strength. In yesterday’s lesson, she asked us to list five ordinary tasks that we perform every day. That was the easy part. Later in the lesson she had us look back at the list and beside each task, write down what it indicates about God’s faithfulness and kindness to us.

Referring to the fact that Gideon had wheat to thresh despite the hardships and oppression that he and his people were facing (Judges 6:1-11), she wrote:

“Gideon’s story reveals that even your most mundane duty has a twinkle in the favour of God, for if He removed His blessings completely from you – taking away your home, your family, your work, your possessions – the need for many of your daily tasks would disappear. Don’t despise the very things that signify your seat under the umbrella of God’s goodness each day.”

What an eye opener this simple exercise was for me! One of the tasks that I wrote down was brushing my teeth. Is there anything more ordinary or mundane than that? What could possibly be the hidden blessing? Then I thought about the fact that I have access to unlimited clean, healthy water. I am not in danger of contracting a water borne disease every time I brush my teeth! Globally, approximately twice the population of the United States, or some 6.63 million people, do not have access to clean, safe water! 1.6 million people die every year from diarrheal diseases, including cholera, due to their lack of safe water and basic sanitation. Many more are plagued by tropical diseases and intestinal parasites.

Getting dressed is another routine task that we all engage in, so what’s the hidden blessing? I have a closet full of clothes to choose from and the financial resources to buy more if I ‘need’ them, while there are many who have nothing but the rags on their back. I can even blog about my wardrobe! (Come back tomorrow for the second instalment of my new Fashion Friday! feature.)

Cleaning the bathrooms is one of my least favourite household tasks, but when I consider that approximately 1/3 of the world’s population doesn’t even have a toilet to clean, I know how blessed I am! Astonishingly, more people worldwide have a cell phone than a toilet! Almost one billion people still defecate in the open, a practice that leads to the spread of disease and the contamination of drinking water sources. I don’t mind using an outhouse when I’m camping, but after living and travelling in parts of the world where I rejoiced when I found a western toilet to use instead of a “squatty potty”, I’m pretty thankful to be blessed with toilets to clean!

I could go on and on, but you get the idea. There are hidden blessings in all our humdrum, routine tasks if only we have the eyes to see them!

What are some of your least favourite tasks? What are the blessings hidden in them?

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Introducing Fashion Friday!

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One of the things that I’ve enjoyed about blogging has been following and getting to know a number of other bloggers with interests as varied as my own. Along the way, I’ve started reading several fashion blogs and learned a lot about my own personal style. As a result, I’ve decided to add a weekly fashion feature to my own blog! For the foreseeable future, every Friday will be Fashion Friday here on Following Augustine. In between, I will continue to write about a wide variety of other topics.

I’ve recruited my husband as photographer and you’ll be seeing lots of pictures of me in upcoming weeks, but I want this to be much more than just a “look what I’m wearing today” feature. I hope that together we can explore the topic of personal appearance and how what we wear affects our daily lives. I look forward to examining a wide variety of topics related to how we dress and how we present ourselves. You can expect posts on everything from fabulous footwear to dressing on a budget, and packing a suitcase to purging your closet. I also intend to do a bit of investigating and share what I learn about some of my favourite clothing retailers. I want this to be an interactive feature, so I will be encouraging you, my readers, to participate by sharing your insights, ideas and questions in the comment section.

I have no desire to look or dress like fashion icon, Iris Apfel, and I don’t imagine that you do either, but you must admit that she has injected fun and flair into her own personal fashion and, at 94 years of age, she has definitely played a part in making growing old cool! I may not want to dress like she does, but Apfel, who first made her name as an interior designer, would be just fine with that. In her own words, “People should try to personalize their own outfits. It gives them a chance to be a bit creative and then they don’t look like everyone else. I think the biggest fashion faux pas these days is looking into the mirror and seeing somebody else.”

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Watch the behind the scenes video of Apfel’s recent photo shoot for the Financial Times How To Spend It fashion special, here, to hear more of her personal take on style.

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So, how do you find your own personal style?

Please join me here on Fashion Fridays as we explore questions like one this together!

Threads of Hope

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I’m wearing a simple thread bracelet today that was handmade in the Philippines.

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In early 2003, Christian missionary Alex Kuhlow and his wife Chris, while visiting the beautiful beaches of Puerto Galera on the island of Mindoro, became aware of a heartbreaking reality. Many impoverished families flocked to the popular vacation destination to sell woven baskets or colourful bracelets and anklets to the well-to-do tourists, but some of them, realizing that they still couldn’t generate enough income to live on, were making the desperate choice to sell their children into prostitution. Moved by their circumstances and wanting to help, Alex ordered $100 worth of bracelets to be picked up on his next visit. That became the beginning of a non-profit organization called Threads of Hope that now provides a steady income to over 250 families who were previously at risk! In addition to providing life-sustaining income and protecting their children from exploitation, selling their beautiful hand-made bracelets and other products including necklaces, keychains, bookmarks and headbands, fosters a new sense of hope and brings dignity to these families.

Through the sale of simple bracelets like mine, Threads of Hope has also been able to purchase land and build a ministry centre that accommodates 1000 people for church and other activities. A full-sized basketball court provides a recreational outlet for the community and pineapples planted on the remaining property bring more income into the community at harvest time.

Last night our church hosted a visiting missionary from the Philippines who, in addition to her regular responsibilities at a Christian international school in Manila, has partnered with Threads of Hope to spread awareness of their ministry and help raise support through the sale of their products. The bundle of colourful bracelets that she brought with her were quickly gobbled up. One public school teacher in our congregation bought enough for every child in her class!

Though the majority of sales are generated through a network of individuals who have been moved with compassion for the economically oppressed of the world, Threads of Hope products can also be purchased individually or in bulk through their website. Customized orders in school or team colours can also be provided. What an easy way to provide protection and support for some of the world’s most vulnerable children!

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International Women’s Day 2016

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Yesterday, March 8th, was International Women’s Day. My search for something relevant to write about led me to a headline that caught my interest:

Ditch the sexualized dress codes, Ontario employers told

Compared to many of the issues and abuses such as poverty, female genital mutilation, and child marriage, that women in other parts of the world face,  being required to wear sexy, cleavage-baring outfits or heels to work is definitely a first world problem, but one that I’m happy to see being addressed.

The Ontario Human Rights Commission has told that province’s employers to stop demanding that their workers dress provocatively as a condition of employment. Requiring female staff, most often restaurant and night club servers, to adhere to a sexualized dress code that frequently includes tight skirts, low-cut tops and high heels is discriminatory and, according to US research, leaves them vulnerable to a higher than normal rate of sexual harassment.

Those in the industry claim that dressing in a sexualized manner garners greater tips. That may be true, but isn’t that a rather sad statement about our culture? Should a restaurant server have to sell her body to make a living? Personally, I would rather eat at an establishment that builds its reputation on quality food and excellent service and I tip accordingly.

Hooters is, of course, the first to come to mind. It built an empire on its young, attractive and scantily clad waitresses. With their tank tops, short shorts, tights and socks, at least they get to wear comfortable shoes!

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photo:  http://www.hooters.ca

Some employers insist that servers, who are on their feet all day, must wear heels. According to the Earls communication manager, that company recommends wearing heels “to reduce safety hazards.” A heel or wedge is preferred because apparently ballet flats don’t offer enough protection against stepping on glass. That’s a feeble excuse if I ever heard one! She also claims that heels provide more support, but the American Osteopathic Association would disagree. According to their website, “statistics show that high heels are one of the biggest factors leading to foot problems in women, with up to a third suffering permanent problems as a result of prolonged wear. Over time, wearing high heels can shorten the muscles in your calves and in your back, leading to pain and muscle spasms.” I have nothing against women choosing to wear heels, but to require it of someone who is on her feet day in day out puts her long term health in jeopardy.

It was the comments on the articles about this issue that disturbed me most, however. Over and over again, I read responses like this one:

” If women go to Moxie’s or Hooters to work they know they will have to flaunt their equipment. Unbelievable how women would complain knowing full-well going into the job what it’s all about.”

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“This is a free country, Women have the choice to  accept or decline employment at businesses that require revealing uniforms.”

Tell that to the many young women who are working in these places to put themselves through school or feed their children. How many options do many of them have, especially in today’s economy?

Obviously objectifying and exploiting women is still alive and well in our culture.

 

No longer a joke

/ edebock / 14 Comments

At first, Donald Trump for president seemed like a joke, but it really isn’t funny anymore!

This isn’t a political blog. In fact, I’ve written over 700 posts and this is the first one to tackle anything truly political, but I simply cannot keep quiet over this one! How is it possible that a xenophobic, chauvinistic and bigoted reality TV star with a track record of multiple business and personal failures has become a serious contender for the presidency of one of the most powerful countries in the world? It would be laughable if it wasn’t so downright scary.

I’ve been told by a family member that comparing Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler is “extremely over the top”, but I’m far from alone in making such a comparison. When Holocaust survivors including 86-year-old Eva Schloss, step-sister of Anne Frank and survivor of Auschwitz, are saying the same thing, maybe someone should sit up and pay attention.

“If Donald Trump became the next president of the US it would be a complete disaster,” Ms Schloss told Newsweek magazine during an interview marking Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27.

Perhaps Yad Veshem, Jerusalem’s Holocaust memorial museum, is still too fresh in my mind, but when I hear the voice of Donald Trump declaring that he will rid America of Muslims, it seems to echo the anti-Jewish sentiments expressed by Hitler and other Nazi leaders long before they achieved the position of power that enabled them to carry out the slaughter of millions of innocent people. With Trump in the White House, is it really inconceivable that something that evil might happen again? Sadly, I don’t think so.

Then there are his absolutely ludicrous claims. Making campaign promises that are easier said than carried out is par for the course at election time, but Trump’s are definitely over the top. For example, he’s going to push China into making North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, disappear!

“I would get China to make that guy disappear in one form or another very quickly,” said Trump in an interview on CBS’s This Morning show on February 10. Really? And just how, exactly, is he going to do that? Has he forgotten, perhaps, that China is the largest foreign holder of US debt? We’re talking 1.2 trillion dollars here, so if push comes to shove, who is going to have the upper hand? If Donald Trump thinks he’s going to force China do anything, he’d better think again!

As a Christian, I find Trump’s public conduct appalling. His vulgar and often demeaning comments are absolutely deplorable, not to mention his flip flopping on issues such as abortion. The fact that he, who once graced the cover of Playboy magazine and who participates in what he has flippantly referred to as “my little wine” and “my little cracker”, but who also states that he does not ask God for forgiveness for his sins, has a growing number of evangelicals amongst his supporters absolutely baffles me.

I’ve heard it said that people are supporting Trump because they don’t have a better option. What an incredibly sad statement. If, amongst the approximately 319 million Americans, they have not been able to come up with any better candidates than this one, that country truly is in a sorry state! Sadly, so is the rest of the world which is why I give a damn. I am not an American. I will not be voting in this election, but if I was, and Trump was truly the best option available, I’d be packing my bags and going somewhere else!

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I invite respectful dialogue in the comments section as I would very much like to know what you think.

Naming Lavita

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Perhaps it’s just an extension of my love of words, but I find the meaning and origin of names fascinating. Long before we had our first child, Richard and I had two boys names picked out, Matthew and Nathan. Interestingly, they both mean “gift of God” and since God blessed us with two sons, we were able to use them both. We had a much harder time choosing names for our daughters. I’ve always been partial to girl’s names that end in A and, after much deliberation, we settled on Janina for our first daughter. A derivative of Jane, it too means “gift of God”! Though the spelling of our second daughter’s name is very similar to mine, Elaine means “light” and Melaina means “dark”! Like our other three, however, she is also a “gift of God” and that’s the meaning of her middle name, Jean!

In addition to naming our children, I’ve helped name a few pets along the way, but I never thought that I’d name a gastrostomy tube; a tube inserted through a patient’s abdomen to deliver nutrition directly to her stomach! Over the past few months, I’ve made contact with two other bloggers who are also neuroendocrine cancer patients and one of them, Lizbeth, recently wrote a post asking readers to help her choose a name for the tube that provides her with vital nutrition. She was tired of simply referring to it as “tube”.

I immediately began to search for girls names that meant “giver of life”, but I didn’t find one that I liked, so I changed my search slightly and began to look for names that simply meant “life”. I quickly came up with three of them and they even ended in A; Olivia, Livia and Lavita. I sent them off to Lizbeth and waited to see what would happen. Here’s what her next blog post said:

A fellow blogger, Elaine, has gave me a name that I’m rather struck on.  The name Elaine has suggested means life.  Rather apt.  For me the tube gives me a better quality of life…  It provides me with my essential nutrients and vitamins – my daily steak and chips or fresh fruit salad if you get my meaning.  For many people with a tube it is an essential lifeline and the only source of nourishment.  

The name I have chosen is Lavita.

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