Seasonal Musings.

 Over the last year I have had a few 'challenges.'
I suppose the scariest was being diagnosed with endometrial cancer in the early part of 2023. I'm still not sure how I felt/feel about that.  I did my best to cope which involved exercising like a demon for 1 - 2 hours and sometimes 3 hours a day and reducing my carb intake so I was in therapeutic ketosis.  That gave me the sensation I was 'fighting' the cancer and over six months I lost a stone in weight.

But by the time five months had passed and there was no sign of my operation materialising I had a crisis of confidence so when my husband managed to chivvy them along and my operation happened at the end of that October I was not in a good place mentally at all.

I had some complications afterwards which were unpleasant and I think I am still traumatised by a lot of things that happened around that situation.  I am of course supremely grateful to still be here but it is difficult to feel as if I am on solid ground yet. I have never been someone who took things for granted and now that is doubly true.

Then my dear old mum (90 something) got to the point where we could no longer keep her safe and independent and neither could we provide for her needs other than by ensuring we found the best possible care home where she could be cared for, safe and happy.  Which we sorted with the help of the council social worker who was an absolute star throughout.  I know some people have different experiences but again we were very lucky and I am grateful for that too.

Mum has been in her new place six months now and she seems very happy and contented and has friends and goes out on trips and eats lovely meals and has no stresses at all.

This week we've had the estate agent taking prospective buyers round the house where I grew up and it has been very strange knowing that the house we've had in the family for almost sixty years will soon belong to someone else.  But again we've been very lucky in that everyone who has been shown around has enthused about the house and we've already had a number of offers.

I didn't tell my mum about the cancer as I didn't want to worry her - I told her I was having a hysterectomy which she was unsurprised about as I'd been having gynae issues for many years.  As things have turned out I never shall tell her now because there isn't any point now.  I felt a bit sad for my husband being my only family support but I was prompted to get in touch with my best friend from school days and the rekindling of that friendship has been very precious to me. I shall refer to her as BFF because I am pretty certain that will be an accurate designation.  BFF took me for walkies during my pre operative time and kept my spirits up and I'm so happy we are now properly in each other's lives again.

The stone I lost before the operation has rematerialised which is disappointing.  I had to stop exercising over the last month or so because we went down with Covid and I am starting to build up my daily exercise minutes again.  But I have lost hope I will ever lose weight unless it is for sinister reasons.  It worries me because everything I read says that obesity increases the risk of cancer but I just cannot seem to shift the flab.  That said my blood sugars and blood pressure are mostly under control so it could be worse.

I really am a proper old lady now blathering on about my health conditions. 👵

Well - enough of my boring on.

The picture is a Festive themed rag wreath I had a go of making after seeing a tutorial on a craft forum.  I used a copper wire wreath frame I bought from Amazon and most of the rags are from sewing odds and ends my mum had tucked away and I decided to make use of them to make something I could keep as a memento.