INTRO
Today on the blog I have a bonus collaborative post that is full of helpful suggestions on keeping our eye health as optimal as possible as we age. I hope you enjoy it and find a few helpful tips to incorporate into your current habits.
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
FINDING THE BEST CARE PROVIDERS FOR YOUR PARENTS
Monday, 10 June 2024
INTRO
Today on the blog I have a great collaboration that helps with navigating the process of finding care for our elderly parents when the time comes. I think we all hope that we won't need to access much help, but it's better to have some knowledge tucked away, than to be caught completely unaware if the need arises suddenly. And I'm also keeping in mind that I might need to know some of this for my own needs down the track.
I found it to be a really interesting overview and guide, and I hope you do too....
EMBRACING A RESTFUL RETIREMENT: THE UNSUNG ROLE OF QUALITY SLEEP
Monday, 15 April 2024
INTRO
Getting adequate sleep is essential to supporting our best life during retirement. Sleeping soundly is often overlooked in favor of more tangible lifestyle choices, like eating healthily and exercising regularly. But if we want to complete the health trifecta, then ensuring we have ample sleep is paramount to a happy retirement.
Let’s explore the benefits of sleep in greater detail, and how you can attain quality sleep as you get older...
GIVING UP WHAT WEIGHS ME DOWN
Monday, 10 July 2023
LIVING LIGHTLY - THE HALFWAY MARK
I can't believe that we're already more than halfway through the year! Back at the
beginning of January I chose "Live Lightly" as my Word(s) of the Year, and it's time to check in on how that's going.
At the end of each month I've shared how life is going, but today I thought
I'd do an update on something I've discovered I needed to do to truly begin
living a lighter life.....
WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE A PARATHYROIDECTOMY
Monday, 3 July 2023
HYPERPARATHYROIDISM
Three months ago I had never heard of hyperparathyroidism or a parathyroidectomy .....fast forward to two weeks ago, and I was being rolled into surgery to have one of my parathyroid
glands removed. Somewhere along the way that particular gland had decided
to "go forth and multiply" and turned itself into an adenoma that pumped far
too much hormone into my blood (hyperparathyroidism), causing the calcium to get leached out of
my bones and into my bloodstream.
The only fix was surgery (a parathyroidectomy), and seeing that one in 50 women over 50 is likely to get hyperparathyroidism, I thought I'd do a brief overview of my
journey in case you ever have a blood test that shows an elevated PTH
(parathyroid hormone) level, or if you get diagnosed with high blood calcium or osteoporosis down
the track......
LIVING LIGHTLY THROUGH JUNE
Monday, 26 June 2023
LIVING LIGHTLY OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS
If you read my blog regularly (thank you if you do!) you'll know I chose
"Live Lightly" as my Word(s) Of The Year for 2023. I've made a pledge to myself to
chill out a little this year and to take things as they come, rather than
trying to push too hard or trying to control everything. I hope my year
will reflect taking life at a gentler pace and stepping lightly and
slowly.
So, on that note, to wrap up June, I'll be sharing a few little
highlights that contributed towards a lovely month....
I'LL BE BACK! A SHORT POST AND A LITTLE UPDATE....
Monday, 19 June 2023
A NEWS UPDATE
A surprising thing happened a few days ago. I had a phone call from my surgeon's rooms asking if I'd like to have my parathyroid operation a couple of weeks early. Needless to say, that rattled my cage big time, but once the dust settled, I thought "why not!" and booked myself in for the new date.
That new date is today! So as you read this I'll be going in, or under, or waking up from having my throat cut (as I refer to it) and my right parathyroid gland (and its tumour) removed. I'm a little nervous (to say the least) as I type this and would appreciate your thoughts and prayers as I go through this and come out the other side - it's exciting and daunting at the same time.
I'll be back next Monday with my end of month wrap-up post and will do a little update there - with a bigger update to follow I'm sure! Until then...... see you on the other side!
EARLY RETIREMENT, UN-RETIREMENT.... NOW IT'S TIME FOR RE-RETIREMENT
Monday, 5 June 2023
RETIRING, UN-RETIRING, AND RE-RETIRING
A few weeks ago Lydia, a fellow blogger, left a comment on my monthly
wrap-up post that said "Winds of change? Do I detect a restlessness - or something else?" and it was very insightful because (although I didn't realize it at
the time) there was definitely change in the air and a sense of being ready
to move onto the next phase in my life.
I'm not sure if it was restlessness, but I was feeling weary and I had a need to prioritise
my freedom and flexibility again - my two top
core values. I was ready for change and a few weeks ago this is what I decided to
do......
LIVING LIGHTLY THROUGH MAY
Monday, 29 May 2023
LIVING LIGHTLY OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS
If you read my blog regularly (thank you if you do!) you'll know I chose "Live Lightly" as my Word(s) Of The Year for 2023. I've made a pledge to myself to chill out a little this year and to take things as they come, rather than trying to push too hard or trying to control everything. I hope my year will reflect taking life at a gentler pace and stepping lightly and slowly.
So, on that note, to wrap up May, I'll be sharing a few little highlights that contributed towards a lovely month....
WHAT IS HYPERPARATHYROIDISM AND WHY IS IT A CONCERN?
Monday, 17 April 2023
WHAT ON EARTH IS HYPERPARATHYROIDISM?
If you're like me, you've heard of a thyroid gland and know where it is,
but you're probably not aware that you have four parathyroid glands, each
the size of a grain of rice, that sit behind it. You may also not be aware
that one or more of those glands can get a tumour (adenoma) on it that
probably isn't cancer, but still has far reaching consequences for your body
if left unchecked.
Here's what I learnt when I accidentally discovered I had primary
hyperparathyroidism - and what you might like to get checked sometime in the
not too distant future.....
LIVING LIGHTLY THROUGH MARCH
Monday, 27 March 2023
LIVING LIGHTLY OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS
If you read my blog regularly (thank you if you do!) you'll know I chose "Live Lightly" as my Word(s) Of The Year for 2023. I've made a pledge to myself to chill out a little this year and to take things as they come, rather than trying to push too hard or trying to control everything. I hope my year will reflect taking life at a gentler pace and stepping lightly and slowly.
So, on that note, to wrap up March, I'll be sharing a few little highlights that contributed towards a lovely month....
LIVING LIGHTLY THROUGH CHRISTMAS AND JANUARY
Monday, 30 January 2023
LIVING LIGHTLY OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS
If you read my blog regularly (thank you if you do!) you'll know I chose "Live Lightly" as my Word(s) Of The Year for 2023. I've made a pledge to myself to chill out a little this year and to take things as they come, rather than trying to push too hard or too fast. I've noticed with my hip recovery that it goes really well.....until I think I can do more than I should, and I end up sore and wishing I'd stepped more slowly. And I think that's what my year will reflect, taking life at a gentler pace and stepping lightly and slowly.
So, on that note, to wrap up Christmas and January, I'll be sharing a few little highlights - there may not be all that many as my pace has been fairly moderate (to say the least).....
WRAPPING UP A FABULOUS YEAR
Monday, 19 December 2022
WRAPPING UP THE YEAR FABULOUSLY
Christmas always comes with images of lovely gifts all prettily wrapped, and I think that ties in beautifully with the idea of wrapping up the year that was. I chose "FABULOUS" for my #WOTY and it felt like a pretty Fabulous year all in all. Today I want to do a little look back at some the little Fabulosities and to sign off as we head into Christmas and a New Year.
I guess this is a little bit of a taking stock of the year and a little bit of looking forward to all that is coming. I love Christmas and all that comes with it - so let's wrap up this Fabulous year so that we can then settle back and enjoy this lovely season.....
HOW DO YOU RESPOND WHEN THINGS AREN'T GOING TO PLAN?
Monday, 7 November 2022
HOW DO YOU REACT TO UPHEAVALS?
I'm confessing right here and now that I'm not good with people throwing a
spanner in the works, or with unexpected changes that I have no control
over. I'm excellent at planning and preparing, I'm great at list making and
having Plan A, B, and C. But I'm not great with upheavals and life throwing
me curveballs.
The latest evidence of this came with my hip surgery date being
thrown into chaos a week before it was due to happen...... we all know the outcome, but this is what I learnt about myself in the process.....
A MOST FABULOUS OCTOBER INDEED!
Monday, 31 October 2022
MY FABULOUS OCTOBER
Well..... October has certainly been a Fabulous month for me. It started out with our delightful granddaughters visiting us for a few days while their parents went off for some "adult time". Then mid-October I had my hip replaced, and the last couple of weeks have been spent recovering, and filling my days with quiet pastimes and visits from friends and family. Not a bad way to spend a month if I do say so myself.I hope you'll read on for more updates, photos, and general Fabulosity.....
WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE A TOTAL HIP REPLACEMENT
Monday, 24 October 2022
WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE A NEW BIONIC HIP
Good morning from me and my new hip! Just over a week ago, at the grand old
age of 60, I had my left hip replaced. (If you missed all the reasons for
this - my hip dysplasia etc - then you can catch up on that part of the
story
HERE.)
Today I just wanted to share what's been happening over the last couple of
months and how I'm going post Total Hip Replacement (THR). Thank you to all
of you who've passed on messages of encouragement and prayed for me over the
last few weeks.
"IT IS WHAT IT IS" - AND OTHER WORDS OF ACCEPTANCE
Monday, 3 October 2022
WHAT DO YOU TELL YOURSELF IN TOUGH TIMES?
As anyone who reads my blog knows, I have
hip dysplasia
that's been a minor irritant in my life for the last 25 years or so. Then
around this time last year it started to flare up and all of a sudden I
found myself at the orthopedic surgeon's office being told that I'm going to
need a total left hip replacement if I want to be able to walk without pain
and a limp.
Since that appointment a few months ago, things have slowly progressed in a
downward spiral and I now find myself unable to walk even a few steps
without pain. It's
a constant presence
in my life - but you know what? Rabbiting on about it non-stop just makes it
worse, dwelling on it makes it worse.....so while I wait for my operation day to arrive I've developed a litany of responses
that help me accept what is, wait patiently, and focus on the stuff I have some control over. I
thought I'd share a few of them today....
THERE'S VALUE IN PRACTICING THE PAUSE
Monday, 12 September 2022
THERE'S VALUE IN PRACTICING THE PAUSE
A pause can be for a moment where we stop, take a breath, and think before
we respond to a situation....or it can be for much longer, when life tells
us we need to rest and recalibrate. There are no rules when it comes to
taking a positive pause in your life and I don't think we give it the value
it deserves in our busy, fast paced world.
There's a big difference between dithering and taking a strategic pause.
Dithering means our minds are running like a hamster on a wheel trying to
avoid making a decision, whereas taking a pause allows our mind, emotions,
or body the grace and time needed to respond healthily to the
situation we find ourselves in.
LIFE LESSONS A TOXIC CO-WORKER TAUGHT ME
Monday, 15 August 2022
LIFE LESSONS FROM A TOXIC WORKPLACE
A few years ago I wrote a lot of blog posts about working through leaving my toxic job. It was a watershed point in my life where I realized that I
was in a situation beyond my control and it had seriously messed with my
mental and emotional health. I survived, rebounded, re-assessed, and now I
feel like I'm in a much better place......not because of what I went
through, but in spite of what I went through.
I walked away from that mess and moved on, but I also learnt some valuable
life lessons from that difficult time, and I thought I'd share a few of them
today.....
LIVING WITH AND MANAGING CHRONIC PAIN
Monday, 8 August 2022
LIVING WITH AND MANAGING CHRONIC PAIN
It's strange how you take so much in your life for granted....until
something is taken away from you. I read somewhere a long time ago
that it's not until we're in pain that we realize how much we take pain-free living for granted.....and I can certainly attest to
that! I look back to how I'd stride out each day for my morning walk, and
all the bending and twisting I could do without giving it a second thought, and I
miss it every.single.day.
It's been a year now since
my hip pain flared up, and as the pain settles into becoming my "new normal" and limits so much
of my life, I can see that weathering this storm depends on several different approaches - including taking the medication I'm prescribed, doing what I can to maintain my physical strength, and also on my
attitude and my perception of life. You can let pain and discomfort steal from you, and beat you down, or you
can choose to rise above it and learn from it - I'm choosing the
latter.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
