June 14th

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

Yes, I missed a couple of days but it was not due to any setback! Thankfully. 😃

When one is dealing with one’s health, one is either moving forward or spiraling downward.  In this case, I was busy moving forward. 

On Friday, I was working outside – cleaning up after the storm and getting some fresh air.  Very beneficial when one is in recovery mode – especially from a respiratory flare up.

Yesterday, I was doing a deep clean in our bedroom – stripping our bed, washing our blinds/blackout curtains, vacuuming, and dusting everything including the walls and ceiling.  When you live in southern Saskatchewan, have a yard full of dirt,  sand,  trees,  AND a Molly dog who drags everything from outside inside, dust is a constant battle.

Unfortunately, when I am not feeling well, and I am taking medication that makes me feel worse, my motivation to keep up with the dust spirals along with  everything else.  This of course does nothing to help my lungs recover. 🤷‍♀️

So,  feeling well enough to roll up my sleeves and get to work on some  cleaning is a serious step forward in my recovery! 😚

Today, I am just relaxing in my new hanging egg chair, about to read a couple of chapters in my latest book by John E. Sarno – “The Divided Mind – The Epidemic of Mind-body Disorders“. 

That’s it for today. Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞

Dan is still working on my planter stand, but my little flowers are happy sitting in the sunshine!

June 11th…

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

It is another wet chilly day in our corner of Saskatchewan. 

I have not been doing much of anything outside my normal routine today, but I did walk to our local strip mall to drop off a form at the medical office I visited last week.

Fortunately the tendon pain, which was obviously caused by the antibiotic I was taking,  seems to be easing off quite nicely.  That is definitely a relief.

Which leads me to  a couple of  health related questions that I have been pondering over the past few months.

Number 1: Why is there such an epidemic of ‘chronic illnesses’ these days? I know there has always been the likes of diabetes and asthma, but bronchiectasis? Where did that come from? And why does that make one vulnerable to infections like pseudomonas aeruginosa which can also become a chronic health issue? 🤦‍♀️

Number 2: Why do medications for  ‘chronic illnesses’ come with side effects that inhibit mobility? That just seems counterproductive to me.

From my experience, keeping active is the best option for maintaining one’s  health especially if one has chronic health issues.

If it was up to me, the scientists who develop such medications would be sent back to the drawing board to get the kinks out of their product.  

Better yet, let’s start developing medications, procedures, and  therapies that will lead to an epidemic of chronic wellness!

That’s it for today! Take care and have a great day!

Next week, I am getting back on the treadmill (or heading outside for a daily walk – weather permitting).

June 10th…

by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, 2026

I am running late today but I can’t break my blogging streak now! Day 5!

Yesterday we had a bit of excitement around here.  Some good, some not so much!

Daughter Jen set things off when she needed a ride over to pick up her Jeep from the mechanic’s shop after she got off work.  That was no problem.  Dan went with her while I stayed home to start supper.

Then, granddaughter Prim called to say she was at a nearby park so would be stopping by.   That was welcome news and we agreed she would stay for supper!

Prim

The evening took a turn to the wild side just as Prim (a friend of her’s and his younger brother)  were approaching our house.  It started to rain.  Not a gentle spring rain – thunder, lightening, and pouring rain.  They almost made it in the back porch before the hail hit – hard! Golf ball size hail and lots of it!

We were very fortunate with minor damage to our yard, gazebo, and house.  Our Jeep came through fine despite being parked out in the thick of things.

The boys stayed until we were sure we were in the clear.  We had supper with Prim and Jen came to pick her up shortly thereafter.

The gazebo roof suffered a few tears but that is not a big deal.  We already had plans to replace it next spring and Dan went out and got some tape to patch it up for this year.
Some of our plants took a bit of a hit, with Dan’s Bleeding Heart taking the worst of it.  I will trim it up and I am sure it will be fine in a few days.

Unfortunately, not everyone was as lucky as we were.   When Dan was out walking Molly this morning he spoke to a man who lives across the old school yard/baseball diamonds from us.  The west facing windows on his house were all smashed by the hail and his brand new car was bumper to bumper dents. 

Apparently there was a lot of debris to be cleared from the streets, no doubt a lot more damage to be dealt with, and neighbours were out early this morning rounding up their wheeled garbage bins. 

This is our second hail storm this year.  The first one missed us, but hit Jen’s house (a few blocks over) pretty hard.  I hope it is  not a sign of more to come.   I don’t mind the rain, I love the thunder and lightening, but there’s not a lot good to be said for hail – or for the tornados that tend to hit more rural areas of the province.

The sun is out now so I should get outside and do some plant trimming and sweeping up.

That’s it for today. Take care and have a great day! 💞🤗

June 9th

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

Dan and I spent much of the afternoon outside yesterday. 

– We finished getting the gazebo ready for summer.  Dan got all of the chair cushions out of storage and I secured them in place. 

– I swept up a zillion or so of those little tree seed pods.  I swear, if we locked up this place and left for the season, we would return to a forest.  Every one that lands, on anything resembling dirt,  takes root. 🌳

– I started potting a dozen little flower plants to fill the planter that Dan is building for the back yard.

And I got to see see my first Fried Egg Peonie blossom.  It isn’t what I expected, but it is bright, perky, and unique.

While I am out and about as much as I can be, I am still focused on getting back to my Health and Fitness Journey.

One of my new healthy habits has been using my new Navage nasal irrigation unit, that Dan bought me a couple of weeks ago.  

This unit is awesome! I have been dealing with sinus issues (and enviornmental allergies) for fourteen years! I have seen ENT’s, used a neti pot with saline solution, used prescription strength sinus sprays, and consumed boxes of antihistamines  – nothing was particularly helpful.

But this is a game changer!  The first week was rough.  I don’t know if it was because my sinuses were such a mess or if it was just a learning curve, but it was rough.  I seriously thought I might drown myself a couple of times. 🤦‍♀️

But, it was well worth the perseverance.  My sinuses are much better and  my allergies are all but gone –   and all without side effects of any sort.

That’s it for today! Take care and have a great day!

June 8th

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

It is a beautiful, sunny, somewhat chilly morning in Southern Saskatchewan.

I am back to blogging after being more off than on for the past few months.  I am feeling very well and the last thing I want to talk about is being sickly, but thought I should give somewhat of an update in that regard.

In February, I was diagnosed with Pseudomonas Aeruginosa.   My respirologist put me on a heavy round of Ciprofloxacin which failed to wipe out the pseudomonas.  So, my respirologist prescribed another heavy round of Ciprofloxacin – which did what Ciprofloxacin does.  Halfway through round two, it started to cause issues with my tendons – specifically the hamstring tendons in my right leg.

Despite the severe pain in my b#tt, I did what I do and persevered until I had completed the Ciprofloxacin.  Shortly thereafter, I was called up for the catscan on my lungs.   The catscan showed  that there still appears to be significant infection – most likely pseudomonas.

I told my respirologist that I could not risk serious injury to my tendons by continuing  on with the Ciprofloxacin, so he decided we  should do nothing further for now.  We will wait to see if the pseudomonas clears up on its own. (There are limited treatment options available).

I am good with this, but I did go to see a potential family doctor who gave me a requisition for a complete blood and urinine lab work.

I have not heard back from her but I did see the results online and they all  looked pretty good to me –  especially my iron, which was my main concern.

So that’s it for now.  The experience has left me with a few questions and concerns – and a number of promising health and wellness changes, which I will touch on in blogs to come. 

Meanwhile, I have a bit of housework to do before heading outside to tackle more yard work.

Yesterday, I did get the side curtains up on the gazebo and I powerwashed the side yard patio.   Dan powerwashed the patio furniture before we moved it back into place for the season. 🙂

That’s it for today! Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞

June 7th

by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, 2026

Second blog in two days! 🥳

Today will be a quick one.  We did work on the yard yesterday but we ran out of day before we pressure washed the patio, so it is time to get at it.

I went out this morning and took a few pics of the first, of hopefully many,  blossoms that will colour our world this summer.

The Bleeding Heart that Genie & Alec gave Dan a couple of years ago.  Last year it was massive and I am pretty sure it will outdo that this summer!
The flower bed Dan built last year.  Those brown spots are seed pods from our neighbours’ trees.  They are everywhere- including in our house thanks to Molly’s long  thick coat of hair.
Marigolds for the Welcome basket this year. (Genie’s favourite flower).
Pink & Purple Petunias for the pond planters this year.
And the very first buds on one of the peonie plants that daughter Jen gave me a couple of years ago. They are MY favourite garden flower!  I cannot wait to see them in full bloom!

That is it for today.  I have to get to work, but I will be back – tomorrow! Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞

June 6th

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

OK.   I am ready to make my comeback!

The past five and a half months have been a lot more miss than hit, but I am ready to do this.

It wasn’t ever about being deathly ill.  It was more about learning.  Learning that when one is healing and growing, it is never just physically or mentally or emotionally or spiritually.  It is all encompassing.  And when one is spiraling physically or mentally or emotionally or spiritually – SAME THING! 

Everything has been a challenge for me  these past months.  Blogwise, feeling dumb (numb?) as a post has been the real issue.

But, with my health issues somewhat behind me, the worst of the meds out of my system, and the arrival of spring… I should be able to string together a few words on a regular basis going forward. 😁

Dan and I finally got the last of our garden in yesterday.  Today, we are going to start pressure washing the patios.

And, for the inevitable breaks I will take… I can relax in the hanging egg chair Dan bought me for Mother’s Day!

That’s it for today.  Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞

May 11th

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

This will be another quick drop by…

First off, belated Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there – and to all the offspring who honored their mothers yesterday.

I had a very nice nice day…

I was doubly blessed with flowers with the bouquet on the left from Dan and the one on the right from Granddaughter Genie and her  husband  Alec.

Alec was working yesterday, but Genie came over to drop off the bouquet  and stayed for a  visit with her brother Rory.

Son Dan, daughter Jennifer, and granddaughter Maddy sent their best wishes.

My sister’s and I exchanged Mother’s Day greetings.

And Dan made supper last night while I relaxed…

Meanwhile, I am hopefully in recovery mode.  As much as that pseudomonas aeruginosa has been a stubborn bug to shake, the side effects from the drugs I have been prescribed are my biggest issue at this point – and of course it will take some time to rebuild my strength.

Fortunately, our weather has greatly improved.  I am spending as much time as I can outside enjoying the fresh air and puttering around the garden.

That is it for today.  Take care and have a great day! 💞

APRIL 27TH

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

I’m back.. or at least I am stopping by for a quick check in.

Things have been a bit rough for the past few weeks.  I have been waiting for a CAT scan to see how I made out with my three week treatment for pseudomonas aeruginosa. 

Since the wait was going on a few weeks now, and I was feeling punkish, I decided to check in with my respirologist.  My blood oxygen was low, my blood pressure and pulse were high, and..

After having blood tests and an x-ray  done… the infection is obviously alive and well and has been feasting on the iron in my body to the point where I am severely anemic.

I am already on another 21 Day  round of Ciprofloxacin.  I  can take iron supplements and eat iron rich foods so I can feel better and maintain my aerobics and the relatively healthy lifestyle that helps keep my lungs functional … but this also provides nourishment for my infection to thrive.

Or,  I can not take iron supplements or eat iron rich foods, lay around like a vegetable  and allow this infection to go underground  to protect itself from the antibiotics I am taking. 

Either way, I have another appointment with my respirologist next Wednesday, I have sputum culture results that have yet to be posted, and I have a CAT scan coming up.

At this point, I am going with the iron supplements and iron rich food because feeling like hell isn’t doing it for me.

All is not terrible… Dan bought me flowers and a nice box of cookies.  💝

Have a great day! 🤗💞

I will stay in touch as I feel up to it and/or have anything noteworthy to share. 😊

April 2nd – Days 84 to 90  of My 2026 Daily Activity

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

We are through the first quarter of 2026 and some of us (one of us 😆) is still straddling the READY, SET,…. line.

I  am working on it.  Despite the rough days, and the mediocre days, I am experiencing a few stronger more productive days.

I have been doing my aerobics in the morning.  My afternoon workouts have been more of a struggle but I have been making an effort on the treadmill and yesterday I crushed a light weight workout! 😁

I have been doing deep breathing exercises every day.   Inhale 4, hold 16, exhale 8.

I have been reading for an hour a day.  That is doing wonders for my  mindset.

AND… I have been working on my diet.  Generally speaking, my diet hasn’t been an issue but making  ‘healthy’ choices  for breakfast and snacks has been challenging. 

A couple of days ago, I went on a muffin baking extravaganza…

Coconut/almond, chocolate/peanut butter chips, and oatmeal/raspberry.

Making a full dozen of one type of muffin is problematic for Dan and I, so I made a variety pack to share with Jen & family and Genie & Alec.   💗

Last night was Dart Night for Dan.  I prepared for my regular Wednesday Night snack attack by making a large batch of popcorn for myself and a small batch of dog friendly, unbuttered and unsalted for Molly.

I have also been serving more vegetables – specifically raw vegetables with our meals lately.  Recently, I read (Unlimited PowerPoint by Tony Robbins) that it is healthier to keep hydrated by eating fruits and vegetables than by drinking an abundance of water.   That makes sense, as fruits and vegetables add nutrients to the body, while water flushes them out.  Hitting a point where 70% of my diet is fruits and vegetables may never happen, I am going in the right direction.

But, I am still drinking – one glass of water first thing in the morning, one cup of coffee, one cup of broth, one cup of tea, 12 Oz of carbonated water for supper, and regular water in the evening. 

Our weather is gradually improving so I am looking at spending more time outdoors, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine in the coming days. 🌞

That’s it for today. Take care and have a great day! 🤗💞

Happy April!