Tag: chronic health issues

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 10th…

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

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 Health and Fitness, 2026

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! 💞🌞

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 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!

March 25th – Days 77 to 83  of My 2026 Daily Activity

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

It has been a few days, so I  will start with the most noteworthy event of the week.

Last night, we attended a family birthday celebration  for granddaughters  Maddy (16 on the 24th) & Prim (14 on the 25th). 

Mom Jen & fiance Tanner hosted supper at Agave Authentic Mexican Grill.   The three sisters and Alec brought the energy and charm to the table. (Grandma & Grandpa brought the  cake.  The  cream cheese icing melted, but it was  all good!  )

The food and service were great (despite a   full house) and a good time was enjoyed by all. 

This afternoon we are going to Conexus Centre  of the Arts Optimist Band Festival to hear Maddy debut with her French Horn (She’s been playing the trombone for years). 

And tonight for Prim’s birthday, Jen and Tanner are taking her  and her friend Luca out to a  movie.

It’s incredible how fast our little dolls grew up! And a little sad… 😢

On another note… my health has been up and down for  the past few days.  One day I feel fine, the next – not so much.  On Monday I had a fever ALL DAY.  Fever is the one thing that knocks me down.  Fortunately, it only lasted a day!

I haven’t heard from the CT lab yet, so haven’t seen my respirologist.  No idea if the meds worked for my lung infection. 🤷‍♀️

My workouts have been a  bit hit and miss but I generally do my morning aerobics and I have been fairly consistent with deep breathing. 

I am definitely not where I would like to be physically,  but I have been  reading every day and gradually getting caught up with  my spring cleaning. 🙂

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

March 18th – Days 74 to 76  of My 2026 Daily Activity

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

I DID IT! 🤩

Yesterday, I completed my 21 day course of  Ciprofloxacin.  Zero side effects! I will not know if it was successful in irradicating my lung infection until I have further testing done, but I did it.  42 doses of 750mg.  👍

I had never thought to do the math but yesterday  something amazing occurred to me! 

I have no doubt how or where I contracted my pseudomonas aeruginosa.  On December 17th (2025), I had day  surgery to repair a hernia repair that I had done on December  17th (2021).   In the weeks before my surgery, I was doing great.  Following surgery, I was definitely NOT, and I never really got over it. 

A few weeks ago, I  went to see my respirologist.  Through sputum testing, he diagnosed  my problem and put me on a three week course of antibiotics, which I completed yesterday – March 17th.

December 17th is the anniversary of the day my Father passed away ( in 1993).  Yesterday, March 17th was my Father’s Birthday. (b 1909). 

Pretty cool how that worked out.  Just one more reason to believe this little adventure is over and done. 😃

Celebrating Dad’s birthday early 80’s

To celebrate yesterday, Dan went out and bought me flowers. 

The green blossoms were for St. Patrick’s Day.. ☘️

Other than that, I  have a bit of news…

Genie and Alec came by yesterday for a quick visit and to pick up their share of the baking from Saturday.

We are getting a taste of spring with temperatures in the DOUBLE digits (celcius) this  week. 

And.. I have begun spring cleaning. 💪

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

March 10th – Days 56 to 68  of My 2026 Daily Activity

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

I am back – and with a fair amount of activity to report on!

Today is Day 14 of my current round of antibiotics!  Two weeks down and only one to go.  While I don’t really know if it is dealing effectively with my lung infection, I do know that I HAVE NOT been experiencing any side effects to speak of.  🤗

My absence from Word Press began with a bit of a baking spree.  I made Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies, Coconut Oatmeal Cookies, AND for the first (and last!) time – Thumbprint Cookies. 

My baking mission was due to our impending trip north to stay with son Dan and his boys, while his wife Amanda was away on business.

We ended up heading north a day early to avoid a bit of weather that was expected. 

I would say the drive there was still a bit challenging at times, but to be honest I stayed in the passenger seat while Dan did all of the driving – there and back.   Fortunately, the roads were dry and clear yesterday for the return trip.

While we were at son Dan’s, I managed to keep busy enough.  I made countless trips up and down their stairs. 👍 I helped with the cooking and cleaning – neither which was particulary challenging.  👍 I read books to Cason and reviewed his ❤️ words.  👍 I played numerous board games, which I invariably lost. 👎 AND.. I fed the dogs and played referee as needed. (To the dogs, not the boys!) 🙄

I did have enough time to go on a short shopping spree, take one spin on their  treadmill, and I  finished reading “The Magic of Believing” and the first couple of chapters of “Unlimited Power”.

It was nice to get away, great spending time with Dan and the boys, but as always.. it is good to be home and back to our routine.   It felt really good to do my aerobics this morning!

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

February 26th – Day 52, 53, 54, 55, and 56  of My 2026 Daily Activity Journal

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2026, Health and Fitness

So far this year, there has been less than an impressive amount of activity in my life!  Things will turn around – hopefully soon than later.

Our weather is improving and with March almost here, it should keep getting better.  Before we know it, gardening season will begin and I am anxious to see it!

I’m not sure what will keep Molly out of the garden this year.  She has had no problem jumping the corner planter this winter, so the fence is more of a suggestion than a barrier at this point.

Yesterday, Genie and Alec dropped by for a short visit.  They are both looking well and still enjoying married life.  Their visit was much appreciated as we haven’t been getting out anymore than we had to during our latest cold snap.  Of course… Molly was besides herself!  With some grooming help from Genie and Alec, she shed half of her winter coat while they were here.  😳

Yesterday morning,  Dan and I did have one short outing.  We went to see my respirologist about the results of my recent sputum culture.  He put me on a heavy dose of a strong antibiotic to deal with my lung infection.  

As usual, I read all of the information available on this medication before I started taking it.   As usual, that was a mistake.  The potential chaos this medication can cause is mild to life threating.  The real kicker is the mental instability they throw in – anxiety, paranoia, delusion, suicidal thoughts… like just reading the information on such medication isn’t stressful enough. 🤦‍♀️

I understand that the infection I have is serious and that if I do not clear it up completely I will be dealing with it for the rest of my life.  But still, you would think by now a pharmaceutical company could come up with a drug to kill an infection that can do it without taking my mind and body down as well.

I cannot imagine how people deal with cancer, organ transplants, heart disease, and the like AND manage the medications that they have to take.   I just can’t!

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