Bette Davis said it best: “Growing old ain’t for sissies.” She also said: “The key to life is accepting challenges. Once someone stops doing this, she's dead.”
Well, I ain’t dead yet. I am facing several challenges, but as someone once said about another strong woman: Nevertheless, she persisted.
I have long had asthma and allergies, but lately I’ve also developed a condition called parosmia. Like I tell people, Google it. It stinks. Literally.
And for someone who enjoys cooking, and eating, this can be very depressing. I’m
waiting on an appointment with a neurologist (as of May 2023), but it may be as
much as a year before I am allotted one. Well, from everything I read my condition
could still be around as much as 2 years from now. It can be caused by a number of
things, but the increase in cases being reported lately are long-Covid related.
Covid was just one of the challenges faced in 2022. The other major event was my
husband’s heart attack. He is healthier now, with one more stent in his chest – that
makes three – and a good prognosis for the future.
Moving along, sorta
I have mobility issues. Initially caused by sacroiliac joint (SIJ) dysfunction, which
makes it painful to walk or stand for any length of time. I’ve had injections. I’ve had
radiofrequency ablation treatment. Neither worked. I’ve tried medicinal marijuana
for the pain, but it did nothing for me. I take lots of over-the-counter pain meds and Tylenol 3 by prescription.
And I am waiting for another appointment with the pain management clinic –
which, post-pandemic, should also take another 12 to 18 months waiting time. (Still waiting as of July 2024.) I had a CatScan and MRI in 2023 and the diagnosis was "moderate to severe arthritis" at the base of my spine, in addition to the SIJ Dysfunction.
I was going to the local pool for water therapy but that ended with the pandemic. I’m looking for water sessions that cater to those who depend on walkers and canes
to get around, but I haven’t found one yet.
All of which means I can’t do much outside the house. I had a studio where I sewed
and from which I sold finished products, but I had to give it up when the pain from
sitting and standing became too much.
The upshot of this is that I am on my laptop, and my phone, and my iPad a lot. And I cannot stand to be idle so I have looked for things I can do from my home and my recliner (the only
place, besides bed, where I am comfortable.)
What can I do? Lots!
I crochet. And I sell finished products on Etsy and Facebook Marketplace.
I cross stitch, and design cross stitch patterns in digital format from a website I
designed and manage – whatshesaidstitches.com.
I assist my author husband by managing the print-on-demand production, eBook and audiobook production, and promotional efforts to sell his books in these formats. (Check out his, and my work, by clicking on the image below.
And, I am a former Epicure Selections "ambassador." I cannot do events – like cooking classes or farmers’ markets or fundraisers – in person because I can’t sit or stand for long periods of time. Oh, I am also pretty much deaf now, having experienced hearing loss my entire life. Conversations are difficult and frustrating for all concerned. So, my mobility and hearing challenges made it difficult to build a business with Epicure.
My personal goals
Epicure’s products are still a huge part of my self-care regimen because every one is one or more of these profiles: gluten-free, non-GMO, vegan, halal, kosher and nut-free.
I am convinced that healthier eating goes a long way to relieving some of my
pain. So, I am trying to maintain an anti-inflammatory diet that includes a lot of
foods I enjoy, like salmon, kale, spinach, blueberries, walnuts and, where possible,
red wine. I am also trying to minimize sugar, carbs and processed foods. I say
“minimize” because I am also a chocoholic... although I do prefer dark chocolate, so
there’s that.
Epicure’s seasonings, spices and mixes help me minimize the chemicals and
preservatives that may also be contributing to my inflammation and my pain.
I now offer former Epicure representatives an opportunity to recoup some of their investment by maintaining this venture: My Epicurean Kitchen. You can read more detail about that on this page.
I also write a blog about, oh, all kinds of things - living with chronic pain, food product alerts like the recent Silk debacle and contaminated cinnamon products (not Epicure's cinnamon which is sourced from suppliers of the highest quality), healthy recipes using Epicure products, life in Edmonton and in "our little house on wheels", an RV parked about an hour west of the city.
I leave you for now with a saying I have had tattoed on my left arm, to remind me, when life gets a bit overwhelming … #neverthelessshepersisted.