Shoshiplatypus

Today is a special day

Thirty-seven years ago today, I repented of my sin, put my faith in the salvation won for us by Jesus on the cross, and became a Christian.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
(John 3:16)

What’s On Your Workdesk this Wednesday?

My apologies for not getting round to everyone’s blogs last week and for being so late with my comments, but I have been busy trying to catch up with things after being out each afternoon having my radiotherapy, and I am now beginning to feel the effects of the fatigue so I am having to rest a lot more.

Stamp storage

I’ve resumed work on my stamp storage, beginning with the DoCrafts stamp folder I was given some time ago by a friend; I think she picked this up in a charity shop. I discovered that the stamps in the folder are mostly DoCrafts, and after searching images online, was able to identify all the sets bar two or three which didn’t seem the same and were obviously of another (unmarked) brand.

Having got my new pack of Avery Elle pouches I was able to proceed, and made inserts with a printed image of the respective stamp sets that I found online. For unidentified ones, I separated them into categories, such as “Misc Flowers – Source Unknown.” In addition to dedicated pouches of, for instance “Happy Birthday – Source Unknown” I also have “Misc Sentiments – Source Unknown” consisting of sentiments such as “Happy Anniversary,” “Just a note” and others that I don’t use so often. Birthdays and Thanks have their own individual categories. Stamp sets are stuck onto a small piece of acetate which will slot into the Avery Elle pouch.

For stamp sets with different categories in them, I decided to separate them, and print a second copy of the label. In this Chocolate Baroque butterfly set, for instance, there was a single dragonfly, which I transferred into the dragonfly category. When I printed out the label, I faded the dragonfly image to indcate that that particular stamp was not in the pouch but stored in another one. You can just make out the faded image to the left of the large butterfly at the top.

Here is the reprinted label for the dragonfly stamp, now in the dragonfly category. You can see that I have faded out all the butterflies but left the dragonfly fully visible.

This is the reverse side of the pouch for the Chocolate Baroque butterfly set, showing the actual stamps mounted on a piece of acetate, and behind them, a small baggie containing the fussy cut butterflies made from one of the stamps in the set.

This is how things were at the end of play on Friday evening. The new dividers have yet to be laminated. The stamps on the right are waiting to be sorted into categories.

I am toying with the idea of using either the DoCraft folder, or the larger one, to hold information about individual stamps that might be part of a set – a sort of catalogue to help me find, for example, hearts – many stamp sets have small hearts or flowers included, and it would be useful to be able to find these without having to go through all the sets to try and find them. If I stamp each one on a piece of paper and identify the set it belongs to, and the category heading it is under, it might be easier to find. However, that’s a long-term project and would involve a lot of work – for now I might just resort to rummaging through the folders to find what I want!

I have put the latest embossed glossy photo paper backgrounds from last week with the 5 x 7 in card bases.

Cutting my recent Inkscape files

On Sunday evening I cut several 12 x 12 inch sheets of the latest leaf trail and sentiments that I posted about last week, and some additional sentiments too.

They’ve all got to be sorted into baggies ready for use. I am intending to colour some of them in advance as well. The stencil-like rectangular pieces at the front are the negative spaces of the sentiments I cut, and I intend to use these to line up the letters accurately When the time comes to use the sentiments. I could use them as stencils, or as-is on a card front, but the tiny centres of various letters such as “P” have gone; I might be able to simply ink those in on any project I was using them for.

Some of the sentiments require shadow layers to be cut for them. I have prepared whole sheets of these but haven’t cut them yet. I also cut some mat layers slightly smaller than a 5 1/2  x 4 inch card front, some with circular and some with oval appertures.  These have gone into the basket with the card bases, and I’m saving the circles and ovals which were cut out, as useful shapes.

It’s a bit of a pain having to lug the laptop upstairs to do this cutting, but unfortunately I am not permitted to install Sure Cuts a Lot (SCAL) on more than one computer. This is the program that enables the images to be transferred to the cutting machine as you cannot do this directly from Inkscape.

More DVD tesserae

I’ve cut another two discs’ worth of tesserae, which have yet to be made up. When I put these with the other blanks in the studio which I cut previously, I will have quite a few.

New stash – Misti Creative Corners

My Misti Creative Corners have arrived. I had discovered that they are usable with other stamping platforms – I have the Tim Holtz one – as long as you remove them before closing the lid in case they are too thick. I thought they would be a useful addition to my creative arsenal.

They seem to be high quality. The set squares have measurements marked on them and will be useful as a companion to my new T-ruler for all sorts of lining-up tasks, not just stamps. The small squares are equipped with magnets to hold them in place in the stamping platform.

Kitties

Both enjoying a bit of attention on the kitty throw.

Ruby’s “kitten face” as my hubby likes to call it – all innocent while deeply asleep! This kitty snores…

Ruby loves to use her sister as a pillow. So nice and soft to lie on.

Ruby having a lovely cuddle with my hubby. I could hear her purring from across the room. I love their little spotty pads.

Not to be outdone, here is Lily getting a bit of attention too.

Health update

I had my final radiotherapy session last Wednesday after I’d published my WOYWW post last week. When I arrived, the chief radiographer asked if I’d had a good evening the day before, and I replied, “Yes, I did – I spent it making something for you!” I gave the card to them before we began the treatment and they were thrilled with it. They said they would put it up in the office where everyone could see it.

Before I went in, the same lady came to speak to me, who had spoken to me on Monday. She hadn’t identified herself and I assumed she must be Dr. Goodman’s registrar. On Tuesday I asked at reception and they told me she was a radiologist. On Wednesday when I saw her, I asked her, and she told me she was the community radiographer. What a lot of misinformation! She used to do the treatments, but now she works as a liaison between the patients, the oncologists and the radiographers. She told me Dr. Goodman had given her the authority to carry out my follow-up in about 8 weeks’ time, and she gave me her contact number in case I needed to speak to her in the meantime.

I mentioned again that I was still suffering from a very painful jaw and confirmed that I had stopped the exemestane (oestrogen blocker) on her instruction. She said she would phone me in four weeks’ time to see how things were going and to remind me to start taking it again if all was well.

She came in with me to the treatment room so that she could have a look at my skin, which she agreed was a bit pink. I told her the breast felt a bit tender, and she said both these things were to be expected at this stage. She asked about moisturising and I told her I was doing this twice daily as instructed. This should help prevent the worst of any “sunburn” problems.

At the end of the treatment, the radiographers said they would take some photos of me “in situ” – apparently they do this quite often for people who want it. When they handed me my phone, I took a couple of photos of my view of things from inside. I mentioned before that there was a cross-shaped hole in the ceiling above my head, through which the green laser lights emerged. I got quite used to looking up at this!

A Shoshi’s eye view of the underside of the radiotherapy machine. The central part is quite reflective, as you can see. You can see one of the green laser lights, and the “270” is one of the 90-degree marks around the outside of the circular device.

The staff then took a couple of photos of me – but only after they had covered me up with the gown again! I got my arms back into position.

More laser lights visible, and you can also see the reflective central part of the radiotherapy machine. The flat plates are X-ray machines – they take a couple of images each time before they begin the treatment.

It is pretty uncomfortable keeping your arms in that position the entire time – they always went to sleep and at the end I was completely incapable of moving them on my own and the radiographers had to do it for me!

Since the final treatment I have been monitoring myself carefully for any side effects. It has now got more pink and definitely more tender. I can expect the effects to peak about a fortnight after my final treatment. I am also beginning to feel a lot more fatigued than is normal for me these days so I am trying to take it easy when I can.

DEXA bone density scan

On Monday I went to Paignton Hospital for my DEXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) scan. This low-level X-ray procedure measures bone density. In my case this is necessary because I am taking an oestrogen blocker, and reduced oestrogen levels can lead to osteoporosis. This will have to be monitored during the five years I am taking this drug.

The levels of X-ray radiation are so low that the operator can remain in the room with you while it is being done. Here is an Internet image of someone having this scan. It is a lot more comfortable than the radiotherapy – this individual looks as if she’s dropped off!

My scan was performed by a specialist osteoporosis nurse practitioner. Before it was done, she ran through a detailed questionnaire with me about my medical history, family history, medications I was on, diet, whether I smoked or drank, and whether I had suffered any fractures – it was pretty comprehensive. She also asked if I had ever been on steroids, for instance to treat my ulcerative colitis, which I had not. These drugs can cause thinning of the bones. She asked when I had had the menopause and I told her about my hysterectomy as well. She asked about exercise and I told her that I was not able to do this with my ME. We discussed my ulcerative colitis and subsequent colon cancer and ileostomy; she said this history was important in this context because it may affect the absorption of nutrients for bone health. On the subject of diet, we discussed the predominence of osteoporosis in nations which consumed the most dairy products – see the “Nutrition” section below.

She weighed and measured me.

Once she’d gone through everything, she got me on the bed and did the scan.

I had to lie still, with a block under my knees, and the arm of the scanner passed slowly by increments over my spine and hips. She then removed the block and put another one between my feet, with my legs turned inwards slightly and my feet strapped to the block to hold my legs in place, and then the scanner was run again over my hips. It only took a few minutes.

Afterwards she went through the results with me, and showed me a small model of several vertebrae with varying degrees of osteoporosis. She said that for my age, my bones were in very good shape indeed. We discussed my diet and she was pleased, as I am eating plenty of plant-based foods rich in calcium and am also supplementing with Vitamin D.

I will need another DEXA scan in two years’ time. This base-line result shows that my bones are in good condition. She said the results would be forwarded to my oncologist Dr. Goodman, and also to my GP, and that I would receive a copy in due course. She sent me away with some literature about diet and foods rich in calcium, which of course included dairy, despite evidence that this is actually detrimental to bone health! – and a leaflet about Vitamin D supplements, which is apparently standard practice.

Nutrition

Get boned up on Calcium and Vitamin D

Calcium is necessary for healthy bones. It is a very interesting fact that the western nations which consume the highest quantities of dairy products (milk and cheese) also have the highest incidence of osteoporosis. It has been suggested that one reason for this may be that these foods are acidic, and the body tries to neutralise the acid by drawing alkaline calcium from the bones. From childhood, here in the West, we have been actively encouraged to consume dairy products for healthy bones, and this is now being proved to have quite the opposite effect! Those of us born during the decade after the Second World War (the Baby Boomers) will remember the 1/3 pint milk bottles each schoolchild was supplied with at morning break. I used to hate this – it was always luke-warm which never tasted nice. The silver top would be pierced with a straw and we’d all suck away at our morning milk.

Vegans are often castigated for not getting enough calcium because they don’t consume dairy products, but many plant-based foods are very rich in calcium and sufficient in the diet to maintain healthy levels, without the damaging bone problems caused by dairy. I eat a lot of calcium-rich plant-based foods such as dark green leafy vegetables (kale and spinach in particular), butternut quash, broccoli, sweet potatoes and celeriac, and also the tofu I eat is rich in calcium, so I should be fine without supplementation as my oestrogen levels diminish. I also consume a lot of soya milk yoghurt which contains calcium. Many non-dairy milks are fortified with calcium but I consume mostly home-made almond milk which is just raw almonds and water. Almonds are nutritional powerhouses and are rich in calcium. Many seeds contain plenty of calcium too, especially chia, sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds, most of which I consume on a daily basis.

Vitamin D is is required to help the body absorb calcium. It is known as the “sunshine vitamin” because being in the sunshine causes the body to manufacture Vitamin D. Living in northern climes, many first-world residents tend to have low levels of vitamin D; it is hard for us to get enough sunshine to be beneficial, and it is a good idea to take a supplement, whatever age you are and whatever your state of health. Being on a vegan diet, I am already supplementing with Vitamin D. Again, I do consume quite a bit of spinach which is a good source of vitamin D as well as calcium, as are certain varieties of exotic mushrooms; unfortunately our common-or-garden white mushrooms are a poor source by comparison.

Anyway, it’s good to know that my bones are in good health, and that I am doing all the right things to keep them that way.

Visit to Oldway Mansion

When my hubby picked me up from the hospital, he asked if I’d ever been to Oldway Mansion which was just down the road. I had not, so on the spur of the moment we decided to go. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon.

Oldway Mansion was built by Isaac Singer, who invented the famous sewing machine, and it was rebuilt by his son Paris in the style of the Palace of Versailles and it’s almost as over-the-top! Unfortunately the house itself is now in a poor state and not open to the public but the gardens are being restored and it’s a delightful place to visit. Full details in this blog post, but here are a few photos.

A nice litle seaside cottage, isn’t it.

Have a great week, everybody.