Genesis 1:29 And God said, “Look! I have given you the seed-bearing plants throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food.”
Nearly three-weeks after the first surgery I met a guy from India. Since I still had my bandages on, the ‘elephant in the room’ had to be talked about so right after the introductions I told him I’d had a little surgery. He was cooking something like curry chicken for supper so we continued to talk and I told him about the nose bump being basal cell carcinoma. He told me that it is extremely rare for people in India to have skin cancer because they have so much turmeric in their diets.
Since I prefer a natural approach over medicines I thought I would try some turmeric for preventive measures. After doing a little research, it is supposed to help lower the chances of heart attacks, help with osteoporosis, memory, depression, be an anti-inflammatory; and even be good for my bp, what did I have to loose? Turmeric is also supposed to be helpful for those with lupus, multiple sclerosis (MS) and arthritis. These and ninety other ailments might all benefit from adding turmeric to the diet. I probably should ask the doc about it if I think of it.
Job 37:10 The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen.
With ice still on my maple trees from a recent snow storm I decided it was time to stock up on cinnamon and turmeric for my natural approach to keeping my bp down to something the doc’s like. Off to Walmart I went with list in hand. Being a little bit of a creature of habit, I got a cart, checked the wheels for a smooth steer and headed to the vitamin aisle.
Next, to the lotion aisle to get another tin of Bag Balm, you can never have too much Bag Balm on hand. They ‘hide’ it a little by putting it on the top shelf but even if I have to get someone to get one down for me, it’s worth it!
Then off to the fabric department, a must stop for me. And over to dairy.
It’s my belief that most people do not know how to shop at Walmart or like stores. Most people start at the front of the store and get frozen items and bread first. So while shopping, all the frozen items thaw and the breads get smashed because they are put in the bottom of the cart. The best way to shop the food items is to start at the back of the store and end at the front of the store thus not having your tomatoes crushed or grapes juiced before you get to the checkout.
After getting milk, eggs and cheese, I ventured to the baking aisle for flour and yeast. I make bread (so it doesn’t get smashed,) then to canned goods before I finished in the produce department. It absolutely kills me to have to buy potatoes now after having grown my own for years and years, so I usually have to study what’s available, disregard ALL that are not Maine potatoes and see what is left for choices. Glancing out the corner of my eye I saw someone walk by me but since I was studying the round whites, I didn’t really look at them. Finally picking the potatoes, get it, picking potatoes, I went along to the onions.
At the apple bin I saw someone I knew and spoke for a couple minutes, then turning to go to get some jalapeños, I walked by a guy that looked familiar. After going through my ABC Name Game in the rol-a-dex in my mind and not coming up with how I might know this guy, I then put him into another category in my mind which is, ‘someone I went to school with a hundred years ago,’ and counted my jalapeños. I needed a dozen for my Hot Pepper Jelly and lost count at eight.
It was the doc!! The rol-a-dex works … just needed the right name!! Shocker!!, he’s not under “The Doc!!” The nose bump must really be settling and healing up if he didn’t even recognize me!!!!! I had to do a double take, after all it had been a few months since the last appointment, maybe it wasn’t him. I went around the peaches and saw him again at the papayas, this time I said, “Doc, is that you?, I didn’t recognize you without your headlamp.”
Looking at me like he’d never seen me before, I could almost see the rol-a-dex in his head spinning round and round. Since my tin of Bag Balm was in the seat of the cart I picked it up and said, “remember me, Ms. Bag Balm, USA.”
Proverbs 19:8 Those who get wisdom love their own lives; those who cherish understanding will soon prosper.
The three-months between appointments seemed to fly by. I didn’t have much nose bump news to report on and my ‘followers’ wanted to know how I was doing. Friends would send an FB message or call and I’d run into people I knew when out shopping. Almost every conversation would end with them saying, ‘I’m looking forward to reading the next blog page.’
Enjoy six more weeks of winter, I saw my shadow!!
Proverbs 30:24, 26 There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise: … Rock badgers (groundhogs) – they aren’t powerful, but they make their homes among the rocks.
Nibbler, that’s what my niece and nephews call the groundhog, came out for two-seconds and saw his shadow. Good thing he had on that big fur coat or he would have frozen to death because Northern Maine was seeing an extra cold winter with several Arctic cold blasts coming and staying longer than usual this year. The new nose bump flap was still freezing quite quickly whenever I was out, even for short times. Usually I had to make sure I wore my cowl neck scarf and pull it up over my nose just to check the mail or shovel the walk.
It doesn’t look like it with bright blue skies, but this particular day the wind chill was about -20 zero. It probably was normal for the flap to freeze quickly. This is my attempt to prevent the new nose bump from freezing at least until I can ask the doc if it’s normal for the flap to freeze so fast.
The next follow-up was scheduled for Thursday at 1:00. I still think they only work on Thursday. Anyway, I arrived the usual 15-minutes early to sign in and the receptionist said, “I don’t see you in our system.”
Handing her my appointment card, I said, “I’m getting used to that, I didn’t exist in another system recently either. I think I’m invisible.”
She took the card and said, “since you have a card, we’ll get you in, it’s our mistake.” Then she squeezed me in, between an ear wax removal and an allergy shot. I had time to run a couple errands and return.
When I got back they took me right in. The nurse said I look great. The doc came in and figuring he knew about the appointment mix-up, I asked him if he could even see the nose bump since I’m invisible. He didn’t know about it so I explained the situation. The doc didn’t seem as concerned about the mix-up as he was about my nose and said, “your nose looks lovely!” He looked it all over and said he still thinks it will be about a year for the swelling to go down and he’d see me again in three-months.
As usual I told him I would miss him and he said I could send him another note. Maybe he’s writing a blog on all the notes he gets from patients!
Happy Valentines Day
1 Corinthians 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
The Nose Bump 