Archive for "Health"
Brian’s Cyst Removal Pics
Posted on September 26, 2022 by Ching under Health.
Whenever we can, Brian and I try to go to each other’s doctor’s appointments. Either we schedule our appointments at the same time (like our annual physicals) so we can be together or, if only one of us is getting treatment, the other is there to ask questions (that the other might forget or be too embarrassed to ask), take notes, and just be there for moral support.
He used to go to my gyno appointments with me to but that’s one thing that he’s skipped for several years. I’ve started getting mammograms and he doesn’t go to those because, honestly, they are short appointments and not that exciting. So, I guess, he doesn’t go to routine appointments he doesn’t need to be there for but definitely goes to the more serious ones.
As far as annual checkups, dental and eye doctor appointments that we both need to get done, we try to schedule those either together or back to back so we can go at the same time. I think some offices appreciate it because we can be in the same room and pretty much talk to the doctor at the same time so it goes much quicker than if we were to go separately. Unless, of course, Brian is having one of those days and decides to ask ten thousand questions.
That said, sometimes part of the appeal of going with the other person is mainly just to harass them. This is a picture from my surgery consultation last week. Brian went with me because he had questions and wanted to know all the details and also he’s going to be in charge of driving me home while I’m groggy from the anesthesia.
As he is there for me, I also try to be there for him. So when he went to get his cyst removed on Friday afternoon, exactly a month ago today, I went with him. The bump had been bothering him for some time. He noticed it before we left for Mexico and had our doctor look at it then. Dr. Hane told him if it didn’t go away on its own then he could surgically remove it. Anyway, the cyst got bigger and harder so Brian decided surgery was the way to go and scheduled it for August 26.
These pics are so gross but I know you’re all dying to see them… LOL. So, here you go. Enjoy! This is the doc feeling around the cyst.
The doctor drew dots where he would cut Brian’s flesh.
This is a picture of the fatty tumor that was removed. I guess the cyst had ruptured and Brian’s body encased it in fat to protect him. They literally cut out a lump of fat.
This is the hole that it left.
This is a picture of it all stitched up.
Here’s a video of the doctor showing us the fatty tumor. It’s so gross but you know you want to see it. LOL.
Thanks to both Dr. Hane and Brian for allowing me to take pictures and videos. It definitely makes going to these appointments much more enjoyable. I’ll post an updated pic of the scar soon so you’ll see what the spot looks like after one month.
Until next time, GNG.
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Spread HopeICT Event
Posted on June 10, 2022 by Ching under Community, Health.
Here are some pictures from HopeNet’s Spread HopeICT event at Chicken N Pickle last month. The purpose of the panel is to promote positive youth mental health and support for suicide awareness and prevention.
We ran into Judy and Malachi Nola.
And also Jo Lynn Bright, HopeNet’s Director of Community Impact.
I felt overwhelming emotion upon seeing Jo Lynn. She was my most favorite EMPAC counselor and helped me work through some issues 12 years ago. It was so great to see her again and to know that she continues to make a difference for so many through the HopeNet organization.
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Brian Gets Dose #1
Posted on July 26, 2021 by Ching under Health.
Brian got his first dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine last week. I took a bunch of pictures because I honestly never thought this day would come. He has been so adamant about not getting vaccinated despite all the research that has proven it to be extremely beneficial.
Anyway, he was freaking out about it a lot and wanted me to be there — which worked out well because I wanted to take pics of the momentous event. It’s like hell froze over. Seriously. Because he didn’t want to get vaccinated. At all.
I think the clincher is our upcoming trip to Jamaica. He knows that he can’t go unless he gets fully vaccinated. And he knows that I will go with or without him. So, yeah. He pretty much had no choice. There was no dragging his feet any longer.
Below are the pictures from his first dose. Shot #2 happens in about three weeks. Stay tuned for the continuation of this vaccination saga. Will he go through with it? You’ll just have to come back here in a few weeks to find out.
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I am Officially Fully Vaccinated
Posted on April 21, 2021 by Ching under Health, Life.
I received the second dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine yesterday so I am officially fully vaccinated. Here’s a picture I took when I got my first dose of the vaccine at the old library a few weeks ago. The whole operation was super efficient. Having printed my form ahead of time, I was in and out in less than 30 minutes counting my mandatory observation time.
I was going to go back to the library for my second dose but the vaccine is now widely available. Rather than going downtown again, I scheduled my second vaccine at the Walgreens in Andover just down the street from our house. That part was no difficult but it took some doing for me to cancel my original appointment at the library because I couldn’t figure out where to cancel my appointment on the website. I had to actually find the email they sent me about the appointment and cancel it from there.
It was nice to be able to get it at Walgreens because (a) I didn’t have to contend with downtown and (b) I actually got to walk around the store during my mandatory observation period so I wasn’t stuck just playing on my phone. I used the time productively to pick out a card for a friend who is having a birthday celebration this weekend.
I have heard of people having issues after getting vaccinated and Brian, who is borderline anti-vaxxer (I say this because he has never gotten the flu shot ever and completely against the idea of getting vaccinated), never hesitates to tell me these horror stories of people getting sick. Other than my vaccination arm being sore, I’ve experienced no complications whatsoever.
Anyway, I’m hoping that this will encourage him to get vaccinated. I hate that he’s dragging his feet and won’t do it. Can you guys help me convince him please?
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Group Fitness Kickoff Event at VASA
Posted on January 15, 2021 by Ching under Community, Events, Health, Zumba.
I did very little Zumba last year because of the pandemic and other things. By the end of 2019, my addiction to pickleball had reached new heights and I decided that I need to cut back on my Zumba and Aqua Zumba classes to free up more time to play pickleball. I had already given up my Sunday morning Aqua Zumba class at South YMCA (Brynden took it over) and so I started 2020 with only seven classes. I wasn’t going to stop there, though. I had already plans to get rid of other classes, the first one being my Saturday morning Aqua Zumba at VASA Harry. Liz had actually hired someone to take it over for me starting in March.
I started 2020 with seven classes but I was gradually and systematically getting rid of classes one at a time to make room for pickleball. And then COVID hit. All the gyms closed (along with other local businesses) at the start of the pandemic. So I went from teaching seven classes to none. I guess I didn’t need someone to take over that Aqua Zumba class in March after all because, when March rolled around, there were no classes happening at all. Anywhere.
When the gyms reopened, I brought back only one class — my Monday night Zumba class at VASA Harry. I wanted to be available for pickleball in the evenings and weekends, and play a lot of pickleball is exactly what I did. Over the summer, in addition to playing in the evenings, I was even playing at 5 AM on most weekdays. Pickleball completely ruled my life last year.
But then as fall approached and the sun began to rise later and later, I couldn’t play before work anymore. We were mostly playing at Seneca Park, and we couldn’t play without the sun because there are no lights there (except for the one security light, which isn’t really enough). That’s when I decided to look for other options — enter my Wednesday morning (5:30 AM) Zumba class at VASA Woodlawn. This actually gave me the idea to add more classes. If I know exactly what days of the week I’m devoting to pickleball then I can teach classes on the other days. Seven classes was clearly too much but I could add a few more classes and maintain a good balance. This leads us to where we are today.
Last year I turned down a lot of Zumba events because I fully committed myself to pickleball. I decided this year my time would be split between the two so when the VASA team decided to have a group fitness sampler extravaganza on the first Saturday of the year, January 2, I volunteered to help. I’m really glad I did because it reminded me of how much I enjoy these Zumbathon events.
Here are some of my favorite pictures from that day…
We had 30-minute sampler sessions of STRONG and the other formats in the studio and held two hours of Zumba in the gym.
I got to lead a few songs along with my fellow Zumba instructors.
And I got to see Jessie (above) and Charis (below). I hadn’t seen them in forever.
Here’s a group pic of some of our Zumba instructors at VASA. Of course, it’s hard to tell who is who because of the masks. Not ideal but necessary given the current situation with COVID. I really can’t get infected right now because I’m still within my 90 days of immunity (some say you could even been immune for up to eight months) but I still wear my mask any time I’m around a group of people mostly for everyone else’s benefit and comfort.
We didn’t wear our masks while exercising just when we were standing around together. Masks or no masks, social distancing or not, it was a great time. It made me realize how much I love group exercise and participating in these events. I’m glad I decided to devote more time to teaching my group fitness classes in 2021.
Here’s current group fitness schedule:
VASA Harry
Monday – Zumba at 6:30 PM
Wednesday – Aqua Zumba at 6:30 PM
Sunday – Aqua Zumba at 9:00 AMVASA Woodlawn
Wednesday – Zumba at 5:30 AM
Saturday – Aqua Zumba at 9:00 AM
Seven classes was clearly too many and one was not enough so we’ll see how this balance thing works out with five classes a week this year. Until next time. GNG.
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