Thoughts and Wanderings

Friday, May 8, 2009

Spa Day?

It all started because I needed a routine colonoscopy. Now this isn't something that I look forward to, but necessary to be done every 5 years if I want to remain healthy. I've already had an experience with cancer and will do whatever I need to prevent it from occurring somewhere else, thank you!

I purchased my nice box of medicine to start the cleansing process. 2 mild laxative pills and a 2 liter container with powder to mix with water and flavoring. I was a little nervous to be going to school/teach that day, but I was told I could continue with my regular routine and that I wouldn't be interrupted with any sort of emergency situation. Only clear liquids from the time I wake up and no solid foods or dairy products or red colored liquids. I had gone shopping for chicken broth, yellow gatorade, and apple juice. I'm ready to go...

I took the 2 pills at noon, drank my 16 ounces of chicken broth, and continued on. Drank tons of water and sipped on my gatorade all day. No problem. Went to my voice lesson after school. No problem. I thought, "this is easy." Then about 10 minutes into my lesson, I looked at my teacher (a woman, thank goodness!) and made a mad dash to the bathroom. Whew! made it! 

Ok. Let's try this lesson again. Singing, singing..... Mad dash to the bathroom! Whew!!!! made it! Sang for 5 more minutes because I needed to go through a couple of pieces with her, ended lesson and went home. 

The evening sessions, drinking my 2 liters and spending lots of time in my pretty blue and white bathroom, was interesting. When I told my daughter about it earlier in the day, she had said I should turn it into a "spa weekend." So my bathroom had the candles lit and a pretty vase of baby pink roses on the shelf. I also added a nice basket filled with interesting reading materials, pencil and paper, things that could occupy my time. It helped. It also helped to be able to go out into my hot tub when it was all over at 11 p.m. and soak in the 103 degree bubbling water out in the beautiful cool evening. I went to bed and slept peacefully.

The procedure went smoothly and my gentle husband held me close as he walked me, wobbly from the medication, out to the car. I walked up the walkway to our house and he commented about me looking "like I had been drinking." Wobbly from the meds, hungry from not eating since 2 days ago, happy to be home.

Well, I continued with the spa feeling and made myself the most delicious, healthy drink:
unsweetened almond milk, one whole banana, frozen blueberries, and a splash of 100% cranberry juice. Put all in the blender and blend till nice and smooth. Pour into a large, pretty glass. It's the most beautiful blue color and tastes delicious.

Then I sat in the "dapply shade" on my back porch with my basket of reading and my computer. Lovely. Suddenly getting hungry and with my husband gone to work, I prepared my lunch:
I put 2 large tablespoons fresh tomato salsa on my plate
(mine was mild, but you can spice it up if you like)
Then I put 2 eggs, fried in olive oil, on top of the salsa
(it warms it up a little. nice.)
and made a slice of french bread toast with butter.
My dessert was a cup of sugarless apple sauce and a hand full of nuts.
Water, water, water all day, of course.

Feeling wonderful. Spa weekend? You bet!