SOLSC '26 Day Eighteen: Stepping up on a soapbox

 

Thirty-one days, thirty-one posts for the Slice of Life Story Challenge.

I pulled up the lab report again, then pulled out my tape measure.  I'm a visual learner...found fifteen inches, matched it up to the zero at the end to make a circle.

A little more than a grapefruit, little less than a cantaloupe.  Either way, my largest fibroid had been taking up quite a bit of abdominal real estate.

****************

When I first got diagnosed, I went down a rabbit hole of internet research.  Figured out what kinds of fibroids I had, what the different treatments were, what the side effects could be.  I was shocked when I read the statistics:  up to eighty percent of women will experience some kind of fibroids, most during their childbearing years.  Eighty percent.

So then I started wondering--why don't we know more about this, especially with numbers so high? Why aren't we screened for them at every annual exam?  Why aren't we talking more about this?   

The answer, of course, is the lack of research on women's health issues.  The algorithm handed me one way to help with that problem today.  I made a small donation to the Foundation for Women's Health, after spending some time reading up on their mission and medical advisory board.  

I can only hope that progress will be made before my daughter faces a situation similar to mine.  After all, there is an eight in ten chance she will...

SOLSC '26 Day Seventeen: DQ for the win!

 

Thirty-one days, thirty-one posts.

Loafed away the morning.  Did some online banking, watched the live broadcast of the Dublin, Ireland St Patrick's Day parade on PBS, and finally put away most of the the Christmas candles, swapping them out for spring-scented ones.

I could have stayed in my pajamas all day (they were green, no danger of being pinched),  but then I had a hankering for ice cream.  A DQ Blizzard, to be exact.

Nothing like a sweet treat to get me moving!  Found a shamrock-patterned pair of Lularoe leggings--which have become my "pants" of choice recovering from the hysterectomy, the waistband reaching Urkle-levels, floating over incisions--and a baggy green sweatshirt.  A shower and some light makeup, and I was ready for the five minute drive to our local DQ, son in tow. 

It was good to be behind the wheel and out and about for the first time in ten days, even if it was just for a quick drive through the neighborhood.  Bonus that we got there for "Happy Hour", and I scored a one dollar corndog along with my Mocha Brownie Blizzard and a Diet Coke.  

Not the healthiest recovery meal, I admit!  But it sure tasted good, sitting on my front porch, enjoying the weather and my treats.

SOLSC '26 Day Sixteen: Shades of green, signs of spring

Thirty-one posts for the Slice of Life Story Challenge.

I've pretty much given up on the thirty-one walks in thirty-one days as a theme for this year's SOLSC.  Today's excuse for not going outside for a walk was a thirty-degree drop in temps, high winds, and forgoing post-surgical pain meds for a day.  Instead, I stayed in my warm fleece jammies and managed to empty the dishwasher and make a home-cooked dinner for the first time in over a week.  I continued reading Project Hail Mary (yes, the new movie).  I napped.

So here are some pictures of the plants in my yard from my time outside on Saturday.  Inspired by arjeha's post on the surprise appearance of spring, I took note of all the different shades of green (and some red) on display before the skies turned cold again.  I hope that wherever you are, there are some signs of spring, with the vernal equinox just four days away.

(Please excuse the sideways photos...)

Photos by Christine Margocs, March 2026

SOLSC '26 Day Fifteen: What we miss--Stepping outside, part two

 

Thirty-one walks, thirty-one posts.

My husband and I took a right at the end of the driveway.  "Just to the end of the block and back," I said, hands holding my sore belly.  Always the pacesetter when we've walked before, this time he followed my lead.

The skies were blue and the temps were just a smidge on the warm side.  We noticed one of the grand old oaks in a neighbor's yard that had been trimmed to half its height, bare thick trunks forming a natural sculpture of sorts, the cuttings still littering the yard.

"Maybe that's what we should do with our tree in the back."  Our old mother oak is dying of oak wilt; I just hate the thought of the tree completely disappearing.

We reached the corner and turned around.  The second house we came to was being painted by the neighbor from the third house.  My husband knew him and said hello. After I was introduced, my husband asked if he was just doing the couple a favor by painting.

"Oh, the owner passed away in October," he said.  "The wife is going to sell the house and move into assisted living.  My partner and I offered to help get the house ready for the market."

After getting over the shock and discussing the circumstances, we said our goodbyes and headed back home, a bit more somber, the blue skies a bit less bright.  The neighborhood is aging, both trees and people.  The weight of that fact is an inescapable reality, whether we are paying attention or not.

SOLSC '26 Day Fourteen: Stepping outside, part one

 

Thirty-one walks, thirty-one posts.

It was getting too warm at night to wear flannel nightshirts.  I was tired of them, anyway, having worn nothing but the recent Lands' End purchases since Monday afternoon.  It was time to put on real clothes.

Thank goodness for my Lularoe-wearing era.  A pair of high-waisted leggings skimmed over the steri-strips on my belly; an oversized sweatshirt completed the outfit.  

I put my freshly washed hair in a ponytail, swiped on some concealer, blush, and mascara to look a little more alive for our monthly SoulCollage session via Zoom.  Not that the group would have cared if I showed up a hot mess; we have a more come-as-you-are kind of vibe.

Several hours later, I had two cards in my hand.  As I pondered their messages for me, one point seemed clear--nature heals.  I needed to get some fresh air and sunshine, pronto.

My husband came home from running errands as I was putting on my shoes.  "You're just in time," I said.  "Do you want to go for a walk with me?".

To be continued...  

SoulCollage Card by Chris Margocs, March 2026

SoulCollage Card by Chris Margocs, March 2026

SOLSC '26 Day Thirteen: Preparation steps

 

Thirty-one walks, thirty-one posts.

It wasn't much, but at least it was something.

The days leading up to my surgery were a whirlwind of preparations:  sub plans, picking up medications, washing clothes and bed linens, shopping for ready-made meals, and buying my husband's birthday cards and gifts.

By the time I got around to the last thing on that list, it was at the end of a twelve-hour workday, my last before medical leave.  My husband is hard to shop for as a rule, and I had little to no brain power left to be creative.   

I drove to my local Hallmark and spent a few minutes choosing a couple of heartfelt cards.  The decision fatigue was closing in fast as I wandered the boutique sections, trying to find something, anything that would keep me from having to go somewhere else.

There--fancy pancake mix and syrup.  Something I could make for him when I felt up to it again.

It wasn't much, but at least there were cards and gifts, waiting for him on his birthday this morning.   

SOLSC '26 Day Twelve: Step by step

 

Thirty-one walks, thirty-one posts.

Opened the door today, took a breath of fresh air...and didn't make it much farther.  Another restless night, feeling a little shaky, I just wasn't ready to head outdoors yet.  I also still need to figure out what clothes I own that will accommodate incisions placed a bit higher than I anticipated.

I did take a much needed step elsewhere--into the shower!  I had avoided the hassle of taking one while the pain med pump was still in place; the instructions for that scenario included swathing my midsection in plastic wrap, and, well, it just didn't seem like a pleasant process.  Hubby took care of removing that last night, so I was free to shower as usual.  The added bonus of some fancy soap arriving in the mail today (a gift to myself) was like a self-care sign from above.

Washing my face with actual facial cleanser, then lathering up in perfumed soap reminiscent of a sea cove made me feel one more step closer to normal.