love Erella, summer 2012

[Erella Ganon]

Hello all. 

There has been a lot going on and yet I haven't written to you.

I apologize. I have been composing emails to you about my dear mom and close friends that have recently died and what I have learned from these experiences. 

My health continues to be difficult though I get loads of healthy moments. 

Luckily I have some amazingly kind and generous friends that allow me to share their cottage paradises. Rest and swimming are so healing for me. 

It is remarkable how much better and stronger I feel when I am gliding through the water. 

I go to the YMCA aquafit classes a few times a week and have been for about 5 months. I love it but nothing can compare to the energy and peace that comes from swimming in a beautiful clear Ontario lake. I so appreciate my time in the water, where ever it is.

About a month ago, I enlisted a personal trainer there to help me figure out why I can work through the rigorous one-hour classes though walking, even the shortest distance absolutely winds me. The athlete who appears to be closer in age to one of the kids that Celeste baby-sits than an expert has been surprisingly very helpful. He gave me some simple exercises that I perform daily even though they're impossibly embarrassing looking.

I have also gone to see a knee expert at my hospital because of the sharp pain I feel when I walk any amount at all.

In 1978, my little sister and I were walking across a street and were hit by a car. After we recovered from that, which seemed to take forever, I thought I was good as new. It was good for a long time, I suppose. 

It seems that something was put out of joint a little bit then. 

Over the years, with the cushing's disease taking calcium from my bones, old age and of course, the obesity, it has made the little problem, worse. 

The current test results give me this info that I pretend to understand.

There is a complete loss of the hyaline cartilage of the the weight-bearing surface of the medial compartment involving both the femur and tibia. There is blunting of the apex of the lateral miniscus.

There is moderate-to severe chondrosis within the pallellofemoral compartment with moderate chondrosis in the lateral compartment. 

All this means is that I will have a minor surgery in the next month or so to my right knee that will make it easier for me to walk. I sure hope it works.

The doctor expressed all the risk factors to this surgery and I went over all the difficulty that anesthetists have encountered with putting me under and keeping me asleep during surgery. I will get a call in the next few days and surgery will likely happen in September.

Celeste's birthday is Oct 1 We have spent  far too many of her birthdays in hospital. 

I have asked for mercy with the scheduling and they have agreed to do their best. It will be her 19th birthday this year and I want to make it special.

Another impending surgery.

Look at me, haven't I become cavalier?

All surgery for someone with my medical history is life threatening but if it isn't considered major surgery, a part of me poo-poos it. 

It will happen. I will feel better.

I will let you know when the surgery date is set. I don't expect to be laid up too long. I will hobble on one foot. It is my driving leg so I guess I will stay put. I am not terribly upset about this because I expect it to go rather well. 

In the spring, I went to see a new specialist at the Upper Canada Lower Bowel Clinic (I love their name!) and the esteemed doctor put me on an Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Low Insoluble Fibre diet. It basically means I cannot eat any garlic or spice and very little chick peas, broccoli or the vegetables that I have normally lived on.

 The diet helps a moderate amount. 

Considering what it does to my world, I would want it to absolutely eradicate the symptoms. 

In short, it is a 1965 Holiday Inn menu.

Yes to salt, lettuce, white bread, white rice, meat and potatoes. No to carrots, brown bread, brown rice, lentils, kale or seemingly, anything with flavour.

I drink Coconut Water every day. It is helpful for the electrolites that my body no longer produces and I find it really soothing.

I still have the daily problem with dizziness, nausea and diarrhea though. Lately, I have dry heaves as a part of every day. None of that is pleasant. 

I feel frustrated and exhausted by the challenges though I am pleased it isn't worse. It is a funny combination. I think of Catherine who used to be an awesome chef and the last part of her life, she could eat nothing but Ensure. The morning head pain is kind of easier to take because I can predict how I feel and I know how to deal with it.

We'll see.

The most annoying thing happened and I do not know how to deal with it.

A woman in Toronto who teaches seminars about nursing and patient care found my website and downloaded a bunch of the images. She then put them into a powerpoint  presentation. My friend, Dr Sholom Gluberman was in the audience and congratulated me on the excellent slide show the next time I saw him. There was no credit or acknowledging my name. No info about how someone could reach me.

I was furious. 

I feel so violated. 

There is a copyright notice on the blog that she ignored. 

I haven't posted anything since then and frankly haven't felt like drawing much since. 

I wanted to confront her and asked Sholom to connect with her. 

Finally I received a condescending message from the woman

I received your contact information from Dr. Sholom Gouberman. He explained that you were upset that I used your illustrations in my PowerPoint slides. I must apologize for this oversight. I came across your blog during my research on patient experience and perspectives with home care. I was hugely impressed with your illustrations and in the last minute included a couple of them in PP slides for a small internal audience. The slides were not published or widely distributed.  

 

Sholom also gave me your telephone number and if you let me know a good time to contact you, I will be glad to call and chat with you about this.

I don't know what the next step should be.  I want to tell her that if she valued it enough to use it, she should be prepared to pay for it. 

I would like to ask her how she would feel if someone expected her to do what she does for a living and has taken away the possibility to be paid for this. 

I know it is what musicians contend with regularly but that is no comfort for me. 

She's used my work as though it was clip art.

If anyone has any clever ideas or advice, please let me know. I haven't felt able to call her or send her a reply yet because I am so angry. 

Have you any thoughts or suggestions? Please let me know.

Here are some very recent photos for your amusement.

Thank you for caring.

love, 

Erella

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's Monique and her daughter Ruby taken just a couple weeks ago at our friend Susan's cottage.

 

 

and Céleste peeking into my bedroom. 

Look at the fabulous Fiona Smyth paintings! 

She has an incredible new kids' book called What Makes A Baby. I just got my very own copy and couldn't be more excited about it.

 

 

Please enjoy yourselves and loved ones too.

E.

Erella Ganon

blog: www.erella.net

web: www.erella.com