That's all, salsa time.

[Erella Ganon]

Hello!

I am quietly healing here. 

Recovery is a little slower than I had anticipated. It took weeks for the incisions to close properly. 

The last few days, several friends have passed. It is sad to think of those who are gone. It makes me personally want to celebrate and pack as much life and fun into my world. Not that this is very different from my life before, but for those friends that aren't here any longer, I appreciate my good fortune and relative good health with a robust pleasure and respect.

Right now my focus is weaning from the cortisol. I guess  I presently have less of it in my blood than I have had for many years.

My adrenals had been (over) producing cortisol and it was damaging to my body, aside from feeding brain tumour(s). I had surgery and radiation eliminate or reduce the size of the brain tumour.  We hoped that would nab the whole thing but that didn't happen because it was in a sensitive spot. My last MRI showed that the tumour was growing a slightly. 

I decided to have the risky BLA surgery to stop this process. Both adrenal glands were removed. The cortisol is being replaced pharmacologically with pills. 

Weaning from the high cortisol is a challenge. I will always be taking these pills, but at a more reasonable dose. 

When I left hospital, I was taking 100mg of this drug. Now I am down to 40mg. I will stay at this level for another few weeks to stabilize and then wean some more before my next appointment with my endocrinologist in January.

It is really unpleasant to wean. My body is unhappy whenever I go down a step and does all it can to get my attention. The point is easily made. I get it, really I do.

Distraction with people that I care about is the best solution.

Next Sunday afternoon we're gathering at the Lula Lounge  at 11:30am to have a  brunch salsa music party. I am just reminding you to reserve through the lula.

They're offering us a wonderful deal. http://lulalounge.ca/erella.html

Friends that mention me get all this for $18

We’ve reserved a limited number of tickets at a special price of $18 for Erella’s guests. 

This cover includes buffet brunch, coffee, dance lesson, live music, tax AND service. 

Kids 12 and under are free. 

1:30 doors, first set noon, 1pm dance lesson, 

2nd set at 2pm.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=131937900194308

After that everyone (all my friends) are welcome to Shawn Venasse's open house.

He's been baking and preparing in what spare moments he has between his huge work, social life and training for an upcoming Iron Man competition.

155 Delaware ave, steps from the Oz subway station.

Sunday, December 19 · 2:00pm - 9:00pm

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=126722437388126

I am making some extremely limited edition prints that I will sell at the Lula for $25 each. They are from my upcoming book, Erella's No Brainer.

They are on acid free paper printed with archival ink and the edition will be 20 or 40 at this point. This is exciting.

Jude MacDonald worked like crazy to edit the images to a workable presentable shape.  

The book was going to be published by Art Metropole who suspended the project when Ann Dean, who had been director there, left in October. She's generously offered to help get the project off the ground and has made some encouraging headway in the last week. I am thrilled to have a plan again. 

Last week a few friends and I went to a crazy spa thing in collingwood. I negotiated couple free passes to go to an outdoor (in the snow!) spa as a part of the package. It was a great thrill. We cooked dinner in a cabin in the woods and stayed in a hotel a few nights. It was one of those things where they take you to a resort to sell you a time share scheme. We timed it perfectly so that we had the hotel rooms and everything at the same time and spent days giggling and having fun.

Hope to see you at the Lula on sunday. There will certainly be folks you will enjoy there.

Invite wonderful people to join us too.

This was going to be a little gathering for a few friends and then we thought this salsa brunch would bring people out and laughing together. This- BEFORE the salsa dance lessons. The band is amazing. I have heard them before and loved them. You will too, I am sure.

Join us, 

won't you?

Erella