recovery

I had the stitches removed yesterday. Before I left for my appointment I had Dorothy take a picture of my nose. I thought it would be good to post it on the blog as a public service warning about skin cancer. Then I thought better of it. It's too gruesome. The doctor did a great job and I'm sure I'll look as good as new in a few weeks, but I can't help but regret the procrastination that led to surgery instead of simply freezing off a little speck. I paid as much attention to it as  I would have a fly I waved away during an interesting conversation. So, if you ever have a little itchy spot that you're barely conscious of, or if it can be scratched away or taken care of  with a little anti-bacterial ointment, until it comes back, see a dermatologist immediately.
     Last week my eyes were black and swollen, I couldn't wear my glasses, so now I'm in catch up mode. I'm trying to get current with all the blogs I follow, the magazines that are piling up, and the novel I began before the surgery.
    In recent months I've had some medical tests done and my health is excellent except for my blood pressure. I had a scary episode with that during the first attempt at surgery a few weeks ago. So, it's time to do something about it. I have "White Coat Syndrome" so my pressure always reads high in a clinical setting, but it has been creeping up even at home. In the past I've had success controlling hypertension by losing weight, so now that I'm 65 years old it's high time I took some responsibility for my own health. My plan is to increase exercise and decrease food intake. I've already resumed my morning walk and now I need to match that with a little restraint  on my fork.  I created a poster which I have taped to the refrigerator door and the cabinet where the cookies are kept. I'm hoping that seeing this image when I'm tempted to snack will help be to stiffen my resolve.