Tag: Health

My 40s Were A Lesson – Reflecting On A Decade And Looking Ahead To Another

Almost another next chapter / Credit: Mike Carter, March 28, 2026

I started a birthday challenge before I turned 40 years old.

Every day, I wrote a blog post from February 29 to until my mid-April milestone.

The big 4-0.

Even while staying in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, I wrote about life and shared knowledge. At thirty-nine, I thought I had everything figured out with four decades of life under my belt.

Which is impossible, considering half of those decades were spent in elementary, high school, and college.

No one has all the answers.

Looking back though, I don’t want to 40-year-old me and say, “Girl, you messed up.” Because, I didn’t mess up. I lived. I learned. Some people weren’t happy with my choices. I’m not happy with some of the choices or stuff that girl made, but here we are.

That girl made those choices because she didn’t know there was another way to go about life. Or she thought she was right. Sometimes you have to make the mistake to learn the lesson.

This isn’t me saying, “Boy, am I glad I’m perfect now.” I’ll never be person, and no one should think they’re perfect because there isn’t such a think as perfect. If you can show me a handful of “perfect,” I’ll show you a flying giraffe with a short neck.

My early-40s weren’t great. I was lost without a compass or support. My mid-40s, those were sweet. That was my time. If was also in a pandemic, and no one could leave their homes though. Inching into my late-40s? Loved 47, loathed 48, and loved 49. For awhile. Because I realized this was my last year of my forties. I’m letting go of them. When I see a casting call for a 35 – 45 year old actor, I’m on the fence. Do I apply, can I pass for 45?

I probably smelled food
Six-week me, sitting for the first time / Credit: my aunt, May 1976

What does it mean to be 50?

I’ll be in a different age bracket. I don’t have a uterus, and I don’t know if I’m in menopause or stuck in perimenopause. No hot flashes, I heard there’s more than just hot flashes. Then the 50+ poo-test, the boob squish. I don’t have anything to squish, wish me luck on this one.

I experienced a great deal in my forties. I lost more people to illnesses. Cried and laughed more than any other decade, which is funny because I was alone more than any other decade. I learned to appreciate the little joys in life. Like a decaf latte made with almond milk. I’m doing what I want to do, or trying at least, and I’m tuning out the enviable judgmen.

Judgment will kills dreams. Life isn’t a trial run. You’re living your life for you. Not your neighbours, friends, or family. Don’t worry about public perception or care what others think. If people want to judge, let them.

When I worked as a reporter in Edmonton, I interviewed Olympic figure skater, Toller Cranston. He spoke for 45 minutes. The second the camera was off he said, “You see, the greatest thing about getting older is you stop giving a f**k about what other people think.”

At the time, I was 36. I couldn’t imagine not caring about what other people thought.

But why should we shackle ourselves to other people’s opinions. Why let people impact you to the point where you spend years making them happy, meanwhile, you’re miserable.

I stopped writing blog posts because I was afraid of offending people. Then I realized, who cares. It’s a blog. Who cares about a blogger in a miniscule slice of the blog-o-sphere when there are real issues to deal with such as fixing health care, homelessness, and the wars in Iran, the Ukraine, and others.

Your happiness comes first. As The Tragically Hip sang, “No dress rehearsal, this is our life.”

Hello, wake up almost 50-year-old Tammy. Because a new chapter isn’t unfolding soon – that happened when you were born.

I just keep finding a different way to steam out the wrinkles.

What Happened to Winnipeg’s Epilepsy Monitoring Unit – One Year Later and the Only Person to Benefit was Premier Stefanson

On May 10th, 2021, Manitoba’s Health and Seniors Care Minister pledged $4 million for a “state of the art,” four-bed “Enhanced Adult Epilepsy Monitoring Unit” at the Health Science Centre in Winnipeg.

That was one year ago.

Heather Stefanson said, “The expansion of the adult epilepsy monitoring unit at HSC Winnipeg is a pivotal step toward reducing the need for patients to leave their support network behind to receive care outside this province and toward decreasing costs for anti-epileptic medications – costs that can then be reinvested into providing care for Manitobans.”

Stefanson made neurological care sound akin to a warm and fluffy feather duvet. But it was a pilled blanket with holes. When it comes to neurological care, $4 million is a start. But an EMU has operating costs. Those state of the art beds need state of the art trained epilepsy nurses. The EEG nodules that map a patient’s brain are thousands of dollars.

There’s little doubt the pledge was made to appease an under count of 23,000 Manitobans living with seizures and epilepsy.

Six months after this pledge, Heather Stefanson was upgraded to premier of Manitoba. During the same time, the current adult EMU was still graded as closed.

Since Stefanson’s announcement, two neurosurgeons have left Manitoba. By the end of the year, two epileptologists are fleeing the province, which leaves Manitoba with two overwhelmed epileptologists responsible for hundreds of patients. Recently, the neurology clinic was moved to a smaller clinic at the Health Science Centre. Fitting, because the department is shrinking faster than Shrinky Dinks®.

After a wave of resignations from neurology in 2020, there are approximately 25 neurologists left Manitoba, a province of 1.3 million people. Besides seizures, neurologists diagnose and monitor patients with multiple scoliosis, brain tumours, lupus, fibromyalgia, and other neurological diseases.

Stefanson’s defence could be, “I wasn’t premier at the time,” throwing her predecessor Brian Pallister under the bus. Or “We’re in a pandemic,” or she’ll pass the concern to current Health Minister, Audrey Gordon. While Gordon is the new minister, Stefanson made the pledge.

Continue reading “What Happened to Winnipeg’s Epilepsy Monitoring Unit – One Year Later and the Only Person to Benefit was Premier Stefanson”

My Last Real Doughnut: The Celiac Realization

In 2010, I had my last real doughnut.

It was an éclair from the Arborg Bakery when my friends and I were in town for a college project. I told them, “Before we leave, we have to stop at the bakery!”

While my friends cooed in doughnut heaven, I drove back to Red River College, scratching my itchy burning hands as they bubbled like pop rocks. 

I couldn’t accept the obvious: I was Celiac.

When one of my aunts was diagnosed in the late 1990s, few people understood Celiac disease. In a nutshell – no gluten. Barley, malt, malt flavour, brewer’s yeast, dextrin. And more! Celiac is an autoimmune disease, and it runs on its own timeline – and it’s often hereditary. Stress or an overload of gluten can mess with your gluten filled life. After years of yummy puffy homemade bread, a body can revolt.

Continue reading “My Last Real Doughnut: The Celiac Realization”

Let’s Rewind the Tape – A Perspective on 2020

Sure, 2020 wasn’t the best year ever.

We had expectations. We had plans. Then, boom, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic. In a second, everyone’s life was derailed.

Continue reading “Let’s Rewind the Tape – A Perspective on 2020”