Fighting Battles and Maple Syrup

This is the second most wonderful time of the year in the Schwarz home. It is Maple Syrup season!! We were in full swing until the weather decided to tease us with Spring and stop the sap from running. Here's hoping the cooler temps will let the sap flow this week and next. For those of you who know us, you are aware of our love for making syrup from the sap flowing from 5 of our 7  HUGE Silver Maple trees in our yard. The perfect time to tap trees is when the temperatures are in the 40's during the day and dip just below freezing at night. Too hot or too cold and the sap stops flowing. When the trees bud out and leaves begin to form it's all over! We were able to collect 22.5 total gallons of sap so far and have boiled it down into 70 oz. of Syrup! Yum! (The typical ratio of sap to syrup is 40-50 gallons to 1 gallon of syrup)

The sad reality for me this year is that I do not get the pleasure of enjoying this delicious treat. I am happy, however, that I can still do this for my family and our friends. Making fresh, pure Maple Syrup shows a special kind of love. While not difficult, it is a time consuming process from start to finish. The sap must evaporate outside until there is a small amount remaining, then we bring it in to the stove and continue boiling it down into syrup. The most accurate way to determine when the syrup is ready is by using a hydrometer. This measures the sugar content in the liquid. It really is a fascinating tool, as it floats higher and higher as the sugar level increases. That being said, if the boiling sap is not carefully tended to it will quickly turn to sticky molasses and burn. We did have that happen the first time we made syrup in our home, and have thankfully never had it happen since. 

This falls during the perfect time of year for our family because even in a "normal" year there is typically not much vying for our time. It is the "in-between" season for sports, and it is too cold / sloppy outside (even snowy many times) to enjoy being outdoors for any extended amount of time. This fill that gap for us and we love it! 

That being said, this has recently become a challenging time of year for me personally. It was one year ago on March 26th that I was diagnosed with Stage IIIa Colon cancer. I have experienced many ups an downs throughout the past year, but with the follow up scans and tests in plain sight I have had more bouts of anxiety and stress than I would like to admit. My personality generally is not one of open emotions and feelings, but I feel the need to share my story as I go because it may just help other people know that they are not alone. I was sharing with friends recently that I almost feel like I'm experiencing PTSD in some ways. The fear, anxiety, uncertainty, and memories surrounding my diagnosis, surgery, and recovery have crept up on me and all compounded recently. I know this is a battle that rages solely in my mind, and I have the ability to change the narrative I am believing. There was a song I was singing earlier today that says, "when I fight, I fight on my knees with my hands lifted high." This is my daily reality. I will sing praise to God for all of the good He has brought to my life, and I will willingly share that goodness with others. I will cultivate relationships and share His truth, speaking life into others. I will not be overcome with sadness or grief, but I will stand victorious over the trials of this life!

I currently have one test update: 

The CT scan of my Abdomen / Pelvis came back clean. No signs of spread and no signs of recurrence!

Praise God for this! I am still waiting on the results from a mammogram I had on Monday of this week and I will have a colonoscopy / upper endoscopy tomorrow. I am ready to get that taken care of and be finished with tests for the year! I will have some continued follow up appointments with my surgeon and my general doctor throughout the year, but that is it!  

I continue eating mostly raw fruits, veggies, and nuts, and have found a pretty good balance with my protein intake as well. I am adding in more fish, and even some cottage cheese on occasion. That is the only dairy I have eaten so far. I take my vitamins (as monitored and prescribed by my doctor) and have been feeling great lately! 

Spring Break is coming for our kids and we will be heading out on vacation for a week! I cannot wait to soak up some natural Vitamin D and enjoy my family without the distractions at home. It will be a wonderful time for all of us to rejuvenate and celebrate. :-)

Stay tuned for updates on my other tests and scans. I am also a willing recipient of any and all prayers for peace, health and a sound mind. (I would extend that to Darek as well, as he does not discuss his feelings, but I would believe he has a few moments of uncertainty). For your prayers, Thank you! I know that will never be enough, as prayer has tremendous power, but my sincere Thank You is what I can offer in return.

Until Next Time,

~Steph