Thursday 28 February 2013

White Rabbit Reminders for March 1st!!!!   Newest addition to the Bunny Hutch.  He arrived on my doorstop tonight.  Thankyou to the anonymous contributor....(Rebecca???)


Up for a workout this morning before heading over to the Tom Baker for my Chemo.  I had two different nurses look at my chart today and exclaim at the number of treatments I have had.  I am now on round 11 for this round and round 16 overall which is a lot of chemotherapy, especially the high test stuff they have had me on.  I'm going to try to change up how I've been managing the nausea side of things this go round and hope that will do the trick.  Absolutely no fun being sick!

Had an interesting cell mate today.  At first she was sleeping but when she woke up she proceeded to tell me her story of how she had had many aches and pains for several years and all the doctors would do for her would be to give her tylenol.  Finally she was sent for tests and discovered she had breast cancer and she was absolutely certain that if she were a white person this would not have happened to her.  Although I was very sympathetic to her story and I have heard of similar stories from other patients and I said to her...."Well, Wanda....I sat with a fellow on my last round and he was as white as white but his story was exactly the same as yours.  Doctors make mistakes and they sometimes don't listen.  I really don't think it was the colour of your skin....just a doctor who didn't listen."  She was a little taken back but we quickly changed conversation topics and I heard about her entire life.  It was actually quite amazing.  The woman was three years younger than I am and had 27 grandchildren!!!  Incredible!

Both Kelli and Geoff dropped in for visits....the plus of having kids who are working in the same hospital you are getting treatment at!  They come by and visit and boy does it make the time fly by better.

I didn't think I was suffering the effects of what people call chemo brain....but perhaps I was and just didn't realize it.  When we were leaving Kimberly yesterday, Bill was loading up the car and asked where my registration sticker was.  I looked at my license plate and said....well I put it on.  Hmmm.....are you sure?  Yes....I was absolutely, totally sure.  So we got in the car and I pulled out the registration papers to check....The only registration papers indicated that my registration had expired in October!  I was starting to wonder......This morning I headed over to the Registry and sure enough I had not registered my vehicle!  I have been driving that car for 5 months with no registration!  Kelli took my vehicle out to Vancouver and back for a month and drove all around Vancouver with no registration!  Man are we lucky we never got stopped!!!!
Bill says they actually tow your vehicle if you get stopped and there is a huge fine attached to it!  Chemo brain!!!!  But lucky!!!

So going to lay low for a day or so with fingers crossed that I can dodge the sick cycle!  Feel good today so hoping all is good!

Remember to say your White Rabbits any time after midnight and if you can spare a little of the guaranteed luck.....send it my way!!!

Wednesday 27 February 2013

Home from a phenomenal couple of days.  We drove out Monday to Kimberly to stay with our friends Gary, Jenifer and their daughter Krista.  We skied Kimberly on Tuesday and went to Fernie today.  Two very different days but two very spectacular days in their own right.  Yesterday was a blue sky, sunny day with decent snow, although no new snow while today was cloudy and snowy with about 16 cm of new snow.  Hard work!

Yesterday we arrived at the hill pretty close to 9 AM.  Everyone headed in to the lodge to purchase tickets but I decided to wait outside and watch the hoardes of kids who were waiting for their lessons to start.  I think an entire school must have been out there for their PE class!  I was standing their smiling and remembering my own kids learning to ski at that age and also thinking about the days when I used to organize the ski lessons for my school.  I'm not sure if it was the smile on my face but as I stood there a little guy, maybe five or so arrived in front of me with his skies.  "Hi, I'm Isaiah and I don't know how to put my skis on....can you help me?"  Of course I was happy to oblige and got him rigged up only to stand up and discover I had a line up of little guys who had identified me as the lady who would put your skis on!  Got them all ready to go before the gang came out with tickets and we headed up to the hill for a magnificent, marvellous, top notch day!  We were all in bed early last night but up and at it early this morning, deciding to head to Fernie instead as we had seen they had had new snow.  The snow report said 4 cm of new snow but when we got there we were thrilled to see they had undersold how much snow they actually got.  We figured it was probably more in the neighbourhood of 16 cm of new snow!  Bill was in heaven!  Again, there were no line ups so we got in a ton of skiing.  By 3:00 Jenifer, Gary and I had had it and headed down to have a mocha while Krista and Bill squeezed in one more run.  They headed back to Kimberly, looking forward to the arrival of their sons and their wives and their two grandsons and Bill and I loaded up the car and headed back to Calgary!  I'm feeling like I've had quite a workout.  The legs are tired but the heart is happy!  Soooo much fun!  Yes, I huff and puff like I do in most activities now but it is totally worth it!  We are hoping to get in a couple more days of skiing before the end of the season.  Won't be long though until we are hauling out the golf clubs which I am also looking forward to!  My Dad told me our course at Riverside is supposed to open on March 29, depending on how quickly the snow goes.  When we drove by it on Monday it was amazing to see the grass was actually turning green in places!

So off to chemo tomorrow......and then a couple of quiet days.  I have learned this is in my best interests so don't plan to much for a few days at least!  Quite honestly, I think my body is going to more than appreciate a couple of days of R & R.

                                             Krista, Gary, Jenifer, Bill and me!

Visual reminder for Friday, March 1st!!!  Those are rabbit ears on my head, by the way!!!

Fernie today.......             Krista, Jenifer and me!  Lots of snow!

The heli skiing was a blast!  They skied over 6000 vertical feet in 50 cm of powder snow.  Geoff was in heaven!  The only concern is that we've introduced him to a new addiction!  I haven't seen any pictures yet but am looking forward to posting some!  A pretty fantastic 30th birthday I'm thinking!

Geoff.......in heaven!

Tuesday 26 February 2013

Greetings from Kimberly where we are visiting our friends the Grays. They have a weekend planned with all their kids and grandsons but have booked a place on the hill for the week so we are here to ski with them before the family arrive on Thursday.  Kimberly is the first place I ever skied. We have been here many times over the years and have never had a bad day. Today lived up to my memories of this lovely ski resort. We had blue,blue skies and decent snow. We had more skiing than you can imagine starting shortly after 9 am and skiing through to 3 pm. I had a pretty good wipeout on my last run of the day, another slider much like the one I had at Lake Louise last week.  My slings not bad but I'm not as strong in the legs or the core which is why I think I'm taking way more falls than I used to. Tomorrow we have decided to drive to Fernie and ski there as we think the snow may be better and Gary and Jenifer would like a day there before the kids arrive.  From fernie Bill and I head home as I have chemo  on Thursday. As great getaway before I get my next treatment. It used to be I'd treat myself to something after chemo.....now I'm doing it both before and after !

Talked to Geoff tonight. I guess they had an "epic" day of helicopter skiing. 6000 vertical feet in 50 cm of soft powder. He was on top of the world!  What a great way to celebrate your 30th birthday!

Monday 25 February 2013

Happy Birthday Geoff!  Had supper over at Geoff and Lindsey's last night.  We were all very excited to give him his gift.....a day of heli skiing.  Lindsey organized it all and bought him a small remote control helicopter which he had no luck flying.  Hopefully, it's not an omen for what tomorrow will bring. They left this morning for Panorama and hit the high spots tomorrow!  He can hardly wait!

It is hard to believe that 30 years ago today he came into our lives after 32 hours of labour!  I remember the day like it was yesterday even down to what we ate for dinner the night he was born!  We had roast beef at my Mom and Dad's house and then headed home because things were starting to happen.  Bill finally took me to the hospital around 11 PM and made me sit on a pile of towels in his BMW just in case!  No need to worry about that.....he wasn't born until the following night at 7:11 PM!  Things were so different back then.  I was in the hospital for an entire week.  I know now days women are home within 24 hours of delivery!  I wasn't even certain I wanted to go home after a week.  The thought of having to do all the things you have to do with a baby were terrifying to me!  We did, however, survive......he was a surprisingly easy baby and a terrific sleeper.



I remember when he started kindergarten at Captain John Palliser School.  His teacher's name was Mrs. Harland....when I introduced him to her, he looked at her and said "Hello Mrs. Harlot!"  On the first night of interviews we were viewing the children's self portraits on the wall around the perimeter of the room.  We finally found Geoff's.  The portraits were on large poster size card stock paper.  The reason we had a problem finding Geoff's portrait was because there was nothing on the page except for a small circle, about the size of a quarter, in the bottom right corner of the paper.  The circle had a happy face and four sticks extending out from the circle for arms and legs.  It was not coloured, it had no hair....absolutely no effort had gone into the drawing and we estimated it probably took him all of 5 seconds to complete.  We went home and expressed our disappointment to him about his drawing.  All the other childrens' drawings were very elaborate and they had obviously taken some time to complete.  To his credit he did listen when we told him that we wanted to see more effort in his work the next time we went for interviews.  Well, the next round of interviews came around and we arrived at the classroom to see a new set of self portraits on the wall.  We eagerly looked for Geoffs and then stood there looking at it in stunned silence.  It was exactly the same picture.....a circle with a happy face and four sticks extending out from the circle.  The only difference was that the drawing now took up the whole page!

Geoff has always been a happy go lucky kid.  I love his easy going nature and is attitude that life should be fun!  He has always enjoyed sports but it was never important to him to be the best.....the friends and the fun around the activities were always the most important thing.

Shortly after we moved into our house (we were one of the first houses to be built on the block) Geoff was outside playing happily by himself.  He came in for supper, we put him to bed and then as the evening progressed, Bill commented that he thought he heard water running.  He went outside to investigate and discovered the hole that had been dug for the foundation of the house being built next door had about a foot of water in it!  Turns out Geoff was building a swimming pool!

When he was about 8 he wanted to get a new bike.  We suggested he could help pay for it by recycling pop cans.  He embraced this project with great enthusiasm.  Our neighbours boys worked for the Canons and they used to bring home bags of cans from the games for Geoff.  The pennies were slowly adding up.  Parade day came and Kelli, Geoff and I headed downtown to find our spot along the parade route.  As the parade wrapped up and people started to vacate the area, Geoff noticed there were cans everywhere.  He found a large garbage bag and filled it in no time with pop cans which we then carried home on the LRT.  We got some very, very strange looks from other passengers and I must confess I felt a bit like a homeless person.

School was sometimes a challenge.  Teachers did not always appreciate this attitude that life should be fun!  I remember when he was in grade 9 he sat down at the kitchen table, unprompted to do his homework.  I couldn't believe it.  He worked away diligently until Bill went upstairs to bed.  It was then he looked up and casually said to me...."I had a small problem at school today Mom and I need you to sign this."  Well the small problem turned out to be a science experiment gone wrong.  The experiment was to determine what various mystery fluids were by testing various properties, including flamibility of the fluids.  They were to put a FEW drops in the tin foil cup and then see  if the fluids were flammable.  Geoff's group, however, filled the cup with fluid then lit it.  It flared up and the group disappeared leaving Geoff holding the bag.  He madly tried to put the flame out by flowing on the flame which sent the tin foil cup flying across the lab table.  The class was in complete kaos and the teacher was livid.  The note I had to sign indicated that we were to attend a meeting at the school with a couple of teachers and an administrator!  The teacher was so mad she said he would not be allowed to do another science experiment for the remainder of the year.  I inquired as to whether the other students in the group were receiving the same punishment and she admitted that she did not know who was in the group and Geoff would not divulge that information.  I know I found this meeting terribly uncomfortable and can only imagine how he must have felt.  Definitely deserved a consequence.....perhaps the one given was a little severe given that this happened in the early fall!

This year Geoff married Lindsey.  I was touched to see how many of his childhood friends attended the wedding, including his long time friend (since the age of 5) and best man Trevor.  To have friends in your life that you have had for a lifetime is a gift but it takes a friend to have a friend!  I always tell my kids.....tend to your friendships.....they are one of the most important things in your life!

Every year at Christmas I give my kids a tree ornament.  A couple of years ago I gave each of them an elf ornament....Geoff's had the words...Oldest....Mom's Favourite......Kelli's was also an elf with the words....Youngest Child....Mom's favourite....The funny thing is that they both opened their ornaments at the same time and looked at each other.  To this day we joke about it....

So..Oldest Child....Mom's Favourite.....Happy Birthday!  I hope tomorrow exceeds your expectations!
And know how thankful I am to have you in my life!
Love
Mom




Sunday 24 February 2013

Great fun at the Flames game last night.  Always more fun when they win, that's for sure!  Just about killed Bill that Stajan scored 2 goals.  There are about four players he constantly berates, Stajan being one of them!  I wore my jersey for the first time this year!  May have to become more of a fan and wear it faithfully on game nights!

Today has been pretty much a stay home day except for my trip to Costco this morning to see if they had lift tickets for Kimberly.  Lift tickets for just about every other ski resort around but not Kimberly, however, I still managed to drop a hundred bucks while there!  That place is bad for me.  Just can't seem to exit without purchasing things I never planned to buy until I arrived.  I'm thinking I may need some serious intervention when it comes to Costco shopping!

I thought about going for a workout today but that's as far as it got.  Just felt like hanging out at home today.  Geoff and Lindsey brought me back some Mud Powder from the Dead Sea.  You really need to be home alone before trying these concoctions and Bill was out so I thought why not???  Here were the instructions:  Add proper amount (????) in a plastic container then wet the powder to dough it to be used later as a face or a body mask.  Keep on face for 15 minutes till drying then clean by warm water.  Benefits:  Removing the skin curl.  Whitening the skin.  Solving skin and body problems.  Relaxing nerves and muscles.
Contents:  Dried Dead Sea Mud, oils, salts, herbs perfumes
Made in Jordan

I really should have taken a picture of myself.  What women do to themselves!!!!!
Here I am walking around the house with conditioner on my hair and mud on my face.  If Bill had come home he would have probably died of a heart attack I looked so scary!  Having said that when I did wash my face it really did feel pretty good so maybe there's something to it.  Not sure it solved my "body problems" or relaxed my muscles but who knows!  Worth a try, that's for sure!

Spent the day getting my ski gear together and packing some food things to take.  Hoping we get some "spring ski" conditions.  My fondest memories of Kimberly are spring skiing.  It is just spectacular for that.  Years ago we had a neighbourhood group of about 6-8 families.  Every year we would plan a family ski trip, rent houses on the hill and ski for a couple of days.   We went to Kimberly a couple of times, Whitefish, and Fernie.  I know we all have some very special memories of those trips!  When we first moved here there was a real sense of camaraderie in our neighbourhood.  We had block parties, socialized together and developed some lasting friendships.  Sadly over time people have moved away and the neighbourhood is not what it used to be.  Part of that is that our kids are grown up now and I believe it was often the kids that got the parents involved together.  Still, that is the joy of a young, vibrant neighbourhood.  I see the same camaraderie in the Ranchlands group of parents.  I smile every time I read a message telling of their get togethers as they remind me so much of the fun we had with our neighbours and friends over the years.

We are off to Geoff's birthday supper tonight.  Lindsey has invited both families over and we are all very excited about the birthday gift we have put together for him with Lindsey's help.  I can't talk about it until tomorrow as there is a possibility he may read the blog and I would hate to spoil the surprise.  He knows somethings up but has no idea what we've got planned.  It's awesome!

Just waiting for my friend Kathy to swing by and pick up Boomer.  He knows something is up as he has watched me pack his bed, his food, his bowl and his leash!  By now he knows the routine.  He's going to camp!!!  This is not Kim and Greg but just about as good.  Kath will be taking him out to her place at Gull Lake and although I'm not certain, I'm pretty sure the house rules are a little different.  I have a sneaking suspicion he actually sleeps with Kathy's daughter....in the bed!  The good news is he doesn't come home expecting that here.  We don't even have him upstairs in the bedrooms.  Nice that he's so versatile and flexible to his surroundings.  Today I tried to track down his breeder as I have had several people asking me where I got him.  Pulled out his registration papers and just roared.  I had forgotten his registered name.  " NSync Trail Boomer"  son of Trail Blazin' Bella and Rickways Nsync with Cheadle.  My goodness .....  sounds so snooty!  To us he's just good ol' Boomer!!!

Thanks to all who have sponsored my Honey Badgers.  They are slowly picking up speed with their fund raising but it is no easy task to raise the $2500 each rider has to raise in order to participate in the ride.  This is the biggest Cancer Fundraiser in Alberta and is no small feet.  I know we all have our causes that we support and respect that this may not be yours.  Having said that though no donation is too small and anything given would be much appreciated.  If you are interested in sponsoring any of them just type in Ride to Conquer Cancer.  Click on Donate and then enter the riders name or the teams name.  You will get a tax receipt immediately.  Last week I posted Geoff's entry....today I will share Bill's.  Again, many thanks.
Leslie



AN EPIC RIDE TO CONQUER CANCER
Support My Ride to Conquer Cancer


Welcome to my Personal Page! The Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer benefiting the Alberta Cancer Foundation is a cycling journey along the majestic Canadian Rockies, that I'm embarking on to fight cancer. It will be a challenge in a number of ways, but with my bike, my helmet, and your generosity, a real impact will be made! 
 Hi friends and family!
Obviously overcome with elation after surviving last years Ride to Conquer Cancer I and others immediately signed up to do it again this year.  With your terrific support we raised nearly $80,000.00.  It was one of the many highlights of year 2012 for Leslie and myself.  A year filled with dramatic highs and lows.
Many of you read the 'Daily Blog' and already know nearly all the intimate details of our lives, although the author tends to understate how she feels on many days.  For those that don't I will summarize 2012.  It started with aggressive radiation and chemo therapy until March, then the first major surgery, which was a real tough go.  However, Les is determined not to let cancer control her life and remarkably was able to go to Geoff's wedding (Lindsey) in early May, in Mexico.  Upon returning, more chemo over the summer and fall.  Les golfed lots during the summer, starting slowly but regaining her old competitive attitude long before the season ended.  We then did a 3 week RV trip to the Grand Canyon area, meeting friends there.  Back to Calgary in time to go the Hawaii for 3 weeks - two with Kelli and Mike and one with more friends.  Coming home for some good news - bad news!  Most of the cancer had respond totally to the chemo and was gone, except for the liver which showed significant growth.  Exceptionally Les became a candidate for another major surgery, completed exactly 1 year after first diagnosis.  A liver resection - done in Edmonton, then home in 6 days for a wonderful family Christmas.  Five weeks after that we were off to Mexico again for 2 weeks of R&R and All She Could EAT!  Back on the chemo for 3 more rounds then some more tests.  It is almost like living in two different realities!!
 Parts of 2012 were how we saw our retirement; the other parts really never crossed our minds.  However, the 'other parts' have had their benefits too.  We have strengthened family ties, renewed old friendships, appreciated current friendships much more and made new ones.  We have met and been cared for by an amazing group of health care professionals, compassionate nurses and extraordinary doctors.  We have accessed the resources of our health care system to the max.
Again I have an opportunity through the Ride and with your generous support, to give back to this system, to support further research and ongoing cancer treatment and care - To Conquer Cancer!
 Please be generous, thank you !!! :)
 Contribute to this history-making event with a donation. Funds raised in The Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer will support breakthrough research, exemplary teaching, and compassionate care at the Alberta Cancer Foundation, a leader in cancer research and treatment.


Thank you in advance for your help.





Saturday 23 February 2013

Up and at it for a basement workout today.  Think I'm going to be stiff again tomorrow but I do think I'm starting to see some positive results from the weights and other things I've been doing.  Actually seem to be getting a little tone back in my body.  Now if I could just gain a few pounds!  I just watched a very inspirational video about a young guy named Mike Maldonado who attributes his cancer recovery in part to his dedication to exercise and fitness.  I can't seem to post videos on this blog but it is posted on my Facebook page or you can go to Youtube and google his name to find it.  There are quite a few unrelated Mike Maldonados that come up but look for the image below.  It's worth a watch, especially if you are a fitness nut!
After my workout I tackled apple pies for Geoff's birthday supper tomorrow night.  I have very strange kids.  They are not cake fans and given a choice will choose to have pie for their birthdays instead.  For Kelli it's pumpkin pie and for Geoff apple pie!  Of course halfway through the pie prep I discovered I did not have enough apples so off to the Super Store to get some more.  As I jumped out of the car I realized I was still in my workout attire and had not even combed my hair.  Praying like crazy I wouldn't see anyone I knew....phew... managed to get in and out without being spotted.  Now that's true love....going to Super Store for apples on a Saturday morning!  I sure hope my #1 child appreciates the effort that went into this!  I can hardly believe my first born is turning 30 on Monday!  Honestly, I cannot believe how fast those thirty years flew by!  I plan to do a little tribute to Geoff either tomorrow or on Monday his actual birthday.  As most of you can imagine, he's a little worried about what might come out!  Absolutely nothing that's not true would be my answer!  

I have always loved doing little movies for people on my staff at school when they left or retired and we always had a riot doing them.  One of the funniest stories around these videos was one we did for one of our principals who was retiring.  We put together a series of little stories on a video to show at his retirement party.  Several of us always used to go to Wendy's for lunch every Friday.  We titled this section of the video....."How the staff get through Friday afternoons. " We took a vodka bottle to Wendy's full of water.  We all purchased our lunch then sat down and proceeded to pour the vodka into our glasses then we toasted Ian and just acted silly.    We were videoing this but didn't consider that some of the other customers were a little taken aback by our behaviour.  We certainly got some strange looks and I understand one customer actually reported us.  Later, I got to thinking that we easily could have ended up as Saturday mornings news...."Ranchlands Teachers caught drinking vodka over the lunch hour at Wendy's!"  Of course we were so busy laughing and having fun we never even considered this possibility!  It did make for a pretty entertaining and perhaps a little inappropriate clip in the video though!  

Tonight we are off to the Flames game with Gary and Jenifer.  I'm going to dig my Flames jersey out.  I haven't worn it once this year so anticipate that this added effort on my part will have to have a positive effect on the teams' performance.  Going to the game is always fun though whether they win or lose and I'm really looking forward to a fun evening!  Go flames go!!

Friday 22 February 2013

Been gone all day.  Started off with coffee with friends who have just had a devastating cancer diagnosis.  They are just in the beginning phase of things and I know from experience how overwhelming all of this can be.  I have been so fortunate to have people surround me with their love and wisdom over this past year and it was nice to be in a position to share some of my experiences and insights with them.  I truly hope I helped in some small way.

While at the club I also sadly learned that a fellow I used to play squash with and had purchased shirts for my school from, is not doing well.  When I was first diagnosed last December he sent me a message telling me he had seen me in the daycare at the Tom Baker. He had also had a cancer diagnosis around the same time as I did and was battling lymphoma.   We emailed back and forth for quite awhile and the last I heard he was doing really well.  Ironically I have dealt with two shirt screening companies over the past twenty years.  Both of the men who had provided shirts for my school, from two totally different companies have been diagnosed with cancer this year.  I was shocked to hear that my squash friend had had a relapse and is not expected to live much longer.  A fit, healthy man in his early forties with four kids under the age of 10!  How unfair is that?  It just makes me want to cry.

After coffee I hit the weight room, did my time on the bike and a few weights then hit the steam room.
Grabbed a sandwich and then joined my Dad for a presentation on cycling in Cuba.  Rich and Mavis King spent a month there last year and Rich did an awesome presentation on the trip.  It looked like a trip worth looking into.  Paved roads, a little rough in places mind you, very little traffic, an interesting culture, and very inexpensive!  Looks like a trip to add to the list of to dos!

Today has made me really reflect on the past year.  Talking about it really brings things into focus. I usually try not to dwell too much on my circumstance but there are times those thoughts do creep into your head.  What is my future?  Will I beat this?  My family needs me and I need them!  I want to live!  I have things I want to see and do.  It's not my time!  Am I doing everything possible?  Are there things I could do better?  I remember sitting with a friend a few years back.  She was dying and had a young family.  I will never forget her telling me she was not afraid to die, she was just sad for what she would miss.  I know exactly what she meant.....I don't want to miss anything!  There are so many things yet to happen that I want to be part of.

 I truly believe in the power of positive thinking.  I also know without a doubt that a strong support system of family, friends and the medical team you are working with play a huge role in how you handle your situation.  Although I have trouble planning too far ahead, I do like to have things to look forward to.  Bill has been amazing at making sure we always have something out there that I will want to do.  We will probably go broke but right now we aren't to focussed on that.  I believe that you need to take control of the things you can and try not to worry about the things you can't.  That means eating properly and getting the biggest bang for your buck on everything that goes into your mouth while at the same time not depriving yourself of things you really enjoy.  I drink very little these days but occasionally a glass of good wine is a real treat!  I believe in staying active and actively engaged in life.  It is hard to describe the joy I feel each time I experience an activity I wondered if I'd ever do again.....Today, Jeff suggested I might like to try sky diving!.....Hmmmmm....... I believe in the importance of giving back whenever and however you can.   I want life to be as normal as possible for both myself and those around me and I think we have actually achieved that to some degree.  I give thanks every day for the gifts I have in my life.  I give thanks for all my friends, my amazing family and my doctor who continues to hope I will be his "miracle patient."   I look to the future with optimism and hope.  What more can a person do?




Thursday 21 February 2013

A good day today! Recovered from my day of skiing and ready to roll!   Did a few little errands this morning and then headed to the Winter Club to take my first hot yoga class since I was diagnosed.  With the club expansion a Zen room was added and hot yoga classes are now offered.  Kelli and I always used to go down to the Bodhi Tree on 14th street and we really enjoyed one of the instructors there.  This instructor is no longer there so I decided I would give the Winter Club a shot.  I was pleasantly surprised.  The instructor was good, there were only ten people in the class and the studio is awesome.  Within the room there are varying temperatures so if you like it cooler or hotter you choose your spot accordingly.  As with most yoga classes, when I have a new instructor, they zero in on me immediately and try to adjust my poses.  After two or three attempts they usually give up, realizing that I am hopelessly inflexible!  It's not that I'm doing the pose wrong....it's that my body just won't stretch that way.  I liked the instructor today.....her philosophy..."It's a practice, not a perfect!"   For me, it will always be 'a practice'!!

Finished up at the club and came home and collected Boomer and headed over to Nose Hill for our loop of the park!

Kelli had to work on Unit 61 at the Foothills today with the Pain Control Team.  She said she was having serious flashbacks (Unit 61 was where I spent three weeks after my first surgery).  It is not a nice place and frankly none of us have great memories of my time there.  Her preceptor did not know about me and as they were doing rounds they went into a patients room.  The doctor said to Kelli...."This is an esophajectomy.....do you know what that is?"  "Yes," Kelli answered
"It's a really bad surgery" the doctor responded.  Hmmmmm.......No kidding!
I NEVER EVER want to go back to Unit 61!!!!  I know several people who spent time on this unit and I would venture to say, all have the same thought on this as I!  It is terrific incentive to get better!!!  But then again....that has been the plan all along!






Wednesday 20 February 2013

Wednesday.....Tom Baker Day.  Not an eleven out of ten day!  Uneventful appointment.  Got my chemo schedule sorted out.  It's a little mixed up as I moved it to Thursday next week from Tuesday so we could go to Kimberly for a couple of days to ski.  Also frees up Tuesday, March 19 so we can go to the Bob Seeger Concert.  Next on the agenda is a scan which they are in the process of setting up "around my travelling schedule."  I think I have a reputation at the clinic as the absentee patient but I also think they like this.  I had a nurse who was filling in for my regular nurse today and she came in and said "I understand you are away a lot so could you please give us the dates you won't be here so we can work your scan around those dates?"  So, I happily obliged!  Although I don't like the PET scan much I am actually looking forward to this one.  If it's clear which we all are hoping for I will get a break from this chemo stuff!  Who knows...maybe a permanent break!  Wouldn't that be something??.....better than winning any lottery, that's for sure!

I have had a relatively quiet day.  After my appointment, Bill and I headed down to the Lazy Loaf for breakfast.  I think we probably own shares in that business we have had so many breakfasts and lunches there but it is one of our favourite places to go after appointments.  From there we picked up a few groceries and headed home.  I am not stiff today but am definitely a little tired from yesterday so was happy to just lay low around the house.  Headed up to Nose Hill this afternoon for a walk with Jenifer and the dogs.  It was much colder than we thought it was going to be but it was definitely a good way to perk myself up.  I often find I can be feeling kind of tired but if I get myself up and at it I can turn that around.  Today was that kind of a day.


Tuesday 19 February 2013

An eleven out of ten day!!!  My kind of perfect!  Yesterday Geoff called and asked if we would like to go skiing with him and Lindsey.  At first I said no, that I was meeting my friend Kathy for dinner.  Then I had a message from Kath and she was going to do a yoga class before dinner and suggested we meet at 7.  I thought about it for a few minutes and decided why not do both!!  So called Geoff back and said we were in.

The alarm went off at 5:30 AM this morning, and honestly I rolled over and thought to myself "What the heck was I thinking when I said we'd go skiing today?"  Dragged myself out of bed and hauled on my ski gear and took Boomer out for his morning walk.  Geoff and Lindsey picked us up at 7 AM and we were off to the mountains.  I had no idea what to expect in terms of endurance and how I would do but was pleasantly surprised.  On the second run we were onto the black diamonds and then went on to do double black diamonds.  Now I will not kid you that it was easy!  I was puffing pretty good on most runs but everyone was great about waiting for me and we all had a blast.  After lunch Geoff and Lindsey took us down a run called ER....how appropriate.  I thought I had skied everything at Louise as I have been skiing there since I was a kid which would be for about the last 50 years but I have never even seen this run open until today.  Today was the first day this season they were letting skiers onto the run.  There was powder to be found here and it was pretty darn steep.  Off we all went and about a quarter of the way down I crossed my tips, went head over heels, landed on my back with my head down the mountain and started the slide down the mountain.  I felt like I was riding a crazy carpet as I zoomed by Bill.  At the same time that I crashed, Geoff jumped off a cliff, did a flip, lost both skies and earned himself loud cheers and groans from skiers spectating from the chair lift.  As I was sliding down I kept thinking I was probably going to go over a cliff or bump my head on one of the boulders scattered along the way. I was thinking it was a darn good thing I was wearing a helmet (which I only started wearing last year).  Wouldn't it be ironical to go through the year I've been through and then bite it on the ski hill my first time back!!!???  Finally came to a stop but looked like the abominable snowman.  Meanwhile Lindsey was helping Geoff locate his skies which had gone helter skelter.  Clearly, he just had to out do me!  I thought my fall was pretty spectacular but his was doubly so!

Today, I was introduced to the reality of mid week skiing!  Honestly, I'm not sure I ever want to ski on a weekend again.  We started at 9:30 AM, finished at 3PM and never lined up once in the entire day!  There was no problem finding a place to sit at lunch time.....it was wonderful!

Kelli was working in the ER today with the anaesthetist who looked after me during my first surgery.  I asked Kelli how I was doing and she smiled at him and said "Great...she's out skiing today!"  I guess the guy just about fell over!

On the way home I got a message from Kathy...she was still at Gull Lake and just heading home.....with the flu so our dinner date has had to be put on hold.  I was disappointed as we had been looking forward to a good catch up but the rest of the crew were more than willing to fill in for her and we all headed over to Kinjo's in Dalhousie Station for a delicious dinner of Sushi!!!  What a perfect day and one I won't forget for a long, long time!  Family, fresh air, beautiful scenery and activity!  What more could a person ask for???
I need to work on my ski wardrobe!  So behind the times when it comes to "colour blocking".  There was a jacket in the ski shop today that was tri-coloured.  I told Lindsey that when I was about 12 I had a jacket almost identical to it.  My mom bought it so she could spot me on the hill.  I hated the darn thing because it was obviously "before its' time."  It was Navy Blue, fluorescent pink and lime green striped.  Believe me....there was no missing me on the hill!  Just as there is no missing these two....Lindsey in purple and yellow....Geoff in Green and blue!  They look awesome!



Monday 18 February 2013

"Families are the compass that guide us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter."
Brad Henry

Happy Family Day!  I was up to the Winter Club today and it made me smile to see the place just bustling with families and kids.  On a day like today, what better place to be. My Dad stopped by this morning on his way up there for his tennis rendezvous.  He plays most days of the week and I think that is something fabulous for a guy who is in his 80's.  There are many younger people who could not keep pace with him, that's for sure.  A couple of weeks ago he went to visit my brother who lives on an acreage near Pincher Creek.  Kevin introduced Dad to snowshoeing and he loved it!  I haven't tried snowshoeing myself but would love to give it a go. Everyone I've talked to who does it says it's great fun!


Bill and I had a workout and as usual I left the club with an added spring in my step.  All those endorphins!  We ran into my dentist and his wife while we were there.  Debbie, his wife, was telling me about her brother.  He was diagnosed with cancer of the kidney and it was throughout his abdomen.  They pretty much told him there was not much hope but they did do surgery and put him through a course of chemotherapy!  He has been cancer free since July!  I just love, love, love those stories and I want that to be my story too!!!  

Last night we had a Family supper, missing Geoff and Mike who both had to work but we did have the girls and Dad so it was a nice evening.  Kelli is doing a rotation in anaesthesia at the moment.  This is a good one to do before her Emergency Program starts as it gives her an opportunity to do airway stuff but she also has to do IV's.  Most doctors don't have to do IV's....that's the nurses job but anesthetist's do do IV's so she has had to do that and when you've never had a chance to do them it's tough.  Lindsey, bless her soul went over to Kelli's place today and let Kelli practice on her!!!  Now that's a great sister-in-law.  I told Kelli she should ask Geoff.  I knew he'd let her practice on him because back when he was training to be a paramedic I volunteered to be his practice guinea pig!  It's payback time!!!  I told Kelli I have seen many nurses in the past year who do IV's every day and still struggle with hitting the vein the first time!  I don't think it's an easy skill to acquire but do admire the paramedics who do it bouncing down the road in the ambulance!  

So not a whole lot planned in the week ahead.  See my doctor on Wednesday and if it doesn't get too cold we may try to squeeze in that ski day I've been threatening to do!  


Sunday 17 February 2013

I am soooo stiff today!  Not sure if it was the ripped workout I did yesterday morning with all the squats or the 1 km jog but my thighs have been on fire all day long!  Feels kind of good!  Haven't had that post exercise feeling for a long time.  I'm thinking that skiing is going to finish me off!  My brother called and left a message tonight that the snow was falling in the Castle!  We were there last year and they had had a tremendous dump.  Bill was in seventh heaven....best day skiing he'd had in years.  I on the other hand spent most of the day in various contorted states....on my back, on my side, on my stomach.....ON THE GROUND!  I was totally bagged by the end of the day.  I like some powder for sure but when it starts getting deeper than knee deep I start having problems.  Some of it might be equipment related, some of it technique......but the reality is I'm not very good at powder skiing.  Kelli just bought new fat skis and she says they make the world of difference but I really can't justify a new pair of skis for one or two days of powder skiing a year.  I'm not like Geoff who has multiple skis for varying snow conditions.

Spent the day at home today.  One of my New Years resolutions was to try a new recipe every week.  Today I decided I would tackle Canneloni from The Best of Bridge.  OMG!!!  Talk about biting off more than you can chew.  I swear it took me 3-4 hours to make this recipe.  It is the most involved recipe I have ever tackled!  I thought it was new but about half way through it I had this distant memory of making it many, many years ago and saying at that time "Never again!"  I am sure it is going to be delicious (I froze it) but it is definitely going down as one of those things I will never tackle again.  No recipe, no matter how good should be this much work.  I am even going to put a big x on the recipe page just in case I forget!!!

Had Kelli, Lindsey and Dad for dinner.  Mike and Geoff both working tonight.  Geoff is busy paying back shifts he owed for when they went on their trip to see the Seven Wonders.  6 days in a row of 12 hour shifts is a little brutal!  I'm sure he's going to be pooped by the end of this tour but I guess that's the price you pay for two months off to travel the world!  I'm sure he'd do it again in a blink!

Hope everyone enjoys a Happy Family Day tomorrow!  Give the one's you love an extra big hug and don't forget to tell them how much you love them!  Family is everything!  Embrace the day!









Saturday 16 February 2013

A busy day today.  Puttered around the house for most of the morning then headed up to Nose Hill.  Have been wondering how I'd do jogging so wore my runners today and gave it a go.  I was pretty darn pleased with myself as I managed to jog (yes, it was slow but it was definitely a jog and not a shog) for about 1 km. non stop! Granted, when I passed by people walking in the park I got some second looks.  I'm sure people were listening to my huffing and puffing and were noting that I wasn't exactly a speed demon and if I was a mind reader I'd say they were probably thinking what poor condition that woman is in.....pathetic actually!  But what do they know! That is the furthest I have run in over a year and I had a smile a mile wide when I left the park.   I came home pretty pumped and honestly wasn't sure if I should confess to Bill that I had done this as he is always worrying that I'm burning too many calories and not taking enough in.  I needn't have concerned myself with this, however,  as he too was pleased that I had had success.  He knows how much I miss my running!  I took up long distance running when I was a teenager and have done it pretty consistently throughout my adult life.  I used to joke that some people have a therapist, but I use running to deal with my issues.  Joking aside, I have always found a good run to be one of the most therapeutic things I could do for myself.  Before I was diagnosed,  I used to be up most mornings by 5 AM before work and would run in temperatures as cold as minus thirty as long as there was no wind.  I have run in three marathons and many half marathons and  10 km races.  The days of running in races are probably over but today gave me some hope that I may be able to get back to some level of recreational running.  I sure hope so and plan to stick to it.

Today I watched a movie a friend of Kelli's did on her own personal cancer journey.  It was the most powerful and touching movie I have seen in a long time.  Three times this young woman has beaten cancer......and we all know three's a charm!  As I watched it I decided that the day I get to ring the bell in the chemotherapy day care because I am having my last treatment because I am cancer free I would like to do a movie of my journey too!  Hats off to you my dear young friend.  You are truly an inspiration to me!  Thank you for sharing your story!  Your smile and grace through this journey has touched my heart!

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.  It's about learning how to dance in the rain!"



Friday 15 February 2013

Today we all attended the Medical Students Head Shave event.  I had actually written out what I wanted to say and Kelli suggested I glue my pages to cardboard so that the papers wouldn't shake so much while I was talking.  At the last minute, before I left the house I decided this might be a good plan as I was feeling a little anxious about speaking.  Well, it's a good thing I did that because sure enough my hands were shaking so hard that had the paper not been secured onto something firmer I'm not sure I could have read what I wrote.

It was a great event with at least ten students shaving their heads.  Although they did not have a final figure on how much they had raised it was estimated when all was added up it would be over $20,000!
This money was donated to GI Cancer Research and Kelli and I were asked to speak.  Kelli spoke of my medical journey and I talked about the importance of a positive attitude, a strong support system and continuing to live your life as you go through treatment.  Of course my voice went into high pitch mode....I kind of thought it might.  When I'm stressed or try to talk louder than I would normally talk I usually experience this problem but I did manage to get through what I wanted to say.

There were some familiar faces in the crowd which was comforting.  As I listened to Kelli recount my medical journey over the past year, even I was struck by the how overwhelming it was.  It was interesting to look at people's faces as we talked through this.  Most looked quite stunned by the magnitude of it all.  In any case, our goal was to let them know how much we appreciate their support and I think that was achieved.

Along with the head shave was a silent auction event.  I purchased Lake Louise lift tickets and am hoping that we might hit the slopes in the near future!  Haven't tried downhill skiing yet but as you know it's on my to do list!

Hats off to Brittany Beingessner, for her efforts in organizing this event.  Kelli was the organizer in her first year of Medical School so I am well aware of the time and effort that goes into this.  Brittany is a few years younger than Kelli and is a second year Medical Student.  Years ago at the Winter Club the girls participated in a tournament tournament where a younger player was paired with an older one.  Kelli and Brittany were partners.  Helen, Brittany's Mom,  and I were laughing about this today.  Kelli and Britt ended up winning the event but Helen told me today that Kelli told Brittany to stand at the front and stay out of the way and she would get everything.  Funny that now some twenty years later these two girls are on the same career path!


Thursday 14 February 2013

Happy Valentines Day All!

Today was hydration day.  Had to be at the hospital by 8:45.  Bill dropped me off and went off to run some errands.  I was 45 minutes late getting in!  How can they be 45 minutes late when you are the first round of the morning?  Shake my head!

Finished up there and we headed out to Cochran to check out the Oak Shop.  I'm  looking for some coffee tables for my living room which has been a 25 year decorating project.  I criticize Bill for taking 2 years on the bathroom but fail to mention it has taken me a quarter of a century to do the living room. It just hasn't been a priority but now that it is close to done I am anxious to find just what I'm looking for.  We saw a couple of things we liked but didn't buy anything.  Instead headed over to Guy's Bakery for lunch.  If you've never been there you really need to go.  Great lunch spot for soup and sandwiches!
My sandwich was a little messy to eat and I managed to spread my crumbs all over the place.  There was a little Down's Syndrome gal bussing tables.  I love seeing businesses give these people an opportunity to work making them feel productive.  When she came by our table to see if we were done, I apologized for the mess Bill had made (not).  She smiled sweetly at him, patted him on the head and told him not to worry....all the kids make big messes too!  She was so cute.

Tonight Kelli came by and we got our trip to Vegas organized.  She has never been there and I haven't been there since I was fifteen years old.  Neither of us are overly interested in gambling, although I'm sure we will give it a try just for fun.  We have booked tickets to see Cirque du Soleil but are not too sure what else we should see.  If any of you have any suggestions or recommendations I would really appreciate hearing from you.  My email address is ljsherlock@hotmail.com
I had to chuckle when we were booking the tickets.  Of course we were looking for the best possible deal.  Kelli has to fly back to Vancouver and we were able to find a flight that goes Vegas to Vancouver then on to Calgary so we can fly home together.  Kelli booked my ticket first.  I asked her if it cost us the same and she smiled and said her's was actually less.  She then went to book her ticket and in the few short minutes that she had booked mine he price had gone up!  Ha!!!  That will teach her to gloat!!!

Tomorrow is The Medical Student's Head Shave Event.  Kelli and I are the guest speakers.  Gulp!  I must confess I am a tad nervous.  Just hoping the voice will hold out.  It tends to get quite squeaky when I get stressed or try to speak loudly.  On the plus side, if I go into Cardiac arrest I will be surrounded by medical personnel!

Before I sign off for tonight I want to thank all who have contributed to the Honey Badgers Ride to Conquer Cancer.  It means a lot to have your support.  Remember...the team is still recruiting so if you want to take the challenge we'd LOVE to have you!  The more the merrier!






Wednesday 13 February 2013

Another god day!  Yahoo....I think I'm over the hump!  Last week was a bit of a slug for sure and it sure is great to be feeling chipper again.

Did not do a whole heck of a lot today.  Got a few things done around the house this morning and finished up some paperwork that's been hanging over my head.

This afternoon I headed up to the Winter Club for a workout and a steam.  I'm starting to feel like a closet exerciser.  Bill is so concerned I'm burning too many calories.  I am watching my weight for sure and I have gained a little so am not too concerned about adding exercise into my routine.  Plain and simple.....it makes me feel better, it always has!!!   The one concession I did make was I went to the coffee shop after my workout and drank a chocolate milk!  I haven't done that in years.  200 easy and tasty calories.  I figure that might be one way to offset what I work off.

Just watching the Flames game right now.  They are on fire tonight!!!  Hopefully can sustain this pace until the end of the third.  One thing I have learned with this team is you can't sit back in your chair until the game is over.  Yes, it's 5-2 in our favour at the moment.....but who knows what the next moment is going to bring.....as I write, Dallas just scored!  This is looking like a nail biter for sure.

Wishing you all a Happy Valentines Day!  Do something nice for someone you care about tomorrow!

Tuesday 12 February 2013

I'm feeling so much better today.  Knew I had my groove back when I decided I'd do some baking.  Made a loaf of bread, 2 cranberry orange loaves, a frozen lemon torte and a gluten free chocolate cake! Phew!  I won't say the session went without incident.  There is still potential for it all to blow up on me.  It's like I'm totally out of practice.  You wouldn't think one could screw up a bread machine loaf of bread but I assure you it is totally possible.  I made one for Kelli earlier in the week and it was hockey puck dense!  She was very polite about it but I wouldn't be surprised or hurt if it had found it's way to her clean pack.  Hopefully todays effort will be better.  I was pretty meticulous in my measuring and that's pretty much all that can go wrong.  Next I tackled the dessert I'm taking to Maureen's tonight, lemon freeze torte.  Things were going well until I realized that the oven was on for my cakes and loaves and I needed to broil the meringue topping.  Hmmm....what to do???  Decided to just put the meringue topping on the dessert, freeze it and broil it just before we leave for dinner.  Could be a disaster alright!  The worst part of this one is that Maureen and Duane have been attending culinary school in Vancouver.  They are taking a course that goes over several weeks and at the end of it they should be qualified as chefs.  Who volunteers to bring dessert to a chefs house for dinner????  I should have stuck to salad!  I never screw that up!  Oh well....might be worth a chuckle or two.  Next it was the cranberry loaves and the gluon free chocolate cake (which is a gift for a friend no less).  Somehow I managed to turn off my oven at some point and by the time I realized what I had done the oven temperature had dropped from the required 350 degrees to 168 degrees.  Darn!  Now what?  Well, I cranked the temperature back up and cooked everything for about 20 minutes longer than the recipes called for, crossing my fingers the end result would be OK.  The timer just rang and I took everything out.  Everything's still in pans but actually look OK.  Maybe I'll get lucky today!

Just having a little relax time before I head out.  Not sure if I should hit the gym, the off leash park or both.  Really a shame not to take advantage of these gorgeous days.


Monday 11 February 2013

Had a slow start but rallied and decided we would visit a couple of adventure travel agencies and start investigating a trip we would like to do to Africa in the fall with Geoff and Lindsey and Kelli and Mike.  Bill and Kelli were in Africa a few years back.  Kelli had gone to Ghana to do a volunteer stint in a hospital with Projects Abroad and Bill met her when she was finished and they hiked up Kilamanjaro.  I stayed home and worked and have regretted that decision ever since.  Africa is a dream trip I have always wanted to do.  Having said that I would tell you that almost any trip is a dream trip for me.  If you haven't guessed it...I LOVE TO TRAVEL!  When I was growing up it just wasn't something most young people did.  My parents expected me to get an education and start a career.  I was married at 23 and had Geoff when I was 27.  One thing I have really noticed in the past few years is how much young people travel with young kids.  Our travel with kids consisted of trips to Windermere which I in no way regret.   I just finished doing two baby albums, one for each of my kids and it made me smile to see all the wonderful, happy times we enjoyed up at the lake with my Mom and Dad over the years.  My own kids however, are following a totally different path.  Geoff and Lindsey have the goal to see 30 countries before they turn 30.  Lindsey still has time to reach her goal but Geoff turns 30 on February 25 and he has made it to 30 different countries!  Kelli too, has done extensive travel to many exotic and interesting places all over the world.  It has shaped them into the people they have become.  I will always remember that trip Kelli did to Ghana.  She was trying to get into Medical School at the time and thought a volunteer stint in Africa might be beneficial.  She also had a genuine interest in participating in that experience, however, soon learned that if you are going to travel to these countries to provide medical aide you need some medical skills.  Her very first patient was a man with malarian.  As they were wheeling him down the hall he seized and bit his tongue off.  That very same day she had a young boy come in who had severed his hand from his wrist.  Her job was to walk him down the hall with a bucket under his bleeding stub.  I always said that if she still wanted to be a doctor after those experiences it would be a miracle.  The sanitation conditions were horrendous, the hospital was under equipped and they treated unskilled volunteers like Kelli as if they were trained medical staff.  It was quite the sobering learning experience.  I know she hopes to return to do some volunteer work in some of these countries in the future with a whole new skill set and something to actually offer, other than enthusiasm and compassion.

We finished up with the travel agencies and headed over to the Main Dish in Bridgeland where we had lunch.  When I first got sick my badminton buddies gave me a gift card for there and I still have a little money left on the card.  It is quite the place.  You can have lunch there but you can also purchase pre made, delicious, healthy gourmet meals.  I have enjoyed numerous meals there courtesy of my friends over the past year and the food is always really good.

We came home and Boomer and I headed up to Nose Hill for our afternoon walk.  The paths up there are pretty icy and the going was slow but it was a beautiful day and the slow pace was welcomed by me.  I don't know if you remember my story from back when I was first diagnosed where I met a fellow whose kids I had taught a number of years ago.  I told him about my diagnosis and his response at the time was "Well, when your numbers up, your numbers up!".  I ran into him again today.  Now don't get me wrong.....he's a very nice person but he just has a knack for saying the wrong thing.  Today, after commenting on how "fat" Boomer was looking he asked how I was doing.  I told him that things were going very well and we were hopeful that I was going to be clear after these Mop Up Rounds of Chemo.  He said he hadn't seen me in awhile and was concerned that well......you know....he was concerned.  I told him that we had been packing a lot of living around my medical schedule and had been doing lots of travelling.  "Well, that's good"....."You should do it while you can!"    Man, I wanted to pop him in the nose!  I don't even think he gives a thought to what comes out of his mouth.  Perhaps I'm a little sensitive but these are not comments most people would make even if they were thinking them.

I was supposed to meet a couple of friends for coffee tonight but the gas tank was empty. Instead I'm cuddled with my blanket in my chair cheering on the Flames.  1-1 in the third......fingers crossed.  I actually think they deserve this game!

Sunday 10 February 2013

Today, I have decided everyone has listened to enough whining from me this week!  Yes, it has been a bit of a rough go.  No, I don't think I'm tolerating the chemo as well as I used to.  Yes, I've been quite sick since Tuesday.  No, I haven't lost my spark!  I think I'm just realizing I'm going to have to bear down and handle it for the next couple of rounds.  I've put this body through a lot this past year and I think it's starting to rebel a little.  Can't say as I blame it!

Having said that I think we're all ready for something a little more upbeat today.  Got up this morning....still a little rough....still a little sick....dragging my heels. (I know, I wasn't going to whine)
Worked on a photo album of Geoff's first year that I'm redoing and tried to psych myself up to head out for a walk.  Every time I moved, Boomer looked up at me expectantly.  Jenifer arrived at one point and when I opened the door he trotted out and straight over to her car expecting that she was there to take him for his walk.....Yes, that's our Boomer....It's always, all about him!  He was more than a little miffed when I called him back in the house, realizing that that wasn't why she was there at all.  Got off my chair at least four times to put my coat on and each time headed back to the chair.  Finally decided I was being ridiculous.  Either call it and don't go or put on the darn jacket and boots and get on with it.  Jacket and boots it was and off we headed to the off leash park.  It was cooler than I was expecting but was a beautiful clear, sunny day and the park was full of like minded dog owners.  I sprung Boomer from the back hatch and started heading up to the park entrance.  He was long gone...he knows the routine and doesn't need to wait for me.  As I approached I glanced over at a hyper, barking dog who was literally straining on his leash and walking upright on his hind legs.  His owner, a young girl was restraining him and gently explaining to him that she would set him loose when they got to the gate.  Like he understood!  He just got worse.  I'm looking at her and thinking to myself....this one's a candidate for the "Dog Whisperer."  This behaviour continued all the way up to the gate where she rewarded him by letting him loose.  I just shook my head.  Continued on down the trail and was almost totally bowled over by a young golden retriever who leapt up and placed both big paws firmly in the centre of my back.  I'm not sure but I think he was going for the tassel on my toque.  The owner was mortified.  I assured him everything was fine....but in my head I'm thinking....hmmm...dog whisperer!  Continued on for another few minutes and was joined by an exuberant Schnauzer who had decided he would rather accompany Boomer and I than his own owner. She called and called and called but I seriously think he may have been hearing impaired (right!)  She finally came racing across the field and physically grabbed and dragged him back with her....again....dog whisperer.  Suddenly I caught myself in a thought.  Boomer is nine years old.  He is a much better, albeit not perfect listener than he once was but there was a time when I had my share of incidents on the hill that warranted a second look from other dog owners.  I have definitely shared some of these but don't think I ever told the story of the cyclist and his husky.  One beautiful spring day I had a phone call from an old friend, a fellow teacher, who was off on leave at the time.  She wanted to join Boomer and I for a destressing walk on the hill.  I hadn't seen her in awhile and we had much to catch up on.  We agreed to meet at the park and set off on our walk.  We were busy talking, talking, talking and Boomer was busy doing his thing.  Frankly, I wasn't really paying any attention at all to what he was doing.  Suddenly I became aware that a cyclist was approaching.  Now this wasn't just a run of the mill cyclist.  This was a "serious" cyclist.  Designer jersey and matching riding pants, clip in shoes, racing stripe helmet, expensive bike......get the picture?  He also had a beautiful, young husky running beside him on a very short leash.  I had this terrible premonition.  One thing I knew about my dog was that he had a thing for "loving" huskies".  For some strange, unexplainable reason he went through a period of time when he humped every husky he ever came across.  It was soooo embarrassing.  Perhaps it was their plush, soft coats?  I don't know.....  I glanced over at Boomer and knew immediately that that was what he too was thinking.  He took off towards the cyclist at a dead run.  I was running and calling him but his hearing mechanism was shut off and he was totally focussed on the prize in front of him.  The cyclist didn't even see it coming.  As Boomer reached the pair, the young dog scooted around the back of the bike and because he was on such a short leash he upset the rider who came crashing down to the ground in a big heap.  Meanwhile Boomer was having his bliss and honestly I don't think the husky minded one little bit!.  The guy jumped up.....Oh boy was he mad.  He was screaming all sorts of obscenities.....mostly "Get your F*&#ing dog off my dog".  All the while he was screaming he was trying to kick Boomer but obviously didn't want to kick his own dog.  I was now running full tilt, yelling for him not to kick my dog.  I would get him.  The guy just got more and more infuriated.  Now, my friend was kicking into full stress mode.  Here she was out for a walk to get rid of stress and she is now in full on stress herself.  She has now joined in yelling at the guy, telling him he doesn't understand dog behaviour and what the heck was he doing running the dog behind his bike in an off leash park, etc. etc.  There I was, throwing in my two bits as well and chaos was happening everywhere.  Finally I managed to haul Boomer off and the guy got back on his bike and cycled off, all the while hurling obscenities over his shoulder at us.  We were so upset!    For weeks I watched for that guy every time I went to the park but fortunately he never showed up again.  Makes me realize I may have been a good candidate for a session with Cesar Millan, myself!!!  I have many other similar stories so the next time I get this attitude that"My dogs better behaved than yours",  I will just revisit some of these memories.  More than a little humbling!

Saturday 9 February 2013

No wedding for us this weekend.  I'm feeling a little better for sure but just didn't think heading to Edmonton for the weekend was a good plan for me given the week I've had.

Really haven't done much today.  Bill's brother, Dick, dropped by on his way through to Canmore so we had a nice visit with him.  I actually slept for an hour this afternoon which is a rare occurrence for me.  When I dozed off the sun was shining and I thought to myself I should be out having a walk.  When I woke up it was blizzarding!  So I did my walk in the snow.  Fortunately the skies cleared as we were walking and we had one of those gorgeous walks in the ravine with just a skiff of fresh snow on everything and the sun sparkling on the newly fallen snow.  It was beautiful!

Bill wanted it duly noted in the blog that he did the first walk on Boomer's arrival home yesterday.  This is something Bill usually avoids like the plague as Boomer has this need to mark absolutely every blade of grass and bush just to let all the other dogs in the neighbourhood know he's home.  It is unbelievable and I marvel at how he can pee 25 or 30 times on a short loop around the block.  Now that's good bladder control if you ask me!

Geoff and Lindsey have headed down to Whitefish for the weekend to celebrate Lindsey's birthday tomorrow.  Hopefully they have some new snow there.  Doesn't seem to be a lot of fresh snow anywhere at the moment.  I can hardly wait for the first day the snow falls and it's not too cold.  I'm planning to hit the slopes.  I have been reading about my friend Kims' ski trips with great envy and have this urge to get out there and try my hand at it too.  I don't like to refer to these activities as my bucket list but rather as things I miss and want to do.  Geoff and Lindsey gave us a night in Banff so we may combine the skiing and the stay together.  It seems strange that I now have the luxury of skiing mid week after years of enduring the weekend crush.  I don't imagine I'll do a great deal of skiing but am anxious to give it a go.  Slowly, I am claiming back some of the activities that I enjoyed before I got sick.  I realize that I will not be able to participate to the same level as pre-cancer, however, I also realize that that's not what's important.  Living life, enjoying life, celebrating the joys with family and friends....that's what it's all about.  Take it for what it is!


Friday 8 February 2013

Woke up this morning still feeling a little flat.  Didn't sleep all that well again, probably due to the dexamethazone.  Fortunately, yesterday was my last day on that so hopefully will sleep better tonight and will feel better tomorrow.  Have decided to bale on the wedding in Edmonton. Just not feeling up to it and with heading into my low blood count period, probably a wedding with 400 people in attendance might not be the best move for me.  I feel bad as I was looking forward to it and Colleen is such a good friend but really don't think I'd be the life of the party this weekend. When I accepted the invite I had no idea I would be having chemo that same week which definitely would have made me think twice.   A better move for me is to stick around home, get in a few walks and take it easy.  Will have to enjoy the wedding through the pictures.

Bill drove out to pick Boomer up from Kim and Greg today.  Believe it or not he had an encore of his last trip out to pick up the dog.  A truck roared past him and threw up a rock and hit his windshield.  So we're two for two on windshields!  Hard to protect yourself on those gravel roads when idiots drive on them like they are in an Indy 500 car race!

Of course Boomer arrived home in his usual state.  A little tired and a lot sulky!  I have to laugh....Jenifer picks her dog up from the dog sitter and the dog can hardly wait to get home.  Our Boomer is just the opposite when he's with Kim and Greg.  When we leave him with others he's always happy to come home but he adores them and their beautiful retriever Wyatt.  Here's a sad picture taken this afternoon in my kitchen....just to give you a visual of the sulk!

 I had a quiet day and will hit the sack early again tonight.  Hoping to be feeling much better in a day or so.

Just thought I'd post this on  behalf of the Honey Badgers.  If anyone is willing to support the team it would be greatly appreciated.  The team was amazing last year and I'm so proud of them all for signing up for a second time, especially given the horrendous weather conditions they had to endure last year.   At this point it's looking like Geoff, Lindsey and Bill will be riding from my family.

Dear Family and Friends,

Just over a year ago my Mom was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. We were all shocked and confused. This cancer usually effects men over 65, smokers, heavy drinkers, overweight, unhealthy people. My mom did not fall into any of those categories. From the get go my mom kept her chin up and made her mind up, she was going to beat this cancer. It has been a long year and she has never given up. The treatment started with intense chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Once she was finished with that she had one of the most intense surgeries a person could have. The surgeons removed her esophagus and stretched her stomach up to take its place. While in there they removed as many lymph nodes as possible. Despite some complications and a difficult recovery my mom conitinued to live life and never give up. Once recovering from the surgery she was put back on a strict chemotherapy treatment, oral chemo everyday and every three weeks she visited the hospital for some nasty IV chemotherapy. On top of that she had to go in for bloodwork and rehydration on a regular basis. Aside from all that one would have never guessed she was going through all of this as she continued to live life the fullest. A month ago we recieved some good and bad news, mostly good. The remaining cancer in her lymph was gone, the chemo had worked wonderfully. However, the small spot on her liver was resistant to the chemo and had grown. The good news was they thought they might be able to operate, which is extremely rare in metastatic cancer. Just a few days ago my mom went to Edmonton and had the surgery, it was a great success and she is recovering. She has been an amazing inspiration to everyone close to her. Her strength and determination have motivated many of us to make positive lifestyle changes. We are all very hopeful that she has finally beat the cancer and will have many more adventures a head. 

Last year i started the Honey Badgers, i hoped to get a few people together and raise a little money for the great cause. We far exceeded my expectations and raised over $80,000. It was an incredible experience. I am encouraging everyone to join our team and help raise money and awareness to the cause but if you are not able to do the ride please support me or someone on the Honey Badgers. Every dollar counts and is appreciated.

Thanks everyone for your support and stay tuned for updates.
Sincerely,
Geoff