Thursday 25 July 2013

Sunday 21 July 2013

Just checkin in and although I did have a stream of visitors that was all I really did today.  Kathy drove in from Red Deer and has taken Boomer  back with  with her.  He will love the lake and labrador time most assuredly,
As much as you insist you love walking him also get a great holiday!  Huge big hugging thanks to you for who have assisted in this department!

Thankyou my darling friends for what you do each and every day.  You will never realize what you emails and kindnesses have done for me and my family.

Thursday 18 July 2013

I seem to be sliding a little on my blog these days, probably due to my bouts of not feeling well.  Food has no appeal these days but continue to force feed myself under Bill's ever watchful eye.  I know I have neglected many of you with my absence and there are many out there wondering if they have offended me.  It hurts me to think you could even begin to consider this possibility given the fact you have all treated me so well.  Believe me I would love to be out smacking the ball on the golf course, going for lunch, heading west to Windermere, walking the dog, enjoying coffee dates but it just isn't possible right now.  I'm trying to find myself back there and truly believe I can be there but just need some time to myself.  Some of you definitely get this and some feel neglected.  Please don't feel like this.  It just isn't the case and the last thing a need to fret about is my friends and family feeling as if I'm snubbing them.  Pure and simply, I think this is the roughest I have felt from start to now.  Eeven my Dad feels a little helpless.  He keeps offeing to do something.  At this point in time there is nothing to be done so sit tight, sent me positive vibes, keep those emails rolling.  I love reading your lovely upbeat mesages every single morning, I LOVE YOU!  And to those of you who need to see mel......just call or drop by.  I still enjoy my visitors....just not all day!
Love to all!!!!!Thanks again for the time and energy you have put into keeping me positive and happy over the entire year and a half!!!!  It is unbelievable to me how may have stuck by my side,  I have some very special people in my corner and I know it!

Wednesday 17 July 2013

Another laid back day.  They have become frequent in my days that's for sure.  Had the drain again yesterday and again he pulled off another 1.5 litres which is quite a lot in only ten days.  They are unsure  why this is happening but will monitor me through it.  I can breathe better for sure but still have some nasty side effects such as nausea which never seems to be pleasant.  I just choose to plod through these days and hope to regain a little more feel good on the other side but honesly don't know where this is going to end.  Kelli came home from her retreat with her residency group.  What a great idea to introduce you to the people you will be working closely with over the next year.  They went rafting on the  Kicking Horse yesterday and then stayed overnight at a beautiful cabin in the Golden area.  It is always a good thing to get to know people outside of the work situation.  She was pretty much dead when she arrived home and we were both happy to relax in our respective recliners for most of the afternoon.  Geoff came over before work and took some of my money back at crib.  Imagine doing that to your Mom!  Crib is one of those games we have fallen back to frequently as a family.  Bill is not crazy about it but when he knows I'm down and out he will play.   Still it is hardly a favourite game of his....all he can grumble is "No skill in this game....sheer luck!"  I certainly don't agree with that especially for one on one crib....perhaps a little more so for partner crib.  Im definitly not crazy about that.  Dad and I often run a tally when I am at  the lake,  Twenty five cents a game and a dollar a point!  My kids also enjoy it so it is one you will often find us sparring away at!

Anyways....short and sweet tonight.  Friends are here!

Monday 15 July 2013

Well, another birthday under my belt and one, if we are all a little honest, many, including myself wondered if I'd see.  Well see it I did and although I must confess I wasn't really excited about it like I am most birthdays actually turned out to be quite special indeed.  My good friend Margot who lives in flew in for a surprise visit on Friday night and we pretty much jawed our lips off for two days solid.  Margot is one of those people you cannot see for months, sometimes even years but there is no problem picking up the lines of friendship.  We had a lot to talk about and quite honestly, not a minute of the weekend seemed to drag.  Boomer and Bill were in seventh heaven because she pretty much took over the dog walking duties so happy dog and happy husband who got a well deserved break.  My other life long friend, Kathy drove down from Gull Lake o spend Saturday with us.  I had told you in a previous blog how we were so concerned he might have swallowed one of the Lady Bug Crystal Golf Balls.  He is an amazing dog.....swallows a golf ball and pukes up a sock!  Ohh George....I do believe you could win America's Got Talent with that Trick!!! Me thinks you and Kathy should consider this as a good retirement pursuit..  People would pay to see that trick.  Not sure you could perform it again though so maybe not.  Kathy got back to the lake and during the night George puked again several times,  Nice thing to arise to Sunday morning, I'm sure.  She called me and asked what I thought she should do.  I wasn't liking the way this was looking and told her if it were me I'd be taking him to the emergency clinic.  Kching....Well she did and luckily the x ray did not show a ball and the vet decided the stomach was probably just irritated from the sock.  Yes, it was an expensive trip to the vet but not as pricey as another friends dog experienced when he swallowed a tennis ball....can you imagine.... and had to undergo surgery!  $2000!  I also remember our friend Barry telling us about one of the dogs in the Police Canine Unit who ate a hockey sock.  The handler did not realize it until it was well entwined in the dogs guts.  By the time they got to the surgery it was several thousand dollars and I don't believe the dog was ever quite the same.  Moral of the story.....lock up those socks!  When Boomer was a puppy he acquired a real taste for Ladies underwear but was quite selective to the parts he liked.....only the crotch!  Not enough to worry about a blockage but certainly didn't impress Kelli or myself!  Fortunately he did grow out of this one.  I remember talking to my vet though about the things dogs do gobble down.  One of the most worrisome are the rock eaters.  They actually go outside and gobble down rocks which over time build up inside and have to be removed.  A very hard on to prevent given the fact that there are rocks everywhere a dog goes.  Then he told me about the lab who's owner was baking a pan of brownies.  She pulled them out of the oven and dropped the glass baking dish on the floor shattering it  The dog rushed in and gobbled up several bites before she was able to restrain him, glass and all.  Definitely a surgery situation with the sharp pieces of glass.  I just don't get it. These dogs are fat and happy but when presented with an opportunity to eat they just become huge gluttons.  If I opened up Boomers storage bin for his food he honestly would eat it till he popped!

Anyways...back to Saturday morning...Geoff and Lindsey floated in around 11 and worked their magic making us a fabulous brunch.  Such a treat!  Then our friends Brian and Brenda dropped by....it was pretty much a non stop entertain Leslie day.

Today I am not feeling good! Not sure if it was the constant stimulation of visiting all weekend or the chinese food we ordered in for dinner tonight but I have paid the price today.  Thats OK.....it was totally worth it.  Tomorrow another day of appointments and perhaps another drain on the lung.  The labored breathing has pretty much resumed which leads me to believe I need another session.  I just want to turn the corner and get out of this slump but so far not happening for me.  I keep telling my Dad I'd like to come out to see him at the lake but I honestly am not sure that is in my best interests right now.  So will continue to hang in there and hope for stronger days ahead.

Thanks to all of you who spoiled me on my birthday.  So many sweets and treats and so many messages.  It warms my heart that so many of you continue to follow along and cheer me on!  You will never know how much this has helped!
Love you all and count my blessings each and every day to have you in my life.

Oh and special bulletin on my pal Maureen!  They got back from their 4 day trip into Assiniboine and she discovered she likes this kind of back country experience.  If you have ever experienced Mount Assiniboine you would totally get it!  Its a place worth putting on your list.......Maureen loved it!


Saturday 13 July 2013

Happy Birthday to me!  And a good one it has indeed been.  Really wasn't approaching the day with my usual birthday enthusiasm and believe you me,  I have always been a huge birthday person.  Birthdays are meant to be celebrated!  Bill also teases me that I have a Birthmonth.....not a birthday.  I have always seemed able to drag my own birthday out for a great length of time.  Of course with things being like this one has been I was less enthused and more inclined to think that curling up on the couch might be a better way to go.  My day started out with a pedicure with my two favourite girls, Kelli and Lindsey.  They picked me up and took me over to Delicate Nails to treat me to one of my favourite self indulgences-a pedicure!  It was fun sitting there between these two having my feet pampered and massaged.  It got me to wondering when I took up this decadent indulgence.  Then it suddenly came to me.  On my fortieth birthday (so not soo long ago actually) Bill threw a surprise birthday party for me out at Ron and Margs place.  It was so awesome and actually did come off as a complete and utter surprise and is one I will never, ever forget becuase I have never really been good at pulling off surprises.  Bill, however, is the total opposite.  He has given me some really wonderful surprises over the years and they have honestly come off without a hitch.  This was one of those parties.  Ron hitched up his team and we went for a hay ride, Checkmate and a couple of other horses were saddled up in the arena for those brave enough to go for a ride, the barbecue was smoking hot and the ice cold beverages were flowing.  The best part was the group of friends and family who were there and it was an impressive group!  My friends gave me some wonderful gifts on that day including a gift certificate at Victories Beauty Salon for a makeover.  I'm hesitant to say who introduced me to the wonderful world of "pampering me" for a day but believe it was Holly, Wendy and Kim!  So thanks to you girls I have developed this life long addiction to getting someone else to pamper my feet probably much more frequently that is warranted.  Yesterdays adventure was really fun because we all chose such different color selections not even close or similar. Kelli chose a bright almost fluorescent pink that I swear she will be able so see in the depths of darkness, Lindseys a deep purple and my demure pink with white daisies on the big toe!  Our color choices might have been totally opposites on every level but we all felt so pleased with the end result.  Thanks girls!  What a nice treat!
From there we headed back home and Bill announced he had another surprise for me but he needed to pick it up around five ish.  OOOOKKK.....I've already had two birthday gifts from him....my camera lens and the rocks for for my Inukshuk so was a little taken aback that there was more to come.  We ate an early supper and he headed out to pick out my remaining surprise while I retired to my chair in the living room to wait and see.  Well he arrived home shortly thereafter with no surprise so just assumed I would be getting the surprise the next day which was my actual birthday.  I settled back on watching the news when the garage door opened and in walked my friend Margot all the way from Montreal.....just to see me!  What a thrill that was!  Imagine Boomer recruiting dogwalkers from across the country!!  I couldn't believe my eyes.  The last time she came as a surprise was again the weekend of my 40th birthday.  We gabbed until 10ish and I was happy to see she was lagging a bit as Montreal time is a couple of hours ahead of Calgary time and these days I'm pretty much ready to crash by 10:00.  Up and at it this morning and to per promise Bommer was treated to his morning walk with Margot!  I finally got up feeling quite nauseous this morning...most likely a sideeffect from the antibiotic they have put me on.  My second birthday TREAT was Kelli informing us that no cancer had shown up in the lung fluid they drained off last week.  I am just continuing to have side effects from the various drugs they are giving me to try to fix problems that keep cropping up..  The fatigue and shortness of breath are most likely still related to the drug I have been treated on to get my cell count down and who really knows how long I will have to deal with this problem.  Originally the doctor said it could be up to three months which would really suck but will just have to wait and see.  Based on how I;m feeling at the present I think that some of the fluid is probably back so may be looking at another drain session along with a temporary drain until things clear a little.  Enough of that....next surprise....Geoff and Lindsey showed up to cook us an awesome, delicious brunch this morning  They marched into my kitchen and in no time we had Edible Delectables (THANKYOU Pat and Marian and Auntie Marion), two types of delicious pancakes, sausages and bacon.  Everything was delicious and even I who have been a little off food enjoyed quite a hearty breakfast!  We all LOVE fruit and the fruit centrepieces were a delicious work of art.  We have been spoiled by my baking friends....monster cookies and rhubarb muffins from Judy, cupcakes from Cheryl and chocolate something cookies from Maureen and Cookies by George from my brother Kevin.  Good thing I have pals keeping me company here who love sweets this weekend!  Kathy also stopped by for brunch.  Now you are all probably wondering where Kathy and Margot fit into my life puzzle.  The girls and I spent many years hashing it out both off and on the badminton court during our badminton days.  Kahy and I also stayed with Margots family when were out east for tournaments.  We all spent a year playing together at the National Training Centre in our early 20's, and both of them were bridesmaids at my wedding.  These are special peeps to me!  Kathy and Margot have taken my beloved fur kid to Nose hill to spend some time with Kathy's new addition George.  She arrived this morning from Gull Lake bearing a card and one intact sleeve of Lady Bug balls and one not so intact sleeve.  In fact the second  sleeve had two Ladybug Crystal balls missing in action. All that was left of the cardboard sleeve was a shredded mess.  Apparently the balls were travelling in the backseat with George.  We did locate one ball but there is still one not accounted for.  I have given Kathy my tried and true formula for "How to make your dog puke when they have eaten something they should not have."  For those of you who have dogs prone to eating things such as gloves, socks and yes even the odd Ladybug golf ball I highly recommend you post this on your Emergency bulletin board.  You administer 1tsp for every 10 lbs a dog weighs.  So for example Boomer weighs about 75 pounds so I would give him 75 tsp. of 1% Hydrogen Peroxide.  Wait 15 minutes before administering another dose.  If this does not work the first time no alarm...you can give it up to three times before you need to see your vet.  Now Kathy is not sure that George actually ingested these balls and by now it would certainly be too late for this magic to work.  Hoping if he ate it he chewed it up well and it will just passing on through.....I cannot bring myself to consider how much a surgery would cost to retrieve a ladybug golf ball!  The only good news here would be that the ball might be salvageable!






Kathy's back with George and has rescued Margot for an hour or so for a Nose Hill Walk before she heads back to life at the lake!  This will be good for Margot.  I'm not thinking shes at all used to this sitting around all day stuff.  I know I'm not but for now it's just something I do.  Lovely to see her though and we are catching up on a ton of visiting!


Thursday 11 July 2013

I puttered around home this morning.  Bill said he had a surprise for me....we were going to go "shopping" for rocks for my Inukshuk. I have been wanting to build one in our backyard for years but it is just one of those things you procrastinate on....it never seems to get beyond the "I think I'd like one of those in my yard stages.  My vision was that we would collect rocks on our various trips  (and there has been no shortage of trips that involve lots of rock picking possibilities) and build it from these memories but again, we just never seemed to get past the thoughtful stage of it all.  Last summer I was admiring Irene and Ralph and Irene's Inukshuk up in Windermere.  I'm pretty sure Ralph didn't go to Burnco to get his rocks.  In any case....this is part of my birthday present and although I think had Bill known how much these five rocks were going to cost him it might have been yet postponed or at the very least we would have gone back to the original thought of poaching mountain rock which would have been a far better enconomic plan.  The rocks are pretty awesome though and the version of what is to be built is much larger than or original vision.  I'm thinking the darn thing is going to be as tall as me and outweigh me by several hundred pounds!  It will be awesome!

I love the symbolism behind the Inukshuk.  The traditional meaning of Inukshuk is "someone was here or you are on the right path."  They are the result of consensus of purpose, of focussed action by a group united in its' goal and labour.  The Inkshuk are the product of cooperation, teaching us that as good as our individual efforts might be, tegether we can do even greater things.  The stones of the Inukshuk are secured through balance.  They are chosen by how well they fit together.  Looking at the structure it can easily be seen that even removing one person will result in the weakening of the structure.  What holds the team together is balance -the complementary nature of individual skills.  The Inukshuk are a symbol of the human spirit.  They remind us of our need to belong to something greater than ourselves.

        "THE DIFFERENCE WE MAKE TODAY COUNS IN ALL OF OUR TOMORROWS"


I'm still dragging my heals.  The doctor seemed to think it would take at least a week or more before I would notice any improvements from the antibiotic.  Honestly, nothing yet but hopeful it is coming.  This is a very hard way to spend beautiful summer days.. Just a modest improvement would be greatly appreciated.  Just a little more energy so I can actually march out those walks and enjoy them....I am really having to practice my "positive virtue" right now and quite honestly I don't think I'm doing a very good job of it.

I keep thinking of all my friends out there enjoying summer....and don't get me wrong....I wouldn't wish for my friends not to enjoy the summer, nor would I not want to hear about it,  but when I hear stories of hiking trips, water skiing and yes even mowing grass at the golf course I find myself longing for that sense of normal that has been so long absent from my life.  Bill is great at getting me back on track and encouraging me to stay motivated.  He is becoming quite the cook.  Tonight he worked through an entire recipe for Linguine and Clam Sauce with only one question and is definitely much quicker at getting to the end result.  I always have to laugh at him.  He'll say what time should we eat....my usual answer.....oh not yet....in awhile.  Well, he looks at the clock and decides 6 or 6:30 then is shocked to discover that it's going to take him an hour to get everything to the eating stage.  He is getting there though, I must give him an A plus!

We missed Pats phone call today asking if Boomer could come out to play!  Must have been out rock picking but I know if he understood that call he'd be a most disappointed lab.  Another day please Pat!!

Hoping the weather holds for the end of Stampede.  Sounds like it's been quiet out there this year but it's nice to see everyone still getting into the spirit of things despite what has happened in our city in the last few weeks!!

Tuesday 9 July 2013

Today had appointments at the TB with the hematologist.  I knew it would be slow as they were fitting us in but slow doesn't begin to describe it.  We were there at 11 AM for bloodwork.  Finished up there and headed over to clinic area where we proceeded to wait until 2:30.  The appointment had been scheduled for 12:20.  You are so at their mercy.  They breeze in with a flip little "Sorry we're running a little late."  I honestly don't think they give a tinkers damn.  The good news is my blood has pretty much normalized at this point and you would think with that would come a sense of feeling better.  Just hasn't happened for me yet though. The doctor was a little surprised that they had not put me on an antibiotic when I was at Emergency as the report described "patchy" spots in my lungs consistant with what you might see with a pneumonia.  She decided to start me on a course of antibiotics which is fine with me.  Although I have no fever and am not coughing up stuff I must confess I feel very similar to how I did when I had pneumonia following my first surgery.  Normally a person who steers away from meds,  I find I'm just shrugging these days and saying "Why not? You've given me much worse than that."  So will give the antibiotics a try and as strange as it sounds hope that I do in fact have pneumonia.  I know that last time I had a very quick turn around after starting them and started to feel much improved after a relatively short time.  We left the Foothills and headed down to Lics for icecream cones.  It was lovely to sit out front and slurp back one of my all time favourite flavours....coconut!  From there home to drop me off so Bill could go pick up a few groceries and my perscription.  A lovely surprise when we pulled into the driveway.  My pal Judy, dropping by with a bag of goodies and a cute White Rabbit card!  Thanks Judy! It's been a long time since I've baked anything and Bill wasted no time tucking into everything.  We had a great visit as always.  As Judy left, Maureen pulled in with a plate of cookies so we are more than set in the sweets and treats department for awhile.  You girls are soooo good to us!  Maureen and Duane are off to one of my favourite places on earth tomorow....Mount Assiniboine.  They are booked in for the next four nights.  Duane loves the back country...Maureen not so much.  She says she just can't see the purpose behind "hiking".  I am sure she will change here mind when she sees the beauty this place is surrounded in.  For my Dad's  birthday a few years back, we booked a couple of nights up there.  We took the helicopter in from Mount Shark and spent a couple of unforgettable days traipsing around the abundance of trails available to explore in the area.  This also an area of prime Grizzly habitat and I suspect Maureen might be having some nerves about the possibility of an up close and personal encounter.  When we were there most of the guests did see bears over the course of their stay, some a little closer than they would have preferred.  We saw two.  One up hunting squirrels near the Naiset Huts and another as we crossed over Marvel Pass.  I have a healthy respect for bears, expecially Grizzly's but to my knowledge there has never been an aggressive attack up at Assiniboine.  The hosts at the lodge keep you well appraised of what is in the area and encourage you to hike in groups.  There are many tourists up there every summer and I believe that the bears share the same respect for us as we do for them.  Our closest encounter was with the young bear hunting.  He did stop momentarily, standing up on his back legs to study us with his nose.  Bears have terrible vision and rely heavily on their auditory senses and sense of smell to tell them what they have encountered.  My only regret on seeing this guy was that I did not have my camera as he would have made a fabulous photo!  We hurried back to the lodge to drag Dad up to see him but by the time we got back with Dad in tow, he was long gone.  In any case it was such a lovely way to welcome Dad's birthday!  If you love the mountains be sure to add Mount Assiniboine to your list of destinations.  We took the helicopter in and then hiked out over Marvel Pass and around Marvel Lake.  On a beautiful day there isn't a prettier place to be found.  If this doesn't convert Maureen to keen hiker nothing will!!!

Monday 8 July 2013

I'm learning the life of a hermit isn't that fun.  There must be someone out there picking up on my vibes though because out of the blue Geoff and Lindsey arrived.  Lindsey performed the most hated task by all members of the Sherlock household....especially the recipient....she attacked Boomer with the Furminator.  She got so much hair off him it looked like half a dog had died in the back forty.  When Bill arrived home later in the afternoon he glanced out the window and said..."Wow...look at all the baby prairie chickens out back.."  After a little closer inspection he realized these clumps of black were in not baby prairie chickens.....just globs of black lab fur.  We truly wish we could find a way to market this stuff.....Remember the days of Sealskin boots...

Geoff and Lindsey stayed for a bit then off they went and I was again sitting here psyching myself up for my walk when the doorbell rang and there was my neighbour St. Connie.  Connie has volunteered with YYC and is delivering "Come Hell or Highwater T-shirts".  I had suggested that I would like to buy a couple of shirts but of course Connie just showed up with shirts in hand....a gift from her and Michael!  I am learning I have to be careful what I wish for because people take me to heart and I start to feel a bit like a spoiled brat!!  We had a nice visit and then she offered to take my fur child to Nose Hill.  He has been so spoiled this week!  Thankyou.  I know it seems goofy that something like this  means so much to me but I love to see him come home from his walk with that giant goofy grin on his black face!  Thanks Connie!  Missed you when you came back!

I have some appointments set up for the week.  Tomorrow I will have some bloodwork done and will see the hematologist.  I have not been on the desantinib (the CML) drug since Thursday so will find out when they want me to resume that or if they want to try one of the other alternatives.  Then I see the GP on Wednesday so they can listen to my lungs so a couple of days of medical focus which will wear me out for sure.

Had a neat reminder from my friend Monica today who is also going through her own issues at the moment.  Her favourite formula is  M/E=H    translated to mean....keep motivation high, expectations low and that will keep you happy.  Think I'll give that one a shot!

Sunday 7 July 2013

Still plugging along spending most days close to home.  Today, though, I bit of a break through in attitude.  Kelli bargained with me...she would take Boomer to Nose Hill if I would go for a walk.  Honestly for all my belief in staying active and focussing on that, I have not been doing a very good job as of late.  I think the issues around the extreme fatigue and then the breathlessness at very little exertion was pretty much making it impossible for me and I fell into a pattern of doing as little as I could just to spare myself those moments of feeling like I just couldn't breathe and that my heart was going to jump right out of my chest.  I have never experienced anything like that in my life.  Kelli knows the card to play though and she knows how thrilled I have been to have Pat and Amber slide by this week to take Boomer up to the park.  He is like a different dog.  For a guy who has always been very well walked and exercised this past month has been hard on him too.  Bill does walk him but never the same way and can you blame him.  He has pretty much taken on all household responsibilities this past month....cooking, cleaning, gardening, shopping......and as much as I feel guilty not pitching in I have been quite content to let him do these things for me.  Today he decided to make lasagnes and I sat on my perch and coached and he worked away and produced three future dinners!

So when I wandered down to the back gate, opened it up and extended an invite to go for a walk I could just see this look of joy and perhaps even relief land on my dear friends face.  We walked (very slowly) across to the point where I took a few minutes to sit on a park bench and enjoy the view and to catch my breath and my pawed pal just snuggled right up with a look that said "Thank goodness you're back!  You've had me worried!"  Well I may not back but I do know that often taking that first step of going to the gym, or going for a run for the first time is the biggest hurdle to overcome.  I'm promising myself to stick to it and hopefully things will start to return back to a better form of normal than they have been.  Long walks still looking to be a ways off for me but you've gotta start somewhere and today was my start!

Boomer has always been a huge lover of walks.  I always remember Geoff describing him this way:  "Boomer does not walk, Boomer does not run.....Boomer frolics!!  And even at the age of 9 he still gives off that aura of joy that he is out enjoying the outdoors with his people.  I always laugh when people ask how old he is.  When I tell them his age,  they are totally bowled over  We have a neighbour who has a chocolate lab around the same age.  To see the two of them together you could never even begin to imagine they were the same age.  Baxter is fat and lumpy and he is the greyest dog I have ever met.  Unlike most dogs who grey under the chin, this guys entire face is pretty much white.  Along with that his paws have all turned white as well. It certainly gives him a unique look!   I'm sure some of it is pure genetics but also believe the exercise card plays it's part as well.  My first lab, Thumper, lived to be 18 years old!  He, like Boomer led an extremely active life.  He hiked with my family, came horseback riding with me on almost a daily basis, swam in the Bow River and ran loose around the neighbourhood!  On top of this my Dad would run him behind our cars.  I remember Dad picking us up at the Winter Club.  We would then proceed home, down John Laurier Blvd. to 19th street, turned south on 19th Street to Northmount Drive then more south to our home in Charleswood.  I would hang out the front window calling him and he would run full bore all the way home!  Amazingly, he only got hit by a car once!  When I tell this story I just shake my head.  Now days I almost think of that kind of treatment to a beloved pet as being abusive but honestly, he loved it and so did we and the traffic was certainly different in those days than it is in 2013.  Still, not even sure it's a story I should be sharing!  Rest assured I would never even consider running Boomer behind my car!  Then again, Thumper only ever visited a vet a couple of times in his entire life.  I don't think we ever vaccinated him for a darn thing.  Boomer has never missed a vaccination and has had several vet visits to the emergency hospital over the year that have topped $1000!  I will bet my pay cheque that Boomer will not outlive Thumpers amazing eighteen!

So what's up this week?  Not sure...hoping to continue to get my energy levels back.  I am off the drug for a few days at least but at the moment my blood counts are looking pretty good.  I am going to try to snag an appointment with the doctor this week and see what she suggests from this point.  Other than than that I'm just hoping to get enough zip back to go for my horse riding date with my friend Vicki and to hit the golf course.  Still not there but that's where I've got my sights a set!

Saturday 6 July 2013

Missed yesterdays blog.  Just a little tied up!  I have been having this escalating difficulty with breathing issues over the last week or so.  Just going up a few steps would leave me without breath and needing to rest.  It was exhausting.  Kelli usually doesn't examine me however the night before she did take a listen to my lungs and was pretty sure I had a pleural infusion.  Yesterday morning the home care nurse checked in on me and didn't like the sounds of things either.  We had been trying to get a hold of the doctor for the past couple of days but of course you never get to talk to a real person anymore and we never did get a return call.  The home care nurse decided I should head over to Crowfoot yesterday and get a chest X-ray   So around 11:30 we packed up and went there only to discover that the radiology department would be closed until 1 PM due to Parade Day.  So back home again to wait again until 1PM.  We headed back to Crowfoot and of course the waiting room was full with the place being closed all morning.  I sat there and wondered just how many of the staff had actually gone to the parade.  Anyways, it wasn't without it's entertainment.  Bill is always amazed at my nosy nature but honestly, when you just sit and wait in these situations all the time you do tend to listen in on peoples conversations and at the volumne they speak I have come to the conclusion they are quite happy to have an audience.  The remand center guards brought a guy in in shackles, arms and legs.  I proceeded to listen to his story...how many times he'd been shot and stabbed, his criminal history, etc.   Obviously pretty proud of his accomplishments as a human being.  The one guard looked mildly interested and engaged him in conversation, the other guy looked like he'd like to put a gag order on him.  The waiting room was packed with people reading their magazines but I'm pretty sure that most of us were tuned into this guy.  Just a little beyond most of our imagination scopes!  Well,  the prisoner moved from his criminal history to talking about his kids.  I'd put him in his early thirties at best.  He had six kids the youngest, his baby, by his description, now expecting herself!  Yikes!  Finished up there and headed home to call the family doctor to make sure she looked at the results before heading home.  Bill says my timing on these events is always incredible!  Christmas,  weddings, but especially Friday nights and this one particularily good.....the first Friday night of Stampede week!  We called the doctors office at 3:15 to be told everyone had left for the day and no the doctor had not seen the xray result.  I should just go to Emergency. The whole reason I went through this whole riggermerole in the first place was to avoid going to emergency.  I'm sitting there looking at Bill saying I am not going into Emergency.  We'll wait until tomorrow...can you even begin to imagine what it'll be like tonight?  A total zoo factory!  Well, I then got two more phone calls, one from the oncologists office and one from the Tom Baker Pharmacist.  Both were very concerned and stressed I needed to go into Emergency sooner than later. They were very concerned and I was in a dangerous situation!   So...put supper back in the fridge and headed over to the Foothills.  It was as busy as I expected with all manner of complaints, some very seriously sick people and then Stars arrived.  It's not very comforting sitting in Triage with patients on each side of you puking into their bowls and knowing your own cell counts are all over the map.  It took quite awhile to get through the triage process.  When I finally got to the front the nurse took my history.  As she was finishing up a nurse escorted another couple in to the room.  They were only there a few minutes when the very very sick woman who had been sitting next to me came in and said these people had jumped the que when she went to the washroom to be sick.  This wasn't their first attempt at jumping in front of other people over the course of the evening.  The nurse looked at this poor woman and said yes but THIS woman is very sick!  Do you mind waiting while I examine her.  I'm no nurse but I had been sitting in a row with these people for over an hour and I can tell you these people were pullling a fast one!  The sick lady responded "And so am I."  I felt so bad for her.  They sent us back to the admitting area.  There were about five stations, none of which were occupied so I just picked one and sat down as I wasn't feeling great.  The clerk told me to get up and go to the waiting room....I would be called when they were ready for me.  I just looked at her and asked if I couldn't just sit for a minute to which I was informed I needed to move on back to the waiting area.  She was a real snarly one!   We waited probably another hour before finally being called back to triage where I apparently snagged the nicest room in the house!  Basically a cupboard, but it did have privacy which was pretty nice and I did get the same nurse I had had the previous week who I really liked.  His name was Raoul and he was totally awesome.  Kind, competent, pleasant.....so awesome to have someone who clearly likes his job and is good at it!  We really appreciated him a ton.  By now Kelli had arrived after her nine hour shift at the Peter Louheed.  Isn't that just what you'd want to do?  A nine hour Emergency Shift followed by a few more hours of emergency in another hospital eating delicious hospital grilled cheese sandwiches for supper!?  I had a really great doctor last night.  Both Kelli and Geoff told me I was in excellent hands and had snagged one of the better ones. Still, a long, long night of more X-rays and waiting.  It was determined that I did in fact have fluid on my left lung, a side effect of the drug I'm currently on in 20% of patients.  I had to have some more xrays in some very uncomfortable interesting contortions but the techs appreciated me...I was the most mobile patient they had had all day.  Funny how a little comment like that can make you feel pretty good.  Weird, actually!  After this series of xrays they decided the fluid was moving so they could take it off.  Basically a needle was inserted in my back, entering the cavity between my lung and another layer where they withdrew the accumulated fluid. The doctor took a liter and a half off of me.  He was going to give me some fentinol before starting but I was having no part of that....that is one of the drugs that gave me the hallucinations when I had my first surgery.  Just wasn't in the mood for baby tigers in my room or paranoia about nurses not caring for me so opted to go with local freezing which turned out to be just fine.  The procedure really wasn't painful at all, just a little uncomfortable knowing they're sticking a needle in your back.  Had to go back for another series of xrays to make sure they had suctionned it all off then sent me home pretty close to midnight.  I was bagged.  I climbed into bed last night and do not think I moved the entire night.  Bill finally came in at 10 AM this morning and woke me up and I was in exactly the same position I had landed the night before.
Today I am a little sore and still quite tired.  I think they still have to test the pathology of the fluid to try to determine why it was there but suspect it will just come back as a drug reaction.  Also still need to find out if they think I have pneumonia which is also a possibility.  Still feeling a little punk today but hopeful will see a return to mobility and a little more vigour in a few days.  I keep thinking....Ok we did that......it's fixed, not realizing that these things are never an instant fix!  Small steps.

Thursday 4 July 2013

Todays temperatures more in the "bearable" range for me.  Must confess my days of loving the heat seem to have fallen by the wayside.  Moderate more accurately describes my relationship with the summer sun these days. Geoff and Lindsey have had a pefect couple of days to accomplish some of the needed yardwork in their fixer up yard.  Today they celebrated the railing up on the new deck and the completion of the sod laying.  It looks 200% better.  Still work to be done but it no longer has that look of OMG where do we start about it!  There's no doubt about it....one should never take on the task of becoming a home owner lightly.  There is so much more to be done when you own your home than if you own a condo.

So todays story....this one I just have to share.  Thanks to my friend Corrine for reminding me about this one because it is an excellent example of Mother's love and her need to rescue offspring from the wrath of the Father.  I have talked about "helicopter parents and or rescue parents" in prevous blogs.  I think at one time or another, most of us have rushed into a situation, trying to spare our child the consequences of their actions.  Big mistake I know and although I wasn't hugely bad about doing this I think both of my kids could tell you stories of where Mother Bear came to the rescue.  This one happened the summer Geoff got his driving license.  We had an old aerostar van that both Kelli and Geoff learned to drive on.  He and his friends had just recently discovered the fun of swimming in the Bow River on the hot days of summer.  This was a novel and frequent activity.  Geoff would load up the buddies and off they would go to hang out at the river for the afternoon.  They had been hiding the keys to the van under the mat in the backseat so that they wouldn't have to worry about losing them while swimming.  Then of course the inevitable happened, they accidentally locked the keys in the van and were stuck as to how to retrieve them after their afternoon on the Bow.  After studying the anatomy of the windows, they decided it probably wouldn't be too difficult to break into the small sliding window on the rear passenger side.  I think they overestimated their mechanical genius and after a little wiggling and juggling they managed to pretty much smash out the back window.  After driving everyone home, Geoff came home and showed me what had happened.  I knew Bill was going to kill him on this as we were going through that period of adolescent growth most families encounter.  Somewhere in between about 16 and ?   This is the era where" I'm an adult now....."For those of you who have grown through this period and have come out the other side, I don't have to describe this in too much detail...you definitely know what I'm talking about....and for those of you not yet there....Oh happy days! The best is yet to come!  Anyways...I told him to get on the phone and find out how much a new window was and what the installation was going to cost.  I think this little bitty back window landed in the range of between $600 and $800.  Yes, Geoff did have a summer job but this was a whole swack of money to one who had not yet even started to put away any of his summer earnings.  Even I paled at this estimate as I had already decided I WAS NOT PAYING FOR THIS!  I did, however have the philosophy that if he had to pay for it he would at least be suffereing the financial consequence of what had happened and did not think he should be subjected to further sanctions from a Dad who was becoming a little frustrated at a series of similar things that had been occuring at that time.  After make a few calls and discovering that yes, it would appear that we were looking at a mimum of $600  My next suggestion was to try the local pick a part junk yards.  I knew Bill had picked up a few things at these places and that you could get them pretty much for free.  The problem was going to be installing them.  Well we called around and found a couple of places that said yes they did have vehicles with those windows in them and we could come by tomorrow and check them out.  So Geoff went outside and parkekd the van on the other side of the road hoping Dad wouldn't notice the broken window when he got home from work.  Believe me...deceiving an observant cop can be a little bit of a daunting task.  I knew I was going to be in deep S$(t and rightly so should Bill catch us in our deception. This is not the stance good parents should ever take and for the most part we have been united on the front.  I don't really know why I was different on this particular occasion.   The next morning, as soon as Bill had left for work, Geoff and I were up early and off to check out two junk yards.  The first one was just off of 4th street.  I don't even think it's there anymore.  We came in the back way.  Signs everywhere "Beware of Watch Dogs"  "Enter at Your Own Risk"  etc.  Now I'm a dog lover, but this scenario was making me nervous as there wasn't a human being to be found.  We drove around the junkyard for a bit.  Finally I told Geoff he was to stay in the van, windows up and I would look inside some of the buildings and see if there were in fact people on this site.  It was a little spooky.  There I am creeping around, amongst the junk, peeking into half cracked doorways, on the alert for the charging watch dog,  when I heard someone snarl...."Whatya want?"  I just about jumped out of my skin.  There was this swarthy looking character working away on  a piece of junk in one of the sheds.  Come in here he said.....I must confess I was feeling more than a little vulnerable and said no I'd just talk to him from the doorway as I had a passenger waiting in my van.  He asked the year of the vehicle and said he thought he did have one of those but he'd have to look around for it as he wasn't quite sure where it was parked.  Honestly, I don't know how you'd find anything in that place.  We talked a little more and it turned out he could take out the window and stall it in the van for around $60.  Steel of a deal after hearing the other estimates, all over $600.  Well, he hunted high and low with me tagging along at a distance looking for the watch dogs.  He finally found the van but as he tried to get the window out he managed to crack and break the window.  Darn!   Well, I had also called a junkyard out near the airport and they also said they had that window but they would not install it.  I managed to negotiate a deal with this guy that if I went over to the other junk yard and got the window he would install it for $40.  Relieved I jumped in the van and off we went to junkyard #2.  Not so lucky here.  Yes, they had a aerostar van, but the window was not tinted.  Hmm....would Bill notice that?  It was a chance we decided to take.  So, we agreed we would take the non tinted window.  Two more catches here.  The gentleman who would be retreiving the "piece" was currently on his lunch break (sitting in a near by wreck)  They weren't really sure how long the meal would take so we would just have to be wait and when he was finished he would help us.  Well...we sat there in our van, eyes rivited on this fellow enjoying a long and leisurely lunch in the comfort of a car wreck, willing him to eat faster....we did not have all day!  Finally he mosied out of the vehicle and my first thought was I'll bet he needs a nap now!  Fortunately this was not the case and he went over to the wrecked aerostar and after a great deal of jockeying and the two of us watching, terrified he would break this treasure and we'd be back to square one, he managed to extricate the treasured window.  I don't exactly remember what we paid for the 'untinted' window but do remember it was substantially more than we were to have paid for the installed, proper tinted version.  I was already shaking my head when I saw how different tinted looked from untinted, pretty much certain this was one we weren't going to get away with but still thinking that the wrath of Dad might at least be somewhat diminished if Geoff had made the effort to do the repair and had paid for it.  We took the window back to junkyard #1 for the install.  This is where the real panic set in.  Naively, I had thought it would just be a matter of popping out the old broken version and "popping" in the new untinted version.  Not so.  The guy pretty much tore all the plastic siding off the inside of the van.  It was in a total state of disrepair and I was having my doubts he would be able to reassemble it.  This was taking way longer than either of us had thought it would.  It did not help that he was continually muttering and swearing.  To put it pure and simply he didn't look like he had the faintest idea what he was doing.  My only thought was that we were in bigger trouble than if I had just made Geoff do what he should have done in the first place.....come clean and take the consequences.  The problem here was that often the consequences of such actions involved sanctions and groundings and these usually punished me as well as the offender!  Well, it was too late now....we forged ahead.  We basically spent the entire day in that junkyard watching this guy do and redo, do and redo.  By the time all was said and done the job cost Geoff about $300 as opposed to the $600 to $800 estimates we had had for a new window but there was going to be no hiding the fact that one window just didn't "match" the others.  It would be like putting a white persian kitten into a litter of black lab puppies and expecting no one would notice who the imposter was.  We drove home in silence knowing that this was one we were definitely getting caught on.  It's funny, as a parent I had always told my kids, actually lectured would be a more accurate description...." always confess.....you will get in less trouble if you tell the truth than if you lie."  Yes, those words had flown out my mouth on many occasions but the truth of the matter was I had totally not only allowed, but encouraged this act of deception.  We got home just before Bill and were both sitting at the kitchen table when he walked in.  One look at us and he knew something was up.  Well, Geoff made his true confession, including the fact that the van with tinted windows now had one that didn't quite match.  I know Bill was most unimpressed with our efforts to hide this from him but I also realized he did appreciate the time, effort, financial contribution Geoff had to make to make this right.  It was not a rescue I am proud of to this day but it was quite the adventure.  The funniest part about this story is the van really was already a piece of junk at this point so tinted window or not did make a bit of difference to the aesthetics of the vehicle.  It also totally fixed any ideas I might have ever had that I could ever be that person who can go to the junkyard to pick a part.  From that point forward I vowed true confessions would always be the best course of action.  Good lessons for everyone!

Boomer a happy boy tonight.  He has been treated a couple of times this week to long walks on Nose Hill.  Thankyou Pat and Amber for making this happen.  I have not walked him in weeks and he is definitely looking a little chubby.  Bill walks him but never the same way I do.  I  really want to get back to my walking routine.....it's so good for both of us!

Boomer and Reiker enjoying some buddy time on Nose Hill.  Boomer came home slobbering, puffing and definitely smiling!!!

We need some shade.  Black coats and fur balls don't do well in the heat!

                                                           SMILES ALL AROUND!

Tuesday 2 July 2013

I'm starting to feel like a bit of a wet rag and even I think to myself, who the heck wants to read this drivel every day!  Not me, that's for sure.  It sure does make you realize when you make no effort to get out and about, how little you can actually have to talk about.  I did go to the hospital today for my weekly bloodwork check and think I will get Kelli to call the doctor tomrrow and see what those results showed.  Also need some feedback on how much longer she thinks this might go on for me.  You gotta wonder if it's worth it.  If I knew that  I would have to deal with this for a couple of months and then things would normalize and I could carry on as I was before....definitely.  It this is the long range forecast for day to day living....hmm....not sure I want to sign up.  The big question I suppose is will I actually feel better if I quit takng this drug?  It blows my mind when I think that less than a month ago I was riding my bike and leading a pretty darn active and engaged life.  Far cry from what the past few weeks have been like.  Anyways...I was whining to Kelli that my blogs have become boring.....they are in fact boring me!  Pretty sad when you bore yourself!  I always remember that when the kids were small and they would be lying outside on the grass wanting to be entertained and they would whine..."Mommy, I'm bored!"  I would not even bat an eye with my response......"Well, if you are bored you are BORING!" For the next little bit, or at least until I start my rebound I am going to "write" random stories and try to bring a little humour back into both my life and share some chuckles with those of you who have stuck so faithfully beside me over this past year. So todays story.....hmmmmm
Thankyou to Lisa for inspiring me!  I was looking at her facebook posting just prior to starting tonights blog.  It read something to the effect that she sure wished she could be out floating down the Bow River today in this freaking heat!  Flash!  A great story!  One of my most memorable dates with the man I ended up marrying.

I believe it was about  1976 when a group of us returned from our year at the National Training Center in Ottawa to resume life back home in Calgary.  I had landed a job in records at the Police Department for the summer and was enjoying the shift work and crazy lifestyle that came along with it.  Over the course of the summer I had taken up both racquetball and squash and it was here that I first met Bill.  Wouldn't you know that our first encounters would be of a competitve nature.  At this point we were just friends and rivals on the court but we were spending a little time together.  One weekend he and a buddy of his thought it would be fun if they took us girls on a canoe trip down the Elbow River.  At the time we did not have a canoe so went off to a local boating shop to rent a very nice Gruman Canoe.  We had to leave a fairly substantial damage/loss deposit on the canoe that would be refunded when we returned with the canoe the following day.  I don't exactly remember where we put in....perhaps around Twin Bridges.  It was a beautiful Sunday spring day.  The sun was shining, the spring runoff had started so there was atually good water to canoe in.....it was a great day to be outdoors enjoying ourselves.  I did notice a sign at the start of the trip cautionning boaters that there was no "through" point and the boaters would have to ext at some point downstream.  I pointed this out to Bill and he just shurgged it off.  No problem....don't worry about it.  So trusting soul that I am I did exactly that.  We had paddled for sometime when we started to come across frequent signage advising us that at some point ahead we would have to exit off the water as we were entering private land and no canoeing was allowed.  Again we just cruised blithely by....not a care in the world.  Then the signs started getting more agressive.  We were entering the property of the Calgary Gun Club and were in danger!   Trespassers would be prosecuted!   I pointed this out to Bill who assured me it was Sunday and the Gun Club never operated on Sundays.  Hmmmm....a little further and I could actually hear shooting which again I pointed out, starting to doubt my tour guide for the afternoon and his knowledge of the river.  Well, he admitted they might be shooting but he was pretty sure they wouldn't be shooting into the river.  These words were no sooner out of his mouth than we rounded a bend in the river.  On the cliffs above were MANY gun enthusiasts shooting with wild abandon into the bank opposite us.  They had not yet spotted us but there were actually bullets landing in the water all around us.  We pulled in to the shore and huddled under a bit of an overhang hoping to wait out the shooting spree.  I could actually hear the bullets going by and I am not joking!  They made kind of a zing sound!  By now I'm terrified and although Bill never admitted it I'm pretty sure he was experiencing that I'm going to shit my pants feeling one gets when totally terrified!  The couple with us were also huddled into the bank, none of us having the slightest idea as to how we were going to get out of this situation alive!  Finally after what seemed like forever we were spotted and someone was waving a flag at us from above.  The shooting stopped and a voice came over a loud speaker  "You are trespassing on private property!  The military police will meet you at the bridge.  PROCEED!"  Well proceed we did.  The pace was fast and furious because we were pretty sure they would be confiscating our fancy, dancy canoe at the bridge and we would most certainly be getting a hefty fine!  Probably not a good scenario for two rookie cops, and me, a cops daughter.  Believe it or not we actuallyl did beat the Military Police to the bridge that day and continued on our frenzied paddle through the Weasle Head Area and back to our getaway vehicle!  Probably not the most ordinary of dates but certainly one we have visited in our heads over the years. Not a trip we have since repeated but certainly a story that has been shared many times!  If that in itself doesn't make for a crazy story how about this one.......  I ended up marrying this guy!  Interestingly, our very first joint purchase as a couple was a canoe!!!  That canoe too, has it's stories!

Monday 1 July 2013

Hope everyone had a lovely Canada Day and remembered their White Rabbits this morning!  The city seems quiet right now.  Either everyone is still down working in the flood zone or they've left town but I know our neighbourhood was etremely quiet today.  Just a good day to watch the garden grow.

Sat and contemplated my life as a Canadian today.  That's one thing about having lots of time on your hands you have lots of random thoughts.  Canada Day does seem to be one holiday that people really do get out and recognize.  Perhaps it's because it's the beginning of summer and when you have a sunshine day like today it's hard to ignore what a wonderful place we live in.  Yes, the events of the flooding over the past couple of weeks have been sobering for many but the outpouring of support we have seen and continue to see is inspiring.  I was totally blown away by the $900 donation received from the orphans in Cambodia.  I have always said it's not how much you give or what you give or even what you contribute to....it's the fact that you do in fact see a need to respond  whether it be by baking muffins, shoveling mud or making cash donations.  Again, we can't possibly give to every cause that comes down the tubes but as long as people continue to help each other in times of need we will all sort out where our dollars and time are best spent.

We live in such an amazing country and for those of you have travelled this is always brought to the forefront when you leave Canada.  I always chuckle at how we continually seek out "beauty" on the far parts of the earth when you consider what is sitting right under our noses on our own front door step.  I have been lucky enough to see many of these wonderful and beautiful places as has my family but I must say I never get tired of sitting by a remote mountain lake admiring the serenity of our very own Rocky Mountains.  It is truly amazing how many Canadians have never been off the beaten paths of our own back country.  Banff to them is Banff Avenue.  We live in such an incredible place when you think about it.  Diversity all around us right from the people living in our country to the scenery you will encounter from coast to coast.  It has long been a dream of mine and Bills' to take our fifth wheel and drive down to the Maritimes.  We would like to do this over a few months and totally take our time, perhaps leaving in May and returning in October.  It is still on my dream list but we just have to find the right window of time to do it in.

Tomorrow I'm off to get my bloodwork done.  Every day is a struggle to be honest but I am determined to give this drug the time it needs to do it's job.  I just hope it isn't much longer!  Bill is taking advantage of this down time at home to finish up some long needed yard work and Geoff and Lindsey are getting ready to tackle their yard project which started next year.  Buying a house that needs a yard fix up is no small undertaking and there are never a shortage of surprises along the way.

So Happy Canada Day All!!!  Isn't it great to be able to call yourself Canadian and to take pride and ownership of this amazing place we get to call our home! ??