Dec 28 A lovely Christmas - again

It was good to feel up to inviting friends for Christmas dinner again. Mary & Mark with their Oz pal Andrew (Ursula's son), and Raul & Elvira joined us. I cooked up duck breasts, Mary did a magnificent Pavlova, and Raul a great cheese board so it was easy for us. I counted 50 glasses as Ted washed them next morning so I guess we had some good wines too. After dinner we all (yes, even Raul) had a rousing game of Mexican Train. Boxing Day we invited our new neighbours and kids (Ella5 and Jayden 10 for drinks) and have sealed a new friendship there. They love to come visit the parrot. We hope to see Julie and Dan, the family that just moved out, over the holidays too.

Christmas Eve was a return to the Rodas-Reyes family, this time at son Sean and Krista's invitation for a sumptuous feast and many wines. At about midnight I pulled the plug and we came home, but the hispanic party continued on to the wee hours. It was great to spend the time with 3-year-old Maya, who certainly "got" Santa this year.
Left: Sheila, Melissa, Elvira, Krista. Right: Sean, Raul, Ted, Patrick.
We love being part of the extended family to so many wonderful families and are blessed with the new generation coming along too.
On Christmas Day, Justin & Michelle paid us a brief visit before going to dinner with Michelle's family so we had a visit with Cohen on his first Christmas.

Dec 2-17 Aaaah the tropical breezes

We had a great trip to Hawaii, returning for the umteenth time to Kona on the Big Island. We didn't cover much ground this time, just hung out on our lanai, took a boat trip out to skin dive with 100-150 dolphins. We enjoyed shopping at the farmers market for local produce, all the local fish and seafood with a Japanese twist. Nearly every day we donned masks and snorkels and went skin diving with the fish, turtles and dolphins in the many good bays south of Kona. We had one day of rain, but it was still 75 so not too difficult to take. It was sad to return to winter but good to be back for the holidays.

Nov 1 - sun, sand, palm trees, here we come..

Once I got the all clear from my surgeon, I got on the internet and soon had a trip to Hawaii planned. Dec 2 we will leave for two weeks on the Big Island, one of our favourite places on the planet. Sitting on our lanai, gazing out over Kona bay at the spinner dolphins jumping in our bay, maybe a grey whale, certainly there are lots of big pelagics there so we hope to see the manta rays too. Diving is out but there are many, many lovely snorkleing spots. They warn tourists not to touch the turtles but they forgot to tell the turtles to leave the turists alone! We often find one swimming near to us as we are idling gazing at a cleaning station or some little sea critter.

Oct 29/09 Onward and upward - or downward?

My final post-surgery visit with Dr. DeHaas. A clean bill of health, the transplant and donor site are healing well, still some small open areas but normal. Volume is good and angles correct! Who knew you had to be a mathematician as well as a plastic surgeon? Nurse Lisa spent a lot of time clarifying issues, timelines and plans. Dr. DeHaas, in his usual sensitive and caring manner, explained what will happen over the next 5 months as the new breast falls into place. Whoever thought a saggy boob would be good? But that's what we now aim for. After 6 months, he does the final work of creating a nipple on the new breast and balancing the other one with it, raising that nipple 2cm and adding a slight tuck for the perfect match! Amazing. I can now start to exercise gently, drive and pick up the pieces of normal life. Yeah!
I will see Dr. DeHaas again in mid-January.

Oct 13 Thanksgiving

We celebrated with my first outing to the home of Ali, Rob, Mike and Harry for Thanksgiving dinner. Plus friend John, new dawg Farley and rabbit! In fine Ukrainian fashion, Ali cooked up a mountain of food, including cabbage rolls. A lot of it got eaten! Those boys have long empty legs. I can say I finally got my appetite back after surgery. We were joined by phone and in spirit by Gerry and Ray, Ali's parents, in Penticton. They were celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary so we all had to congratulate them. Smart people, they decided not to join the families in Calgary/Edmonton for a celebration. Our temp of -16 yesterday broke a record for the day! It is to be +16 by the end of the week when this Arctic front dissipates.
(below left, Harry and Farley, middle Mike and bunny Pancakes) The after-dinner poses!

Sep 22 Breast Reconstruction

After a year wait to see micro-surgeon Dr. William DeHaas, I was lucky enough to get a date at Foothills Hospital, with a fine team of plastic surgeons, specialists and incredibly gifted nurses. During an 8 hour surgery where my lower abdomen tissue and skin plus 3 veins were taken in a "free flap" (DIEP procedure) and transplanted into my right chest cavity. All the scar tissue and damage created from the previous mastectomy surgery and extensive radiation were removed. A fresh, healthy blood supply has been reintroduced to that part of my body. I will now have full use of the right arm in future. I also have a right breast. And a very flat tummy, if scarred from hip bone to hip bone.
Some excitement in the hospital while my blood pressure went up to 240 and I was moved to ICU for 1.5 days. The cardiac experts did some checking, and finding no cause for it, modified my BP medication, which has got it back on track.
I am walking like an ape, slightly bent, hell on the lower back but easy on the ab incision. I can't do much for 6 weeks, exccept walking. No lifting. Certainly no vacuuming, ovens, sinks, baths, etc. HahaHa. Ted is pleased to see me back in the kitchen today. I can now wash myelf and actually dry my toes too. Such excitment.
Oct 8 Dr. DeHaas removed steri-strips (no stitches any more) declared his handiwork perfect, I'll have the body of a 20 year old shortly, hopefully not the brain! Some healing of the abdomen still to go so I'm on antibiotics for a week. I feel very very tired and this train has frequent stops.

August - Getting Fit

In prep for the big chop Sep 22, I hired a great personal trainer at the local Leisure Centre. Cheyanna (Chey)Rusk took a mere 5 hours to instill in me a fitness program. Everything hurts! She is a kindly taskmistress who took into account all my past history and tailor-made a program for the gym, for the house and for on the road! I only need an exercise ball and some weights to put it into effect. A first look in that gym told me I certainly had no idea how to go about setting up a program on my own. Although there are some pretty fit specimens in there, there are also people older than me, and in less good shape, so I didn't feel intimidated. Everyone has a story! Thanks Chey for a fantastic job. Now I have to keep it up on my own...not so easy.

August Updates - the new me!

I had my annual medical with my GP, then mammogram and semi-annual checkup with my oncologist. Both were very happy with results of all tests and my return to healthy status. In the meantime, I have met a skilled plastic surgeon in Calgary, Dr. William DeHaas, who has pronounced me a good candidate for post cancer breast reconstruction. This will also rid my body of the restrictive scar tissue from mastectomy surgery and chemo and radiation treatment. I will get full use of my right arm back. Gone are the days when women were expected to suck it up and put up with pain and discomfort for the rest of their lives. Or to carry around awkward, uncomfortable prostheses too. Having been told I could expect a surgery date by March 2010, I then got a date of Sep 22. After pre-surgery appointments with Dr. DeHaas and Foothills Hospital Admitting, I had all the tests and appear to be in good shape for the big chop. I will have DIEP surgery, a newer form of TRAM flap surgery, with better outcomes and less downtime. (See link) The surgery will be about 6 hours, I will be in hospital for a week, home mostly resting for a week, and 2-3 months recovering.

August - Summer in the Rockies

Home from a month in Europe, we spent a few days home before the arrival of niece Sarah. After three stormy, rainy days we packed the RV and headed to inner BC and the Okanagan Valley, a first for Sarah. There it was hot and sunny (a bit smoky from the forest fires) and we enjoyed wine tasting, lunches on the patios at lovely wineries, and Sarah finally got to lie on the beach in her bikini - ah heaven.

July - Bordeaux

We then took the fast train from Paris to Bordeaux, getting off at Libourne a bit before that. The weekend before Bastille Day (France's Big Day) it was chaotic! We rented a car and a gorgeous little house in Monsegur, in Entre Deux Mers between Garonne and Dordogne and near St.Emilion. Suffice to say we were set in beautiful vineyards and 12th and 13th century historic villages and buildings. Monsegur is a bastide (walled cities built by English and French monarchs) so a marvellous market square, lots of activity, and really great food. We were joined there by sister Liz & Clive, the best tour guides for the area. Also marvellous cook and bottle washer. We will definitely plan a return trip to friends Myrle's son's home there. Sadly our return from France was serious marred when a snotty French security guard at Bergerac airport confiscated my stash of canned pate de fois gras (sob, sob) because it was a security risk!!! Who knew. Bastard probably enjoyed it all at home that evening. Grrrr

July - England - nephew Neil's Wedding to Jo

We returned to England to Ted's mum's home and visiting the Foster family for ten days. We all enjoyed the Cinderella wedding in Hampshire, an opportunity to meet extended family and friends we have not met or seen for decades. A great gathering. the happy couple both looked stunning as did their handsome parents and family. I got a chance to wear my Fascinator at last!
While near Epsom, we found many nice pubs and restaurants to visit every day, but the weather could have cooperated a bit better. After the heatwave earlier, rain and cooler weather dominated but not on the wedding day fortunately.

July - Paris

We took the Eurostar train from London to Paris, two hours under the English Channel. We hit France at 10 to 12 and it began to rain soon after! It seems the wet stuff followed us everywhere this summer! We had 4 days in Paris, wore out my feet and got food poisoning the last day which was a bummer. Fitted in some lovely museum/art gallery visits and up and down the Seine on the great little Batobus boats. And a couple of good restaurants before the stomach problems hit!

July to England - London/Southwold

We spent the month of July in Europe. First to London with sister Mary & Ivan then to visit their Georgian seaside house in Southwold.
From London we had a wonderful visit to the famous opera centre at Glyndebourne (photo left) for Falstaff and sister Mary's wonderful uber-picnic lunch and many of Ivan's bottles of wine. (How we stayed awake on day 2 in England for that I'll never know...)
Mary had all the family over for a BBQ in the garden one hot evening, great to see everyone and the fast growing Frank and Hannah/Nacho's new home by the Thames in Chiswick.
Later that week we spent a few days in Southwold. A typical English seaside town, hot and sunny while we ere there so fun going down the old fashioned pier for trinkets and ice cream. Lovely beach houses, supposedly the cost of a house for some, but no power or water!

Aug 2009 Up and running again - May/June USA

Welcome back to my blog! Life has resumed this year to its standard level of many trips and gatherings. We spent May/June travelling for the month in our 22ft RV Lupita (LUP111). WE spent he time in southern colorado and Utah and northern New Mexico and Arizona. gorgeous country. Many fantastic national parks - Mes Verde, Arches, Canyonlands, Canyon de chelly, Bryce Canyon to name a few. Weather was varied, some very hot, at 8,000 ft cold! Lots of rain at times too and huge winds.
We revisited many old favourites. Spent my birthday in Santa Fe, one of the most fascinating cities in the USA, dinner at Coyote Cafe, still great after 10 years or more. Hiked up and down canyons and did well. the RV worked marvellously, didn't have to resort to a hotel once and mostly ate in and BBQd a lot of the time. We are gradually finding all the bells and whistles to make it totally self-sufficient.

Celebration of Life

We had a most wonderful celebration Sunday with Gary and Sam Marx. I met Gary at Mount Royal College where he was one of my subjects in photography class. Since then we stayed in touch, though his marriage to the beautiful Samantha, shortly thereafter his diagnosis with testicular cancer and the long journey back to health. Last year, they successfully completed IVF and have gorgeous twin baby girls (i months) Sophie and Zoe. Sam threw a party for Gary's 5 year anniversary of end of treatment so we were thrilled to be part of that.
(See photos of Gary with Sophie, friend Jason with Zoe and Mum &
adoring grandpa.)

It was also great to see Kathleen Popiel-Long with daughter Aurora and partner Jason (right)

Apr 28 Update - Fundraising

I've been touched by many of you who have donated either to Ali, who will walk for the cure in July when I am in UK, or others. Notably, Vicky Hughes in England completed the London Marathon in 5/44, raising over L3000 (pounds) for breast cancer research in the process. Thank you Vicky!
You are on my honour wall now!

Boomer to GenY

At my ACDS board conference this month,l I sat on a panel to discuss differences in inter-generational values in the workplace. With a Traditional, Boomer, GenX and GenY on the panel, we all changed places. This required a crash course for me on what Generation Ys are all about - that's roughly age 24 and younger. They are different! fortunately friend Cynthia's daughter Lauren (age 15) took me in hand, see results left. Note iPod in ear, cell phone in hand, lots of eye, big bag on shoulder, long blonde hair(?). I don't think I'll be mistaken for a GenY any time soon! HaHaHa

Wedding Plans

As we are invited to nephew Neil's wedding to Jo in England July 24, we are busy planning a trip to Europe around that. I have weekened and bought a new outfit, complete with Fascinator - a feathered frisson for my head, since I don't have much hair any more. I also found a black/beige outfit with a long skirt, perfect for excessive eating and drinking with an elastic-waisted skirt!

Mar 24/09 - My new motto

Enjoyed sushi yesterday with my pal from IABC and president of Fuzzy Logic, Micky Gulless. She is a cross stitcher. She made me a nice gift while waiting for husband Gary to recover from brain tumor surgery. I love it. It may offend the odd one but...It's my new motto.
Happy Birthday today to my big sis Liz in Cambridge.

Feb 23 - Five Buck Pals: End Breast Cancer July 25/26

My good friend Ali Francis has signed on to get fit and walk the 60kms for the Weekend to End Breast Cancer July 25 & 26 in my name. I shall be in UK for my nephew's Neil's wedding July 24. I am encouraging everyone I know to support Ali.
$5 each from 20,000 people in Calgary - less than two coffees at Starbucks - would repay my estimated $100,000 treatment costs. Wow! If you want to be one of my Five Buck Pals, take a look at Ali's message. Her goal is $5,000. Thanks. Sheila

A MESSAGE FROM ALISON FRANCIS
twojackcorp@shaw.ca.

1 in 9 will battle Breast Cancer.
The women in my life are not meeting this statistic. I know that this will sadly change and the numbers will be staggering! My good friend Sheila did not beat these odds, and unfortunately has been on an incredibly difficult journey these past two years. I am happy to say there has been a positive outcome thanks to treatment partially funded through the Weekend to End Breast Cancer. Sheila’s positive outlook and sense of humor also went a long way! Please check out her 2 year journey at http://ittybittysheila.blogspot.com
For All the Women in My Life and Yours
July 25 & 26, I will join thousands of others in the 60 km walk the “Weekend to End Breast Cancer”.
Walking is easy, Breast Cancer is Hard.
Provide the gift of HOPE for all the women in your life. Please help support my fundraising efforts for this cause. Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Visit my Personal Page:
http://www.endcancer.ca/site/TR/Events/Calgary2009?px=2654038&pg=personal&fr_id=1321&fl=en_US&et=td40Ye_OaiMH-U9zsl_cWw..&s_tafId=219314

Jan 8/09 - Two years down!

I celebrate today two years since my BC surgery. The tough stuff is over. Last night I had my first outpatient meeting with my oncologist, Dr. Tara Pickering. She went over my PET scan results and will monitor me every 6 months. Everything looks superduper. So - no tests, no treatment, no nothing! Yippee.
Tomorrow I leave for 3 days in the mountains at quaint little Baker Creek Cabins near Lake Louise. I will ski with about 36 other Norseman club friends. And party with them too.
I can now drink most things without my mouth talking back at me. High alcohol is still a problem, as is spicy and salty food. So no Thai pigouts or jars of olives, but everything in moderation I guess.
Our plans to spend the winter somewhere warm and south have been abandoned in this financial fallout. Hopefully we can get the RV out in spring and start to travel again.
This blog has served me well so I am going offline now to LIVE BIG. Starting yesterday I bought two pairs of shoes...Adios amigos..