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.