Sad start to 2010

After a lovely Christmas holiday - first Xmas Day with son David's family then Dec 27 with daughter's Anne' s family - Ted's mum Mary passed away Dec 29, just short of her 90th birthday next May. Last July she had enjoyed the wedding of her grandson Neil to Jo. (Photo, Mary (left) with little sister - only 86 - Vera at the wedding.) She lived a full life and was granted a short period of ill-health before her death, so we are celebrating a life well lived. She visited Canada in September 2008, revisiting many of her favourite places in the Rockies. Ted returned to UK for the funeral Jan 22.

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.