Bus Chasing

As I ready for yet another trip to the city, I shall first update this blog. All is well and the trip shall include a visit with Miss Claire so am looking forward more than usual to the journey. 

This recent weekend we enjoyed having our grandson over and he is spirit lifting as only a five year old boy can be. I had arranged with his mother to pick him up at the nearest bus stop to us on Friday afternoon and return him there on Monday morning for school. I arrived early at the stop as I couldn't remember the exact arrival time (a lot has gone in my life since I did the school bus run in June) and there was a new driver this year. As 4 pm approached his mother texted to ask if he had arrived and I assured her I was waiting at the stop. Shortly thereafter the bus sped by. I quickly texted his mother 'bus went by' and began pursuit. Back in the day when our children rode the elementary school bus there were multiple stops through the three small communities but….no more. With our aging population there is not another stop until Ingomar which is about five minutes away. As I tailed the bus, the frantic texts from his mother arrived…is he on the bus? why didn't they stop? At the Ingomar fire hall the bus finally turned in and I approached the door. Our grandson quickly exited through the door and stood beside me with a relieved look on his face. The poor driver was very apologetic and explained that a substitute teacher had his class and hadn't provided the bus transfer form to her. That, and the perfect storm of the two young fellows who get off at the stop I frequent, not being on the bus Friday meant she didn't stop but continued on. Our grandson realized something was amiss as they passed out of our community and told the driver she'd "forgotten to let him go to his Nanak's ". I arranged to drop him off at the regular stop on Monday morning and we headed home. 

The weekend was spent with lego, crafts, playing games of mousetrap and scardy squirrel and reading books. He spent Saturday afternoon visiting his great Nanny with his Auntie and running errands. Sunday was Open Farm Day at Chestnut Hill Farm and so we enjoyed visiting the piggies, chickens, ducks and bee hives. We even saw his teacher and her family there so I introduced myself (her father was principal when our children were small) and she taught in Uluhuktak (next community to Sachs Harbour) when she began her career. Small world. The remainder of the afternoon was spent in secret preparations for an early birthday party as due to my anticipated immunocompromised status on the actual date I will be hibernating. We enjoyed a nice supper with blueberry cake/candles and I was treated to a scavenger hunt for some lovely gifts. I was thrilled with the handmade (supervised by the auntie) creations. As the little guy was being put in the tub that evening the pump sputtered and….we joined the waterless masses locally as we suffer through a major drought. 

Fortunately, it rained during the night and all day Monday. In fact, as we waited for the bus Monday morning there was a major cloudburst, which luckily slowed when the bus arrived. We had large grey wharf boxes brought over from the plant - the shore captain has been providing them locally for a few weeks now - and the fire department filled them with water suitable for everything but drinking. So, buckets of water to flush the toilet, boiled two large pots full to do the dishes from a dishwasher full of dirty dishes, paper plates, hand wipes, laundromat, showers at the provincial park and drinking bottled water. 

On Monday a buddy and myself first had a Cuban lunch at Shanty Cafe (she treated me - I am so spoiled) and we shopped at the craft shop of the sheltered workshop which is next door. Then we attended Look Good Feel Better at the regional hospital which is a sponsored session with about $200 worth of free cosmetics. None of the other ladies realized I was wearing a wig so I was a good advertisement for the section on hair replacement and I managed to put my makeup on without looking like a clown so it was a good time. I'm not likely to wear all the makeup but….there were some nice goodies. 

Tuesday when the well was checked….we had water to cover the foot valve at least a few inches but the pump had lost its prime and wouldn't pick up the water. So, the shore captain called a local plumber who promised to come 'first thing' in the morning when he was assured the man of the house would be here. I was sleeping soundly at 7 am when rudely awakened by my other half who said "get up, I have to go and the plumber isn't here yet". Not being a morning person I stumbled out of bed and he left. In the bathroom a few minutes later I heard my phone ringing and found a voice mail message stating "call me back, it'll probably be too late by the time you do", When I connected with the life partner who was not even two km up the road, he had passed the plumber on the way to our house and was directing me to pay him cash. Now a bit more awake I firmly educated him on the difference between have and want as in….I am a nurse I have to be at work 20 minutes to 7 to listen to report / you are self employed and want to be at work at a time you decide this morning - big difference. He protested that he would be away the next day and a half and had paperwork to do, no argument but the 5 minute wait for the plumber and his 15 minute service call (which netted him $120) could have been scheduled in there. The day is long when you're up that early. After breakfast I settled in to clean / organize my scrapbooking supplies and had a very productive couple of hours. Certainly not complete but a very good start. Lots of ideas for projects now that I've gotten my things out and looked at them. 

After lunch I enjoyed my book on the deck and the neighbour walked over to tell me that she had about six feet of water in her newly dug well. Apparently there were two attempts made as the first was dry as dust. She was pretty excited as she's been waterless for weeks now. We feasted on BBQ moose steaks for supper which had been a gift to the shore captain.

So tomorrow it's start the steroids and have the bloodwork day and then the trip to the city to overnight before the longer day of appointment and chemo. Completing this cycle will mark the halfway point of the treatments. 

Positive vibe

You know how you need to be in a mood to write? It is especially easy when you have positive vibes pushing you and this is one of those situations. 

Claire's hat I crocheted

We received a call from our daughter on Saturday evening (who was due in a week ) to tell us that our baby granddaughter had arrived. Claire Ann was 8 lb 14 oz and both mother and baby are doing well. It was nice to take a tripto the city the next day for other than medical reasons. And really good to hold our newborn grandchild, while deciding although she's cute that she looks nothing like our own kids did. 

When I was hospitalized for pneumonia in mid August the Dr who had admitted me advised that the chest X-ray report from the radiologist advised I have a bone scan as there were areas on my ribs which could either be artifact (shadows but not sinister) or metastases (spread of cancer) and so he arranged for the body scan. I received a letter booking me for September 7th at the regional hospital. I have to say that reading the requisition with the 'rule out metastases' instructions next to my name and birthdate in the waiting room was disconcerting. The test requires that you receive an IV injection of radioactive dye and then return a few hours later for the scan. This allowed the life partner and I to run some errands (Canadian Tire, groceries and the butcher) and then enjoy a Cuban lunch at Shanty Cafe before heading back. The scan was somewhere between MRI and CT for claustrophobia inducing panic attacks and I managed ok. Today I received a call from the nurse in the referring physician's office - he's retired since my hospitalization but is one of those detail orientated types who checks reports from home and instructed her to let me know - that my scan was clear! Woohoo a huge relief as it's tough to stare that facing mortality stuff in the face and not have it affect you. 

I travelled to the city for my short chemo appointment (actually about 10 days ago now) and was in and out within 50 minutes. My white counts had dropped, but not as low as previously so good to have had the dosage reduced 80%, and they were still at a level to have the chemo. Managed to enjoy a Meditterean lunch afterwards with a northern colleague and my family in tow, before heading home. Today is the final day of my reduced white count, according to the oncologists so the plan is to have our grandson over on the weekend as I won't be so immunocompromised. 

Today I (again) did battle with my cell phone provider and 'think' I have arranged to have the phone plan I need at a price where I don't have to sell my car. This has been an ongoing skirmish over several months with amount of data and unlimited calling/texts being negotiated. As I said to the rep today….I will NEVER call Bell again and speak to anyone, I will only live chat so that I have a record of our discussion. He reversed the charges I was whining about. 

I also spent some time looking for my camera, which I have apparently misplaced - the trouble with having technology you can put in your pocket or purse….I have an alternate camera and had downloaded my recent photos but did not plan to be without my waterproof, freeze proof, shock proof camera just yet. I've likely put it somewhere 'safe' and you know what that leads to…..pulling apart the house to prevent admitting you've lost your mind. 

We are locally in the midst of a drought and many wells are dry. We still have water although the shore captain refuses to look in the well and see how much because "you can't save water, the level is according to the water table" to quote himself. Local Fire departments are filling wharf boxes with water for flushing of toilets etc for those who are out, the provincial park is open for showers, washing machines have been installed at Search & Rescue, taps are accessible at some fire halls and people on town water supplies have opened their homes for showers. Estimates are over 30% of the municipality is without water, rivers and lakes are at all time lows and lawns are charred. Yes, it's been a beautiful warm, sunny summer but we desperately need rain and for extended periods. 

Ending this post with some practical advice on packing for those of you in travel mode:

bootsnotroots.com/how-to-pack-the-perfect-carry-on-even-for-long-haul-trips

Simple things are the best

I guess if I were to think through the process of blogging recently, it could appear to be a little morbid to be writing about a serious illness but….I really am not feeling sorry for myself so caution you to read this update in a positive manner as well. 

Had the grandson with us for the past week as he attended swimming lessons, swam in our pool, enjoyed great meals and good times. The therapeutic joy of having a five year old spend the end of summer with you cannot be downplayed. It wasn't the greatest of weather for lake swimming lessons but he did very well, learned lots and we all enjoyed ourselves. 

I travelled to the city for my oncology clinic appointment and treatments and all went fine. We drove down the day before so that the shore captain could help put the rest of the garage ceiling up in the afternoon for the daughter and son-in-law and I whipped up the nursery curtains for our soon to arrive grandchild. As our daughter was having a class in her MEd course, we headed out to supper at Ela's. Have eaten there before and it's….okay, but wasn't overly impressed for the price/service this time. Really had my heart set on dessert and when the server picked up our plates she said "all finished?" with just a couple of vegetables remaining, I assumed the next visit was going to include a dessert menu or at the very least a question as to dessert and a cup of tea as the tip is on the total if nothing else. She appeared in a few moments with the bill and said "thanks a lot". We stopped at Dairy Queen for blizzards, nuff said. Have been having some middle of the night awakenings (likely due to the steroids given with chemo) and was brought wide awake at 4 am by something I thought flying through the side of the house….turned out to be a helicopter overhead. An early morning clinic visit with new resident and oncologist and my chemo drugs were reduced to 80% of the original and the next cycle is four weeks vs three as I clearly had proven I responded to them. Upstairs to have the infusions and a bit of a struggle to get an IV, delay for new dose of meds and finally on our way after about six hours in total, so not too bad really. We headed out in a pouring rain (only the city got wet) and down to Lunenburg to meet up with the grandson and his Auntie who were visiting the Fisheries Museum as the lad had finished his swimming lessons and was celebrating his badge. We stopped at The Fish Shack where I had lobster poutine (no worries about side effects) and it was a foggy late arrival home. Another 4 am awakening - this one also included a VERY loud text message signal from the shore captain's cell - but back to sleep after a while. 

The weekend sped by and with the steroids (you can see how those athletes are so pumped) I got all sorts of things accomplished. Attended a coworker's wedding at the local church on Saturday which was one of the hottest days of the year and managed to wear my new hair in style. Got compliments on my wig as folks thought I'd coloured my hair and looked younger. It was actually pretty comfortable, so I know I can manage it now. We ended up with an impromptu swim/BBQ for a gathering of friends who enjoyed fresh halibut, beverages and great conversation. As I said to the life partner "I feel as if I'm myself again with being able to entertain as it's been more than six months since we had people over". 

Yesterday and today have been spent dealing with….hitting the wall. Think the complete physical exhaustion I woke up with yesterday is the after effects of steroid withdrawal as it was mentioned as a side effect. I feel a lot better this evening after finally giving in, rescheduling my car appointment and convincing friends to travel out to visit me versus going to lunch in town. Hard thing not to push myself as I usually do, but after 60 years of living in this body I am finally learning to listen to it. Had a wonderful supper of salad and fresh haddock, just off the boat. As I said to the family "these simple days are the best ones".

So the plan for this week is bloodwork on Thursday and if the counts are good, chemo on Friday. Since it's a short visit with only one medication we'll just travel down for the day. But as with nursing…plans are always subject to change, gotta be flexible. 

The entire experience

Well as my colleague asked "you wanted to have the entire experience right?" in response to my news of the latest medical saga. 

I did (in my estimation) very well with the first chemo treatment - no nausea, ate well, no fatigue so….thought I had it all under control. Of course, there is no controlling of the situation I find myself in at the moment, which was proven by the fact that I developed symptoms of a cold on Wednesday and by Thursday had a low grade temperature. Had my blood done for treatment the following day and so called the chemo nurse to see about the three hour drive and she assured me that although my counts were low that I was still within the guidelines to receive treatment unless I developed a fever or became ill. That evening when my temperature was 38c I dutifully presented to the ER for bloodwork, chest X-ray and urine sample. Diagnosed with neutropenia (severely low white blood count) pneumonia and bronchitis I found myself admitted with an IV and IV antibiotics every 6hrs, aerosol masks, daily bloodwork and booster for my white blood cells on reverse precautions (those who came to see me had to wear a mask and clean their hands, staff wore gowns and gloves). I didn't actually feel too badly the first day (looked worse on paper) but by the weekend was feeling really rotten with high fever which refused to budge even with tylenol so fan over ice, cold facecloth, ice packs, pushing fluids and feeling as if someone had poked me in both eyes and wrapped a huge rubber band around my head. By Monday my counts were back to normal and my temperature resolving. Tuesday found me well enough to come home on inhalers and oral antibiotics. Coughing and still getting back on my feet, but generally feeling much better. 

Haven't (of course) been able to enjoy the pool myself except for one family swim last Tuesday before all the shenanigans began. Lots of fun with the floaties and squirty toys followed by a BBQ as the prenatal daughter and five year old grandson were visiting. This weekend is an annual BBQ for my sister's birthday so will look forward to having the gang here and the grandson will be along for that and the following week as I've enrolled him in swimming lessons. 

Found a new cleaner and she didn't complain about the cat hair (mind you, she has two himalayan kitties, two rabbit hounds and two lizards) so was clearly a good choice as an animal lover. She is also an obsessive cleaner who enjoys it - yes, there are people like that and they are the ones to find to clean for you - lives nearby and drives. Was pleased to have this settled and came home to a sparkling house. 

Spent today paying some bills and dealing with bureaucracy. When an agency is called Service Canada one would be allowed to think they might assist you right? Ha ha ha ha. If you press continue on the website query, a message saying the website is temporarily down appears. There is no way from the website to figure out a phone number (except for pensions) and when you dial it, no way to speak to a human. A friend suggested punching 0 (which I did causing it to ring and ring - gave up at 20 rings). So I called my MPs office for assistance and was assured they have a private line to Service Canada and would deal with my problem and call me back. Now, I don't know about you but….this did not reassure me. You have a service which is so dysfunctional as to require intervention and yet don't try to fix it? Hmmmm. Hopefully the politicos can work their magic. 

Well, since I had to cancel a stack of appointments due to my unplanned 'break' I have rescheduled picking up my wig until tomorrow. A coworker and myself have arrangements to go to lunch following and she is driving me so I feel quite princess like. The plans for a late October 40th anniversary nursing class reunion are coming together and really something positive to look forward to. Later…..

The journey continues

For those following along with my journey from the 'other side of the healthcare system' let me reassure you that I am managing well. A few bumps in the road as I navigate the trail but….moving forward. And although as I fondly watch the photos of my alternate (northern) life posted online, I realize that my fight is here at the moment. 

I travelled to the city last week for what was to be my first chemo treatment and…it wasn't. We made our way down the afternoon before so the shore captain could assist with some renos of the teacher daughter's garage and broke up the travelling. A childhood friend and her hubby who live in the neighbourhood strolled over in the heat and humidity to visit as the construction was underway below, and we visited on the deck under the shade of the grape arbour. Nice to have a few minutes to catch up. As they departed, I phoned a former travel mate who was hosting an American classmate from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine course visiting before heading back to Bangladesh, as we had arranged to go to supper. The plans changed to the hostess' hubby having made supper so they arrived to take me across the city and then we stopped on the return trip for cheesecake at The Sweet Hereafter. Highly recommend it if in Halifax - the key lime cheesecake and a cup of tea was a wonderful ending to the visit. Fell into bed late, stuffed and relaxed. An early leave for a Dr. appointment and the usual prodding and poking, discussing of plans and news that my chemo drugs had been changed to a regime with the same response rate and less side effects. Unfortunately the requirement is for 24 hours of steroids pre-treatment, which I obviously hadn't had so….a return the following Friday. 

No, not Tuesday, when I was booked for the routine CT scan to check my post op complications healing as I couldn't be fitted into the schedule, so two trips to the city this past week. An early morning start on Tuesday, quick test and over to meet the teacher daughter and her sister (she had been retrieved from her flight home from Cuba on Sunday). A stop at Canadian Tire to pick up an above ground pool, some yarn at Walmart and on the road. Returned home to find an excavator and truck in the yard preparing a spot for the pool we'd brought. 

Wednesday was a trip for wig fitting and it wasn't as painful as it sounds. Ignoring the suggestion of my life partner who suggested I could become a redhead and my job share partner who insisted Fredericks of Hollywood (some of you may remember their ads from the backs of childhood comic books) and a big ass Dolly Parton wig….I chose instead the same shade and style as my own. Who knew there was so much to know about wigs? You can't cook while wearing them - they frizzle - I am planning to wear the hair replacement only for outside the home, so no biggie. The intent is to not stand out so as to reduce questions, suggestions and pity from strangers - much like pregnant mothers endure. So, put it on front to back to front (are you listening Donald Trump?) and centre it with the side tabs and finger comb the style in to place. My benefits pay for a basic model (machine made) and so I opted to pay the difference on a mid price range (hand tied) model which is coming from Germany. Supposed to be lighter, cooler and more comfortable. Instructions on how to shampoo, condition and care for the wig followed. I found a cozy (bamboo) cap as well for non hair days and will return next week when the wig arrives for final approval. Since I wasn't sure how emotional the fitting would be, I had contacted some nursing classmates as a pleasant outing to look forward to, and we enjoyed a lovely lunch on the warm, sunny deck of Rudders Brew Pub overlooking the busy harbour. We planned some dates for our 40th anniversary weekend get together in October and the research has begun. Something positive to look forward to in the fall. 

Thursday I had convinced a cleaning lady to come and so escaped to allow her space and walked the beautiful local beach with a former coworker and good friend of many years - very therapeutic. When I returned, the cleaning lady (who had done a lovely job) admitted defeat and claimed she would not be able to do the job weekly. Gotta be a record for the shortest job! The search continues. The shore captain arrived to assemble the pool and was sourcing water. It's very dry this summer so using the well wasn't an option. Mind you, that had been his plan until the local fire department declined their pump and asked if we had 7000 gallons of water in our well. So, mister THEN goes to check and oops we have 'a couple of well rings'. Back to the saltwater plan. 

Friday morning was a quick run to the city for the chemo treatment. A slight delay as we awaited the drug (pharmacy had only known for a week I was booked the experienced nurse said with a knot in her face) and another patient having a serious allergic reaction which caused some hustle so a bit behind but…still only three hours in total. The schedule is Dr. visit (variable wait times of course) and two drugs the first day of the cycle (about 2 hrs) then only one drug the second week (about 45 min if all goes smoothly) thankfully it's the shorter one that stings a bit. Mister had gone to source a pump and had to be summoned as I was finished. A former coworker who knows her way around the chemo unit as her daughter attends came to visit and brought a care package - I am so spoiled. A stop at the drive through and a quick run home to make BBQ for supper. To bed early and awake a couple of hours in the night (? steroid reaction) but able to get eight hours of snoozing in. Sure hope things continue in this pattern as the list of side effects I'm hoping to avoid is lengthy. 

Up this morning to hit the local yard sales and scored some craft supplies, jelly, household finds and a dress while socializing. Ahhh Returned to find the shore captain and one of his minions pondering the pump the saltwater plan at high tide.

salt water fill underway

Kind of a drizzly, windy, cooler than lately kind of day. They managed to fill the pool in two hours but discovered that the sides needed to be rebraced as the gravel pad wasn't completely level so…tomorrow they will drain, brace and refill the unit. But first father and daughter took a celebratory swim…while I watched from dry land. The prenatal daughter is coming this week from the city (she has a list of craft projects for the impending grand baby which she is seeking assistance with) and has been tasked with obtaining pool toys - a ride on shark for the grandson, an air mattress for me and pool noodles for all. Can't wait. Even without a cabana boy in a thong to serve us girly drinks, it will be fun. 

So, a day to catch up on tasks such as clearing out the junk emails, puttering, reading my book and updating the blog. Ahhh. Not sleepy yet but as I woke up the snoring life partner from the 'in front of the ballgame recliner' to go to bed, he said "past my bedtime, not yours" which is of course accurate of this night owl. 

R & R completed

Home from a great vacation and time for an update…

It was a good decision to sneak away on a trip in between convalescing and the next round of 'healthcare social life' and all that this will entail. Great to feel well, be completely pampered and removed from all reminders of my day to day situation.  It'll be a while before I'm able to travel again. We picked up the grandson and was he ever excited! The questions, the questions on the way to the airport. A quick check in and he got to break in that brand new passport - the US border agent even let him stamp his own page. We were separated for the flight and so his grandfather was in the rear (apparently surrounded with badly behaved children) and I was the entertainment manager for the five year old "Wow, the houses look like dollhouses, we're in the air, when are the snacks coming?" etc. Just a short flight but….passing through clouds is "pretty awesome" I was told. Seeing the world through the eyes of a child is a good plan. 

A rush hour cab ride from JFK airport to Manhattan gave us lots of time to see the sights. Settled in to the hotel and out to source supper - the concierge recommended an Italian restaurant a few blocks away and we enjoyed a wonderful meal of homemade pasta with great service. We spent the next morning and early afternoon on a tour bus in Manhattan, grid locked at times, high heat and humidity and frequent stalling of the bus until…it wouldn't restart and we wandered a few blocks to be picked up by another tour bus. Sourced food at a deli and decompressed for a while in the air conditioned room before taking the subway to Yankee Stadium to watch the Boston Red Sox whoop the Yankees. Back just before midnight and were all instantly asleep. Breakfast at Applebees in the morning, a walk to Central Park and bicycle cart tour with a very nice Turkish student and a cab to the cruise pier. 

Atlantis, Kennedy Space Centre

A chaotic noisy embarkation and finally we were onboard the Norwegian Gem. We explored the ship, the buffet, met our cabin steward Eugene, attended the muster drill and most importantly registered the lad for Splash Academy (saved our sanity). Splash Academy had wonderful daycare workers of many nationalities and I was very pleased to be advised that our grandson was "the best behaved boy here" which I am thinking was accurate as I heard the same staff member telling another couple that their son was allowed to return as he had improved his behaviour - so the praise wasn't casually given. The sea day activities included the water slide and pool games vs just lounging in the sun, but it was a fun difference. We docked in Cape Canaveral and enjoyed the Kennedy Space Centre - highly recommend it if you are in the area - which you could easily spend two days visiting. Great Stirrup Cay (private island) in the Bahamas was lots of fun and we tried out the snorkel which was a $30 Walmart purchase with no expectations. The grandson took

Great Stirrup Cay

On the reef off Nassau

off like he'd been snorkelling all his life (it took me a long time to get the hang of breathing through that tube when I first started) and was amazed at all the little fishies - even thought he found Dory. Great beach day! For the next day we booked a snorkel excursion in Nassau and were a bit skeptical as to how it would go…30 minute boat trip out to the reef, 15 ft. depth and significant waves and….that didn't deter the little man one bit. Off the end of the boat with his grandfather and had to be convinced to climb aboard when it was time to leave. It was a great collection of fish mind you. The following day on the ship when we went to the pool deck, I couldn't get down the ladder fast enough and he was swimming (no life jacket) across the pool. We have a swimmer! A successful cruise on many levels, including that I gained some weight, enjoyed myself, got a lot stronger and generally feel like myself again. 

Back into NYC and disembarkation was another chaotic and very slow moving event. Grabbed a cab, stored the luggage and over to the American Museum of Natural History which was an amazing way to beat the heat and humidity. Cab, luggage, airport check in and a bite to eat. As we were preparing for boarding…Delta made an announcement of flight delay (a passenger heard there was no pilot available) and then the story was 'weather' in Halifax and cancellation with flight in the am. So….after waiting in a long disgruntled line of passengers the Delta staff finally gave us a new flight (I vetoed the NY to Montreal to Toronto to Halifax first offer) from La Guardia (not JFK) later the following afternoon, voucher for shuttles and a night at Parc Hotel in Flushing, NY near La Guardia (which turned out to be a nice suites lodging for Asian visitors with a fusion breakfast (dim sum meat buns, strange fried crullers which were dipped in soy sauce, croissants, cereal etc. There was a bit of confusion at check in when the Asian night clerk kept asking for a credit card for the name on the vouchers. We had to convince him that five year olds don't have visas and he'd have to accept the shore captain's. Before departing we spent a few hours shopping in the discount mall next to the hotel and I managed to score new jeans and sneakers at a reasonable price, even after the currency exchange. With all the pounds dropped I now fit into a size 10 which is something I haven't done in years. 

Over to La Guardia, attempt to check in…oh we're flying WestJet from another area of the terminal. Where are the bags? The promise was that they'd been shipped directly to Halifax in the morning and would be awaiting us. Oh, so there was no room for us on that flight but…you shipped unaccompanied luggage? I've been on a Delta flight where we all had to deplane and claim our luggage before being cleared for take off as there was an extra bag for goodness sake. Through security and time for supper before the delayed flight departed. The grandson was tickled as "we got to ride on the big plane" ahh to have that magical thinking of that age. Off to Toronto and cleared customs (easier without bags and no one asked) and then a short wait for our flight home. A desperate search for our luggage at 1 am with the West Jet agent telling us that it was nothing to do with them (oh really? you just flew us here as a code share with Delta but are dropping us) so a group of us were finally rescued by an Air Canada agent who went into the luggage area and found them for us. It really had nothing to do with him actually, but he was very kind. An uneventful drive home and arrival at 4 am. Returned the grandson in the afternoon after doing our laundry and it was an early night for all of us on Monday. 

Tuesday I got my bloodwork done as a baseline for chemotherapy and had a short visit with my former co-workers. Found the son of one of our GPs doing a locum in the ER - very strange to find a classmate of the oldest daughter in charge of a busy emergency department. Off to Frenchy's to supplement my wardrobe as I'm tired of grabbing my clothes at the waist to keep them up. Scored big time with capris, shorts, t-shirts and tops…even found a cute pair of baby socks for my grand baby to be. Checked the mail to find some lovely cards from various friends and a gorgeous quilt made with love for my chemo journey. Good thing we live in the country so there was no one to see me sniffing at the super mailbox. Overwhelming the support and how much it means. Not always easy to accept all the help if you've been an independent sort. 

Today I got the safety inspection for the car done and discovered the brakes need to be redone (warranty at least) visited with former coworkers and ran errands in town. Got a haircut as I won't want my scalp touched I'm sure after treatments and had some strawberry shortcake delivered by a buddy before rushing off for an appointment for chemo teaching. Lots of information and reading materials which ensure you are well educated. Different side of the healthcare system for me and having to ask the questions and look into how the next five months will go is a new experience. Tomorrow we head down to the city to overnight with the daughter and son-in-law before the early Friday am appointment and chemotherapy scheduled following so will head home after treatment. 

Expect to post a positive report after my treatment so stay tuned. I'm pasting this link for some positive thinking here:

http://letwhylead.com/2016/06/52-ways-to-simplify-your-life.html

Mission Making Memories

Lest I have alarmed you with my medical history the previous posting, let me reassure you that I am doing well, really well. In fact so well that I've booked a last minute cruise for the shore captain, myself and our grandson, which leaves this weekend out of New York. The itinerary on the Norwegian Gem is kid focused so should be a fun, yet busy trip. We plan a visit to the space centre in Cape Canaveral, snorkelling on Great Stirrup Cay and in Nassau we're still researching as the grandson isn't 48 inches tall which is the minimum height for all but the baby rides. Grandfather was very disappointed as he had volunteered to be the partner on the rides. We fly to New York tomorrow and the cruise begins Saturday. The grandson wasn't aware of the vacation until this evening and is reported to be 'super excited' I have no doubt of that. Good to only have the one night with that knowledge as time moves slowly for five year olds. The travel partner has sourced tickets for the Yankees vs Red Sox game on Friday evening and I just closed my eyes when the price came up on the screen….it's only money right? Picked up sunscreen and children's tylenol and gravol "just in case". A friend brought some toys/games to occupy the lad on the flight, bought a mask, snorkel and flipper set for him etc. 

Registered the grandson for swimming lessons at the end of August which will hopefully work with all the appointments which I'll have. I had to confess to my specialist that I was going on a trip as he was trying to arrange a visit with the nurse for chemotherapy teaching and he was delighted, telling me to "enjoy myself". I've been walking to the mailbox and amfeeling stronger each time. Eating lots of good food and although I've gained some of the weight back it was quite a struggle to find clothes which fit for the trip. Usually the problem is not that they're too big but that they've shrunk! Good thing I found a belt.

A friend who has recently sold her home has offered to house sit for us which means attending the greenhouse and kitty sitting. Nice to have the house occupied while we are absent and the kitties always enjoy human attention. A bit of putting the house in order was required today and I had to show the shore captain how to turn on the vacuum as that is on my list of restrictions. A few repair jobs that have been waiting for some time such as the shower door in the bathroom and screen in the back door were taken care of - always nice to have a reason so that such lists get taken care of. 

Must get myself to bed as we'll have an exciting time ahead (and hot as the forecast is 32c in NY on Friday) however I think I'm as excited as the grandson….one more sleep and it's Mission Making Memories time.