Happy Anniversary!

Our new friends Fred & Suzie aboard Celebrity Eclipse in the Caribbean; Feb 2012

Well it has been an whole year as of today, March 28th, since Deborah started her treatment plan. Today, we are celebrating with champange and her much coveted meal "bacon and tomato sanwiches" toasted of course. This is such a hoot as her main menu was  TB&T ad naseum.

scrap booking in the Caribbean! But of course.

If you follwed the blog, thanks but moresoe, thanks be that she is well and raring to go.

I think I heard the Fat Lady sing!

As the saying goes, it isn't over until the Fat Lady sings, well I just heard several verses of "Get out of my life".

Deb is finished treatment as of Friday morning and doing very well indeed. Albeit she is tired, a normal reaction after a procedure, but in very high spirits. The medical staff informed us that their is no sign of a tumor and all looks good. Naturally there are follow up procedures, more appointments (Aug sometime) for a check and the regular expectations. It was so surreal to watch and hear the teaching medical staff dole out instruction for post radiation care, wish us a great vacation and to actually say goodbye with conviction and hugs instead of "see you next week".

There are still concerns related to Deb's white blood count as it is not climbing as anticipated, but careful guidance and another set of tests on Wednesday should tell the story. In the event that the staff are not satisfied, she will see a blood specialist and start a regime of some sort no doubt.

We are looking forward this weekend to planning more of our trip with hopes of sorting through "cruise wear" that hopefully still fits. We have just learned that Clyde (our brother in law) will be our captain for the flight from Toronto to Frankfurt, what a treat that will be. We have planned to meet him in the departures lounge and start our journey together being totally spoiled.

Everyone at home has sighed a big sigh of relief and you can see faces smiling a whole lot more. Even the rainy days that we have had and that are in the forecast ahead are being looked forward to. The garden will grow, my fence may get fixed and with luck, we may still have a garden upon our return from Europe. The kids will do their best, but it isn't quite the same is it?

We even begin to or find the words to thank everyone enough for you loyal and loving support through this murky swamp we called cancer. Positive energies from around the globe landed right where they were intended and all went such a long way to help Deb beat this beast.

Now I need you all to do something for me. 

1. Go to your front or back door, and open it ever so slowly...
2. put your best ear out and listen as intently as you can....
3. see, the Fat Lady is singing!

Thank you Thank you Thank you..... and yes continue to hug someone you love every day.

K

Sunday May 15th - the long weekend holiday

In my Children's Adventure Playground

What a great day again today! Deb has spent the entire day downstairs chatting with family and friends on the phone and scaring the neighbours. This image I am sure will be the cause of much therapy for those on Jessie Avenue. Ms. Beattie complete with IPod stuck in her ears, directing how the plantings should go in the front garden. Dressed to kill or at least ready for a red carpet somewhere, in her nightie, bare feet and a knee length (Versace no doubt) sweater. OMG could I shrink faster than her tumor? Not bloody likely. The IPod of course blocked her sense of hearing, so even the local felines scattered in short order. The wilting of my Hosta, well another story. Once safely inside the front porch, with a luncheon fit for her majesty, the waling did stop long enough for her to eat.
Now look at this, a week ago she couldn't lift her eyelids to save her soul, today... dancing in the streets; albeit quite a sight.

Tedd D Bear - note his boots!

http://www.thetoren.nl/index.php?lang=EN
The link above is our hotel in Amsterdam from June 27 - July 1. Apparently this is one of Brad Pitt's favourite places to stay when he is in Amsterdam. Not why we booked it of course, location - location - location. We are so looking forward to our cruise even though I have to present a few talks, the downtime will be great. We are at sea for about four days with nice shore excursions in the Scandinavian countries and Northern Europe. If you want to check out our itinerary we are sailing aboard Celebrity Cruises, the Constellation from Amsterdam, return June 15 - 27.
For goodness sakes, rather than just google us, why not join us we will be the ones with the biggest smiles on our faces.
With any luck, our brother-in-law Clyde will be the pilot on our trip over so we may get some extra special treatment for Deb. At the very least, if she is not up to snuff, I will book a wheelchair at both ends as well you know, the airports can be pretty exhausting on a long haul; also you get seated first <lol>.
So tomorrow brings yet another choreography I am certain, perhaps this time in the back garden. The neighbours sleep late so with any luck they will miss the Ms. Debbie Parade  and dance-a-thon. The Ipod will  be suitably re-charged, no John Wayne movies on her DVD player and sunshine we hope. Tune in for the U-tube version of "I Beat Cancer Dancin".

Remember to hug someone you love today... time has a funny way of slipping away, with or without an IPod.

My Froggie Bottom Boys Band

Only 1 more to go! Friday of the long weekend

Deb did great today! We were up so early but a beautiful morning for sure. Her HDR treatment was rather rapid and she came out feeling very well. Actually she walked from Cancer Care to the parking lot which is about a block or so... pretty good for the 1st time.



Crocus sativus - saffron crocus




Catherine the Great's Garden - St. Petersburg Russia



Peterhoff  - fountain St Petersburg Russia



the opening of the Children's Garden



My topiary Froggies in the Children's Garden

Children's Garden  opening

Snake sculpture Children's Garden

a few of the 50,000 tulips all in bloom the children's garden

Deb is on the phone tonight, had a great meal and is actually becoming Deb again. Absolutely remarkable what the body and science can do. We are so very thankful to Cancer Care Manitoba and the exemplary level of treatment, service and general compassion that we received during this battle. It makes you very proud to be part of a system that works so well.

Tomorrow will be yet another day of surprises, we may actually spend some time downstairs and outside weather permitting. The garden will wait I am sure until the time is right for us to plant. Leaving in a matter of weeks, so the pressure is on to get the garden into shape as well as my presentations. It is such a good thing that there are 29 hours in the 9 day work week.

Enjoy the long weekend.

Tuesday May 17, Wednesday May 18th

Hello all, a very brief blog this evening of May 18th. Her Highness's blood work came back very good indeed. Her white count is back to normal and her Magnesium is close to normal too. We had the blood work done on Tuesday in the morning to accommodate my busy schedule. The news was so great today (Wed) that is was cause for celebration. Deb had jello <lol>! Actually we ordered in a pizza and she actually had some.
So at this point we are all set to go for early Friday morning the second to last internal treatment. The end is truly in sight.

I did however suggest to Deb that I was not prepared to push a wheelchair all over Northern Europe however on the plane it might be a good idea. Really and truly if that is what has to be, it will certainly happen. Just watching Deb today trying to manipulate her way through the hospital to the clinic on the first floor, sit and then come out again really exhausted her. The chances of her doing a 4 hour road trip in St. Petersburg are looking slim. May be that we have to acquiesce to a pedicure on board in St. Petersburg or the Gulf of Finland.
Yes the pressure is now on to get my presentations polished and ready to go; actually I have almost completed the five of them with only tweeking left to do.

Stay well and enjoy our good news, celebrate as you see fit.

More later for sure.

the end is in sight!

Saturday 14, Sunday and Monday May 16th

You  may have gathered that by now my blogs are becoming condensed. Truth is that I am tired too and it does take some time to report daily. With spring heavily upon us, there is even more to do at home. I had a great wiff of energy (where it came from remains a mystery) and did some work in my poor garden. Actually at the end of the day, it looked great. Our young neighbour to the East was amazed at what happened in a manner of hours; she is still miffed why her yard doesn't look the same.
Deb had a rather rough weekend spending all of it in bed with waves of nausea and other less attractive side effects. She is very weak and really isn't eating very  much at all. Mind you the chef and concierge service at the Beattie Hilton is second to none, but even that doesn't seem to stimulate her appetite.
Now on Monday, I called home to check our answering service and whose perky voice do I hear but Deb's. Thinking that she was in bed and just answered the land line, I was shocked to learn that she was actually downstairs in the kitchen. She went on to boast that she had done some packing up of her "gack" from Easter, made something to eat and had lunch on. Wow, what a change from Sunday when I thought that I should admit her.

Perhaps her electrolytes are still a bit wonky and this is what is causing her upset. The staff called today and we re-scheduled her blood work to Wed, and this will tell the story for sure. Hoping that all is well, levels up and climbing then her HDR procedure will occur on Friday very early in the morning. This is second to last and let me tell you both of us are awaiting that day. Then Deb's healing will start. I did notice this weekend that she has two sores on either side of her mouth, almost like a canker sore. Very red and they look angry for sure. However,( Ms. Clause X Polly Anna) thought that this was a more suitable side effect of the chemo than having them insider her mouth! Great attitude don't you think?
The stock market is on the rise, I bought into Immodium a few weeks back, and I am sure that my returns will pay for Deb's treatment in full. Lest we forget, there are very nasty side effects that allow Deb to be only a short distance from the lou. This too will pass we are praying.
So all in all, things are still a roller coaster, but I sense that we are at least coming to the shoreline of this murky swamp.

Thanks for all your kind correspondence, calls and concerns, these are the very bright lights in somewhat dull days.