Day 222 - A Rare Day Out...Together

Wow! Dr & Mrs actually got to go out together! Almost like a date! Although we didn't have much time for anything, but we were together!


We took a trolley ride, checked out the Mac store, I tried to persuade Jaco into a pair of jeans & a nice polo shirt, but he was a little too picky & we didn't have the time to sit in a shop for the afternoon. Maybe when he comes to Canada I'll get him out of that Quiksilver shirt... :o)


We bought a few treats from the Godiva shop & also from the Cheesecake Factory. By the time we found our way to the taxi station, we were pressed to get back. Jaco had to be on the ship by 1400 & there were no minutes to spare! 


I didn't have to be back until 1530, so I stayed out for a little more snooping around. I was in a jewelry shop when a lady beside me wanted to continue looking at the display, so we moved around each other. I looked at her as she said, 'Excuse me'. I think my jaw must have hit the floor.


Her name totally escaped me, but I couldn't help but blurt out, 'Hey! I know you!' She remembered my name & I fumbled... finally she said, 'Katie'. Oh my gosh! Katie!!! I worked with Katie on my first contract & we had a blast together. She was a Steiner & we hiked AB mountain in Skagway together, flirted with Welsh brothers & all sorts of other mayhem... She left ships to work in a salon in Florida & we were supposed to meet one day & she never showed. I never knew what happened to her. I never heard from her again. I have thought about her countless times, so I was floored to see her!!! 


She is married now, with 2 beautiful children & lives in Arizona. She just so happened to be visiting her Mom & Mother-in-Law & the rest is history! I was so excited to get in touch with her again! I hope we can connect on Facebook soon! She is such a beautiful person & the world is certainly a better place with her here! What a crazy day! Small world! I love it!


I picked up a few sweet treats for Jaco & headed back to the ship. I was mortified to find out that my wigs weren't on the ship! WHAT?!?! Oh, the dark side of me came out. I was so angry! I paid express shipping! I spent hours ensuring the packages would get to San Francisco on time! I sent 2 emails to the ship's agent. I called this morning & they had lost the notices, so I couldn't even get to the post office to find them! WHAT?!?! Argh!!! Now I'm headed back to Canada & I'll be bald & wigless! Hmpf. NOT a happy camper. Or Sailor. Jaco managed to find out that one of the boxes made it onto the ship at 1542 (we were supposed to sail at 1600, gangway's up at 1530). I'm sure they tossed it from the shore into the gunport! (It took about 3 hours to find out that the box was on the ship, so I was good & grumpy for awhile) 


Additionally, the Godiva bag went missing. I had sent Jaco back to the ship with the bags & apparently he forgot it when he came through the security scanner. I was miffed about that too! Luckily, the day was saved when I checked at the Purser's desk & they had the bag! Yay! I returned to the cabin with the sweets to find the wig box! Ahhh. Almost perfect... Now, if only they could locate the other box of wigs with all the supplies in it. No luck. Looks like I'll have one more thing to deal with when I get home. 


I went up on deck for sailaway & called Jaco to come up too. It took him far too long & by the time he did, we were long past the pretty parts. Oh well, I visited with the Senior Nurse's wife & their friends that were onboard. We are going to go for dinner tomorrow night.


Jaco was busy again at work, so while he saved lives & made people feel 'all better', I watched some Big Bang Theory... Thanks Werner & Karen!! I am totally a nerd at heart. I get such a kick out of that show. I think I watched 4 or 5 episodes before I fell asleep.


Sadly, tomorrow I'll have to pack & get ready to leave the day after that. Why oh why does the time fly so quickly? I'm really going to miss him when I'm gone. Here's to a quiet day tomorrow so we can spend some time together. 


Love & hugs,
Maria & Jaco
xxxxxxx

...So happy together...

Oh the places you'll go.

Just in case you needed a reminder

Making a Mac Man outta my Man!

Jaco poses purdy...

Mrs Katie! What a beautiful surprise!

What a fun city!

Alcatraz - I got a day pass

Always a cloudy day over the bridge.

And the clouds lifted...

Day 154 - Speedy Gonzalez AKA Contemplate

After an exceptionally short night, I found myself somewhat coherent about 0900. I got up to let Valentina out & by the time I came back in Collet was up too. We chit chatted for a bit & then Ezra woke up. He was not too happy to be up - until he saw 'Nini'! 


They played & played & played all morning. It was fun to see the two of them getting along so well! I was amazed at Ezra's growth. When I saw him 2 weeks ago, he was saying words. Now he's saying sentences! My goodness they grow quickly!


Collet took me for a tour of True Hope. Dave's family has this incredible history of helping people with illnesses of all sorts. What began as a solution for bi-polar has evolved into, well, how about you just check it out... http://www.truehope.com I take several of their products to give my body the nutritional support it needs & I've heard so many amazing stories of the products helping people with depression, Parkinson's, MS, cancer, Cerebral Palsy... It's incredible!


I was shocked at the size of the office. Completely not what I expected, but it's always nice to have your expectations exceeded! My only disappointment... No Mac computers. Sigh. If they only knew that ALL of GAP Adventures computers are Macs & they have 5 concept stores in 3 different countries plus head office! Once you go Mac, you never go back. :o) (Just a little dig for the IT boys at True Hope!) Everyone who worked there was friendly & fun. I guess it feels good to know that you are making a big impact in so many people's lives, health & vitality! Bring it on!!!


We returned to the house & I packed up the car. I woefully hugged the family goodbye & made my way towards Calgary. (3 hours late!) I had called the Oncologist's office & told them I was running behind & could I squeak in at the end of the day. She told me to get there as quickly as I could. I left at 1500 & by 1633 I was entering the south end of the city. It took me well over 1/2 an hour to get to Tom Baker. Crowchild was at a stand still. So much for making good time! Luckily the Doctor was still there when I ran in! 


He told me to have a seat & wait. Wow. 3 hours late & I still get to wait! Imagine what the parking bill would have been had I been on time! :o) 


Well, I must say, he drives a hard bargain. I brought up the comments made from the previous week with the other Oncologist...

• Q:If I do 1 month of chemo & the tumors are gone, why am I still doing 5 more months of chemo?
• A:Well, we have to be sure we get it all & sometimes these cells lie dormant.
• Q: If you do a scan at 3 or 4 months & it's clean, why do I still need another 2 months?
• A: (see above)
• Q: The other Doc mentioned they are doing studies &/or tests to see if they can shorten the time/amount of chemo given. Can I get in on those studies?
• A: Well, we don't have any studies being conducted here, but I tell you what. You can do 6 months of chemo (no variation in the dosage) OR you can do 3 months of chemo followed by 3 months of radiation. We'll do radiation on your chest, underarms & both sides of your neck. 
• Q: Do I look stupid?
• A: (Don't worry, I didn't really ask that question, I just thought it REALLY LOUD in my head!)

The Doc also said the last 2 months of chemo are usually the toughest with the worst side effects. I'm thinking to myself... 'Duh! That's because there isn't any cancer left to kill! You're killing healthy cells!!!!'

Sigh. I then proceeded to tell him that I wanted to see my husband before I started chemo. Either I go see him or I wait until he can come to see me. The Doc proceeds to tell me that it's time to put me first. The cruise lines can find another Doctor to fill his spot. What the Doc doesn't quite understand is that Jaco would have to sign off own will, pay to fly to SA, get a visa, pay to fly to Canada & have no income while he was here & obviously nor would I! So the Doc says, give me his name & date of birth, I'll write up a letter & we'll send it to the Canadian Embassy in South Africa requesting an expedited Visitor Visa so he can come here. (!!??)

Next he says, 'Is money an issue?' We can put you in touch with a Social Worker who can put you on disability & get you some income to help out.  I'm beginning to think, 'Is there anything this Doctor can't do?'

Anyhow, he knows I'm stubborn & I want to think things through, so I politely tell him I need time to think about things. He tells me he wouldn't expect anything different, but that he wants me in treatment by the end of April. Oh please God let me find something that works between now & April 30th!

I leave the hospital at 1800 & pay my parking ($3.75 - not bad!) upstairs. As I drive past my Filipino friend from the previous weeks, I honk at him & offer a friendly wave. It's his lucky week, he doesn't have to put up with my coin purse this week! :o)

Exhausted from driving, I motor home. It is prayers tonight, but I don't have the energy to go. I am happy to be home, as is Valentina. I see Laura has called! She's back from Mexico! I can't wait to talk to her & see how things went... Did the girls have fun? Did Henk enjoy his time away from his 'other girls' (the cows)? How did treatments go? OMGOSH! The best news I've heard all year - SHE'S IN REMISSION!!!!!!!! AMEN!!!!! AWESOME NEWS!!!!!!! She doesn't have to go back for 1 year! Way to go Girl!!!! I'm thrilled to bits for her! She found out on her 8th Wedding Anniversary. I sure hope I don't have to wait until my 8th anniversary to hear those words!!! :o) 

Talk about a long day... Up & down & all around... Life is a roller coaster! Holy cow! I am about to crash when Mom asks me if I'll drive to Mossleigh tomorrow morning to pick her up. She needs to take Jeff her truck. Crap timing that is! I told her to ask me in the morning after I've had a good night's sleep.

Lekker slaap,

Maria & Valentina

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Best buds, enjoying breakfast!

Hangin' out at True Hope!

The True Hope IT boys. I guess there's always 'hope' one day they'll see the light & switch to Macs. :o)

Awh! What a gorgeous family & look at little Ezra's smile! Too cute for words!

Where would I be without my amazing friend? Lost.

Just a few questions for the Doc.

Day 147 - Nodular Sclerosing Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Stage 2B

Yes, it's official. Today was the day I received the pathology report stating that yes, you do indeed have those nasty little cells in your body we like to call 'Cancer'. 


I started the day off by having a little jaunt on the treadmill & I even managed to run for 10 minutes of my 30 minutes! Mom was impressed at how long I could run for. I didn't think 5 minutes at a time was much to write home about, er, much to write on the blog about, but here I am! My brother showed up half way through the workout & commented on how I wasn't getting anywhere. Ha ha. He was impressed when I put Valentina on the treadmill & he watched her trot away...


Jeff came over to help Mom with one of her new projects. They chit chatted while I did my best to get ready. I'm so not used to this. How do 'normal' people do it? I workout, get food ready, get supplements ready, shower & it takes me 4 hours! And no, I didn't even talk on the phone!


Of course, the battery was dead in Contemplate, so Mom went to get the booster cables. She has boosted the car 3 times now, but still struggles to know which one goes on first, etc,etc. Hey, don't look at me! Red's hot, black's not! She was getting mad because the handles are really tough to squeeze & she couldn't get it wide enough to go onto the post. Yeah, sure... I even surprised myself! I did it! No problem! Must be all that raw food! Ha! 


Contemplate was back in action & Valentina & I were enroute for Tom Baker Centre. Our first stop was blood work. The Lab Tech was surprised to see my black bag moving, until she saw little eyes looking back at her! After Valentina was finished charming the techs, we walked through the corridor to Foothills Hospital. 


Neil, who hosts our weekly prayer group, met a lovely young lady named Alma, by chance one day. It turned out that Alma had Uterine Cancer & she had her surgery on Tuesday. I had never met her, but I did leave her some serrapeptase. I also left her some Winalite pads to get her going. 


It was pretty crazy going to the hospital with my dog, to see someone I've never met before, who has just had intense surgery & just popping in to say hi! In any case, I found Alma's room & WOW! She is drop dead gorgeous! How anyone can look that stunning after having surgery & being confined to a bed, is beyond me! She was in good spirits & anxious to get on with life & heal. She showed me her stitches. Wow! Poor thing! I've never seen such an incision. (I haven't seen many) She is 34 & desperately wanted to be a Mom. They removed her Uterus & Cervix, but left her ovaries. She told me the only way she could have a baby would be through a surrogate mother. If you know anyone!!!!!! :o) Seriously! I look forward to getting to know Alma better & sharing our roads to health & vitality! She enjoyed Valentina & of course, Valentina was happy to have the attention!


Soon it was time for my appointment. My regular Oncologist was away, so I had the 'Substitute Teacher' today. She was nice. She kind of reminded me of Sarah Jessica Parker in a curly haired, slim, fit, same nose kind of way. 


My blood work actually looked really good! Slight anemia, but most everything else was normal. Even my WBC is normal! I'm thinking that is due to the fact that what I'm doing is working! :o) 


The Doc told me I'm up for ABVD. That means my ticker takes a lickin' & my lungs bid Adieu to their scuba adventures. We talked about BEACOPP & CHOP & many other acronyms. She was very patient & answered all of my questions as best she could. 


We all know how I feel about chemo. Well. She told me 6 months of chemo, every 2 weeks. I asked about a scan & she said they would scan me at about 3-4 months. However, she said that the lumps would be gone after the 1st or 2nd round of chemo. ???? Isn't that a bit of overkill? Of course, they want to be sure they have got it all. But then she added, they are doing tests now to see if they can actually shorten the duration of the dosages. Pardon my ignorance, but why would I take 5 more months of chemo if the first month gets it? And then there are the side effects. The metal taste in my mouth - gee, nothing to do with the toxic garbage you've just pumped in? The hair loss - no biggie, please, take the stuff on my legs, arms & face first! And keep it! The nausea - more drugs for that. The dead taste buds, the tingling in my fingers - possibly permanent... the list goes on. I could drone on, but you'll get bored regardless of what you believe. 


They want me to come back in a week. I'm still processing. Don't panic. Don't stress. Don't worry. I'll be just fine. Nothing will change, just because they found a few cells they didn't like. I'm still feeling great & there are no new problems! RELAX! I'll keep you posted!


After I paid $12.25 in parking... in change... The poor kid at the booth knows me well by now. He laughed & asked if I wanted a receipt too! It was mostly dimes today. If I have to keep going there I'll go broke on parking alone! Can you imagine? I would have to go Thursday for bloodwork & Friday's for treatments... That's a killing in parking fees! I'm in the wrong industry! :o)


My next stop was the Apple Store. I dug out my old wireless keyboard & hooked it up. I can sit back & blog... but it's a bummer to have to move & use the trackpad. So, Magic Mouse... it's a pleasure to meet you! I love MAC! The folks at the store are so helpful & friendly. I chatted with the fellow about several different Mac products. Obviously my budget doesn't allow anything more than a mouse, but a girl can dream! I told him about my photography & he even arranged a session with one of their trainers to help me out & learn how to make the most out of my Mac for my business!!! Once you go Mac, you never go back! :o)


Next stop: Community Natural Foods - Downtown - Where I don't get accused of shoplifting! Supplements & groceries... Ouch! Painful bill! But they were having an info-session on green smoothies... Interesting!


Next Stop: Fishman's Dry Cleaning. Again. I'm in the wrong business. $225 to clean my gown & put it in a box. Not just any box! An airtight preservation box. I told them to clean it first & see if it's worth preserving! 


Next Stop: Costco - returning the blender I bought last week. I didn't even open it, as I decided to get a slightly better one. No, not a Vita-Mix, but a nice Oster one. It reverses. I like that idea. I wandered around Costco, as one does, and end up with things I didn't have on my list, but can still use! Like the MEGA bag of Whiskas cat food for Adios. Saves me a few trips, I suppose! 


Next Stop: Marlboro Mall: Sears. I phoned on Tuesday & it was a task & a half. I called 4 different Sears stores & after no answers, hang ups, disconnects, poor customer service, lack of skill/knowledge, I FINALLY found my blender! And it doesn't go on sale until Saturday, but they gave me 10% off anyways! Thank you very much! I'm so excited to use it!!!


Next Stop: Gas &... Don't shoot me... It was a bad day... Fast food joint. I will be paying for it in so many more ways than just cash. I paid cash. I ate it. I got a headache. My tummy didn't appreciate the garbage. Fair enough. I deserved it. But... The worst punishment - I bought Valentina a hamburger patty. When I gave it to her, she dropped it in between the seat & the console. I can't get it & neither can she. Oh is that going to be rank come mid-July. Gross, gag, puke. So, I hang my head in shame & disgust. 


Next Stop: Home. I pull up to the house & see something moving under the deck. And then the stench hits me. It's a little Pepe le Pew! A little skunk is snooping around under the deck. Hmm. Small problem! How do I get inside? He's not too fussed about high tailing, er, hopefully not! Getting out of the way! I call Mom inside the house & she doesn't answer. I call again. What's a girl to do? It's not as though I can hop out & holler at it & chase it away. And you thought I smelled bad from taking DMSO! We're talking about a whole new level of stinking! :o) I call Mom again & about the time she answers, Pepe scurries from under the steps around the backside of the house. I tell Mom of our friendly visitor & make my way inside. Even unloading the car was potent. I think Pepe must have left us a memory on the deck, as it was a mighty bit strong! Thank goodness Valentina didn't make an encounter... I can't even imagine! Actually I can, last year my cat, Adios, made friends with Pepe. Got him right on his face. 


Have you ever bathed a cat? Poor Adios took it fairly well. The woeful yowls were sounds I've never heard from him before! 


Today was also the 1st anniversary for Jaco & I. Mom bought 'us' a dozen roses & gave us a card. The card was perfect. It had 2 wiener dogs on the front - dog + dog = heart. It made me smile! Jaco - I love you more today than I did yesterday & all the days before & you have made me the luckiest girl I know. Really. I love you & I miss you & I can't wait to see you again! Soon! Very soon!


I had news of a wonderful friend from ships. Sadly her mother was killed while riding a bike. The mother died on the exact same day as the father 13 years earlier. If you have a moment to send some love & healing for her & her sister's poor broken hearts, that would be appreciated. My heart breaks at their untimely loss.


Lastly, as I'm about to go cross-eyed from typing three blog posts in one night... My dear friends, Dave & Michele, got engaged! In Namibia! We think under the same tree where Jaco & I got married! How crazy is that!? I'm so excited for them both! I can't wait to hear all about it! And... my dear friends, Krystle & Ross, who were Bridesmaid & Groomsman, are having a baby is August & on Saturday, they have an ultrasound to find out the baby's sex. They have invited me to go online & see it with them! I'm smiling like a goofy girl right now, but I feel so honoured to be included in their magical moment! Thank you for making me feel special! 


What a day! I'm beat! I'm crawling into bed with my little girl & I will see you tomorrow! 
Maria & Valentina
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Blood work about to happen. Note the armband on the floor. Ew. At least the Technician was friendly & she liked my dog! :o)

Dr. Owen's waiting area. I thought the African Elephant was slightly depressing considering it was our 1st anniversary when we married in Africa & here I am, FAR AWAY from my wonderful husband & about to receive the crummiest diagnosis thus far. (Yeah, my pity party is long since over!)

The card & roses Mom gave Jaco & I for our first anniversary. The card had 2 wiener dogs on the cover & said something about the longer couples are together the more alike they begin to look!

Pretty Roses!