Day 418 - Post Grad Night

Today the Home Care Nurse came & flushed the line & changed the stat lock & dressing. Looks like I'm going to have to change the dressing daily while I'm in California. I'm glad I'm on antibiotics (NEVER thought I'd say that!) while I'm away. It will help get rid of any would-be bugs while I'm gone.

I had a different Nurse today. I wasn't too impressed. She REEKED like cigarette smoke. She must've just butted out before she walked through the door. Come on. You're a NURSE! Health=Nurse=No Smoking! Oceana apparently doesn't like smoke. She growled like the dickens at the poor gal! I thought it was kinda funny! I said, 'Sorry, she doesn't like smoke.' To which the Nurse replied, 'Well, aren't you the fat puppy!?' indicating Valentina. Okay. Guess we're even now!

I packed up 2 small suitcases for California & got the dogs ready for Mom2's. I drove in late afternoon & Mom2 & I went to the PB Post Grad meeting. Basically they give us a few days to process & apply what we've learned & then we get to meet up & clarify any of the tools we learned & share our experiences. It was great fun to see everyone again! I'm sad I'll miss the next one, as I'll be in Cuba.

Mom2 wore the Angelina wig & I wore the Rihanna wig. It was fun to see people's reactions. It was so stinkin' cold tonight. I can't wait to leave for California, even if it is Northern California! We got home shortly after 10 & I think it was near 2300 by the time I finished arranging the suitcases & went to bed. What a short night. I had to be up by 0245 to leave in time for the airport. Why do I do this to myself!? And Mom2? She was going to drive me.

I'm so excited for this trip! Not only is it my first time out of the country in 6 months, but I'm going to ask for a miracle! I'm so excited for what will happen! Wish me luck for tomorrow I fly!

xxxx Maria, Valentina, Oceana

Sorry - no pictures - I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off! Soon!

Day 398 - No Lines & Movie Night!

Today was the big day! I was actually going to leave the house & go further than Bragg Creek! Mom & I were off to prayers for the evening. I was quite excited, as we were watching Finger of God - an amazing documentary about miracle healings that happen all over the globe. It's a pretty unorthodox film for Christians & non-Christians alike. It certainly tests the boundaries for what you believe & find believable. To my delight, everyone loved it! We are watching Furious Love next week & I can't wait to hear the reactions!

I also went to the passport office. To my delight, there were only 2 other people in the building & they were already being helped! No line up! Awesome! Everything went smoothly & I will have my new 48 page passport in a week or so. I requested 48 instead of 24 to avoid this situation in the future. I'm pretty excited to travel as a Mrs. now!

My days & nights are still completely upside down & backwards. I am beginning to wonder if they will ever straighten out. At least I can chat with my husband on Skype when he wakes up! I'm still up from the previous day! It always amazes me that it's daytime somewhere else in the world when it's night time here. Everyone is off in their own little world, living the life they know...

I wore the same wig to the passport office today so I would look the same as my photo. We stopped at a bookstore after the passport office & I inquired about the Finger of God DVD. As I was leaving the shop, the lady said, 'Can I ask you a question?' 'Sure!' 'Where do you get your hair done? I LOVE the colour.' Ha ha ha. I laughed hard. I said, 'Wowwigs.com' It made my day. I'm going to have a hard time doing my real hair when it grows back. I have a feeling wigs could certainly become part of my permanent personality!

The roads were still a bit icy, so I'm not brave enough to drive quite yet. Another day or so of nice weather & I should be good to go. Hopefully! Stay safe & stay warm!

xxxxMV&O

Meet Gigi

Day 366 - Hello Shermans & Strilchuks!

This morning we were up & at it bright & early. By the time Jaco & I got up, Henk was already out in the barn & Laura had all the girls up & dressed & was busy braiding the last one's hair. Oh, and she had breakfast ready for everyone - Quinoa, omelet & fresh cinnamon buns. How does she do it, Folks? How does she do it?

I took along my blonde wig for the trip, but forgot the little bank robber stocking that goes under the wig. It helps a lot with the itching. I hadn't worn the wig & was having fun showing off my henna. I wasn't sure if the church we were going to today would be ready for my henna'd head or not. Laura told us that 500+ people go to their church every week. When I tried the wig on for the girls, they liked it. I told them I was now Mommy's sister (because I was blonde too!). I decided to wear the wig. Thank goodness I did, as we ended up sitting in the very front row! I guess they would have only stared at the back of my henna'd head, but this way I couldn't see either way!

I met Laura's friends, who have a daughter with a rare medical condition called AVM - Arteriovenous Malformation. She is taking treatments in Colorado, as they have much success in treating her AVM. Canada offered to remove 1/2 her face & do reconstructive surgery & by the way, she might not survive the surgery. Did I mention their daughter isn't even old enough to drive a car? TRAGIC! (Insert prayer HERE!)

We drove back to the house & had a bite to eat. It was then time for us to dash away. We hugged & said our farewells. I sure do miss those guys. What a wonderful family they are! I wish we lived closer. (Did I say that already?!)

We made our way towards Beaumont. We were stopping in to see Janis & Dustin, Caleb & Baby #2. Janis is due in March. I think it's a girl. But I always think every Mom-to-be is having a girl. Janis is the ultimate Mom. I've never seen a woman handle pregnancy so smoothly. I think it's her general laid-back attitude. It rubs off on Caleb & their two Goldendoodles, so it's only naturally that pregnancy would go smoothly as well. I hope I'm like that one day! She looks stunning & I've never heard her complain about ANYTHING. What a gal. My hat's off to you!

We were planning on staying for an hour or so, as we needed to get to Rocky Mountain House before dark. Well. If Dustin didn't come home & start making thin crust Italian pizza. They asked us to stay & I think they asked right about the time the garlic was sauteéing on the oven. Psychologically they could have asked me for my first born child & I would have handed over the baby for a piece of pizza. Yeah. It was that good. Seriously, I haven't had pizza like that since... Italia! Bellissima!

While Dustin was preparing the pizza, I went to the living room to play with Caleb. This kid amazes me. He's 2 years old & he has the craziest vocabulary & best pronunciation I've ever heard. Not that I'm a Speech Pathologist or anything, but he's pretty clever! He read me a book full of animals. Lion, bear, giraffe, zebra, tiger, butterfly... I was VERY impressed. Note to self: Read your child PLENTY of books. Note to self: Read your self PLENTY of books!

We were on the road with full bellies & memories of homemade tomato sauce dancing on our tongues. We arrived at Le Strilchuk Château just past 2100 in the snow. I scared the daylights out of Mom2. She didn't hear us drive up, or come in the house. They were all watching a movie in the living room, with a fire burning. She screamed & jumped. Whoopsie! We had a wonderful chat & enjoyed a cup of Toasted Walnut tea from David's Tea. I sat up & watched the last of the Karate Kid. It was good! I like Jackie Chan.

The girls were happy to see us. I think. Valentina cuddled with Ricky, Mom2's nephew, & Oceana cuddled with Mom2. All the dogs got along fine! It's a miracle! I think it was great for them to have a few more 'pack members'.  We'll see what happens once we're back home!

I went to bed after the movie & what a cozy bed! The mattress was nice & cushy & the duvet was big & fluffy. Great sleep!!!

While I was paging through a magazine in bed, Jaco went to the loo. I heard someone get up, I think it was Mom2. She walked in on him in the bathroom. So did Laura at her house. So did Drayton at Sylvia's house. I think it's quite funny. For all other parties involved, maybe not. What are the chances of this happening at EVERY house you stay at? Maybe they don't lock doors in South Africa? They lock every other door, that's for sure!

Tomorrow we motor home... Lekker slaap!

xxxxMJV&O

 Soooooo Yummy!!!

 The Master at work!

 Caleb enjoying his ice cream

 Smiley Guy!

There's a bit of a belly bump there! 

 Laura, Henk & the girls

Tianna playing shy!

Day 334 - Cars & Insomnia

Another day of post-chemo rubbish. I'm struggling to find the upside of things these days. My arm is getting somewhat better, no more codeine, but it still aches. I'm so anxious to get away & go somewhere - do something! But I'm just not there yet. 


Today we took Contemplate to the mechanics to pick up Mom's car & I made arrangements to leave Contemplate there next week. The brakes are a little shoddy & I'm not sure why. Hopefully it will be an easy fix! The mechanic, Duane, is a wonderful man. I visited with him & his wife for quite some time today. It's nice to have a mechanic you can trust & you know isn't going to tell you the 'caneutre valve' is cracked & needs to be replaced for $2000. (When I was in flight school, I trained with a fellow named James & he used to joke about telling women their caneutre (kah-noo-turr) valve was busted & of course, us non-mechanically inclined women would just nod & say OK. 


I wore the mullet wig today. I think I may have overdone it. I also wore legwarmers. What!? They are back in style! Okay, granted, maybe not with a mullet wig, but it was fun anyhow! I had some pretty funny looks when I stopped at the grocery store. All in good fun. I felt a little like Joan Jett, only without the leather & denim.


Shortly after we got back from the mechanics, I got another headache. I was in bed by 2100 - a record for me! Unfortunately I woke up at 0030 & could NOT fall asleep until 0600. Yes, six in the morning. I have never had insomnia quite like that before! Ridiculous! I feel sorry for anyone who suffers regularly with it! What a horrible thing to deal with! 


So, rather groggily, I say goodnight... or good morning...


xxxxMJV&O

 Valentina LOVES the heater - she gets SO close to it!

 I think she's on some tropical island at the moment... Wish I was too!

 Jaco on facebook... Or YouTube

I'm thinking of submitting this to Acana - good to the last kibble!

Day 322 - Spruce Meadows!

The Masters started on Wednesday at Spruce Meadows. Show Jumpers from all over the world come to compete for big bucks. I went with our 4-H club when I was about 13 or 14 years old & I haven't been since! Seeing as Jaco had never been to Spruce Meadows, I thought it would be a fun thing for us to 'tick off the list'. It was!

Spruce Meadows celebrated its 35th anniversary this year. They had photos showcasing the development of the facility throughout the years. It was quite fascinating to see the original vision develop into what it is today. It was also, um, disturbing (?) for lack of a better word, to see the growth of Calgary in the background of the aerial photos. Spruce Meadows used to lie outside the city by a quite a distance. Now it is engulfed by developments. As much as I love my city, it is disgusting that Calgary takes up more surface area than New York City, which has over 8 million people! Calgary has just over a million - if you include the metropolitan area. (NYC swoops to 19 million if you include their metropolitan area!) I get that we are a city wealth with oil money, but really... how disgusting is THAT carbon footprint!

Anyhow, back to the show jumping. Jaco told me he used to watch show jumping on the weekends at home when there weren't any sports on TV. He found it quite boring. Thankfully he enjoyed watching the event live! In fact, there were several moments when I said, 'Well, should we go now?' and Jaco was the one to request that we watch one more... And then one more... And then one more!

I sported a wig today. The henna design is gone & my hair is getting sparse, so I put on the long red wig & painted up my face. I must say, since I put a big more effort into my appearance, I have received more compliments than ever! Talk about a confidence booster! It's nice to know that I don't look like a clown with a wig on! 

We strolled around the grounds, checking out the different barns, filled with exhibits of various equine & not-so-equine related booths. We visited Traci, Mom's friend, who was selling western clothing for Cavalier. I chit-chatted with a fellow from Montana who makes custom cowboy boots. He offers a course... maybe I'll go one day & make my own 'Italian' boots. (It's on my bucket list, although I'd rather learn in Italy!)

While we were waiting for the International Ring to begin the next group of jumpers, the cutest little old lady came & sat beside Jaco & I. She had a pudgy little chihuahua dog with her. She was the sweetest little lady, telling us where she was from, her daughter was out from Montreal, they were in the horse business, how she got her dog... She was adorable! Of course, so was Oscar, the chubby chihuahua... There's a photo below that I snapped after we moved down the bleachers to get a better view. She still warms my heart at the thought of her & her little dog!

Jaco & I had picked out the perfect seats to get the best photos. The jumps were right in front of us. Lo & behold, they jumped on the other side of the ring & in the middle. No where near where we were sitting! Argh! Oh well, we enjoyed the jumping nonetheless. 

The Celle stallions from Germany performed prior to the jumping. They were magnificent! It was incredible to see them perform - what athleticism, grace & strength. There are a few snaps below. Enjoy!

We left shortly thereafter to stroll around the grounds & visit a few more places before we left. We stopped to say goodbye to Traci & while we were waiting, Jaco decided to go to the car & wait for me. He took the camera bag & left. When I was walking to the car, I stopped by the International Ring. They were jumping RIGHT IN FRONT! ARGH! Sigh. I guess there's always next year! 

All in all, it was a great day. We enjoyed our day at Spruce Meadows. Sleep well for tomorrow we DevinFest!

xxxxx MJV&O

Welcoming the jumpers from various countries around the world.

The wig for today.

My how the city has grown!

South Africa!

Checking out the black & white photos of yesteryears!

Pretty pony.

Jaco makes friends

One of the Celle Stallions

Getting ready

The rider prepares

Lost in thought?

The little lady & Oscar

Oscar hopes for a few crumbles

Oscar & his jacket

Celle Stallion reaches out

Beautiful!

Wow!

Whee!

Up & Over!

Hup!

Over the top!

Last jump!

Collected.

Day 237 - Rainy Day

This morning had me in the city for 1030. I love how my mother wakes me up & reminds me that I have an appointment at 1000. Three times. Ugh! Just five more minutes of sleep please! I know, I know, I'm going to miss the school bus... :o)


Dr. Drobot is a Naturopathic Doctor at the Calgary Centre for Naturopathic Medicine & was recommended to me by Andrea. She went to Dr. Drobot & he helped her get rid of her cancer after the chemo wouldn't do it. I thought I would see him prior to chemo & see if we couldn't take a few steps prior to chemo to help safeguard some of my other organs & body systems. 


He was very knowledgeable & personable. I am looking forward to working with him! I warned him that my finances are limited & he reassured me that I could get by on several of his treatments that were only $20 or $50. I have been given some homework, so I'll keep you posted on what I find out!


I drove straight home, well, with a small detour to the post office. THE WIGS ARE FINALLY HERE! Hooray! I'm so relieved to finally have them! There is only one that I'm not tickled with. It's a little darker than I'd expected & the style isn't just right. But otherwise, I LOVE them all! The red pixie cut is my favourite... I think! I let Mom try on two, but I've decided they're only meant for my head. I have a hair hygiene 'thing'. In any case, she had a good laugh at how they made her feel. It's true though! You really do feel like you take on a new persona simply by changing your hair. We'll see the persona I get with no hair at all! 


I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning up my desk, which is almost useable now! I edited Mom's 2011 Day Planner, chatted with a few buddies & put up the new shower curtain. The old one leaks water through it. Oh the joys of a rainy day! 


Tomorrow Ilo is coming to visit! Yay! I'm so excited to see her & have Shasta meet the girls! Hopefully I'll be back from town quickly & we can get a good gab session in! 


But it's an early morning for me (again!), so I'm outta here... 


xxxxx
Maria, Adios & Valentina

Wait! Don't take my picture without makeup on! (My Mom used to put makeup on to feed the cows! Guess it made the hay taste better?!)

Cowgirl 'Curly' Sue

Still real hair under there!

Miss Rodeo USA

Day 235 - White Flour?!

Today was my orientation at the Tom Baker Centre for chemotherapy. Of course, Mom & I were late. Construction, parking, & bad directions from the front desk didn't help matters much. We found a seat & tuned in to what the nurse was saying. She talked about what to expect during chemo, when you get chemo & what not to do.

A lot of it was common sense - if there is any with chemo - but some of it really didn't make sense to me. I get that the goal is to poison the body as much as possible to kill all the bad (& good) cells, but is it really necessary? Surely some vitamins & minerals & healthy food wouldn't be that detrimental to my health? :o) Sounds funny! 

Even funnier was the lady across from us... The nurse was advising us to eat a good meal the morning of our chemo treatments & to bring snacks with us. The lady across the way pipes up, 'I was told not to have any GREASY foods on the treatment days. Is that true?' WHY WOULD YOU HAVE GREASY FOODS AT ANYTIME THROUGHOUT YOUR ENTIRE CANCER CAREER??!! 

Adding to the ridiculousness of it - the nurse tells us they have volunteers who come around the treatment rooms & offer you coffee, juice & cookies. I'm thinking, 'Oooh, warm chocolate chip cookies!' (Which are just as bad as greasy food, I know!) But nope, they are the kind you get on a WestJet flight. Prepackaged & filled with rubbish. Just what I need to heal! (Can you see me rolling my eyes?!?)

Lastly, on the list of ridiculous diet suggestions, according to the Canadian Cancer Society, their recommendation for diarrhea is to eat WHITE BREAD OR WHITE PASTA!!!!! Can you believe it?!?! Does anybody even eat that garbage still??? HUH-LOW!!!!! It struck me funny that I can't indulge in vitamins & minerals, but I can plug my colon with gooey, gluey white flour! Gross. Don't believe me? Check here.

I had the nurse up in arms, as she told us to flip through our green folder & I told her I didn't have one. Then she mentioned the infamous red card. I told her I didn't have one. She said I must be new. I told her I'd been coming here for 18 months. She was really flustered then! But, not nearly as flustered as the moment the power went out! Yes, the Tom Baker Cancer Centre forgot to pay their power bill. :o) We were about 10 minutes without power, so she read from her binder. 

After the (no)Powerpoint presentation, we had a tour of the treatment room. Shudder. I can't believe this is my reality. Get me in & get me out. I want to spend as little time as possible in that area! Icky. The nurse also pointed out the little 'kitchen' where they have toast, coffee, tea, jam, peanut butter... But... Fruit? Vegetables? Don't be ridiculous! 

Perhaps the most shocking part of the day was when I discovered that I needed Medical Coverage for the pharmaceuticals I would need in addition to chemo. WHAT?! And here I've been bragging about our wonderful socialized medicine. What gives!? All the anti-emetics would NOT be covered. So they'll fill me full of poisons & if I can afford the 'feel better' meds, I'll be fine & dandy. Something is NOT right about this picture! After the orientation was completed, I went straight to the desk to book an appointment with a social worker & figure out the health care business. She would call me tomorrow. Another hurdle begins! Wish me luck! 

I also found out that my hair will be completely gone until about 1 month after chemo. Lucky me. I guess I was pretty naive, as I thought it would start to grow back around the 3 or 4 month mark, but that was just me thinking silly! So, instead of my 2 front teeth for Christmas, all I'll want is hair! (on my scalp, just to be specific, in case someone out there wants to play a cruel joke on me & give me more whiskers!!!)

The nurse was quite knowledgeable about chemo drugs, so she offered a few websites to check out. I will say, besides the front desk chick who didn't know much, the rest of the receptionists I dealt with were WONDERFUL & very patient with this patient. 

We even got free parking today! Whoo hoo! How sweet is that!!! It adds up so quickly. Mom & I lamented that the Big Pharma should at least pay for patient's parking. Anyhow, driving on, we stopped at Jugo Juice. I am officially obsessed with Copa Cabana. They use agave in their smoothies! Sweet! 

We stopped at the post office & the General Store on our way to see if the wigs were in yet. No luck. I checked the tracking number & they are out of Canadian Customs, but I have no clue where they are now! Oh hurry here! I want my wigs! Any suggestions for names? I've decided every wig needs a personality... 

When I arrived home, I was checking my messages when Kim Ing rang me on Skype. 3 hours later, Joanne called. 3 hours later, I was up to speed on her trip to Mexico & Adam Dreamhealer. I sure do miss her & our laughing fits! I am so happy to hear that she is feeling footloose & fancy free! She is kicking cancer's buttocks & that is WONDERFUL!!! 

I collapsed into bed quite late. It would be a short night... Tomorrow is bloods & ultrasound at the Fertility Clinic. Cross your fingers all is well! 

xxxx

Maria & Valentina

Valentina fell asleep waiting to use the phone

A headset is a beautiful thing.

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...