The Travel of Trust

Today I had another CT scan -a follow up to make sure all those rogue cancer cells aren't hiding somewhere. I have put this whole cancer episode out of my mind and haven't thought a whole lot about it lately. The scars are the reminder and every now and then, they get tired and let me know that they are there. I am trying to stretch them out and keep that aching feeling at bay. I was told that this is normal and will experience scar pain for at least a year. This is sort of what I have to deal with. The tissue is rather deep inside so I can't just rub it away but need to massage deep. The doctor was pleased with the initial results of the CT scan but he said he wanted to have someone look deeper into it. That was a little disconcerting. He also mentioned that I have these nodules on my lung which they noticed way back when this whole adventure started. They haven't changed at all but he was not happy with the lung scan that they did. He said it wasn't c

This is a different blog from my normal postings. I have been doing a lot of thinking and reading about Christmas and I just felt inspired to write about it. We all have this sanitized view of the first Christmas - Mary, Joseph, the Babe, the manger scene but it was a terrible time. A horrific time. In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.   (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)   And everyone went to their own town to register.   So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. Step back a minute. First, we have the Roman world. Rome could be compared to the United States of America today. They believed they had the divine blessing of God to rule over the worl

It's almost Christmas, and in keeping with my new yearly tradition - no cards this year. Sorry, I always plan to send them out with greetings but Christmas creeps on me and it never gets done. Thank you to all who have sent us cards and photos and letters. I love them all. There's your card and inside I will say -   "May you feel all the love and joy I have for you throughout this festive season and all year round. Having you as my friends and family brings me great joy." What a year it has been. A few small changes since my last blog post.  I had a renogram last Thursday to check on kidney function. I won't get the results until after Christmas but I am confident that all is well. They warn me not to cross a border or try to board a plane for 24 hours but I am dying to find out what would happen if I did. She injected some radioactive material into an IV and I had to lay still for 3/4 of an hour as they watched it flow through my kidneys. She asked if I

I went in for another follow up yesterday. I had an ultrasound on my bladder and kidneys. The hospital, like the airport, always surprises me. It doesn't matter when you go, it's always busy. People coming and going, looking for signs, looking for a coffee and trying to get to where they need to be on time. I was early (thanks to some nice door to door service - more on that later) so I sat in the lobby for a few minutes with a coffee. I love people watching. Waiting in the lobby It wasn't quite this bad but it was pretty busy. I took a photo in between the break of people. You wonder what the story is behind every face. Are they waiting for treatments? Good news? Bad News? I am always struck by the supporters of the "patient". They have it harder than most realize. Always running around, getting the coffee, pulling out the chair, helping with the sweater, pushing the wheelchair - it is tiring. They are the unsung heroes behind every illne

Today, I had my first follow up appointment since the surgery. I have been fighting a bladder infection (UTI) for a few weeks. I had an appointment with my family doctor two weeks ago and got a scrip for antibiotics for a week. These were new to me and took a few days to get any effect on me. It was miserable! I was feeling a little better except that it felt like someone was using my bladder as a stress ball. The spasms were keeping me awake. I finished the round of antibiotics but I was still not feeling the greatest. Whoever is using my doll for voodoo practice, you can stop now! Today I had a cystoscopy. This is a camera which is used to examine the bladder and ureter. It is about as much fun as it sounds. I was able to watch on a screen. First thing was a surprise for both the doctor, nurse and myself. A thread was attached to the stent. It shouldn't have been there - a hiccup in surgery I guess. No harm, no foul. I was a little worried at first when Dr. Luke said "What

The journey of healing has been going good but I am not a patient person. I wish I could do more already but it seems whenever I push myself, the following day I am done for. I am feeling much better each day especially when I compare myself to two weeks ago! I was two days past surgery and I had taken a bit of a downward spin in that I was nauseous, in pain and ready to throw in the towel. I hope to never forget that time because it gives me more empathy to those who struggle with pain daily and fight debilitating cancer daily. Today was such a beautiful day out. It's 25 degrees, feels like 32!! (roughly 77 degrees F.) This is October! The tree colours are coming into their own. Mya has been looking at me with those puppy dog eyes to get out and play. I caved, and took her to the pond today. I only walked a quarter of the way that I normally would and my pace was about 1/10 of my normal pace. I walked slow and steady to the first area while she ran back and forth, dived in and s