Autumn Update

Hello from colourful Ontario! 
Those of you who know me well, know that I am typically not a big fan of Fall. And by "not a big fan" I mean there have been years when it felt like someone flipped a switch in my psyche from NORMAL to DEPRESSED, BITCHY and LETHARGIC at the very second the first leaf started turning from green to amber - otherwise known as Seasonal Effective Disorder. The only thing that could pull me out of the depths of my depression was a daily elephant dose of Vitamin D and a nifty little blue light from Costco that cost me a hundred and fifty bucks. Well not this year my friends! I am shocked every morning when I leave the condo at how gloriously beautiful the trees are here. The reds and purples are so much more common here than in Saskatchewan. In fact, the combination of fall colours and the fog we had this morning was reminiscent for me of driving up the Cabot trail in late September a few years  ago. I know, I know - it's only October 3rd and I shouldn't get too cocky, but I cannot lie, the fact that the weather man is calling for up to 30cm of snow in certain parts of the prairies in the next few days doesn't hurt either!

Kitchener, Ontario

I need to do a quick shout-out to my little friend Emily M. from Thunder Bay! Emily is the youngest daughter of my good friend Marnie and a few weeks ago she ran in the Thunder Bay Terry Fox Run...and she dedicated her run to me. I can't even tell you how much it meant to me that she would think of me like that. Thank you Em, you made my day.

Emily "running for Barbie"!

For those of you who are curious about the results of last week's CT scan, you are not alone.  My oncologist popped in during chemo on Tuesday while I had a room-full of guests, (that's right, I hold court at the canser clinic every few weeks if you would like to attend) and said that unless he has to change my treatment regime due to lack of efficacy, I wouldn't hear from him and we could just discuss the results at my next appointment. In a month. A MONTH? And between being preoccupied with Chantelle and Mike and the typical chemo fog that sets in about an hour after the first drip - I said okay. Okay? That's NOT OKAY! I get the premise that no news is good news and that he probably didn't want to waste time calling me if there was no change BUT I still want to know. Are the tumors continuing to shrink or have they stabilized? The answer could mean the difference between going on as before and looking into a three-week intensive treatment clinic in Mexico or other alternative treatments. So, to answer the question many of you have asked - no, I still don't know the results. I left a voice mail with my oncology nurse on Monday afternoon and I have yet to hear back. Super. 

Honestly - I've discovered that this whole canser thing is a full-time damn job - between staying on top of my health care practitioners, booking appointments, dealing with the insurance companies and all their repetitive and redundant forms and actually recovering from the nukes every two weeks - I could really use a vacation. Oh well, maybe next year.

I will keep you posted as things arise, but thank you for your inquiries and warm thoughts. They continue to keep me positive and hopeful. And for those of you who have expressed concern because I haven't posted any photos of me lately - don't worry! I am "this close" to breaking the 100lb mark! Wahooo!