Wednesday, the 22nd, was our 31st wedding anniversary. We have spent some time reflecting on 31 years of marriage - what a time we have had! I would hazard to guess there was not really likely one person, other than us, who believed we could do it. As the song says "It goes to show, you never can tell!" Since Callum is on chemo this week, we celebrated on Monday by going to Carver's, our favourite nice dining place in Saskatoon. We had a lot of fun with Jayce (the sommelier) and Trent, our waiter. It pays to be a frequent visitor!
Callum is doing quite fine. We are slowly getting used to the different side effects of the FOLFIRI regimen. It seems to be taking a bit longer for him to get back to "normal". Mostly he is just a bit more tired for a couple of extra days. He just keeps going! His leg is not causing much pain at the moment which is really nice for him. He is able to get out of the house more often - I don't know how he handled staring at the walls inside of our house for so long! His parents were up to visit while I headed out to Emma Lake for a work retreat for art educators. I think it was nice for him to get a break from me, have some time with his parents, and it was good for me to be able to focus on making sure the retreat ran smoothly. Callum has a CT scan (abdomen, chest and pelvis) on Sept 29, and an MRI (brain) on Oct 2. Then an oncologist visit on Oct 5 and a visit to the neurosurgeon on Oct 7. By Thanksgiving we should have a good idea of how things are going and where we go from there. Hopefully it is just more of the same!
We have had a couple of visits from the Palliative Care nurse, but with Callum doing OK right now there isn't much for them to do. I have worked in human services enough to know, though, that it is all about building that relationship, and best to do it before there is a crisis. I know we will be thankful for her visits.
We were disappointed to hear that they have changed around the nurses at the Cancer Centre and our trusted, favourite nurse is now working with the patients of another doctor. Now I have to break in another nurse! I don't understand, sometimes. I know we are not totally unique, but most people who go for treatment do it for a shorter time - not usually 2 1/2 years. I am sure they have to go through this, but it seems so hard when we build up a relationship with someone and then have to start over. And Callum's situation gets so complicated. I am not sure I have enough patience to do this again - I feel sorry for the poor nurse! Hopefully she surprises me and makes me eat my words.
We are having a visit from Callum's brother and his wife for a few days coming up. It will be so nice to have them here, we enjoy having them.
Next week we have another anniversary to acknowledge and celebrate. September 30 will be the 5th anniversary of Callum's diagnosis of cancer. It is a milestone, that's for sure, and one that I am sure will give cause for reflection.
My challenge to you, let me know - what have been your highlights of the last five years? Have you done any random acts of kindness? Have you taken any action in the fight against cancer?
There's your food for thought for the night....
"Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action." James Levin
TTFN
No comments:
Post a Comment