2 years later

Picture: Callum and my brother at the AC/DC concert in Las Vegas, April 9/10.

Here it is over a month since the last post - not a few days as promised! I think I really just could not write much more about Callum's hospital stay. The "Reader's Digest" version is that he made it through a real rough time. We were really fortunate to have so much family around - everyone travelled for hours just to come and be with him. He had a few ups and downs after that, but with some major antibiotics he recovered. And both of us learned we could trust me to give him an IV antibiotic and flush an IV line!

- The IV pump and antibiotic tube.

Lately I have been thinking more of the past 2 years and all that has happened. It was 2 years ago on April 10 that we first learned the cancer had spread to both lungs and there was to be no cure. I remember some very tense filled days as we tried to fight hard to see an oncologist and get the treatment he needed as soon as soon as possible. April 14 was the 2 year anniversary of the lung biopsy. Another long, stress filled day - well, week, I suppose. April 15 was the 2 year anniversary of my job at SSEA. And coming up April 27 it will be 2 years since Callum was given the 18 - 24 months prognosis for life expectancy (which was later reduced to 6 - 12 months in Sept/08). Well, he showed them! Recently there has been some growth in the area where his one remaining brain tumour is. It is most likely still some swelling from the gamma knife procedure he had in Dec. But as a precaution, we went to see his fabulous neurosurgeon, Dr. D. Fourney. He said that Callum has done remarkable with the metastatic disease. He recently was told by an oncologist that if he were to say how things were going just by his clinical exam, he would say he is great. I am sure they are wondering why his physical appearance just doesn't match his file!

So, over the last 2 years, these are some things that have happened:

- lung biopsy

- chemo

- brain metastases

- blood clot

- gamma knife surgery

- whole brain radiation

- change in chemo drugs

- more gamma knife surgery

- sepsis infection

- 11 day hospital stay

And:

- trip to Ixtapa

- trip to Scotland

- day trip to Carnousite and St. Andrew's golf courses

- bought Porsche

- 30th wedding anniversary

- trip to Ireland

- birth of the sunshine of our life - Cade

- trip to Vancouver Island for a 60th birthday party

- another trip to Ixtapa

- trip to Las Vegas

- celebrated parents' 50th wedding anniversary

- many, many, many wonderful moments spent with family and friends

We certainly have made the most of the last 2 years. And we continue to set goals and make plans. We are planning to see George Thorogood in Saskatoon in May, and go to Toronto to see U2 in July. We are most thrilled to be invited to our nephew C's graduation in June. Callum is really looking forward to his golf match: our son Jamie and nephew Chris versus Callum and Chris's father-in-law. Those young guys are in for a wild time!

And of course, we always enjoy our time with Cade (and his parents!). He is growing up so fast and is just a wonderful boy.

We never know how things will turn out. We are very lucky to have had this wonderful time with Callum. He continues to do well and he is an amazing inspiration to many. He is my hero.

“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”
– Hellen Keller

TTFN

Lorna