Family and Community Fun

Since my diagnosis in August I've tried to limit my running around and to find entertainment close to home. On November 15th, Helge and I went to the annual Crammond Beef supper. The food is always great with a good selection of homemade pies, and there is always a full house. Crammond Hall is about 1/2 mile north and 2 miles west of us so it is very convenient. November 17th, our grandson Parker turned one year old. I wish I could have celebrated with him in Peace River. I did send a parcel via Greyhound which Rebecca picked up on the day of his birthday.

Tuesday, November 18th I went to Sundre for my weekly dressing change and PICC line flush. I also picked up tickets for the Shooglenifty concert at the Little Country Cappuccino. Then I noticed a little gift shop next door. Turns out it is a laundromat along with tanning salon and infrared sauna. Items for sale included beautiful soaps and bath salts made in Canmore, some earrings, and most intriguing of all some stuffed animals handmade from recycled materials. The prices were great and the animals had names so I couldn't resist bringing home a couple of them!! I also enjoyed visiting with Danielle who was manning the shop owned by her Mom. I found Danielle to be a delightful young person. She has her degree in Psychology from UBC, Kelowna campus. She has enjoyed a job working with special needs children and has decided to become a teacher rather than do research in psychology. She is taking a year off before continuing her studies.

Wednesday morning, November 19th I had an appointment with Dr. Miller in Innisfail. After my appointment I headed downtown to go to the bank. Since I was downtown I thought I might visit a few shops. I noticed that the sporting goods shop carried O'Neill hoodies so I thought I would check that out. This was my first visit to this shop. I was surprised to discover that the owners live close to me on the Harriman Road! Then I continued down the street heading for my favorite shop,The Gift Loft. Between the sport shop and The Gift Loft I discovered a fairly new shop Bare Bones owned by Angie who used to work at the Bowden Institution. After leaving Bowden she had much success selling on eBay. Then about a year ago she opened this shop. She has a great selection of clothing for guys and gals including shirts, hoodies and jackets. She also has awesome baby clothing and baby gear. Among her selection of purses are purses made from recycled materials, given the name Pursnickity. Angie is one creative person with a knack for knowing what people like. Visiting her shop was fun!! Next stop was The Gift Loft. I have found few shops anywhere that can equal the organization and creativity of this shop. About a year ago this shop was renovated. The new vintage style white shelves nearly reach the ceiling drawing attention to the original pale pink embossed metal tiles. (Before the reno I had never noticed this exquisite ceiling.) Now the shop is "Christmas" from back to front, with many styles and colors of decoration displayed. It is a real delight for the spirit. After lunch at the Coop (at the Mall at the other end of town) I checked out new clothes at the Classic Touch Boutique. Then I had a walk downtown and back which took about one hour. On this walk I discovered another new shop of baby clothing New Beginnings, and I stopped at Erin's on Main for a cup of tea. Even though I have little money to spend I still enjoy knowing what's new in the shops. My curiosity needs regular feeding!! After my shopping adventures it was off to Judy's....

My colleagues and I had been trying to arrange a time to get together at Judy's place. I asked if Wednesday after work was okay, and they said "sure." Judy and Al prepared coffee, tea, and juice along with hot and cold appetizers. Judy and Al spent 2 weeks in Korea in October. Judy's married son has been living there for some time. Judy was anxious to spend time with her young granddaughter. Judy brought back pairs of Korean slippers for all the female staff. I was so happy to see all the following (as well as the hosts): Barb, Evlyn, Cathy, Nancy, Shelly, Sherry, and Pat. We missed Norma as she was away on a week's holiday. The male staff sent their greetings. It was so much fun to visit and laugh with my wonderful colleagues!! Cathy lent me her CDs of "The Secret" to listen to. We are having our staff Christmas party on December 12th after work at Pat's home. I am so thankful for the ongoing support of my colleagues!! After Judy's get-together I headed to Red Deer to spend the night with Aina as I had an appointment for 8:00 on Thursday morning. On Thursday morning, November 18th, I had my second MUGA scan. The purpose of this scan is to monitor my heart function.

Friday, November 21st brother Glenn and his children Tyler, Braden, and Erika came to visit. Michelle was in Ontario for the weekend visiting her sister Danielle. Glenn brought two garage doors for Helge and picked up some more firewood. He also bought a beautiful bouquet of flowers for me. I made a big batch of blueberry oatmeal muffins for snacking and roast beef and veges for supper. Tyler is taking guitar lessons this year so enjoyed strumming on a small guitar I dragged out. Braden enjoys construction toys so made an amazing creation from our Fischer-Price Construx. Erika is working on a craft badge for Girl Guides so I showed her how to do some origami. Everyone enjoyed our Brio train set. These are the times that I am very thankful to be a pack rat!! I could never get rid of good quality toys like Playmobil, Brio, and Lego.

This afternoon Helge and I went to Sundre to hear the high energy Scottish band Shooglenifty. I missed my walk today but made up for it with some lively, sweat-causing dancing. Afterwards we shared a sub at Subway. It's nice to have a break from cooking and doing dishes!!

I enjoyed phone calls this week from Sharon Winder-Nelson, Alice, Laurel, Aunty Bea, and my children. Sonja has tickets for herself, me, Aina, Madison and a few friends to see the top ten dancers from "So You Think You Can Dance Canada" perform at Rexall Place in Edmonton on February 2nd. That's my birthday so I'm really looking forward to that. Laurel sent a nice card and a little note written by me that she had found in Mom's jewelry box. I would guess that I was probably in grade 3 or 4 when I wrote it. It said:

How are you? I am fine. I hope you will like the lilacs. God bless you. Elaine

Latest musical inspiration: Lorraine Klaasen, born in South Africa, and living in Montreal for the past twenty years. I love the energy of her song "Jubulani" from her latest CD "Africa Calling."

Three Down, Three to Go

Spencer's two beautiful cousins on Rebecca's side, Ava and Anna

This photo was taken in front of the Caroline Library and Fire Department. The Fire Department hosts a Haunted House every Halloween. We had only four trick-or-treaters come here. Why did I buy so many treats?!! What will I do with them all? (I've stored them out of temptations way!!)

Enjoyed a nice visit with brother Glenn and nephew Braden on October 26th. Glenn also picked up a load of firewood. Braden turned ten on October 28th, same birthdate as Aina.

Aina, Trevor, and Madison moved into their new home in Red Deer on the weekend of October 24th. Aina's birthday was on October 28th and our 31st wedding anniversary on October 29th. I was to have had my third chemo treatment on the 29th. Then our plan was to celebrate our occasions by going out for dinner in Red Deer, and to see the new home. This did not materialize. My neutriphil (type of white blood cell) count was a little on the low side. It was recorded at 1.3, a couple points short of the 1.5 they want as minimum. I was disappointed but not altogether surprised. I had been walking daily but carrying reams of tissue as my nose and eyes were running continuously. We thought it was a good idea to lie low and not run off to Red Deer for dinner, etc. In addition, Aina was tired from moving so it worked out best for everyone. I had my third chemo treatment on Wednesday, November 5th. My neutriphil count had risen to 3.4 and I was certainly feeling much better. My neighbour in treatment was a man named Keith, probably around 50 years or so. His chemo was scheduled for 5 days in a row followed by a few weeks rest. That sounds pretty brutal to me!! When you think you have a challenge you always run into someone who appears to have a worse one.

Helge didn't come with me to Red Deer for my 3rd treatment. I advised him against it since after treatment I was to have an appointment with my oncologist, Dr. Tarukandirwa. In addition, my cancer support group was scheduled for the evening. I knew it would be a long day, so I decided to go in by myself and stay overnight with Aina. Turns out my support group was cancelled. I had supper at Aina's then enjoyed some retail therapy (Winners). I had a relaxed Thursday at Aina's, sleeping in, watching Regis and Kelly and having a nice jacuzzi bath. I also did a few dishes and a bit of laundry for Aina as she is very busy now with work and studying module 3 for her CA. Trevor is also under a lot of stress with his new position. After I left I delivered my Great West Insurance forms for disability to Dr. Topstad, the surgeon who performed the biopsy which detected my breast cancer. If all goes well these benefits will be in place once my EI sick benefits are complete.

Madison is having difficulty adjusting to her new school. There is continual homework in every subject area. Imagine that at grade 3!! (I told Aina I believe that has to do with living in a higher socioeconomic community where parental expectations can be somewhat unrealistic.) When they left Peace River, Madison was at the top of her class. I'm sure that once she adjusts to all the change her grades will improve. She has always done well in Math but has now encountered word problems so that has slowed her down. There is a long list of new spelling words every week, so it is a challenge to learn and remember them all. Her feelings are hurt when her teacher says, "I am so disappointed...." However, she continues to amaze everyone with her artistic talents, lately cartooning. She does karate two days a week and really enjoys that, too.

Spencer is in Kindergarten in Peace River. He continues to be very social with both girls and boys as special friends. He is playing in a hockey tournament this weekend and scored two goals. He was so happy! Parker will be one year old a week from tomorrow. He is a highly energetic child. Rebecca is a busy but capable Mom. She is in charge of 40 hockey jerseys, so that is a challenge when one also has a baby to care for. Luckily she has the support of good friends. Jarl went to Edmonton for the weekend and will probably be there until Tuesday, hoping to finish a surveying job where the Anthony Henday joins Highway 16.

Kai has a new love interest, Jocelyn, and his motivation seems to have substantially improved. It is difficult for him to know whether or not to take a welding job in the city when he could get a call from Grande Prairie at any time. There are so many uncertainties in the trades. Sonja is busy with her studies, working out, and a part-time job. Her last exam before Christmas is December 12th.

Aina is planning to have the Nome family Christmas at her new home (Christmas Eve and Day). Our Bjorgum family Christmas will be at Laurel's on December 28th, so I am looking forward to seeing everyone, and to seeing Laurel's new home.

If all goes well my next treatment will be on November 26th. I will be starting on a different combination of drugs so the plan is to spread treatment over two days, with each of the two drugs being given on separate days rather than together. That way they can assess the side effects of each drug separately. The first day (26th) I will be given Taxotere which can cause pins and needles and skin rash. On the second day (27th) I will be given the antibody Herceptin. One in four women with breast cancer is HER2 positive. HER2 is a protein/gene that promotes rapid growth of cancerous cells. In the past the prognosis was not so good. However, targeted treatment with Herceptin has been very successful. Dr. Topstad tells me I am fortunate to have this option. One of the possible ( not a given) side effects, however, is heart damage. Thus, before my next treatment I have to have another MUGA scan. I continue to be proactive by eating nutritiously, getting tons of sleep, taking my supplements, minimizing sugar and caffeine, and walking almost daily. So far I am doing better than expected. I have no hair but am enjoying my collection of hats and toques.

Helge has been doing much research on the history of the Social Credit Party, and went to a Socred Party meeting yesterday. We both would like to see a more equitable distribution of wealth in our society. He believes the time is right to start a ground swell with the Socreds. It is unfortunate that all the funds that federal governments pump into the banking system enable large banks to gobble up small ones but do not benefit the common man.

Hopefully Helge and I will go to hear our local musician Allen Christie in Caroline on November 15th. (His performance was postponed from Nov. 1st.) I am also trying to arrange meeting a few friends at Red Deer's Festival of the Trees on November 22nd, health-permitting, of course. I am considering the idea of donating a white Christmas tree next year, covered with origami decorations in various shades, textures, and prints of pink paper. I would also add some pink ribbons and balls. (Perhaps I'll ask for support in the form of loonie and toonie donations - have to figure that out yet.)

We had a light frost last night. I so enjoy the smell of the air after a frost. The temperature now at almost 1 p.m. is 10 degrees Celsius so I must get myself going on another lovely walk. Helge has been busy using his tractor to create trails in the bush to access areas for firewood cutting and pasture grazing for his goats. This makes so many special spots in the bush much more accessible for walking so I really enjoy that!!

An Update

Looking Back: It has been a busy fortnight or so. I had my second chemo treatment on Wednesday, October 8th. For the remainder of the week I tidied up the cabin in preparation for Thanksgiving. Aina had a hair appointment in Caroline on October 11th, so she dropped Madison off here on her way to town. After her appointment she returned and helped prepare for Thanksgiving, baking a batch of fresh buns and pumpkin pie. We continued working together on Sunday, and had a nice meal on Sunday evening. Trevor, Kai, and Sonja joined us. Our turkey was excellent. Helge purchased a 22 lb organic turkey from a local supplier. It cost us $75.00 but it was worth it. I was also very happy with the way my stuffing turned out. Everyone went home with a stack of leftovers.

The next few days were clean-up days with dishes to wash, turkey stock to make, etc. Since I am not currently working I was able to take my sweet time doing these tasks!! We certainly enjoyed our leftovers: turkey buns with cranberry sauce, shepherds pie, and turkey soup. Autumn food is so comforting!!

October 14th: Full Moon. Federal Election. Rueben's birthdate (1943). I have a weekly outing on Tuesday mornings, going to Sundre Home Care to have my PICC line flushed and dressing changed. Then I head off to the "Outlaws Bar and Grill" for some great homemade soup. After that I might run a few errands like pick up a few groceries at Sundre Sobeys. This Tuesday I also went to Caroline on Tuesday afternoon to take advantage of my civic responsibility and cast my vote.

October 16th: I attended "Look Good, Feel Better" at the Red Deer Cancer Center. Each participant (cancer patient) had their own volunteer. The volunteers each wore a black apron with the LGFB logo. Their first task was to unpack the cardboard box of complementary makeup given to each participant. It was like Christmas watching this process. Each participant received between $300 and $400 worth of free cosmetics. I was so excited to receive makeup that had been on my wish list for a long time but that I had never purchased due to cost. This included Mac eyeliner, lip conditioner and lipstick as well as a beautiful Clarins quad eyeshadow, lipstick, and lipbrush. We used our product to remove the makeup we were wearing, and then learned how to apply makeup. It was a fun afternoon, and our results weren't bad!!

October 17th: Rebecca, Spencer, and Parker spent a good part of the day with us. It was great to visit Rebecca and have some quality time with my grandsons. Rebecca spent about a week with her folks as her Aunt (her Dad's sister) had passed away. She was my age and was fighting a recurring case of breast cancer. She got a blood clot in her leg which sadly moved to her heart. Her funeral was on the same day as Rebecca's Dad lost his Mother (also breast cancer) before Rebecca was born.

October 18th: Helge and I joined our friends Judie and Darrell for supper at Caroline's excellent Chinese restaurant, "The Silver Gate." We were celebrating Judie's Birthday. My fortune cookie said: Remember three months from this date. Your lucky star is shining. Three months from now I shall have completed chemo if all goes well. It will also be time to celebrate some birthdays: Alice (15th), Spencer(6 years on the 16th, my Mom's birthdate.)

Today: I bid farewell to Rebecca and the boys before they took off for Peace River. We sold our last two pups. One pup (all black one) went to a nice family from Ponoka. I thought their (Mike and Robin) children had such lovely names: Brody, Tori, Kate, and Mallory. They were all beautiful children with lots of curiosity, energetic, and well-mannered. The other pup went to a Vietnamese father and son from Red Deer. The fun part about raising dogs is all the interesting people we meet!!

This Coming Week: I'm looking forward to a more quiet week. I start a Cancer Support group on Wednesday evening in Red Deer. So far I'm doing quite well. I have been blessed with all kinds of support and encouragement. I am so thankful for this precious time at home.

Latest Musical Discovery: Billy Bob Thornton and the Boxmasters. BB calls their music "Vaudebilly" saying they look like the Beatles but sound like a bunch of Hillbillies. I like their sound so will add them to my wish list. It is fall fundraising time at my favorite radio station CKUA. There are many wonderful prizes for people who make donations. As an ongoing subscriber my name is automatically entered in the draws. I would sure like to win the mid-campaign prize which is a week for two at the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel in Maui (see pictures.) Helge would never agree to a resort holiday but I know it wouldn't be hard to find a travel companion! My husband would like to go on a camping holiday to the NWT, as would I. We would like to follow the Deh Cho Trail from Northern AB to NWT to Northern BC and back to AB. I always wanted to go to Liard Hot Springs in Northern BC. We have friends that have just bought a ranch at Houston not far from Liard. We could visit them as well as my cousin Jackie in Yellowknife. Lots of possibilities...

Three Months Late

Weather: Summer has arrived three months late in Central Alberta!! Yesterday was the warmest day since 1888 with temperatures of 25-26 degrees C. It is such a beautiful time of year with the mild weather and the vivid fall colours!!

Wellness: Since last posting I have been to Sundre twice to have my PICC line flushed and dressing changed. The only troublesome side effect of chemo that I have so far experienced is a sore on my tongue making eating difficult. Thankfully that has taken its course and my mouth is much more comfortable today. I had some non-related chemo sores, however. My fingernails were getting too long and needed trimming. Unfortunately before I attended to that job, I caught one of my nails on my clothing and ripped it off. Ouch!! Then earlier this week the pups (10 of them) got into the chicken pen and killed a chicken. Helge was away so I had to get them out of the pen. In the process, I caught my head twice on barbed wire and got a bit of a deep scratch. The worst has passed now. We are down to six pups. (We are selling them one by one.) I'm due for my second chemo next Wednesday, October 8th if all goes well. I picked up my new glasses this week and am enjoying them. Today I had my hair shaved except for a little bit on top. I made this choice since my hair was already falling out. I also found myself a new hat at Winners. The best thing about this journey I'm on is the sleep I'm getting. Eight hours plus per night in addition to frequent afternoon naps is bliss!! What a contrast to my usual six or seven hours!! I've virtually eliminated coffee and sugar, and am walking almost daily.

Wills and welfare: Helge and I finalized our will this past week. I have completed the necessary paperwork for EI sick benefits, and tomorrow will finalize the necessary paperwork for insurance on our personal loan.

Social: Last Saturday I enjoyed my first ever (and Caroline's first ever) Women's Wellness Workshop. That included a continental breakfast with fresh fruit, breads, and cheeses and lunch with homemade soups and do-it-yourself buns. Louise Bruns did a presentation on eliminating the single-use plastic bag. Georgina Woodward-Fay shared sacred teachings of the medicine wheel with emphasis on creating balance in four areas of our lives: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Pat Carsand from Rimbey did a belly dance demo and showed workshop participants a few moves. Finally, Kelly Rowell, a financial advisor, shared some financial tips for women. While Helge was at a meeting in Rocky on Tuesday evening, I had supper with my good friends Judie and Darrell. That was a special treat as I hadn't seen them probably since Helge's B.D. in May.

Sunshine in Unexpected Places

Yesterday I filed an online application for EI sick benefits. After one hour I had not completed the application but got bumped due to technical difficulties. Luckily one has a code number to get back into the application and a 24-hour period to complete it. By the end of the day I had completed my application. This morning, already, I had a call from Linda at Service Canada in B.C. She said that the B.C. offices were helping Alberta get up-to-date since AB was so far behind in processing applications. She had a few questions regarding my application. Apparently the birthdate on my application and the birthdate accompanying my original SIN application do not coincide. I have to be sure to correct that in person, with necessary ID (especially if I want to receive CPP and Old Age Security when I come of age!) I was delighted to get such an immediate response to my application and to be able to talk to a "real" person who did not let procedures and protocols interfere with "being human and showing compassion."

This n' That

Threatening, yet beautiful August sky

A familiar Caroline August view

AUGUST/ SEPTEMBER HIGHLIGHTS:

*Edmonton Folk Festival:
1. Memorable performers included C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band, The Duhks, Yves Lambert et le Bebert Orchestra, Habib Koite and Bamada, Little Miss Higgins, Joan Osbourne (Of course there would be a longer list if one could only attend every session one wanted to!!)
2. Friday night pre-festival BBQ with friends of Sonja just a few doors away from main gates
3. Spending time with Sonja: tour of Riverside Golf Course where she worked for the summer, lunch at Chianti's on Whyte Ave., shopping in Army & Navy on Whyte Ave. (for old time's sake)

*Central Alberta Music Festival: Especially enjoyed Souljah Fyah (reggae) from Edmonton, Harrison "Sweet Taste" Kennedy (blues), and Ian Tyson (voice showing signs of wear but still a wonderful performer)


*60th Wedding Anniversay Celebration for Lloyd and Mildred Bjorgum in Camrose. Enjoyed visiting with them and their family as well as numerous other friends from Kingman and Camrose including Lloyd and Aurora, Sharon, Wildie, Ioan, Vernon, Mary and Ovel Jr., and Orville and Harold. Following the celebration, Helge and I visited Orville and Joy in their beautiful new home. We were given the grand tour and treated to wonderful refreshments including fresh fruit salad. We really enjoyed the day!!

August 15th Aina and Madison returned to Red Deer. Aina is articling as a C.A. for Meyers Norris Penney. Madison is attending Mattie McCullough School in SE Red Deer. Trevor joined them in September. He is working in a supervisory capacity for Spectre Energy at Content Bridge. Madison has spent a night or two here. In fact, she is here at the moment. She is a great helper in the garden. She takes the initiative to pick peas herself - no prompting from Grandma.


*Jarl spent a couple of nights here as he was working on a subdivision project in Caroline area. Spencer was at his other grandparents' home. He and Jarl had brunch with us on August 24th before returning to Peace River. Jarl started his own survey business in July - Geospark Surveys. "Spark" is named after his and Rebecca's two sons, Spencer and Parker.

*Routine Maintenance: diagnosed with breast cancer on August 22nd; teeth cleaned and checked and molar pulled on August 26th; eyes checked and new glasses ordered on August 26th; appointment with lawyer Kyla on August 26th working on our will

*Farewell Party for Fay at Barb's on August 26th: always a fun time with colleagues.



*Supper at Moxie's in Red Deer with Aunty Bea and Uncle Norm, Helge, Aina, Madison, and Sonja. Uncle Norm sold his truck to an Afghan family in Calgary. They were treated like royalty with fine food and overnight accommodation. They used their time in AB to visit family and friends. They said it is hard to make a living truckin' these days with increasing fuel and brokerage costs.

*Last Day of Work was September 5th: My employer has granted me 8 months' leave which can be extended to 1 year

*Caroline Centennial: 100 years since the first post office was opened by the Langley family whose daughter was named Caroline; enjoyed sitting outdoors on Sunday afternoon with the warm sun on my back, surrounded by gentle breezes, and watching the Native Drummers and Dancers


*September 17th: first day of chemo (see posting)

*Afternoon snacks with colleagues Evlyn, Pat, and Judy at Mountainview in Innisfail. Had an enjoyable time and hated to say goodbye. Will keep regular contact as long as I am able. Studies show that cancer patients with support groups have more success than those without.

*Latest Musical Inspiration: Watched the last few minutes of "The View" the other day and heard Dave Stewart and his Orchestra. Where have I been? I checked his website and was amazed by his bio. My wish list now includes The Dave Stewart Songbook, the Eurythmics, and a recent Annie Lennox.

* Puppies everywhere, 10 of them, cute little German Shepherds ready for sale

The Beginning of a New Challenge

I had my first chemo treatment today at the Cancer Center in Red Deer. Sitting next to me was a man probably about 80 years, Jack Rockwell from Olds. He is a true survivor and a real inspiration. He lost his wife a few years ago. He nearly died in a car accident in 1967. More recently he has had a hip replacement, a pacemaker, cataract surgery and fallen lens sewn into place by Dr. Gimble. He is a diabetic and is undergoing chemo every 2 weeks to try to shrink tumours on his liver before he has surgery. His attitude was basically "you gotta do what you gotta do." As for myself I felt caught between a rock and a hard place. My tumour appeared to be growing and getting harder. Although I have fears re chemo I was more afraid of the tumour spreading if I didn't take radical action. I will do my best to support the treatment with the three pillars: exercise, rest, and nutrition. Once a month "Look Good, Feel Good" comes to the Cancer Center with complementary make-up. They bring wigs for you to try on, as well as various hats. I look forward to learning how to tie on a turban. It is on tomorrow but I am lying low for a few days. Hope to go in October. There are also cancer support groups I can participate in. Yesterday I had a PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) inserted just above my elbow. This is like a tap to my vein. This saves being poked frequently in hard-to-find veins. I have to keep this clean and go to Sundre once a week to have it flushed out and re-dressed. The day before my next chem I have blood work done. If my white blood cell count is too low they will postpone the next treatment. My next scheduled treatment is October 8th. If everything goes as planned my third treatment will be on my wedding anniversary, October 29th, and my final treatment on December 31st. I look forward to putting 2008 behind me!!