Not the crash diet you'd prescribe

So in April Pascale weighed 115 lbs. Dr. Garg weighed her at the mid-June and she was 107, July 1st she was 105. She's as slim as when I met her. It's how a lot of the neighborhood has noticed she's sick.

Full spectrum of Blood tests

Today we went to Lakeshore to get our blood tests. I had my general annual check up. Pace`s was full spectrum with and additional look at specific hormone indicators. In and out in record time. The young lady stayed with her Mom and got a couple of special gifts from the nurses.

We`ll get the results with the Oncologist.

CT Scan

Pace has been having more and more trouble eating. It's painful. We've tried some softer food but it's not always working. That's the reason for the CT scan.

So another trip to Lakeshore Hospital. Pace was agitated but we're looking for answers and this is necessary. We got there about 1 pm and understood we'd be out by 2:30 pm.

Pace had to drink water and a "contrast" solution so that her digestive track would show up on the scan. She almost got a liter of it down before she was afraid of being sick. The medic said not to worry.

We were then informed the procedure might take 2 hours, from then. It started to look like we were not going to be able to pick up the wee one from school and so I called one of our neighbors René for help. Low and behold Pace then gets wheeled in and soon afterward out.

The technician said our doctor should get the results in a couple of days.

We sat for a few minutes in the sun until she felt better, then off we went to collect our little girl. Thanks René!

Family Doctor Appointment to deal with the tummy troubles

Pace's stomach and back pains keep on intensifying and we are not sure what is going on. She's been on Ulcer medication for 3 weeks now and it is ineffective. I'm wondering if it is stress related, with me working on contracts and her being laid off it's a possibility.

However, Pace thinks that it's more. She's worried that the scar tissue formed by the preventative hysterectomy or cesarean section  had once again grabbed onto her small intestine and was threatening to perforate it again.

So our doctor prescribed an abdominal CT Scan for May 30th. We'll check it out.

Solidarity for a friend fighting breast cancer

The ability to effectively demonstrate empathy is an important factor in supporting a friend's healing process.

What these ladies do is a fine example of sticking up for someone you care about. Watch how they made a startling difference here.

A New Boss and Back Complaints

Pace has been working at Precision Advertising for about 6 months and just got a new boss, Melissa Maloul. It's not going well, Pace is regularly coming home in tears and is angry at being patronized and antagonized by this new boss.

Maybe its's a Gen X vs. GenY thing but while Melissa can call her ex, arrive late and leave early because she's a single mom, Pace can't get a day off for a long weekend because there is too much to do. 

The girl that brought her into Precision left because of the way Melissa treated her and Pace would like to leave too but is staying because we need the money. 

Problem is that she's developed increasingly severe backaches and some indigestion.

Breast cancer mum defies Facebook backlash

Beth Whaanga has the same diagnosis as Pace. She's also had people take issue with her public stand on Breast Cancer. She's also taken it one step further and I commend her bravery of taking her message on prevention to Facebook.

This brought back some memories. When we posted pictures of Pace`s body and scaring after her surgeries, some people were upset. The issue people had was nudity equals sexual except that the the photos were of the ravages of beating cancer. 

Stay strong and God bless you Beth.

Breast cancer mum defies Facebook backlash

Then Reality TV Came a-Calling

Pascale stared in a program called "Grin and Build It". A lot of people told us that we were great, I had a supporting role, it was an entertaining episode.

Here is a snippit. Hope you like it.

Another "Clean" Report

Pace saw her onconogist yesterday and all of the results of the MRI, organ and bone, bloodwork and other scans are back from the labs. Everything is all clear.

She asked me if I had been worried
"No." I replied because we have been going through the sames testing process every 6 months for 3 years. I'd rather not borrow trouble.

There has also been nothing physically nor spiritually that was making me uneasy. However, I would be lying if I said that there is no post-traumatic stress response when I go to pick her up from the hospital and see her in a hospital gown. I compartmentalize the feeling but it is still there. I just don't think Pace needs to see it.

Just another example of our "normal".

A year already

Time flies.

A year ago today I had one of my last suppers with Pace's Mom France.

It was a great evening, her birthday and my first day at a new job. She said her present was that I would be bringing Pace and the wee one back to Montréal.

Pace felt bad that she had not been there but her Mom said that her prayers were answered and that she was very happy that things are working out for the better.

We miss you France.

Robert

So the diagnosis is....

Three abdominal pain episodes later, Pace finally went to the clinic on Monday. Three doctors look at her and decide she's having an appendicitis attack. So Pace calls me and I end up taking her to emergency.

It's not like I am living Zen moments and this is an isolated stressor. I'm in a five day countdown to the launch of a major IT initiative at work, I've got pending communications to get out and 50 people to get through training in 3 days. Then there's the mortgage negotiations...

Just to make life more interesting, Pace still does not have a Quebec Medicare card. It's been 9 months since the process started. While Pace could have been more proactive it is a case of Bureaucrats gone wild!

I have to leave Pace at the hospital and luckily the Godmother came over to baby-sit the wee one. The docs rule out a bladder infection but are stumped about the pains and decide to keep her overnight. A day later they are still puzzled so they discharge her!


So I call the Doctor back and ask him what I should tell the wee one to do if her Maman collapses from pain in the middle of the grocery store. He made an appointment for Pace to see an internalist. So while we do not have a diagnosis, the process continues just because of the sales philosophy if you don't ask for the sale you probably won't get it.

... and if it's not that, call your oncologist

Pace has been getting gut pains recently. Not the IBS that she's suffered from since I've known her. Something different in the lower right abdomen; "I have to go lie down pain." That's how bad it is.

So she goes to our local health center who says... it’s probably not appendicitis but I recommend you get a test done for a urinary tract infection, and if it's not that, call your oncologist.

Few things set me off quite like the catch all diagnoses, that usually conclude with "cancer could be the answer" thrown in for good measure and malpractice insurance. I'd rather not borrow trouble, thanks all the same.

Unreasonable fear of the unexpected...

Late this morning my cell phone started beeping at me that I had a message. I checked the call log and saw that it was my parents had called. Then as I get back to my desk there is a message on my voice mail, from an outside caller, from my parent’s number. I get worried by multiple pings.

My parents haven't called me at work for years unless it was serious. Given the pressure of my project at the moment I was bit apprehensive. Then again my parents’ calling me at work was always welcome but occasionally awkward.

At my first real software job after university Joanie our receptionist at QW Page would call over the intercom "Bob... It's your mother, line one!" The only thing that made that less embarrassing was when Joanie would announce. Peter Ross it's your therapist, line two... Thank God we're too conservative at my company for those kind of antics.

I know why I fear the worst. After all Pace, the wee one and I have been through I can rationalize my justifications. My head swims when my parents call me at work. It shouldn't, but it does.

As it turns out my parents were eating lunch and across the street and eight stories down there were some big CAT machines working on the road opposite their condo. Of the many machines Mom only knew the backhoe by name but it made me smile. Before she said goodbye she said "We miss you Bob."

I miss you too Mom and Dad.

Riding for cancer

So here is something to look forward to. My friend Brian has been training for a ride to raise finds for cancer research. Considering the most exercise Brian and partake in is raising beers, this is a good thing.

He committed to getting in shape to complete this 200km ride. I really nver thought I'd hear aabout him going out cycling in -4C in February. Hey try it in -25 ya Ontario wuss.

I gotta praise his attitude. Brian says "I encourage you to donate now and not to wait. Your donation goes directly and immediately to the Princess Margaret, so sooner truly is better. Don’t worry, I’ll be doing the ride, and you get the added benefit of being able to harass me about how hard I’m training and whether you’re getting your money’s worth out of me."

He has a fundraising goal to $10,000. Brian is a guy who makes a difference.

Click here to visit Brian Bourne's personal page at the weblink below. If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:http://www.conquercancer.ca/site/TR/Events/Toronto2008?px=1510118&pg=personal&fr_id=1201&et=PQwCI9uqElDwaSRKyV1DkQ..&s_tafId=108982