Colour in My Garden

                         

Special People

My aunts came to visit a couple of weeks ago: Tante Netty was in Canada for a few short weeks, and during her last week, stayed here for a few days so she could visit Mom. My cousin, Mary Lynn, drove "the old ladies": T. Netty, T. Ans, and friend, Thea - here on the Sunday and they all saw where Mom lives before they came here for lunch. Of course, the camera was always near, and we got this lovely shot of the three sisters:

 It was a privilege to have Mary Lynn in MY kitchen for a change! I'm usually the one trying to help out in the farm kitchen! Unfortunately the flash was not on, and so this photo is on the dark side.

On Wednesday, it was time to return Tante Netty to the farm, but we had a little coffee break on the way, and she and Great-Grandma were presented with lovely pictures painted by these girls:

Naomi wanted to mark the occasion with photos of her own, so she pulled the planters to the front of the garage door and became a photographer.

In this last photo, she's playing photographer's clown while Petra has a turn with the camera!

All in all, special people during a special week making special memories! Love it!

Summer Sunshine

We've had a few special visitors in the last couple of months!
We enjoyed Anneke during the May long weekend -

 

All babies have their unhappy moments, but

Anneke's smiles are proof she is a contented little one!

What a pleasure she is!

Anneke loves a good book  - no matter where she is!

Nicole and Maria spent a few days here in June...

They enjoyed the lake water from the dock,

Opa's hammock, and most of Oma's toys, 

and because of a sudden thunderstorm, a picnic in the car!
Maria also discovered something new - she climbed to the top of
the climbing bars in the playground!

Cousin Time was simply splashing!

This past weekend, Canada Day Weekend,

Naomi and Petra and Rachel were here for a sleepover.

They coloured a box, played with lego, - and every other toy in Oma's supply!,

Dinner outside was an elegant affair:

And to our Michael -

 we love you lots and wish you didn't live so far away! Think about you often...!

 

UPS and downs and a summer cold

Emotional ups and downs are other side effects of cancer, and it doesn't help when you have a summer cold that saps your energy for a couple of weeks.
We were feeling pretty good after the news of no chemotherapy, but today the radiologist said that although he wanted to accomodate our request to book mapping and radiation treatments earlier rather than later, there is still too much fluid in the breast to continue at this point. As the fluid (a result of surgery) and therefore the swelling goes down, the landmarks will change too, and radiation is something that needs to be very accurate.
So the next appointment is for July 14, and if the swelling is down, I'll get mapped out and treatments will begin the following week.
And that puts another kink into the "plans" of life. It's our 40th anniversary in August, and the kids are putting together a celebration, and we've got a cottage booked for the following week. The celebration will go on, but our week may have to accommodate part of the treatment schedule, or, it may be decided that treatments not start until afterwards.
Waiting is not fun, because it really seems as if life has to go on hold, but I think I need to be more intentional with my perspective: I don't want to be a cancer "survivor" because that insinuates I'm a "victim", I do want to be someone who has had to live through cancer.
So whether it's up or down, I choose to live - along with all of life's busyness and all of life's pleasures!  I'll do what I can when I can, and enjoy life's little moments as they come along!!

Woot! Woot!!

We went to the Cancer Clinic today: NO chemotherapy!!
I will receive only 16 rounds of radiation beginning in a couple of weeks. The purpose of radiation is to destroy any lingering threads of cancer remaining in the breast. We did ask if the "planning" could get moved up, so that everything would be completed by August 7 weekend because our kids are planning a celebration for our 40th anniversary. What a wonderful time that will be!

Waiting and Hoping

Do I dare hope that there will be no chemotherapy?
Yesterday, I met with Dr. Davison, my surgeon, for the pathology results of the second surgery: some DCIS's were found but the margins this time are good - and clear!
(However, I am on an antibiotic to stave off any infection that might be present: the incision is not healing as quickly as it should because of the scar tissue that's already there. I had a major "leak" last week from a small opening along the incision line, and a small leak again on Sunday morning. Thursday's leak happened while there was no hydro=no water for a shower until the generator was hooked up appropriately!)
This morning, Dr. Mates, the medical oncologist, left a message while I was out:
the result of the testing that she had sent out indicates that I do not need the echocardiogram tomorrow! Because chemotherapy can do a number on the heart, the purpose of the echogram was to make sure the heart is functioning well enough.
(Another however: I doubt she has the results of last week's bone and cat scans.)
Hoping and waiting - and the waiting period feels that much longer now! We'll be meeting with Dr. Mates and Dr. Thain on the 23rd.

Special Love

My friend, Maggie, gave me something special today - a quilt and a covered book for journalling my cancer journey.
The quilt was made by ladies who are members of Victoria's Quilts Canada - whose ministry is to provide quilts to people with cancer. The back side of the quilt is flannel - a warm fabric to snuggle under during chemo treatments. The verse that the ministry offers to people with cancer is from Joshua 1:9 - "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." As a symbol of hope, the ladies (machine) embroidered a dove in the corner.

The journal book is in a cover that depicts "our home"  - a cottage in the woods and surrounded by my gardens.

Thank you, Maggie! You are a special friend!

As a post-script to this, John and I are going to the Cancer Clinic in Kingston on Tuesday, for a consult with the medical oncologist (chemo doctor) as well as with the radiologist. On Thursday, I will be going into surgery again: the pathologists stated that although the margins of the tissue removed on May 5 were clear, the margins were not wide enough, and want to see more removed. This will delay treatments a couple of weeks; hopefully on Tuesday, we'll find out by how much.

In the Merry Month of May....

It's been an eventful month!

1. Surgery was on the 5th: 1 lump and 4 lymph nodes were removed. We know that the lymph nodes are clear, but everything has gone for a second scrutiny, and so we're still in limbo. It isn't easy waiting.

2. John's pickup broke down on the way home from work one evening. Too late to rent a dolly to tow it home, he got a ride home, but when he returned early in the morning - it was gone! My car didn't pass its emission test, and so now it's getting a new exhaust system. The thought going through our minds last week was: what's next??

3. I did reasonably well at the yard sale held at the church; it helped pay for the machine quilting of Mom's quilt.

4. David, Stephanie and Anneke came for the long weekend, and on Saturday, Naomi, Petra and Rachel were here, too, while Stevin and Katrina spent a couple of hours in emerg. taking care of a scratch to Katrina's eye. (It's healing well, thankfully.) It was a delightful weekend, and the weather cooperated beautifully! Saturday suppertime was the time we celebrated my birthday - with Dutch appeltaart and whipped cream, and jello with marshmallows for the girls. I received a gift certificate from all of my children - Reitman's here I come!

5. On Sunday, we had a quick photo-shoot of Anneke ----

6. On Monday, Anneke tried out Opa's hammock.....7. And on Tuesday, (today) I gave Mom the completed quilt. It looks great on her bed, and she really likes it.

Easter Treasure Hunt

A New Journey

By now, most of you know my latest and newest adventure: it's the C word.

I found out this week that I have Early Stage Breast Cancer. The good news is that it's Early.

Surgery day is May 5 when a lumpectomy and a sentinal node biopsy will be done. That biospy will indicate which lymph nodes need to be removed, if any. And May 5 is the first day a doctor from Kingston is available to monitor the procedure.

My surgeon said that treatments have advanced very quickly over the last few years, and it has been found that that a lumpectomy for early stage, followed by radiation and chemo, provides sufficiency for life expectancy. That's good news, too.

In the meantime, I am wondering about my immediate future. Do I keep working? What about income?

The one word that has been placed on my heart and mind is: TRUST.

My faith has always been a strong part of me, but I think that God is walking through this adventure with me so that I can learn a new aspect of trust and faith and peace. Is there any other reason He allows new trials?

We shall see....