Best So Far

I was inspired by the last entry to try and find our most awkward family photo. So far this is the best I've come up with. This is me and my brother probably taken some time in high school. I"m not sure where that pink shirt with the white polka dots went but I'm glad its gone.

The First Rule of Moustache Club - You Talk About Moustache Club

After running a few errands this morning I headed to Indigo to see if they had a magazine I was looking for. They didn't have it but in the process of looking around I came across a book of pictures entitled "Awkward Family Photos". It was one of the staff pics so I picked it up and had a look. It's based on pictures and commentary from the popular website of the same name. It made me laugh out loud until I had tears running down my cheeks. I retired to a private corner of the store to keep turning the pages. A staffer came around re-shelving books and, seeing that I was crying, asked if I was ok. I showed her the book I was looking at and we both had a good laugh. If you have a few minutes to fill in at work and are looking for a website that won't get blocked by your firewall, check out awkwardfamilyphotos.com. It's great!

"Camping"

In Alberta the May long weekend signals the start of summer. While people on the west coast have been cutting their lawns since mid February, those of us here in the "real Canada" generally can't even put our snow tires away until the beginning of June. In fact while the May long weekend here in Calgary eschews in the start of the warm month(s), it is also synonymous with snow. Typically on May long Calgarians take to the mountains and campsites in droves, eager to get the Coleman gear out of hibernation and put it to use. This year we avoided snow while camping but as I sit writing this the snow is accumulating steadily outside.

Last year we bought a travel trailer to take camping. I'm not actually sure you can call it camping when you have an air conditioner, a furnace and hot and cold running water right at your fingertips. To avoid confusion and for the purpose of this post I will call it camping but don't be picturing a small tent and freeze dried meals. Anyway, our foray into camping last year was largely successful and a great hit with the kids, so we are hoping to have a repeat performance this season.

We got our trailer out of storage a few weeks ago and got it all stocked up and ready to head out. For the May long weekend we had booked a site at Mount Kidd in Kananaskis Country with our neighbors and their friends. We all have travel trailers so we decided to rent one of those large double sites in the hope that we could fit 3 trailers on it. Penny and Nancy planned well and the sites were plenty big enough. We were all a little rusty with the setup but by 11:30 pm on the first night we were all set up on our site for the weekend.

We awoke to sun and wind on our first day with the temperature hovering in the high single digits. The wind was cold and made activity outside difficult but the kids braved the low temperatures for a few hours during the day to play outside with sticks and rocks. Having a total of 7 kids there was great. They entertained themselves and each other and always seemed to be doing something that involved dirt. Saturday, Sunday and Monday were much warmer and the kids spent the better part of each day outside. They would habitually retire to one of the trailers in the mid afternoon to watch a movie on someones laptop but even that didn't keep them inside for long. The kids spent lots of time on their bikes, launched some model rockets and took turns with some remote control cars. They basically only came back to the site when they needed food.
All things considered, the weekend was a great success and a reasonable start to the season despite some minor setbacks (we ran out of propane on the last night, our friends had a dead truck battery when they went to leave and the other friends had their departure delayed when their slide out wouldn't close). We are looking forward to a great camping season and perhaps some warmer weather in the months to come.

In other news, playground construction has begun on a $250k playground in the park behind us. The weather is terrible but construction seems to be proceeding well. I still haven't got a date for surgery yet and with every day that passes the likelihood of getting it done on the 8th of June as I'd hoped seems less and less likely. I'll keep you all posted when I get a date.

Everybody Makes Mistakes

Even Robert Munsch...

There and Back Again

Sailing around the world is a major feat of skill and endurance. For centuries early explorers did not care how long it took them to circle the globe. They were simply happy to make it back to their home port with enough sailors to handle their ships. These early circumnavigations were full of danger and excitement. Sailing in uncharted waters, trying to find food and water and skirmishes with natives along the way kept things exciting. Since Joshua Slocum's first solo circumnavigation from 1894-1898 the goal has been to do it faster. Constantly improving technology over the centuries has enabled longer, more extreme voyages in smaller and lighter boats. Now a solo sailor in a state of the art boat with the latest in navigational gear and nutritional supplements can make a round the world trip in much less than a year. Magellan would be amazed.

While technology including sophisticated real time weather mapping and super accurate GPS has made sailing easier and faster in the past few years, I don't think it has made it significantly safer. A modern sailor still has deal with storms, gear malfunctions and major breakages while navigating the multitude of islands, islets, reefs and other (often larger) boating traffic. Electronic navigational aides might make finding your way a little easier and faster but sooner or later the batteries die or salt water corrodes your precious GPS or laptop interface. At that point the modern sailor is faced with finding his or her way with simple tools of the trade that have been used for centuries: a sextant (no this is not a portable canvas abode used for the conception of little sailors) and a watch. Given this, it is obvious that the dangers of long haul blue water sailing have not changed in millennia despite the recent invention of a few dainty (yet handy) electronics.

These dangers of solo sailing make Jessica Watson's recent voyage nothing short of amazing. At 16 years old, Jessica has become the youngest person to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world. She left Sidney, Australia in October of last year sailed East and North across the equator then turned South and headed East around Cape Horn, the Cape of Good Hope and around the South side of Australia before ending her 210 day odyssey back in Sidney on Saturday. She detailed her journey in a blog she updated daily from her 34 foot boat, Ella's Pink Lady. It is estimated that she has more than a million dollars of endorsements including a book deal, waiting for her as she returns to her normal life in Australia.

Congratulations on a successful journey Jessica. Your perseverance and optimism have inspired me in my cancer journey.

A Great Night

Thanks to all of you who came out to the Saltlik on Saturday evening to help Penny and I celebrate the end of chemo! We had a really fun time and enjoyed seeing everyone that has helped us through this ordeal. A special thanks goes out to Vicky and Astrid who helped Penny with the logistics and organization. Thanks also goes to those who travelled to be at the party, especially my parents, my brother Matt, Josephine, and Heidi and Mike from Edmonchuck. It was a great night and we hope to do it all again except maybe next time it will be for a different cause...

Time for Golf

Las Vegas Debrief

Penny and I got home last night after a fabulous long weekend in Vegas. We had a great time; the weather was delightfully hot, the beer was sufficiently cold and it turned out there were lots of friends there to enjoy it with us. The Coles notes of our great weekend are below.

We left Calgary Thursday afternoon and got into Vegas Thursday night around 10pm. Penny found a deal online for a hotel call the Vdara. It's one of three hotels in the brand new multi billion dollar City Centre development located between the Monte Carlo and the Bellagio on the strip. We met Kevin and Shannon at the airport and headed to the hotel together. When we were checking in some stranger (or so I thought) snuck up behind me and gave me a bear hug. Since I could see Penny, Kevin and Shannon standing in front of me (the only three people that I knew were in Vegas at the time) I was a little freaked out. It turned out to be my friend Dave with his fiance Ashley and with them was my other friend Dave with his fiancee Katy. Penny had secretly been scheming with them to join us in Vegas for the weekend and they actually made it!

The rest of the weekend was busy. Since I am now off the nasty antibiotic (Flagil) that prevented me from drinking for a few months, I made a valiant effort to make up for lost time. Thursday night we had a few beverages in the room and then headed out to a club. From what I can remember it was an enjoyable evening although it did cement in my mind the fact that such nights need only happen once or twice a year. We all made it safely back to the hotel that night despite getting a little lost a few times during our journey.

Most of us spent Friday recovering at the pool. But Penny and Shannon, never ones to miss out on a great deal, did make it to the outlet mall for a few hours. That evening we watched the Canucks lose and then headed downtown to Freemont street to see some of the sights. The highlights there were the light show and the cheap drinks. We were also surprised/shocked at the number of visibly pregnant women working in the casinos.

On Saturday we relaxed at the pool most of the day and enjoyed a few hard earned beers. For supper we had some fine Italian food (although it may have come back to haunt some of us the next day! - more on that below). We were all interested in seeing a show, so that night we went to see Ka by Cirque du Soleil. One of the most impressive things about the Vegas Cirque shows is that they all take place in custom built theatres made specially to house all the fancy hydraulics, lights and other various apparatus that make the venue itself seem like one of the performers. It was a great show but a little disappointing compared to 'O' which we saw last year when Penny and I were there.

Sunday was a travel day. We all flew out late in the morning, although after three consecutive late nights it felt like 5am when we were boarding the plane. Unfortunately everyone (except me!?) seemed to be fighting a stomach bug and was feeling a little under the weather. I'm not sure I was lucky or if it had something to do with not having a working colon, but either way I was thankful to be feeling well for the flight.

What a fantastic weekend! I would like to thank Penny for setting it all up and having the persistence to make it happen. I would also like to thank Dave x2, Ashley and Katy for spending their hard earned money on this trip and for taking the time out of their busy house-hunting/wedding-planning lives to come with us. It was great to see you and spend that time together. I would also be remiss if I didn't thank anyone and everyone who has helped us out financially during our battle. Some of those generous donations went towards making this trip happen (but not the $70 I lost at the blackjack table, that was mine!). It was a much needed change in pace from the monotony of chemotherapy, hospital visits and trying to convince our kids to eat their vegetables. Thank-you thank-you thank-you!

Vegas

Penny and I (and Kevin and Shannon!) are off to Vegas for the weekend. It should be a good time and an escape from reality for a couple of days. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.

One thing I really like about the blog is when a complete stranger writes and tells me they have been reading and are planning to get a colonoscopy because of my story. One person at a time we are going to stop ass cancer in its tracks. Thanks L.F., you made my day!

Surgery Time Again

Penny and I had a good visit with Dr Buie this morning during his clinic at the Foothills. We had a good discussion and he was able to answer all of our questions. One of the things I like most about him is that he is not afraid to give us his opinion on which of the options might be best. Some guys will just lay out the options and then leave the decision in your hands without really giving an opinion as to which might be best given the state of your general health, family life, strength etc. I think Penny and I both came away feeling anxious about another surgery but comfortable with the decision we made.

There were three main options for this surgery. Option one was to just go in and fix the small bowel perforation (a major surgery itself) and leave the rest alone. This is the simplest surgery to perform but it still relies on the abscess healing itself over time. That means a future with more drains and likely, more pain. Option two was to go in and do the small bowel fix (like option one) but also find the abscess, clean it out and use some fatty material from the abdomen to fill the abscess in the hope that it would speed up healing. For this option I would still have a drain in place BUT it would be an abdominal drain. This means they put the drain in surgically and have the tube come out through my abdomen rather than through my butt cheek. Although I would still have a drain, this option would likely (hopefully!) be less painful than having it come out through the butt. Option three would be to do everything the same as option 2 but also remove the rectum and part of the lower colon. The idea there would be that the radiated tissue low in my pelvis where the abscess is is incapable of healing. By removing this tissue we would likely (but not for certain) encourage the abscess to heal. The downside of this third option is that 1) it is a major surgery and recovery would be long and difficult and 2) there are a lot of nerves down there that you don't want to mess with. Given the fact that I've already had one major surgery down there that has left lots of scar tissue, the chances of damaging those nerves with a second major surgery is high.

In the end Dr Buie said he thought the best option for me would be option 2. It takes care of the pressing problem (the small bowel perforation) and also addresses the problem of the abscess. It is still a major surgery and I will likely be in the hospital for a week or more (fun times) but I feel now that I know what to expect I am in a better position to deal with it all. Another good point is that he thinks he can book me in for June 8th which is after our trip to Vegas (this weekend), the end of chemo party (next weekend), May long weekend (2 weeks from now) and my buddy Dave's wedding (4 weeks form now). It feels good to be able to live a little before I go under the knife again.

Funny Question

Carly asked me a hilarious question today: "Daddy, why do we have 2 legs?"

At first I was overcome by fits of laughter. How do you answer that one? The best I could do was "Because you have two feet and you need two legs to attach your two feet to your body". That sufficed for all of about 30 seconds until she asked "Why do we have two feet?". I was lost and befuddled and ended up distracting her with chocolate milk. After some reflection, I realized (actually Kevin realized) that the question wasn't that out of order. Almost every living being in her world has more than 2 legs. Pigs, mice, cats, spiders, ants and nearly everything else you can think of (except birds). So actually the question wasn't that silly after all. I feel a bit like a four year old having laughed it off at the start.

Pass the Word

When I was first diagnosed with cancer 18 months ago, I was encouraged by a friend to talk with a cancer survivor named Megan. Megan was diagnosed with the same cancer as me at a similar age. Her cancer story was tremendously helpful in the days following my diagnosis for a number of reasons, but especially because, 15 years after her diagnosis, she is still here. Our initial conversation was so uplifting and encouraging. A big change from the weeks spent in the hospital fearing the worst.

Megan recently sent out an email to all of her friends reminding them of her story and of the importance of talking to your doctor about colorectal cancer. I think it's well written, truthful and worth reading and so I have included a copy below. Please read it and pass it on to anyone you care about that has a colon.

My friends and family know my story but many of you don't and I have decided to send this to everyone on my email list....so a very quick recap. 15 years ago when I was 35 I was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. After surgery to remove a foot of my colon and 6 months of chemotherapy, I charged ahead with my life until 5 years later the cancer returned and now had spread to my liver making it stage 4, and my chances of surviving more than 5 years was less than 25%. After another surgery to remove 1/3 of my liver and 6 months of chemotherapy I am here to talk about today, 10 years later.( the list of thank yous starts with God, but is too long to go into!)I am taking a risk here of boring you, invading your privacy, taking up your time and hopefully maybe even saving a life, but I do have passion around this and no apologies. Two things recently happened in my life..... I had a colonoscopy yesterday (my 7th one) and I just finished reading in the obituaries this morning about a 33yr old man who died of stage 4 colon cancer. So I felt very compelled to write to you all. Also I am a volunteer for the Canadian Cancer Society and have 8 clients with colon cancer who I support via phone throughout Canada and over half are under 50!. This is not an "old peoples" disease and doctors do not recommend colonoscopies until you are 50 but I am here to encourage you, implore you, ask you...do it now! It is not too early if you are in your late 30's ,40's and if you are in your 50's you should have been already! Colon cancer starts with a polyp in the large colon. This in itself is not harmful but if left unattended will turn to cancer. A colonoscopy can detect these polyp growths and they can easily be removed. Colon cancer does not cause discomfort or pain until it is too late. A colonoscopy is not painful in a any way. The last thing I remember before the procedure is the wonderfully relaxing feeling of the magical drugs entering into my system through the intravenous, then waking up an hour later. No pain, no discomfort, and a good sleep afterwards. The prep is just like a cleanse, you clean your system and loose a couple pounds!!! The waiting lists for this procedure is long so get your name on one now. I commit to be here for anyone who has questions, concerns or needs support before the procedure. Do not wait, do not be fearful and if you have already had your colonoscopy "good on ya" and spread the word. I also ask you send this to 10 friends....if you can save a life take the risk, I just did!

Thanks everyone for your time,
Megan Darling:)

A Fighter, Lost.

I saw this obituary in the paper on Saturday. James and I had exchanged emails over the past few months about the Young Cancer Canada support group that he helped get off the ground here in Calgary. I never did meet him, but as you can read below, our stories are eerily similar. He sounded like the kind of guy I would have got along with. The world is definitely worse off without him.

James Anthony Henderson
33 years, of Windsor, Ontario, died April 29, 2010 in his childhood home surrounded by his wife and family. Jimmy was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer in October 2006 and battled until his very last breath with all of the strength, humour, honesty and courage that made him so special to every single person who ever knew him. No matter who he met, he had a positive and profound lifelong impact upon them. Jim graduated from Riverside High School in 1996 as valedictorian and achieved a full scholarship to the University of Windsor, where he attained his Bachelor of Computer Science. He later worked for 2 years in San Diego before moving to Calgary, where he ran his own successful software development business and fell in love with the mountains. Jim loved all things outdoors, especially hiking, camping, kayaking and road-trips. He was also uninhibitedly kind and compassionate to everyone he met, friend or stranger. He cared about the environment, the future of our society and creating beautiful communities. While battling cancer, Jimmy met his future wife, learned how to snowboard, travelled extensively, assisted with young adult cancer patients and survivors, and lived every day to the absolute fullest. He and Deanna were married on a mountain top in the fresh snow via helicopter 4 days before his death. Jim is survived by his wife, Deanna, his step-daughter, Keira of Calgary, AB, his parents, Wanda & Thomas Henderson of Windsor, Ont., his brother Ken and his wife Anna Faulkner of Sydney, Australia. He is also survived by many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, and a mountain of friends. He was a virtual star at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary where his electric and genuine personality drew the affections of all the amazing doctors, nurses and staff. A celebration of Jim's amazing life will be held in Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta on August 7, 2010, the original date of his wedding to Deanna. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to The Alberta Cancer Foundation at albertacancer.ca