Merry Christmas And...

We attended the annual EnCana Christmas party Firday night. It was a good time and there was even a photog there snapping pictures. I managed to convince Penny to partake and here are the results. I suppose it's a little hard to hide the fact that Penny is pregnant in these pictures. She's due February 2nd. We can't wait to meet the little guy. Merry Christmas everyone!

Frustrating

We got my most recent CT scan results today which I would classify as "mildly bad", "not ideal" or "badger shit". The scan showed no new tumours but the existing ones in the lungs have grown. This seems to point to the fact that my current chemo (I just finished my 40th cycle!) is no longer effective. I guess the good news is that there is a clinical trial starting soon (January 2013?) that I will qualify for. It's a pill form chemo (no trips to the hospital for treatment!) but it has many of the same shitty side effects of my past treatments with a few new ones mixed in for good measure. The plan now is no chemo until after Christmas to give me a chance to recover and get into better shape and read up about this new treatment. I will keep you up to date as things come up but you can always check back here for updates.

Frustrating...

New West LRT Opening

Riding the Train for the First Time On the New Line

Andrew

New Westbrook Mall Station

69 Street Station

Driving

69 Street Station 2

Up, Up and Away!

Trip To Kamloops In PIctures

Highway 1, Banff National Park, East of Sunshine turnoff

A Group of Seven Painting? Just outside Revelstoke

Private. Just outside Revelstoke

Adams River, BC

Clouds. 

Old Bridge, Revelstoke

Just outside Field

Wapiti, Field BC

Sunset, Field, BC

Mt. Rundle, Banff

Long Exposure Experiment

This is what happens when you call 911...

No emergency, just showing off to his play date friend Chase. Chase called his mom first since he knows her cell number. Andrew doesn't know any phone numbers except 911. So he called and hung up. They called right back and said they were sending an officer over. He showed up and was really good with the boys. He explained that this is what happens when you call 911 - help comes. BUT you can't call it just any old time, only when you need help.

After he talked to them he took the boys outside and showed them the lights and siren. They loved that but i think the lesson was learned.

Finally No More Chemo (for the foreseeable future anyways)

Wow. One month since my last entry. It's been a busy one. This past month Carly turned 7, my uncle passed away, I grew a moustache, I did my last cycle of chemo in this round, and in celebration we did a short trip to Vegas. It's been fun but I'm exhausted. Now Christmas is coming and I don't see life getting any easier, but it will at least be fun and interesting.

This last cycle of chemo has been tough mentally. I feel great to be done but now the questions present themselves. Will this be all? Is the cancer gone? Is the cancer worse? I have a scan next week that will attempt to answer some of those questions but really, scans just seem to bring more questions. So until then, I guess it's just a case of enjoying the days.

On a different note, thanks to all of you who donated to my Movember page. It was a very successful month.

Uncle Tim

We lost my Uncle Tim on Friday after a long battle with cancer. He was in a lot of pain but he passed peacefully with his family by his side so there is no doubt he is in a better place now. Sad times. Obviously our thoughts are with his family and I plan to head out to the coast to see them later this week. My movember moustache is dedicated to him this year.

Very Cool

Lat year my parents commissioned a painting of my family by their accomplished and talented artist neighbor Judy McLaren. It was based on a couple of photographs and is a great piece of work. She was also kind enough to provide a .jpg of the image for use online. The original is en route to Calgary this weekend and will be hung somewhere in our house. Thanks to Mum, Dad and Judy for this great keepsake piece of art.

On The Right Side Of The Grass

I went to visit a friend this morning at the hospice where he is holed up for the time being. He's a guy with cancer that I met a few years ago after he was diagnosed with the same cancer as me. We were basically at the same stage in treatment until recently when the chemo he was taking didn't seem to slow down the cancer. Since then things have taken a turn for the worse and he is now receiving palliative care.

The visit was at once sad and uplifting. It was good to see him happy and comfortable although very very thin. His sense of humor was still intact and despite his physical weakness he was still quick with a witty retort. With a 9 year-old daughter and wife it was easy to see a little of my own situation in his. His room was decorated with clay art and drawings from his daughter, a heart breaking reminder of the family he will leave behind.

I did take a positive tip away from this encounter that I would like to share. It seems that no matter how dire the situation, it is always better to say something rather than nothing at all. In this case, he knew perfectly well that there was no magic "git-er-done" pep talk I could give and no words that could bring about a magical return to vitality. He just needed a short chat between friends about his habitual bad driving or my inability to eat anything remotely spicy or whatever else came to mind. I could tell my presence there made a difference in what little time he may have left and I hope if I ever find myself in that situation, my friends will visit me, not to inspire healing, but to just be there as friends.

Stupid Cancer

I'm beginning to get annoyed with chemo again. It sucks being tired and useless. I sleep all the time for 3 days straight. My teeth grow fur and my skin gets hot. I feel sick and gassy and septic. I made it out to swimming last night with the kids and to Home Depot today for some paint but that is about it. Penny and the kids are very encouraging and helpful but I feel like a anchor. Can't wait to finish these next 2 or 3 cycles and have a scan and see how bad those tumours are doing.

Stupid cancer.

I Think This is About Boating

But I'm not entirely sure:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxVH5sKUlPg

It Has Begun

Andrew and I started the learn to skate program with Trails West hockey this weekend. Basically it's a learn to skate program for the kids that prepares them for playing hockey. They have to have all the gear and be accompanied by a parent on the ice. I got to be the parent that goes and It's great. There are lots of kids on the ice at varying degrees of skating prowess from "can't stand up on skates let alone move around" to "I'm faster than the coach". We (both of us!) fit into the first category. But we go out there and roll around on the ice and lean on one another and it's great fun. We went both days this weekend and the tears were kept to a minimum. Andrew didn't cry either. We go one or two times per week. I think Andrew and I are both looking forward to going back next weekend.

Howe Sound Sailing Trip 2012

Last weekend I headed out to Vancouver to meet up with Matt and do a little sailing on his boat. I flew out to Vancouver Friday night and we sailed all day Saturday and Sunday. On Monday I took a Saltspring Air float plane from downtown Vancouver to Pat Bay near Sidney to meet up with my mum and dad then flew hone to Calgary from Victoria. It was a fantastic, fun-filled weekend. Here are some pictures:

Brother Matt rowing out to the boat with our gear.

Matt and his Red Duck

On the North-West side of Howe Sound. Very calm now but the wind picked up for the rest of the day.

A quick tour of a small mining operation, long since abandoned.

Panning for gold

Not rich yet...

Tender stern

Captain Matt

Getting a good sail in!

Did you know firecrackers can blow up under water?

Morning in Halkett Bay on Gambier Island. Alaska Air overhead.

Ropes and logs.

Queen of Surrey and Captain Matt.

Good sailing on Sunday morning.

Gin and Tonics (to keep the scurvy at bay of course).

Massive log boom

Howe Sound Pulp Mill and a clearcut.

Lost the wind but the fun continues.

Out of beers. Motoring for home full speed Sunday late afternoon.

Britania Beach. The ancient Tyee Princess with the old mine workings in the background.

View of downtown Vancouver from Londsdale Quay.

Some geese and the Red Lily.

Matt and a Vancouver raindrop (actual size).

Lions Gate and the North Shore.

Cockpit of a 1958 De Haviland Beaver. Low tech but it does the job.

Deep Cove fly by on final approach to Pat Bay.

Garden Lizards.

Blackberry season.