Part  2 - Feb - Aug 2015

This part of the blog is based on e-mails that were sent out to a group of friends and family.  These e-mails log my activities and progress  from February 2015 to August 2015.

February 12, 2015

Hey there,

Last word was that I would be seeing the Surgical Oncologist on Feb 19^th to continue my discovery with her.  That changed on Tuesday and she requested that I see her today to discuss the results of all the tests that were conducted since I saw her on Jan 15^th.  So I went to see her today and had our discussion.  That discussion resulted in lots of talk about results and the development of a plan to go forward.

Unfortunately, the plan cannot be defined yet as there is an Oncology Team “round table” that must be undertaken on Feb 23^rd.  However, the landscape has changed with some of the test results.  The big change is that they discovered cancer cells in a liver cyst when they did the biopsy on Jan 28^th.  That is significant as they now feel pretty positive that those cells are similar and have travelled  from the Colorectal cancer area to this organ(Metastatic Disease).  That means I am now considered to be Stage 4 and not Stage 1.  That is the bad news.

The good news is that a plan is formulating to deal with this as much as they can and it will start on March 18^th when  I start a series of Chemotherapy sessions working on a 2 week rotation.  On Feb 23^rd the Oncology Team will finalize these conclusions and agree on the plan.  My Surgical Oncologist will have a telephone appointment with me on the 26^th to lay out their recommendations.  It appears that it could shape up to Chemo, then surgery and perhaps more chemo.

Also on the up side, the Surgical Oncologist suggested that I take our Hawaii vacation and start any program after we get home. 

I am sorry if this note is a bit technical and not more substantive but that is the phase of this journey that I am in.  I have been inundated with new information, risks and potential results including statistics of responses to this type of treatment and it will take some time to digest and react to the day’s news.

In the interim, be content that I am in good hands and I have a strong support team with friends and family.  The next year will be a tough one but we are out to beat this.

I hope you and yours are all well and happy.

February 24, 2015

Good morning, yesterday was a busy day for me as I had received two surprise phone calls to see my Medical Oncologist and my Surgical Oncologist, respectively, during the 23^rd.  So I set out to meet with them with Freddi as they were to provide some insights into my future treatments and activities.  The “Round Table” met yesterday morning and each of these Drs provided insights about that meeting.

The bottom line is that I will be served up some Chemotherapy for a period of time (2 to 3 months) and then I will be re-assessed for surgical treatment.  There is a consensus that surgery is possible and will provide benefits (if required).  There is some “hope” that the Chemo could obliterate the Cancer thereby negating the need for surgery as the cysts are small.   

That in itself is very good news as recovery is a potential that the Drs are discussing.  I am somewhat relieved as the surgery loomed heavily on my mind.  So now I will settle in to dealing with Chemotherapy starting as soon as we return from our visit with Gray, Bree and Skylar (commencing tomorrow) followed by a rest in Hawaii until Mar 16^th.  My current schedule for Chemo starts on the 17^th with three activities at the hospital.  I will get my first round blood tests done, have a port to my main artery inserted surgically and have my baseline CT Scans all on that first day of treatment.  The following day I will have my first 3 hr session at the Cancer Centre which is followed by 2 days of home Chemo treatment.  These treatment days (and perhaps a couple of days after the treatment) will be days for me to watch and gauge the reaction that my body has to the cocktail of chemotherapy.  My job will be to manage the side effects of the Chemo.

In the interim, Freddi and I will enjoy our vacation and send best wishes to you for wellness and happiness.  I will keep you updated as we move along this path.

Love you guys.....

March 18, 2015

Hey there, yesterday went well as they transformed me to a cyborg by implanting a direct access port to my jugular vein.  The port went in well and I snoozed through the operation. I am a bit sensitive on my right shoulder and am being watched by Freddi to ensure I don't do much for the next 7 days while it heals.  She has already started at me when I started the fire for the evening.

Quick update on this very busy but interesting day today. So far my Chemo has gone with few side effects.  I participated and learned the Chemo "in-hospital" routine and then was sent home with a portable infuser which continues the treatment for 48 hours.  So I do not know the extent of the impact on my physical and mental well being but so far I am doing very well as I only have some small side effects.
Thank you for your continued support and I apologize for "stock" messaging but I do want to keep you informed.
I will update again after the Chemo is complete on Friday.

March 21, 2015

Dear Friends,

It is my hope that this note finds you well and happy.

Today is Saturday and I am in the denouement of this my first round of Chemo.  I find it mildly amusing that I think about great literary turns when I am in “think process” these days but when I sit down to jot a note I am devoid of clever nuances.  I guess that is all part of the experience.  So instead of trying to be clever, interesting, intriguing I will just tell it to you as it is.

My last week has been a very full one with many firsts learned and the acceptance of the fact that this cycle will return several times.  The week also included a couple of other activities that compounded the week’s events to form a tri-fecta of inconvenience. First I started the week with a horrendous head cold which originated either in Kauai or on board the silver transport from there.  That allowed the nuisance of a huge cough and a runny nose. Second, I had my port-a-cath installed as a surgical procedure which left my right shoulder both sore and weak as I was told not to lift anything for a week.  Oh and by-the-way, stay out of the shower to avoid getting the port-a-cath wet.  Monday was a blood test day which was a simple and efficient procedure.  That was to ensure that my body was “strong” enough to take on the Chemo program which started on Wednesday. 

To explain a little about that program, there is a session for 3 hours where they check you out, order the Chemo and then drip (in my case) two drugs simultaneously into my blood stream.  That takes about two hours to completely drain.  Once completed, the kind nurse injects what is called a “push” dose of drug 3 which only takes a few minutes.  After the push to get that drug started the nurse then connects me to a “bottle” that contains a 46 hour dose of the drug that will drip in through the port-a-cath while I go about my life.  From about 12 pm Wednesday until 10:30 am yesterday I was tethered to this bottle while I carried out my usual functions.  It continued to work while I ate, slept, watched TV, read (sort of) and drove about doing my messages.  Once complete the bottle is disconnected and the drug dissipates in my system over a further 48 hours.  That is the process.  It is somewhat inconvenient but an effective way of getting Chemo into the system for 3 days allowing the drug to do its job.

During the Chemo time there are a litany of things that could happen and the nurses and the system prepare you for any and all circumstances to happen.  The first time reading, listening and digesting process is overwhelming.  None-the-less one must be prepared to deal with these “side-effects” and I was equipped with prescriptions for many circumstances all with the proviso that they may be required.  Admittedly, I was very worried about these effects and am happy to report that over the period of Chemo I had only a few of the reactions and seemingly at a low level.  Yes, I was nauseated, fatigued, could not sleep, could not focus or maintain attention for long periods, cold sensitive, headachey, emotional and a few other things but I am fortunate that nothing was so severe that I required any medical attention.  I remained pretty close to home as that is where I felt most secure and safe.  My appetite has been impacted slightly and my taste centre has taken a sabbatical.

What lays ahead?  Well next week I have several tests to be completed that have been requested by my Drs.  Another CTScan, another MRI and a visit with the Dr to chat about how things are going.  Basically, life will be normal until I start the process again on Wednesday Apr 1.  This repeats every two weeks for the next unknown period of time.  In time we are hoping that the drugs will do enough damage to the cancer cells that I will be free of these cells and we can stop.  The Dr team is still out on what follows but the results of the Chemo play heavily into future decisions.

So that is where we are now and where we are heading.  Once again, I apologize for “stock” messaging but I find this to be the only solution to inform those who I care about and have indicated their support of this cause.  Please be assured that I treasure your support, friendship and family connections as I go through this.  It means more than you can imagine in terms of ability to make it through some of the times.  Please stay in touch

With love,

April 18, 2015

After a period of silence with most of you I feel compelled to update you on my progress as you have indicated that you would like to kept in the loop.  First, may I say, I appreciate your interest and continued support as I traipse through this path of discovery.  Your support helps me immensely and for that I thank you.

My first round of Chemotherapy (Mar 18^th) caused some side effects that were manageable and I have outlined those to most of you.  However, only some of you had further details that became more evident at the beginning of the second cycle.  Apparently the round one Chemo beat the hell out of my white blood cells (WBC) and when it came time to have my blood tests before my second go around they discovered that my counts were below their acceptable levels to continue.  As a result I was asked to wait a week and re-do the test and then start the Chemo.  The subsequent blood test also failed as my count was down even lower.  That happened a third time and finally on Monday of this week I managed to have a test that was above the acceptable level of WBC.  In effect what that meant is that I have skipped a full two week cycle between treatments. 

On Wednesday this week I sat through my treatment period at the hospital and went home with my portable bottle of Chemo which continued for 46 hours.  Yesterday I had the bottle removed and I am in the period where the Chemo dissipates until my next treatment which is currently scheduled for Apr 29.   This round had a reduced concentration of Chemo (due to the brutalization of WBC last time around) and as a result, so far, this round has resulted in fewer side effects.  Although I am feeling punk and eat out of necessity but fairly regularly I am fortunate that I have not been exposed to side effects that I have seen (far too often) in movies these days. Note: recently watched The Judge and although I feel it is a great movie, I had no idea how Cancer played a role in this film.   My side effects have been mostly nausea, lack of sleep, and some other small but easy things to deal with.  I still have a few days where new signs may appear but I feel that I am comfortable enough to share my new experiences with you.

All that being shared, my longer term prognosis is not very clear at this time.  We will continue to do bi-weekly treatments until sometime in late May and then we will do some follow-up tests to see how this is working out.  The CT Scan and the MRI will then compared to the baseline tests that were undertaken at the outset of Chemo and decide what is next.  I will commit to keeping you informed of any changes that come up and in the interim, should you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out. 

In the interim, I once again thank you for your interest and I certainly hope that your lives are filled with health and happiness.

Love Paul  

May 13, 2015

I am writing to you today for a number of reasons:

          - It has been a great day

2        -  A dear friend of mine reminded me that “No news is ..... no news”  contrary to the more familiar expression that we all have used and loved., and

3        - You have expressed an interest for which I am very grateful.

Today I was finally given the “go ahead” for Chemo treatment number 3 which is unfortunately a couple of weeks late due to the pesky WBC count that continues to be low for three full weeks after my last treatment.  Now, I have been informed, that low WBC count is not common but it is also not uncommon.  That reflects the rigour that this precise process exercises as each case is reviewed and treated individually to ensure safe and progressive improvement during the treatment periods.  So to be common and uncommon in the same time is an outcome we learn to live with.  To address this problem my Dr. has prescribed a super drug that will encourage those WBC to get their proverbial “shit” together and improve my counts more rapidly.   That happens on Saturday morning after my Chemo treatment is complete for >24 hours.

To be clear, I am happy that I am able to take the treatment and even happier that this drug will allow me to get back onto a 2 week cycle.  It is my recent understanding that the regular treatments are important to gauge its progress more accurately.  I will be having another MRI and CT Scan soon to measure the bad guys in comparison to the baseline test done a few months ago.  The Oncology team will use that information to determine what the next steps are and hopefully they will share that information at my next appointments with the Medical and the Surgical Oncologists.

In summary, we are back at it and I am well and happy with this treatment.  The side effects vary each time and I am unsure of what will happen in the next couple of days but I am ready for anything as I am still focused on the end game.  Please feel free to drop me a line if you have specific questions that I can answer.  If you have hard questions that I may not be able answer, please address them to your priest or some other guide that you may rely on.

Thank you for your interest and support.  We, our family, very much appreciate you.

With love Paul

May 27, 2015

It has been a couple of weeks since I have had any news to share but today I was able to have my next treatment in the appropriate 2 week cycle.  That is largely due to the work of a supplemental injection of liquid gold that stimulated my WBC  to do their thing.  The result was a fighting tough WBC count when I did my blood tests with the “bloodletter” on Monday.  I am happy to have my body ravaged by Chemo, as it all contributes to the end game, on a regular basis.  This WBC stimulant (Neulasta) is actually a shot deal per treatment.  I was mistaken when I noted that it was a one shot deal period.  So I have learned to inject this to myself after my treatment is complete plus 24 hours.  That will happen on Saturday this week.  I hope then to have my next Chemo treatment on June 10^th.  My next physician follow-up is with the Surgical Oncologist on June 11^th.  I am hoping to get some clarity of the future (I will even settle for a little bit of a picture at that time).

In the interim I am dealing with the side effects as best I can and usually only have about 5 days of discomfort.  That leaves 9 good days before we have it again.  In those good days I am doing my assignments from the “Gardner” in the family as well as putting in boats for our Boat Storage Clients. 

It is my hope that this note finds all of you well and happy.  I appreciate your support and interest in this challenge that we are facing.  I will update when things change of when there is something interesting to report.  Feel free to ask questions, in the interim, if this is not clear or you have time to tickle the keyboard to satisfy your curious mind.

With Love Paul

Wednesday June 10, 2015

Good afternoon all, once again it has been a two week period since I have had anything new to report to you.  In my last note I had just completed my 4^th Chemo session in the appropriate two week cycle.  Well that happened again today as the Neulasta (liquid gold) has motivated the lazy WBC to an acceptable level for a regular Chemo session.  I am happy, as much as one can be happy about such as treatment, that my cycle has been regularized.  That improves the chances of a successful conclusion of this treatment. The 3 hour treatment in the hospital went without a hitch and I am now equipped with a chemo bottle that will pump into my blood system over the next 48 hours.  After that, on Friday, I have that bottle removed and I start the climb back to feeling better for the next 9 days.  My 6^th planned treatment is currently scheduled for June 24^th.

Over the last two weeks my side effects were limited to nausea, sleeplessness, fatigue and a few other less important side effects.  I am happy that my appetite and taste buds have not been affected and I am maintaining my weight and enjoying my meals.  One might think that I am storing up for potentially less interest in food in the future.  The down side is if I do not lose my appetite I may have to resort to sizing up my Sporting Life wear for the summer.  Not an outcome that I am striving for.  

We did take advantage of feeling somewhat better last weekend as we travelled to BC to help Skylar celebrate her 4^th birthday.  She was very funny as she reacted to our visit, her birthday party, her first overnight with us while Mum and Dad had a sleep-over in Whistler and generally hanging with us during our short visit.  Gray and Bree made sure we felt welcomed and we certainly enjoyed the busy but relaxing visit.  We returned on Monday and managed to cross paths with Tara-Lee in the Toronto airport.  She was heading west and we were heading home.

Tomorrow I am meeting with the Surgical Oncologist, my lead of the Oncology Team, to get an update from her point of view.  I am looking forward to that conversation as it may shed some light on what the next few months will look like.  I am not expecting much more than that as I have learned that the “future plan” is very much influenced by results of the current treatment.  In other words it is little steps toward a successful conclusion of this overall treatment plan.  Please feel confident that if I find out anything “interesting” I will further update you with an addendum to this biweekly update.

That is about it.  My life routine is not very exciting these days but we are soldiering on to a successful conclusion a little bit at a time.  Overall my energy level is down but I am buoyed by some repetitive comments from friends that I “... look really good.”  I know that it is meant positively but I always feel that I must have looked like hell before all this started.  To those lovely people who have made that comment, I thank you. 

Please be well and I look forward to hearing from you should you have any questions, concerns or stories to share with me.

With much love ...... Paul

June 12^th 2015

Addendum:

Yesterday I did meet with the Oncology Lead at The Ottawa Hospital.  Tara-Lee joined me so she could meet my new lady friend.  Dr Auer is a Surgical Oncologist and has acted as my guide through this journey and gained my trust by being open, honest, empathetic and clinical.  Our discussion yesterday was one of “next steps” as she had some good news that all of this Chemo has been working by shrinking the small tumors in my liver.  That is one good bit of news.  The other was that there still is no further metastases to other organs at this time.  That is fantastic news as the presence of additionally affected areas provides different options that are less palatable.   So that was my good news yesterday. 

On the flip side, she did confirm that both she and my Medical Oncologist are in agreement that there will be surgery in my future.  That route is no longer a possibility as the planning has already started at their end.  That includes a new appointment with the liver specialist next week, another visit with Dr Auer, setting a date and then winding down the Chemo prior to that date.  Since all of these steps are lineal I will not know the exact time of surgery for a few days/weeks.  But for gross planning purposes she thought it might happen around mid August or thereabouts.   Although this causes some trepidation in me (thus it is flip side to “good news” in my mind) I recognize that this is a required step to “eliminate” the presence of this cancer in my body (or at a minimum give me my best chance at getting to be an old bugger). 

I am very happy with this knowledge but still a bit apprehensive about the surgery.  I have watched too many medical shows and have never been comfortable with the idea of a bunch of hands pushing and pulling parts that belong inside one’s body.  I expect I will come to grips with this in time.

That’s it for now and once again, thank you for your support and notes of encouragement.  They help tons....

Enjoy the upcoming weekend and make the best of every day.

With love ... Paul

June 24, 2015

It has been a couple of weeks since I have sent out any update on the path through the bush that I am wandering along.  In that period, I completed my 5^th Chemo treatment, shot myself up with “super WBC agent”, felt generally crappy for a couple of days and experienced some of those inconveniences that are assembled in the treatment package.  Those and other side effects tapered off after a few days and I been fortunate enough to enjoy some family outings, great dinners, cold beer and some wine and generally carrying on as a normal retired dude.  What that means is that the “honey do” list (some of which is self inflicted to be fair) is changing daily and it seems to be growing and not shrinking.  That being said I have tons of help in getting those early summer chores done and am grateful for Freddi and Tara-Lee’s participation.  Gray is winging his way east later this week to give us a hand on a construction plan that was developed Tara-Lee who recruited him.  We are happy that we will have some time as a complete family unit for a few days.  But I digress .... as easy as that is away from the original intent of this note.

My current status is that my 6^th Chemo is now in progress after a visit to the hospital for the morning.  It all went well and I am equipped with the right meds to fight the side effects for the next two days.  (I see some Netflix in my future).  On Saturday I do another dose of the miracle WBC agent to ensure that I am ready for the next round in 2 weeks.  I did see the Medical Oncologist this week and Dr Robillard agreed with the approach that Dr Auer suggested and we all are waiting for the call from the Liver Oncology specialist ( Dr Mimeau – like “finding mimeau”).  I am in the “hurry and wait” mode as I expected the call almost immediately after my conversation with Dr Auer a couple of weeks ago.  That appointment will be pivotal in establishing the timing of the future actions. (number of Chemo treatments left before surgery, surgery date, extent of surgery etc.) These are all interesting things to know but I have learned to be patient (as a patient) and all these things will become clear with time.  I feel like a Carlos Castaneda student and recall his quote “All paths are the same, leading nowhere. Therefore, pick a path with heart!”  So I continue to put my faith in the hands of those who are on my Oncology Team and I seek the path with heart as I pick my way along this path.

I mentioned that I am trying to continue as a normal person and to that end I was challenged by my long time friend Dr. Jim to a game of golf ( he is not a member of my Oncology team but a strong supporter on my life support team).  To be fair neither one of us has played a real game in the last two years due to various medical intrusions in our lives.  The game was set at Mont St Marie on a picturesque setting and beautiful day.  Fortunately, we pulled out all of recent Tiger Woods shots that we could muster and laughed heartily as we worked our way around the course.  We have decided to use that score card as a base line and feel no need to share the numbers with you.  Enough said on that topic other than I enjoyed the round immensely.

That is the brief update and I would like to thank all of you for your continuing support and please be aware that I am a lot better off knowing that you care.  Thank you and I hope to see you on the lake during the summer.

With Love ....... Paul

July 01, 2015

Hello to all in my family and friend group.  Happy Canada Day to all of you and I hope you had a great day.

My day was enhanced in many ways.  First our children completed their “gift task” of refurbishing the screened in hallway and bathroom on the old cottage.  Gray and Tara-Lee with the help of Brehn and Freddi completed this gift today and all I have to do is the finishing.  I have the easy job here.

In addition we managed to re-arrange and set the waterfront for the summer.  The boat lift was relocated as well as establishing a better environment for swimming and boating.  We are set for the summer.  I would like to send a big thank you to Adam and Anne for their help in that task.

But, while we were doing these great outdoor task, my Dr ( Jonker) called.  He is the Medical Oncologist responsible for my Chemo treatments.  He advised me that they talked about my case on Tuesday during the round table and they made a decision that my next step was to organize surgery as soon as possible.  As a result he has cancelled any further Chemo to set me up for surgery in early to mid August.  He has pre-empted my Liver Specialist appointment next Tuesday but I was happy to hear his news on Canada Day.  I respect the fact that he was working and reaching out to me on a holiday.   What that means is that I will no longer have to experience the Chemo program with its inconvenient side effects and I can now look forward to feeling better every day.  They want me off any of that stuff for a minimum of 6 weeks.  The idea is to be a strong as possible for the surgery.

So in a nutshell, that is my update and I wanted to share my good news as quickly as possible due to the nature of the news.  As my sister-in-law says “ Bam bam bam “ and the Chemo has done its part killing off those Cancer cells.  Enter the next path route and we walk tall feeling good about our progress.  My thanks go out to my Dr Team and especially for my Family/Friend Team.  Your support makes me feel great about getting there.  Off to the next stage and a good 6 week break before we face the next challenge,

I love you guys and once again thank you for your encouragement and support.  It means a lot!

Now to get out there and make the best of the summer.  I hope you do the same.

Love ..... Paul

July 23, 2015

I feel compelled to update you nice folks who have taken the time and energy to reach out to me over the last while about my progress through this path in the woods.  My current status and well being is at a high point as I have been out of Chemo for a month now.  During that time the effects of Chemo have diminished and I am able to operate like a normal human being.  By that I mean I can address some of the ToDo items in my life that need to be done.  Granted I am addressing the easier ones as I do find that my overall stamina is down a tad. 

Over the last month, the period of time since my last update, we have travelled to the Calgary Stampede (a Freddi bucket list item), played golf with Dr Jim and a good group of Lake Bernard annual tourney  golfers, enjoyed some social evenings with friends, visits from Lucy, Gray, TaraLee and Brehn.  The house has been filled with lots of excited chatter about construction projects, travel plans, garden challenges and successes as well as long meals in the “tree house” (aka screened in porch) complete with philosophical discussions about life, love and happiness complimented with much lighter topics filled with humour.  It has been a very busy month filled with many good memories. 

On the medical front, as noted in my last update, I have been Chemo-free as “they” want most of that stuff out of my system before they undertake surgery to remove parts that are or may be affected by cancer cells.  They know that my liver does contain a number of such groupings of cells that have to be removed.  Last week I spent some time with the liver specialists and they talked about their involvement in the surgery to remove cancer cells.  They expect this to be about a four hours surgery and they are keen to do this as soon as possible.  Dr Auer, my surgical oncologist is also involved as a specialist in colorectal surgery and scheduling this surgery will require coordination of schedules of two Dr teams.  I think I threw a monkey wrench into the scheduling as I asked Dr Auer specifically if she could be the surgeon instead of one of her cohorts.  She replied that she would try but had some vacation planned in August.  I hope I am fortunate enough to have her involved as I have a lot of faith and confidence in her as a person, surgeon and specialist in this area. 

This week I met up with Dr Jonker, medical oncologist (Chemo guy) and he concurred that surgery seemed to be the best plan but he would reserve judgement of post-surgical Chemo until one month after the surgery.   He did inquire and advised me that liver specialists are still in control of the surgical date but one has not yet been established.  So I wait and bide my time by enjoying the summer weather and doing some regular type work.

It is my sincere hope that you are making the best of the summer and enjoying your summer activities and getting out doing things that are different and fun during the period of the year that allows us to enjoy the great outdoors.   Once again, I thank you for your interest and support during this life trial that we are experiencing.  My whole family appreciates your support as it buoys my overall well being and gives me strength.   The end result of this support is that I am less grumpy and less demanding as I know that you care.  I do appreciate all of the support I have received.  Thank you.

I will send out another brief update when I secure a date for the surgery and then I will start planning my recuperation period.  Until then onward and upward as we address ToDo items and enjoy some golf with friends.  With much love I wish all of you great days during the summer and good health and happiness.

With Love ........ Paul

August 9, 2015

Today being a holiday, I am certain that I will not hear from any scheduling or Drs on a Sunday.  As you are aware from the last update, I am on a holding pattern for surgery.  The issue seems to be the scheduling of two surgical teams on the same day.  The Liver team are willing to do this on Aug 14^th but Dr Auer is on vacation at that time.  She took the time to call me this week and we chatted about options of dates and process.  My choices were two separate surgeries approximately two months apart which has the benefit of doing the liver surgery ASAP.  The second surgery, rectal resection, would then be done in late October after recovering from the first surgery.  The second option was to wait two additional weeks and try to combine thee surgeries into the same day.  Dr Auer said she would be available and would try to get that timeframe with the liver team. 

I chose the two-for-one as I would appreciate only doing that once as I think the recovery will be trying.  So now I am, once again, on hold waiting to hear that our plan can be accomplished.  I will be getting confirmation, one of these days, that the liver team agreed to the plan.

In the interim, I have been feeling fairly strong as I have not been beaten up by Chemo since the end of June.  The effects of the Chemo have lingered a bit but basically all things are getting back to normal.  I have been playing a little golf and doing some tasks around the cottage as well as some effort on work at Lightning Tree Consulting.  The summer has been somewhat rainy and overcast but this weekend is a perfect weather weekend.  We managed a couple of evening cruises with hot appies and cold beverages in the pontoon boat with friends.  It is a nice way to spend time as the sun sets in the west.

I do hope this update finds all of you well and fills the information gap, as much as I can, at this time.  As before, if you have any questions feel free to contact me by return and I will try to respond as quickly as I can.  Thank you for your continued support and best wishes for a happy balance of summer.

With love Paul

August 14, 2015

On Wednesday of this week I decided to be the less patient patient and placed a call to the Liver and Pancreas Unit at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH).  I have been patient just long enough and felt it would help me and others in my world if we knew what date the surgical teams were planning to schedule my surgery.  My inquiry was responded to quite quickly considering their vmail message said they “....would get back to me within 2 business days due to the volume of calls”.  Oopps got to stop here as I feel a rant coming on .....

The nice “booking coordinator” decided to call back right away as she had planned to contact me ......   In the end we confirmed that her team and Dr Auer’s team had agreed that August 28^th was a good day to undertake this surgery.  That being said there would be several touch points before the surgery to check blood, other indicators, MRI and instructions of what to do and not do in the days leading up to the surgery.  I suspect I will get more details of the post-surgery activities. or lack thereof from my point of view, in the weeks or days ahead.  What I do know is that they will keep me in the hospital for a week and then send me home with some support of new and wonderful drugs.  So I am happy as the wheels of motion are turning and my next adventure starts shortly.

In the interim, I am currently enjoying a comfortable visit with my Brother, sister and sister-in-law in the warm sunny morning rays in Henderson NV (just outside of Las Vegas) as this news opened a window of opportunity to visit Richard and Barb who have been very supportive from afar.  Distance is not always our friend and I felt it would be great to take a trip and visit them.  So Lucy and I travelled down here yesterday and will be returning to Ottawa on Sunday.  We enjoyed a peaceful day yesterday which was punctuated by great claps of thunder from the desert thunderstorm.  Today however, the weather returns to the normal heat and sun.

My best wishes to all of you for health and happiness and I will send an update once the Drs are finished messing inside my temple.

Love to all ......... Paul