I have just reviewed my last Blog entry and I now know, for sure, that I have been negligent in keeping this blog up to date. Some significant things have happened since I last wrote in this blog and I have failed to write about those things. They include, first and foremost, our vacation, subsequent treatment, some changes at WestJet, and then another treatment. I have decided I will break this into two blog entries for simplicity and continuity. So here goes.
Freddi and I went to Toronto for a family event, in November, where a group of 17 of us got together for a few days. We participated in the weekend activities which included a hockey game with Jamie playing his heart out while his enlarged family looked on. That was a fun event and he did very well. We then had a wonderful dinner event at Greg and Jill’s house. Greg and Jill prepared a wonderful dinner to compliment the shared time with family members. We ate well, laughed heartily and enjoyed our shared time to the fullest. It was fun to see the children getting to know each other and appreciating the value of having cousins and getting to know some of the adults they do not see often. It was a precious couple of days.
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| The Family dinner - November 2019 |
Early Sunday morning Freddi and I caught a flight to Calgary to connect with our flight to Puerto Vallarta. The transport went smoothly however Freddi’s suitcase did not make the same flight that we were on. WestJet sent us on our way to find some essentials with a promise to repay that cost and that they would find the bag and get it to us in 24 hours. That did happen and Freddi has some new essentials as a reminder.
Our intake to the resort was routine and of course they scheduled “an update” during our visit. The only issue of going to Vidanta is that they are very insistent on having a discussion with us over breakfast where they can update us on the resort plus encourage us (vigorously) to upgrade our business/vacation opportunities with them. We did agree to the breakfast with a couple of stipulations and we were sent to our ocean view rooms. Our representative was a very nice women, doing her job, and she was sensitive to our need for a restful vacation.
Without going into too much detail, we spent the next 7 days doing very little of note but getting the relaxation we felt we needed. We ate in their restaurants and enjoyed the taste experiences very much. We sat about at the pool often and read, slept, sipped cocktails and generally enjoyed the heat of the sun and access to the ocean. Our accommodation was in an older building and in the future, we will ensure that we stay in the Grand Mayan instead of the Mayan Place as we enjoyed that arrangement more. The vacation slipped away quickly, as does every day it seems, and we have good memories of the resort, the center village in Puerto Vallarta, Casa Kimberly and visits to some local spots to boot. We managed some shopping in the village and came away with some good buys and necessary purchases. All in all, it was an uneventful vacation with lots of down time to reflect and renew ourselves. Our trip back took us through Vancouver as there were no available seat for our stand-by travel through Calgary.
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| At Casa Kimberly |
Upon our return, that very same day, I went to the hospital for my routine blood tests required before I receive treatment. My treatment was scheduled the next day, Nov 26, and apparently, the results were all OK as my treatment started at 8 am on the Tuesday. The treatment itself went without a hitch. The team at the hospital did their magic and after a few hours I was on my way with my bottle attached and working for the next 48 hours. That treatment period slipped away very quickly but not without the usual repercussions of listlessness, fatigue, mouth sores, diarrhea, constipation and inability to enjoy good sleep. This session was no worse than any other, but it was different in its primary effects. I was basically out of it for a full seven days as I battled the evolving effects of the Chemo. After the 7 days I was fine and rebuilding myself. My patience with this process is waning slightly as I wonder about what this process is doing to my internal organs and to what degree we are being successful with this line of treatment. I will have a look at my CT results at the end of December and discuss this with my Dr in January.
Al in all, November was a good month for us, and I hope that subsequent months have as many rewarding moments as we plow through the future. I will update the subsequent treatment shortly.
Be well …… and Merry Christmas to all and best wishes for great 2020.
With love ….. Paul
