The beautiful wife, the beautiful life, the beautiful strife

Look at this picture:

     This is what my life looks and feels like right now. Sure, there's some resemblance to a Korean movie poster (I made Meg hold the flowers), but I can't help but look at this picture and feel at peace. Meg and I are a month away from the birth of our first child, and we have had the past week or so to really focus on that fact, focus on each other, and soak up the love from across the country.

     The recent shift in treatment direction came as a bit of a shock, but really what it is is the next step in the process of beating this disease, and something that we should have prepared ourselves a bit better for. My chemo did a good part of its job, and there is confidence that the radiation should continue the work. We're in very good hands under the care of Medical Oncologist Dr. Laurie Sehn,  Neuro-Oncologist Dr. Brian Thiessen, Radiation Oncologist Dr. Christina Parsons, and a team of radiation therapists that is apparently one of the best in the country. I have my first appointment with the radiation team on Monday morning. I'll be fitted with a mask that will help keep my head in exactly the same place for each treatment, I'll have a series of scans to help plan exactly where and how the treatments will be directed, and we'll have any questions answered about the upcoming weeks. It was originally mentioned that I'd likely get anywhere from 10 - 15 treatments which involve one hour daily appointments and no overnight hospital stays. It sounds like my first actual radiation treatment will be on Thursday. I'll be undergoing what they call Whole Brain Radiation. With the diffuse nature if Primary CNS Lymphoma, this whole brain technique has the best chance of taking care of all of the nasty cells.

     Short term side effects should include some fatigue, nausea, headache, etc, but apparently most people handle it OK. Real fatigue should set in about 2-4 weeks from my first treatment, and should make caring for a newborn an interesting challenge. Long term side effects (10+ years from now) could include some detriment on concentration, etc, but we've been told that age and health are really on our side, and that maintaining good vascular health will help keep me sharp as a whip. 
  
     We're ready for this. Like I said earlier, we've had the past week or so to really focus on each other, and it's been a nice time to realize what we have, and what we have coming to us. Really, it's made us realize that this is just what life is. People go through things every day all across the world, we're going through something now, and that's what life is. We're lucky enough to be surrounded by such a shell of love and support and to have this blossom of hope that squirms under my hand at night and reminds me that life is still beautiful.

     We're now really preparing our lives for the arrival of the baby, and for visitors (and helpers) at Christmastime. Timing wise, it all works out quite well. Meg's amazing Aunt Marg arrives on Thursday and will be around until the 2nd which will be great while we adjust to treatment. We'll then have another week or so on our own, and my brother Mike plans on arriving in Vancouver sometime around the 11th. Meg's parents show up a few days later, the baby's due on the 18th, I should finish my radiation at almost exactly that time, and then my parents arrive on the 21st. The amount of positive energy in the air should be electric.

     Furthermore to all of this, we've learned of a SMASH IT! fundraiser taking place at a Legion Hall in downtown Toronto on December 5. You can find more information about that here. I wish we could be there too. The music should be fantastic, it sounds like there are some great silent auction items, and who doesn't like a Legion Hall?  Huge, huge thanks to all organizers of this event, particularly Claire Slocombe, Katie Ross, my brother Shawn, and Meg's sister Brianna. Additional thanks to musical talents Dave Marshall, Stu Henderson, and the One Hundred Dollars Duet, Ian Russell and Simone Schmidt. You can find links to all of their music on the fundraiser webpage.

     Meg is doing amazingly well. She's the strongest, most amazing woman I've ever encountered. We both have low energy levels and limitations on our capacities to deal with the complexities of life in Vancouver sometimes, but usually all it takes is a quick glance at eachother to know that everything's going to be OK.

    So that's it for now. We really appreciate the continued contact and support. We're constantly overwhelmed by the feeling that at all times, somewhere, people have our backs. We can't tell you how valuable that is. Take care of eachother, and know that we are doing the same.