Sugar Mountain

     Where to begin? I suppose you won't allow me to apologize for the lag between posts, but I'll do it anyways.Truth be told, I've been feeling so good that we've been out and about enjoying Vancouver, getting ready for the new arrival, and just generally making hay while the sun shines (and the rain pours). Mind you, much of this energy and enthusiasm is a result of a steroid medication that I'm on and currently weaning off of, and side effects from my radiation treatments should start slowing me down a bit soon (more on that later).

At the Capilano Suspension Bridge

     Meghan's Aunt Marg was just out here for a great visit, and she got to take advantage of my ravenous appetite and boundless energy by helping us enjoy some of Vancouver's most beautiful walks and most delicious food. She's a special person to us, and it was great to share this time and space with her. We're lucky to have people like her around, and to be going through this in a place where you can walk through gorgeous Old Growth Doug Fir forests in solitude in the afternoon and then enjoy one of the best meals of your life only a few kilometers away later that evening.

Marg and Meghan on the trails in the UBC Endowment lands 

Tojo's Sushi. Unbelievable.

      Our final night with Marg we got an  invitation from the infamous Dr. Joseph Ragaz and his partner Fiona Robertson to attend a great night put on by the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival. It was really nice to spend some social time with these two people who have been such incredible supports for us out here. They've been like family to us, and we can't thank them enough.

Joseph and Fiona

     My radiation treatments are going really well. I have appointments every day, but they last a total of six minutes. I get in the room, lie down on the table, and the technicians pin my head down onto the table using the mask, (not as bad as it sounds) making sure that I'm comfortable. They then direct the radiation beam at my head, aligning a series of custom cut lead plates designed to protect areas they don't want to radiate with marks on the mask and lasers in the room. They then leave the room, turn the radiation on for about 20 seconds, re-enter, switch the beam to the other side and switch the lead plates, leave the room again, and give me another 20 second shot of healing energy. That's it. See you tomorrow. The efficiency of the process continues to amaze me. So far, I've had no sign of side effects, and I'm feeling good. My hair should start to fall out sometime next week, and I may experience headaches, nausea, and fatigue, but the treatments affect different people in different ways. It's very likely that I'll experience a high degree of fatigue a few weeks from now (just in time for the baby!)

     Meghan is doing great. She had her weekly checkup yesterday, and all is looking good. Our energy levels are on basically opposite trajectories, but it's nice for me to feel like I can take care of her for a little while. She needs rest more, and sometimes can't keep up with my steroid-fuelled, list-motivated pace these days, but we do our best to help eachother out. I can't say enough how she impresses me every day with her strength. We have our fears together and the clouds of uncertainty that are always overhead, and those always need to be recognized, but together, we're able to handle them with honesty, patience, and  some degree of peace.

 

Meg in relax mode - knitting for the baby

    Our next few weeks will likely be some of the most exciting, terrifying, busiest, and dramatic of our lives. My brother Mike arrives here in Vancouver on the 9th,  Meghan's parents arrive on the 14th, the baby is due on the 18th, and my final radiation treatment coincides with my parents' arrival on the 21st. What a Christmas it will be.

    Thanks to all of you for your ongoing kind words and thoughts of support and encouragement. They really mean a lot to us, and will continue to do so over the next little while. Thank you also for reading this blog. It gives us an outlet to talk about what we're going through, and it helps to know that people are listening. As I wean off of this steroid, side effects from my treatments likely settle in, and the end of this stage of active treatment comes to a close, positivity may be more difficult to maintain at such a high level. On the other hand, with the birth of our new baby, the energy around our families being with us at this incredible time, and the feelings that we feel directed at us from across this country, it's just somehow impossible to think that we can fail at this. I suppose I just want to offer reassurance that no matter what comes down the road, and regardless of possible changes in tone, that we'll be doing OK. This vortex of emotions is a complicated thing that doesn't really seem to make sense at any time, but  really, it's all just part of going through something like this. And as I've written before, there have been some truly beautiful things that have emerged from this muck.

     Like the SMASH IT! Benefit taking place this Saturday, December 5th at the Canadian Corps Legion in Toronto for example. So many people have put so much work into and contributed so much to this event, and it hasn't even taken place yet. Again, a huge thanks to all of the silent auction donators, musicians, and organizers. We will be there in spirit, (and briefly on video), but I wish we could be in that room. Much love to you all. If you're able to make it to Toronto on Saturday, here's a little something to get you primed, and that website again with more information: SMASH IT! Website

On a more technical note, our "recent comments" section seems to have stopped working - but we still always love to hear from you! Hopefully we'll get it fixed soon. . .