HALF WAY THERE (10 of 20)

Dr Trotter was optimistic yesterday at our Monday clinic. Each Monday, Charl is to meet with the doctor to check in, see how he is feeling, if he has any side effects he wishes to discuss, etc. Given the fact that he has no side-effects other than fatigue, she thought everything was going very well indeed. She also commented on his 'eternal optimism' (we had to smile at that). He was sent for routine blood tests this morning (they do this at the half way mark) just to make sure all is well.


Charl has been very good about getting out and doing his requisite exercise. (Dr Trotter told us that there is evidence that 30min exercise a day will decrease the likelihood of getting recurrent cancer, which obviously makes exercising a no-brainer. As you can see, Charl is more than willing, especially on hot summer days :)

Overall we are incredibly pleased that the radiation isn't causing Charl any pain or discomfort, and it is sooooo exciting to think that, God willing, we will be through this phase of our lives very, very soon. YAY!!!!!!!!

End of Second Week (8 of 20)

Just a quick update to inform you that we are almost halfway to the finish line. Yay!

The radiation makes Charl really tired, more so it seems than during chemo. But so far the fatigue and a bit of pressure in his chest are the only notable side-effects he is dealing with (totally normal as far as the doctor is concerned). The process takes just minutes each morning, and he usually has to nap for a few hours late in the morning or afternoon to regain some energy each day.

All in all, cancer cells are being killed, Charl is on the way to recovery and God has been very good to us indeed.

Vernon Cowgirl, Capetown Cowboy

Stampede to Calgary is like Mardi-gras to Rio de Janeiro. Not the crazy huge costume part, but how everyone seems to live the spirit of it for the duration of the fesitval (the cowboy costume part). Everyone gets into it, and everyone has cowboy boots here. Doesn't matter if you never step foot on a ranch or ever come within miles of a horse or a cow, you still own cowboy boots. (I can tell it will be hard not to get some, especially since they are, after all, boots).

It is not only common to see cowboys everywhere in Calgary during stampede, it would be an anomaly not to see cowboys during the week of stampede, and a big faux-pas to not dress the part when going to Stampede events. Kind of like showing up to a costume event wearing jeans and a tshirt. Y'all are just a dang damper on the parrty! 

Given the status quo we haven't gone to the grounds, or to any events, however we were invited to a private event during Stampede at a friends house last night. It was a mother-daughter chili cook-off, held in their back yard overlooking the city and mountains... a perfect reason to dust off the cowboy hats and get a glimpse of my husband dressing like a cowboy. Yeee haw!

The weather was fantastic and the chili was mighty fine (both Mom's and Daughter's). It was fun to mingle with friends and get into the Stampede spirit, even if for one night!

Radiation (4 of 20)

Charl just finished his first week of radiation. Tuesday was the first day, and we met with the techs and nurse to explain how the process will work; the dos and don’ts, what to expect, etc. In a room behind a very heavy door, Charl lies down on a gurney type bed which can be raised and lowered so that the light beams meet up with the small tattoos on his chest and sides (his head goes on the blue part). This is what it looks like:

Then the huge Star-Trek-esque machine rotates around him and they locate the precise points where they have to radiate. The techs read the screen on the machine, and also take readings from that PC monitor mounted near the ceiling. You can clearly read the monitor, but you can't read the monitor, if you know what I mean.

Now that he was in the correct position to administer radiation, for my safety, I was asked to leave the room. At that point I couldn't see the radiation being administered, but Charl said you see a projector like lens above you, kind of like an aperture focusing in a camera lens. It zaps him three times, for about 10 seconds on each of his tattoos. He doesn't feel anything at the time, but fatigue sets in a few hours after it is over. The nurse explained to us that while there isn't concrete evidence as to why all radiation patients feel so tired, they believe the fatigue is caused by the body working very hard to repair the intense "damage" done to the cells during radiation. That, to a body, is hard work and therefore exhausting.

Overall we are pleased with how it's going thus far. No negative side effects yet. 4 down, 16 to go...

Reflections on a Milestone Birthday

Charl totally outdid himself. He made my turning 40 about as good as it gets.
Apart from the lovely card, gifts and outdoor brunch at the VR Golf Club restaurant, I knew there was a surprise brewing for the evening. As adept and stealth as a secret service agent, he kept all the details hidden from me until the moment I walked into the restaurant for dinner, fully expecting Charl had planned to wine and dine just me. Alas, a big group of friends was there waiting for us. We shared a great meal at the Indian restaurant in Kensignton, finishing off the evening with my favourite choice of bday cakes, an ice cream cake from DQ, brought out by the wait staff! It was a great surprise, a lovely evening and a wonderful birthday. Thanks to everyone for all the cards and well-wishes, and thank you to the best husband in the world!

Ok here are some shots from the day (hope this link works)...
http://picasaweb.google.com/117460281625265439694/CarolS40th#

In the Meantime...

Since my last post, we have been occupying ourselves by becoming established in our new location and settling in (oh, and watching world cup!) while waiting to receive the start date for Charl's radiation. Although he still needs to rest during the day,  it is wonderful to report that he has been regaining energy steadily and able to do increasingly more each day. So much so in fact, that for the Canada day long weekend, we went camping with our friends Megan, Allyson and Dan Link in Johnston Canyon (about 20km north off the TransCanada between Banff and Lake Louise), and had an excellent time!

It is a spectacular location, nestled right in the Rocky Mountains with picturesque views from every direction.

We hiked, had camp-fire chats, had lots of laughs and spent two very cozy, warm and dry nights in our tent (even though it was only about 3C at night).

Spending a weekend camping felt so "normal"- not worrying about bloodcounts, or fevers or hospital visits - it was just great to be spending time in nature worry-free (well except that there was a grizzly in the campground the day we arrived and a black bear spotted in the area the next day - both of which caused me great duress, though for Charl it was a bonus and he couldn't wait to tackle whichever creature we came across). Charl still napped but had lots of energy to spare for all the activities of the weekend.

However, as I said that was in the meantime. We just found out that his radiation will start July 13 - each weekday for 20 days - which will take us to about the 11th of August. The radiation oncologist told us that he should expect little or no side effects for the first 2 weeks, but that we should expect difficulty in swallowing for the latter half, as his esophagus (the food tube) will be radiated to make sure they zap any cancer cells that may have decided to migrate north. Side effects are supposed to peak 7-10 days after the radiation is finished. As usual Charl is ready to take it on, get it over with, pray earnestly for total healing and move on from this episode.

It's astonishing to think of all Charl has gone through in the last 6 months since this all started. I look back at photos from just before he found out (Jan 19) and you'd never have known he was so critically ill. Here's one I love of Charl just before we got married, during a short hike with the family near Kal lake during last Thanksgiving weekend.

PS note the hair colour prior to chemo: BROWN. His hair is now growing back BLOND!!