Pandemic living, excellent NEWS, and a video!

We've been keeping "pandemic busy" and have been getting out of the house for walks as the weather has cooperated. The only time I really went anywhere in the last few weeks was for a CT scan to check the tumour in my neck and to see if it has moved around anywhere. I got the results the next day but wasn't completely sure I was reading the report and the images correctly. Luckily, Wendy and I had an oncologist appointment scheduled for the next week...on the telephone... to clear things up. 

I knew it was good news, but the oncologist used the words "you are in remission"!  Did we hear that correctly? Yes, we made him say it again. 

REMISSION

Just a pretty picture... not showing anything critical!

They can't find evidence for any local recurrence in my neck. It is no longer visible on CT or MRI. 

With that news, I was definitely happy! We clearly did the right thing with the treatments I have had, and they did far more than the oncologists had hoped for (and I hoped for). I think I may, however, been less happy than everyone around me. This was partly the result of having a lot of pain right where they say that my tumour ISN'T. It is hard to reconcile that it is not there, yet still be able to feel it. I am clearly a bit reluctant to ride the roller coaster that I know I am on, so my tempered nature seems to be softening my responses to this very good outcome.  We have since settled that pain down with a long course of steroids, but this means that I am even more immune challenged and will need to stay at home for yet more reasons. Can't win!  

Unfortunately, we did also find multiple very small spots on my lungs in each of the lobes (there are 5 of them, look it up - I am still a professor!). Could they be metastatic cancer or some other issue? We don't know, so now we wait for the next scan in June. I can't be (and am not) worrying too much about them at this point, as this cancer typically spreads to the lungs. It frequently does this before you first find the original tumour. Either way, I'll take it as it is.

Just for the record, the picture from my CT is just for its artistic merit. I didn't include one with the suspect spots, mostly because I am doing what I can to not believe that they are real. Maybe I don't want to jinx things!

In other family news, our elder son Adam was home from North Bay and he turned 24! I baked him a red velvet cake (his request) and we had a very minimal party for him. He doesn't like his picture being taken, so this is all I have for you. He has since returned back north to keep working on his online courses (not done until later in May - they have a different term length for his program). Not sure when he will be back, but he is hoping to finish off some of the practical work for his courses before the fall. All of that is up in the air and will hopefully be more clear in the early summer. 

Unfortunately, Adam was our primary grocery purchaser and errand runner. Although we sent our younger son out to the pharmacy today, we are making do with respect to errands at the moment. We have some great friends and neighbours who have helped us out by dropping off food at our door. I even have enough yeast and flour to bake any time I want! Life truly is looking up. 

The gardens and the lawn are growing like you wouldn't believe. This is just a picture I took on a wet morning. The garden is a profusion of colour (I have to admit that I had nothing to do with it!), but it is looking good. When it is warm enough, we hope to sit out there to enjoy it more.

I had a minor milestone today - May 1st. At the end of 2019, I was given the grim prediction of having a 50/50 chance of making it through April. It was only through my completely weird turn of fate (yes, I am comfortable being weird - and I am good at it!), that I was able to reach this milestone and truly reflect on its significance. Here is what my milestone and the garden looked like this morning. 

I posted a video on YouTube today (it is just under 9 min long - sorry!). It may explain in a different way what has been going on in my life the last several weeks, so it is pasted below as a link and an image. Click whichever one works best for you! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaX3LHnX9YM

Hope you enjoy!

Surgeon, coins, elections, helicopters... just a typical October

In early October, Eric and Wendy went to the specialist surgeon (a graduate of the program in which Eric teaches!). He explained what he saw in the image and later showed us the CT so we could take a look at the enemy.  

Essentially, he needed several biopsies (an absolutely horrible procedure!!!!) and an ultrasound of the thyroid. It appears that the mass (nodule/goiter/tumour.... so many names) fills one half of the thyroid, but the main functions of the thyroid seem normal. The only choices really were to take out half the thyroid (several advantages over the long term with this option), the whole thing (not a great option, but might be needed), or the whole thing plus all lymph nodes in the neck (the worst case scenario).  The surgery is now booked for October 28th and Eric is eagerly awaiting that day. 

The fall has been moving quickly and the temperatures are getting lower. Our crabapple tree has been very productive, and Maddy has been vocal about all the friends who come to stand on her lawn to eat the crabapples. 

Seeing several deer at a time is normal in the evening - they are not afraid of much

Adam finally got his commission in the Cadet Instructor Cadre (CIC) from the Canadian Armed Forces. He is now an officer cadet. He was happy to get it at the same ceremony as his favourite Prof at the college (Mike). He also received a CADPAT badge and was coined (received a special coin from the CIC). Unfortunately, we could not drive up to attend the event (Eric will likely be many months before getting his licence back). A few photos were sent our way after the event. 

Adam received his commission Oct 7 to become an Officer Cadet

CADPAT  badge for the squadron he works with

CIC coin

CIC coin

Adam recently threw his hat into the ring up at Canadore to be one of the candidates for the position of student representative for the Aviation campus.  Wendy helped to design some infographic posters and suggested that he give away candy at a drop in session that he planned. The election happened this week, and he won!!! By two whole votes! The candy may have done the trick! Now he has additional responsibilities at the college, and he seems to be fully up to the task. He needed to send his bio and a photo to the main campus (as the new rep), so here is one of the pictures from the photoshoot that he and a friend did a few days ago. 

Adam at Canadore Aviation campus

Will try to post again soon, likely after the surgery.

The blur they called September

We thought August was busy, and it seemed that even more stuff piled on in September.  Both Adam and Parker went back to school (Adam to finish the Aviation Maintenance program at Canadore College, and Parker to begin the Paralegal program at Mohawk College).

We had planned to have our back yard ripped up and a new patio get installed, and that is what happened for most of the month of September.  Essentially, we had our 1964 original pink and green 2x2 patio stones removed and a new patio designed that would allow us access to the the new shed (which Adam finished last August) and be able to get to the front yard. We decided on 'exposed aggregate' rather than plain concrete, and added a permanent patio roof similar to what we had originally but needed to remove for our major upstairs renovation.

Here is what it looked like before the contractors started:

Faded pink and green... so lovely! We will miss the weeds.

Initially put in place to handle a stroller (Adam), but it never worked well. 

Used to have an awning above the patio door - we missed it more than we thought.

It has looked unfinished like this for over 20 years!

A few during photos:

Stones were the first to go!

A curving edge was our choice

Sono tubes for the awning/patio roof

The final finished back yard:

Awning will give shade and shelter all year round

Looks much more finished

Full width step for Maddy (and Eric)

Wie walkway to the driveway, through the gate

Translucent awning makes the back room very bright

A great place to sit/stand when it is raining and the dog is out on the grass

The final product!

In all of this construction mess, Ying and Fanfan got everything packed up and prepared to move back home to China after a whole year in our family.  We also had someone new move in!  Sally, a Ph.D. student at McMaster, moved in to our small guest room and planned to move to the larger guest room when Ying and Fanfan returned home.

We had some visits with the "Canadian cousins" (our great nieces and great nephew) so everyone could say their goodbye's.

Fanfan, Brynn, Elyse, and Laura

On the evening that they left for China, Wendy read a new book to Fanfan (which she brought home to read to her sister) and took a few pictures.

The last 'book time' in Canada for Fanfan

There were hugs and tears all around

We will miss our Chinese family.

We have had a few video calls between us and Ying and Fanfan, and it seems like things are settling back into a routine for them. Maddy was a bit sad after they left, and Wendy noticed how quiet it was - so much so, that we had to replace our loudly ticking wall clocks that we had not previously noticed were so loud.

Eric continued to wait for medical appointments and also still had his sore neck that appeared at the end of July. He also started noticing lumps on his neck that should not be there.  Our family doctor made many referrals, and the internal medicine clinic at McMaster was the winner of that race. The specialist decided they needed to get an urgent CT image of Eric's neck and arranged it within an hour (that is very unusual!). Even before the radiologist had read the image and reported the results, the specialist called Eric at home as urged him to go to the ER at the Hamilton General Hospital. Not knowing what it was we were dealing with, off we went. 

Here we go again!

Essentially, they found a very large tumour/mass (roughly 8cm x 6cm x 5cm) in his left thyroid that was pushing his trachea (windpipe) off to the opposite side of the neck. They were worried about his airway being blocked, but eventually settled on it not being quite so urgent. They made some calls and got connected to a surgeon who would see him a few days later at St. Joseph's hospital.  Eric continued to deal with the significant and relentless pain from the mass as best he could, and monitored for any drastic changes.

Somehow, this puts the August 'losing the licence nightmare' into a different light.... priorities completely changed once faced with this new problem.