Just a waning, this is really long. Feel free to skip the accident towards the bottom.
Okay so quick update on the medical stuff. My liver enzymes were still too high to receive chemo. They had come down a very slight amount, but not nearly enough. I was xrayed and stent is still in correct place so it's just a waiting game. The surgeon who put my stent in advised us not to go to Hawaii. He said I was still at risk for infection and my liver could potentially get worse while we are away. Because these are preexisting conditions they would not be covered under insurance. We decided to roll the dice and if something came up we would fly back to Canada ASAP.
Now the interesting stuff....
We drove down to Vancouver on Wednesday. I had an appointment so Will dropped me off and he and the kids were going to go to Granville Island and play in the kidzone. On the way there he realized our brakes were squealing and not working well. Luckily there is a repair shop right in the entrance and they were able to take the van in. The rear brakes had to be replaced. Luckily that all got dealt with and we had a working van again.
Thursday morning we flew to Hawaii. The kids were so excited, as were their parents. They were awesome on the plane. I sat with Sophie and she was so happy. My sister had made her a special little backpack full of activities and snacks and they kept her occupied. Will and Liam and my parents were together and they did well too. Liam was really good. We landed, got our car, and started driving.
My parents were staying in Ka'anapali and we were staying in Haiku for 2 nights. They are about 1.5hours apart. The drive was beautiful we stopped at a great store and got lots of yummy food and found our house. It was a huge "treehouse" in the middle of the jungle. It was gorgeous and secluded. Once we ate and got the kids in bed, Will and I relaxed on the lanai taking in the sounds and smells of the island. Ahh, our much awaited vacation in paradise was here!
The following day, my parents made the trek out to see where we were staying. We then went and ate at Mama's Fish House. It's an amazing restaurant with killer views. The kids were great once again and we finally felt like we were getting into vacation mode. We spent the afternoon at our place. The kids had fun running around the yard and lanai and looking at all the birds. We did absolutely nothing and it was perfect.
Saturday morning we woke up and I had this thought, "I'm sure glad we switched our flights to come early, we are only meant to be driving to Vancouver right now"
We packed up and had everyone dressed in bathing suits. We were planning on going to a lava field and nearby waterfall before heading to the resort in Ka'anapali. This is where things get really interesting.
We climbed into the car and Will backed up so we could turn around and get out the driveway. It had rained a ton and one wheel got a little stuck in the mud. I tried to put it in drive and give it gas as he pushed, it didn't work. Not 100% how the next few minutes happened, but I was outside the car pushing on the dash and Will was pushing from behind. Somehow I got the car into neutral or reverse or something and it started going backwards. We didn't realize we were at the edge of a hill. I tried to reach in and hit the brake with my hand and Will tried to jump into the car. We both failed and were both pushed over and dragged slightly downhill. Luckily the car door hit a tree and stopped the car. I got up and hobbled over to Sophie and took her out of her carseat. It was obvious the kids were okay. Thank God. Will was on the phone with 911 and he couldn't get up so I took the phone and crawled out of the ravine/ditch. It was total chaos from here. I managed to find the neighbour's license plate number so they could track us as we didn't know the address. I then climbed to the top of the driveway to wait. I could hear the kids screaming. Sophie was too scared to climb out and Will knew he was hurt so he didn't move. I knew I was hurt, but okay. Nothing was that painful so I knew I didn't have anything broken.
The cops came and carried Sophie and Liam to me. We got out of the rain and sat on a bench...and remained on the same bench for the next 4 hours. Once the ambulance arrived, they carried Will out on a spine board. That was pretty scary. He was strapped down with a neck brace. They asked if I wanted to get checked out and I said I did. However, they couldn't bring the kids in the ambulance, so that was out of the question. At some point a tow truck was called and my dad was called. The cops slowly left the scene. Once the tow truck arrived, we realized it hadn't brought a replacement car. I now realize I wouldn't have been able to drive it anyways. Plans changed and they left us one at the airport, my dad turned around and went to the airport and got the mini van and then continued the rest of the way to us. I broke down as soon as he got there. The kids had been awesome. They missed lunch (we shared a cookie and a piece of pita bread that was in our day pack) and Liam was missing his nap. We loaded the carseats in and all the suitcases and started driving towards the hospital.
When we got there, Will was still in emergency. He has two fractured ribs and 4 fractured vertebrae. They were planning on keeping him overnight for pain relief.
We continued towards the resort. By this point Kristie and Jonny had also landed and were on their way to the hotel. We got there and Kristie and Jonny took me and the kids and all our stuff to the room. I rode on a baggage cart! My dad went back to the hotel he and my mom had stayed in the past few days to find her. She hadnt heard from us for about 4 hours so was very relived to know that everyone was okay.
We are so thankful that we weren't injured worse, and that my family is here. Kristie and Jonny have spent the last 2 nights on our fold out couch so that they could deal with the kids in the middle of the night and help me get in and out of bed. I did go get xrays, and nothing is broken. I am just extremely bruised and swollen. If I am sitting still I am comfortable but it is really really hard to move.
Will ended up having to stay 2 nights at the hospital and just got back this afternoon. He is in a back brace and can't lift anything for 6 weeks.
It will be an unforgettable vacation to say the least.
Monday, 11 February 2013
Monday, 4 February 2013
More drama
Well I must say that this last month has thrown a few too many curve balls at me. I am ready for life to get back to normal and my treatments to get back on track.
Last weekend I felt fantastic! We spent an extra day at Apex and I was able to get in lots of skiing. I finally felt like I had fully recovered from everything that had gone on the past few weeks. What I didn't realize was that I was turning yellow.
We went Wednesday for our pre-chemo bloodwork. The first thing the nurse mentioned was how jaundiced I was. It was really obvious, so I'm not sure how I didn't notice it before. My liver numbers came back extremely elevated. The doctor didn't know why they would have gone up so much or what to do next. The options weren't great.
We got a call later that day saying that we were to have a CT scan. The radiologist was awesome and called us later that evening to give us the news. The liver stent I had put in a few weeks ago was gone! He said he had heard of it happening but never actually seen it. We were so happy that there was an explanation for my liver numbers being high.
Our doctors have been awesome, and we were hoping that we would be able to get another stent in asap, so I didn't eat or drink after midnight. At 8am the next morning we were on the phone with the doctor letting her now that I could go for an ERCP that day. She had already called the GI doctors, but hadn't been able to get through yet. Anyways, we weren't able to do it that day, but we were booked for first thing Friday morning.
I was extremely nervous going into this, as the last experience was less than pleasant. I asked very nicely for more sedation this time. The procedure went fine and I don't remember any of it. We had to stay for a while afterwards to receive IV antibiotics. Right away I felt better than I did last time. There was no pain. I took it easy and slept mostly for the rest of the day.
Saturday I felt good, so we headed up to Apex for the weekend. My back was bothering me a bit so I took it easy. On Sunday we went cross country skiing and then played with the kids outside. It was a great day.
We are heading in this morning for some bloodwork and then fingers crossed we will get chemo today! We are meant to leave here on Wednesday and fly out of Vancouver on Thursday, so we don't have a lot of extra time.
Will and I both think I am slightly less yellow than I was, so we are taking that as a good sign.
Last weekend I felt fantastic! We spent an extra day at Apex and I was able to get in lots of skiing. I finally felt like I had fully recovered from everything that had gone on the past few weeks. What I didn't realize was that I was turning yellow.
We went Wednesday for our pre-chemo bloodwork. The first thing the nurse mentioned was how jaundiced I was. It was really obvious, so I'm not sure how I didn't notice it before. My liver numbers came back extremely elevated. The doctor didn't know why they would have gone up so much or what to do next. The options weren't great.
We got a call later that day saying that we were to have a CT scan. The radiologist was awesome and called us later that evening to give us the news. The liver stent I had put in a few weeks ago was gone! He said he had heard of it happening but never actually seen it. We were so happy that there was an explanation for my liver numbers being high.
Our doctors have been awesome, and we were hoping that we would be able to get another stent in asap, so I didn't eat or drink after midnight. At 8am the next morning we were on the phone with the doctor letting her now that I could go for an ERCP that day. She had already called the GI doctors, but hadn't been able to get through yet. Anyways, we weren't able to do it that day, but we were booked for first thing Friday morning.
I was extremely nervous going into this, as the last experience was less than pleasant. I asked very nicely for more sedation this time. The procedure went fine and I don't remember any of it. We had to stay for a while afterwards to receive IV antibiotics. Right away I felt better than I did last time. There was no pain. I took it easy and slept mostly for the rest of the day.
Saturday I felt good, so we headed up to Apex for the weekend. My back was bothering me a bit so I took it easy. On Sunday we went cross country skiing and then played with the kids outside. It was a great day.
We are heading in this morning for some bloodwork and then fingers crossed we will get chemo today! We are meant to leave here on Wednesday and fly out of Vancouver on Thursday, so we don't have a lot of extra time.
Will and I both think I am slightly less yellow than I was, so we are taking that as a good sign.
Sunday, 27 January 2013
Dreaming of sun, sand and Relaxation
In less than 2 weeks our family will be enjoying ourselves in Maui.
Will and I have been talking about this trip for years. We wanted Liam to be 2, so that he would also have fun and would be easier to take care of than a baby. He will definitely have fun, not sure about the easy part though.
Maui is pretty much all I can think about these days. I am constantly googling pictures and places to go.
I have one more chemo treatment before we go. Fingers crossed it will go smoothly and there will be no more health issues to deal with before or during the trip.
Will and I have been talking about this trip for years. We wanted Liam to be 2, so that he would also have fun and would be easier to take care of than a baby. He will definitely have fun, not sure about the easy part though.
Maui is pretty much all I can think about these days. I am constantly googling pictures and places to go.
I have one more chemo treatment before we go. Fingers crossed it will go smoothly and there will be no more health issues to deal with before or during the trip.
Saturday, 19 January 2013
Back on track
So things seem to be heading in the right direction again. I can just post a quick update, as I am in my iphone at Apex.
The week continued to be too full of hospital visits for my liking. We went to the ER one more time to deal with really painful cramping. Everything checked out though and I was sent home with some painkillers.
We showed up on Wednesday for chemo, but they were worried my stent had moved so we spent the day getting X-rays. There was no move, so chemo was moved to Thursday.
We were able to get my treatment on Thursday! Yippee!! Crossing our fingers we are back on track. I've felt fine the past few days, just really tired. Hoping to wake up feeling normal tomorrow!
The week continued to be too full of hospital visits for my liking. We went to the ER one more time to deal with really painful cramping. Everything checked out though and I was sent home with some painkillers.
We showed up on Wednesday for chemo, but they were worried my stent had moved so we spent the day getting X-rays. There was no move, so chemo was moved to Thursday.
We were able to get my treatment on Thursday! Yippee!! Crossing our fingers we are back on track. I've felt fine the past few days, just really tired. Hoping to wake up feeling normal tomorrow!
Monday, 14 January 2013
Home Sweet Home
I am so happy to be back home. We were warned that I may need to spend a few nights in the hospital, so I was so happy to be released after one night.
Saturday we checked into the ER at 5am and hung out there until after 1pm. We were very entertained by the variety of crazy stuff we saw. In the late morning I was given the okay to drink clear fluids. We were moved to a room once there was a free bed, and by some total fluke I got a private room!!
The day went by really fast. I took morphine about every two hours so I was pretty comfortable. We watched lots of shows from the laptop and read some trashy magazines to pass the time.
I didn't sleep very well and the pain kept returning so I wasn't very optimistic about getting out. They took my blood at around 8, and I had resigned myself to spending another day there. Luckily I started feeling better and when the doctor came around noon I was feeling pretty good. My blood work showed a big improvement, so I had to eat a bit of food to make sure it didn't cause pain and then I was allowed to leave!
I have been told it will still take a few days to feel normal. I am quite comfy on the couch, but every time I get up or move too much it hurts. It is really hard to stay on the couch when the kids want you. Will has taken them to gymnastics this morning so I can rest and they can have fun.
I am so grateful for all the help we have had the past few days. It was so nice to have Will with me and to know the kids were having a blast. My plan for the next couple days is to rest and listen to my body. We have a doctor's appt on Wednesday and will find out if I get to have chemo that day.
Hope everyone had a good week.
Saturday we checked into the ER at 5am and hung out there until after 1pm. We were very entertained by the variety of crazy stuff we saw. In the late morning I was given the okay to drink clear fluids. We were moved to a room once there was a free bed, and by some total fluke I got a private room!!
The day went by really fast. I took morphine about every two hours so I was pretty comfortable. We watched lots of shows from the laptop and read some trashy magazines to pass the time.
I didn't sleep very well and the pain kept returning so I wasn't very optimistic about getting out. They took my blood at around 8, and I had resigned myself to spending another day there. Luckily I started feeling better and when the doctor came around noon I was feeling pretty good. My blood work showed a big improvement, so I had to eat a bit of food to make sure it didn't cause pain and then I was allowed to leave!
I have been told it will still take a few days to feel normal. I am quite comfy on the couch, but every time I get up or move too much it hurts. It is really hard to stay on the couch when the kids want you. Will has taken them to gymnastics this morning so I can rest and they can have fun.
I am so grateful for all the help we have had the past few days. It was so nice to have Will with me and to know the kids were having a blast. My plan for the next couple days is to rest and listen to my body. We have a doctor's appt on Wednesday and will find out if I get to have chemo that day.
Hope everyone had a good week.
Saturday, 12 January 2013
A crazy few days
So I am currently hooked up to morphine and fluids at the hospital. It has been a crazy few days...
Wednesday we went in for our pre chemo bloodwork. We saw the doctor and my liver enzymes were elevated. My white blood cell count was good. Also they tested my tumor markers again and they are stil in normal range. So that was good. Doctor was concerned about liver so she wanted me to have a ct scan. Options were there was a blockage or cancer had spread making my liver not function.
That was a pretty crappy day. We were pretty stressed. Luckily we were able to get in for a ct scan that evening. There was no spread!!
The next morning the doctor called and although they couldn't see a blockage, she wanted me to have an ERCP..something goes down through my mouth and checks out the liver and if necessary they can put a stint in to help drain the blockage. We did that in Kelowna Friday morning. The doctor said it wasn't totally blocked but he put a stint in anyways to help. Hopefully this will bring my liver enzymes down and I can have chemo on Wednesday.
After getting home yesterday I was pretty uncomfortable. The pain got worse thought the night, so at 5am will and I came to the Er. They gave me some morphine for the pain and did some blood work. I have pancreatitis, which is a possible complication from the procedure. Basically my pancreas is inflamed. It will fix itself in a day or two. I can't have anything to eat or drink though. That sucks. At least I will get unlimited morphine! I have to stay in the hospital until its resolved. Hopefully just a day but it could take a few days.
Anyways, I'm pretty comfortable right now. I think I will get pretty bored pretty quick though. And I really miss my kids. I haven't been around much the past few days. Thankfully we have awesome families who are taking turns taking care of the kids and helping us out.
Thanks for thinking of me!
Wednesday we went in for our pre chemo bloodwork. We saw the doctor and my liver enzymes were elevated. My white blood cell count was good. Also they tested my tumor markers again and they are stil in normal range. So that was good. Doctor was concerned about liver so she wanted me to have a ct scan. Options were there was a blockage or cancer had spread making my liver not function.
That was a pretty crappy day. We were pretty stressed. Luckily we were able to get in for a ct scan that evening. There was no spread!!
The next morning the doctor called and although they couldn't see a blockage, she wanted me to have an ERCP..something goes down through my mouth and checks out the liver and if necessary they can put a stint in to help drain the blockage. We did that in Kelowna Friday morning. The doctor said it wasn't totally blocked but he put a stint in anyways to help. Hopefully this will bring my liver enzymes down and I can have chemo on Wednesday.
After getting home yesterday I was pretty uncomfortable. The pain got worse thought the night, so at 5am will and I came to the Er. They gave me some morphine for the pain and did some blood work. I have pancreatitis, which is a possible complication from the procedure. Basically my pancreas is inflamed. It will fix itself in a day or two. I can't have anything to eat or drink though. That sucks. At least I will get unlimited morphine! I have to stay in the hospital until its resolved. Hopefully just a day but it could take a few days.
Anyways, I'm pretty comfortable right now. I think I will get pretty bored pretty quick though. And I really miss my kids. I haven't been around much the past few days. Thankfully we have awesome families who are taking turns taking care of the kids and helping us out.
Thanks for thinking of me!
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
Happy New Year
Happy New Year everyone! 2012 was a year with ups and downs, to say the least. I can't, however, say that it was a bad year. The cancer diagnosis obviously sucked, but it, along with the chemo, did not outweigh all the good we had.
2012 saw Sophie and Liam develop into their own little personalities. Sophie is definitely a kid now, with her own thoughts and opinions. It is so much fun watching the world through her eyes. Liam also has his own thoughts and opinions, he just can't articulate them yet! This past year saw Liam's first steps and first words, he also started sleeping through the night! My sister married a great friend of ours and we had so much fun planning her wedding. The day was absolutely perfect. Will and I celebrated 5 years of being together. It's gone by so fast, but at the same time it's hard to remember life before him. 2012 also saw me reconnect with an aunt (who also happened to beat cancer in 2012!!),and it has really reaffirmed who my good friends are. I have been shown such care and generosity from friends, acquaintances and complete strangers. I also did my first ever bike race, and learned the very basics of mountain biking, something I have always wanted to do. This year has really put things into perspective for me and I feel like I am a much stronger person than I was last year.
I have lots of hopes for 2013. Good health for myself and my family is at the top of my list. I hope that the drugs continue to work, my body continues to recover after the treatments and the doctors have continued wisdom in treating me. I hope our kids have a year full of fun and adventure. I hope we continue to have lots of good times with our family and friends. I hope I am given another niece or nephew to love (no pressure!). I hope Will and I continue to take time out from everything to have fun and and just be us. I hope I am able to pay forward all the kindness that I have been shown. I also hope that our team has a blast doing the Elevator Relay. I'm not going to tell you the name, I'll just say that I came up with it while on a fair amount of drugs during one of my treatments.
Thank you again for all your support. Happy 2013!
2012 saw Sophie and Liam develop into their own little personalities. Sophie is definitely a kid now, with her own thoughts and opinions. It is so much fun watching the world through her eyes. Liam also has his own thoughts and opinions, he just can't articulate them yet! This past year saw Liam's first steps and first words, he also started sleeping through the night! My sister married a great friend of ours and we had so much fun planning her wedding. The day was absolutely perfect. Will and I celebrated 5 years of being together. It's gone by so fast, but at the same time it's hard to remember life before him. 2012 also saw me reconnect with an aunt (who also happened to beat cancer in 2012!!),and it has really reaffirmed who my good friends are. I have been shown such care and generosity from friends, acquaintances and complete strangers. I also did my first ever bike race, and learned the very basics of mountain biking, something I have always wanted to do. This year has really put things into perspective for me and I feel like I am a much stronger person than I was last year.
I have lots of hopes for 2013. Good health for myself and my family is at the top of my list. I hope that the drugs continue to work, my body continues to recover after the treatments and the doctors have continued wisdom in treating me. I hope our kids have a year full of fun and adventure. I hope we continue to have lots of good times with our family and friends. I hope I am given another niece or nephew to love (no pressure!). I hope Will and I continue to take time out from everything to have fun and and just be us. I hope I am able to pay forward all the kindness that I have been shown. I also hope that our team has a blast doing the Elevator Relay. I'm not going to tell you the name, I'll just say that I came up with it while on a fair amount of drugs during one of my treatments.
Thank you again for all your support. Happy 2013!
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