White Spot Drive In

And when the counts are too low, and I cannot go to public places... there is always the 'White Spot Drive In'. There we can sit and order a burger and not worry about picking up 'bugs'. Thank you Donna for a lovely lunch!

Funny Moments

Sometimes you just have to laugh!! My hair was finally growing in thick... and to think I did not take a photo!! Four days ago it started falling out... lots! The dark hair goes first... leaving a thin (very thin) halo of white hair!! Angela and I just laughed! This is taken by her on her cell phone!!

Renovation

Hello Dear Ones!!
Did I say that during this journey we are also renovating?? Jessica moved out of the suite October first and so, we decided to put a bathroom in where the laundry room was and keep the bathroom for our side of the house... but it means that 'we' ( I should say NOT me...) have had to jack hammer through both floors for access to the 'stack'. That was last weekends work. Praise God for two daughters that have done construction and could help with the process!!!

Quiet Day

Very quiet day today after a full family snow day yesterday! I even did a little editing of snow images! My hair is falling out again. Amy says that instead of looking like Yoda, now I look like Bilbo Baggin's on his 111th birthday! Well, that is just how it goes right now! This is one of my favorite place to photograph ~ our friends home two doors over! Blessings to each of you ~ Lorna, the Leukemia Mamma!!

Snow Day!

What a Beautiful Day with Rob and Jessica to share it with... and Angela home at noon too!
Plus Michelle and Amy (writing papers)! We have shared meals, had candles, Christmas music, watching snow and naps! I did NOT have to go into Vancouver today! And I have permission from Dr Mary to come in Saturday! So, four days off!! Wow, how wonderful!
Plus I had Michelle and Rob help me walk my tripod, camera, umbrella and ME, outside to take a 'few' photos of the snow!! Here is our gate under the arch! It has been lovely!
Good for the heart!!

jewels of colour

In all the days of walking the Leukemia journey, it is wonderful to see such color and beauty. This is the sugar maple in our front yard. It does not usually get red leaves... as we do not have the cold snap of tempature that they do back east.

I had my blood transfusion last tuesday. All went well. I was back in on friday and tomorrow and Tuesday. They are just monitoring all my levels. I was at .4 in my neutraphils on friday, so back onto two antibiotics and staying out of public. No church service this week, but I did get to go last sunday and it was wonderful!!

I am Celebrating Life and Christmas approaching. I am feeling MUCH better than last year when I had pneumonia at Christmas time! I even have some wonderful "Elves" to help me get ready for the season!! Tomorrow we make our traditional Christmas Sausage and all the Girls will be home for the afternoon. I am hoping to be back from VGH in time! (And hoping that I do not need a Platelets transfusion!)
The snow is beautiful here and through Alberta too! Drive safe and enjoy!!

Blood Transfusion...

"Hello" to so many wonderful people who care!!

Just when I was thinking how incredible it has been, that I have not needed to have a blood transfusion.... and how my blood has been able to ~ on it's own~ rebuild the white blood count.... Yesterday in VGH, I found out that my hemoglobin was at 85! (They give a transfusion at 80).

So, tomorrow I will get two units of blood. It is a familiar feeling from when I was going down to 55 last March. When I go upstairs, I am heaving for air! So it is a good thing to be looked after. I guess with the ugly round of chemo and then one more right after, my body is not quite strong enough to rebuild the white blood supply!!

My last transfusion was June 11th, and I have not been below 100 since! So, I have been doing well for 5 months!!

One Day at a Time!
The Leukemia Mamma

Beautiful Days

Well, it is the end of November 10th...
I have had two wonderful days home since chemo finished. Really enjoying the sunshine coming through the jewels of colour displayed on the trees!!

This is the sidewalk on the way to VGH. It made me think of a quilt with the little leaves and the stems curving.
So good to just celebrate life!

Nine years ago, this day, we celebrated Rob's Nanna's 100th birthday and Memorial Service, on the same day. All of the family had planned to come and she passed away just a few days earlier. What a life she lived and the impact that she made on my Rob still resonates. The Rande clan is an amazing group! It was a delight to have Rob's cousin Keith come, a few years back, and hear him tell stories with the same mirth and laughter as my Rob!!

Tomorrow, I "will remember", from a bed in VGH when I will get my pentamidine and have my counts checked. We are all blessed by those who have given their lives for the freedom we share! Thank you ~ to the many who serve in our Canadian forces. We are grateful! We have so much to celebrate! Remember Well!

Level place....

"My foot stands on a level place; in the congregations I shall bless the Lord." Psalm 26:12
It may only be one foot, or two, that stands level... but from that place, I will join the congregations everywhere and bless the Lord!

I had a phone call from one of my Doctors on Wednesday, asking if I was taking a certain antibiotic. I said 'no, but I am taking two new vitamins'. She suggested I stop taking the vitamins as my liver counts have started to rise again. And yesterday was the first day of the next round of chemo. Five days in a row, finishing on monday! So, if my liver cannot handle vitamins, will you please pray that it handles the chemo?? I go for an ultrasound today to check my liver and have the second dose.

I am feeling better and more at peace after some of the reactions of the ugly round. Glad it is done! Blessings to each of you, Lorna.

thank you for praying!

Thank you Dear Friends and Family for your thoughts and prayers this week.
I met with the Head Doctor, Dr. Forrest this morning and the final decision is that I will not finish the ugly round of chemo.... (8 doses of Ara-C, over two weeks, and 14 days of oral chemo).

I will begin the next round of chemo, which I have done twice already with no complications, (5 days of Ara-C and V-28) starting next thursday. Oh thank you Lord, it feels manageable. It also means that the next round of 5 days of chemo should be within the first 10 days or so of December. Which means I should be ALL DONE taking chemo by Christmas!!! Yahooo!!

I will have an oral chemo drug that I will have to take for two years and bloodwork to be done... but I won't have to go in and out to Vancouver! So So grateful to be done the heaviest part in about two more months!

I do need to avoid stress probably till I am done chemo. Because my body has gone through so much... I am having difficulty with my words if things get to be "too stressful/busy". So, prayer for balance for my heart and mind till the physical is done, would be very helpful.

So grateful to have you praying for wisdom for those Doctors. They did much talking this morning! Blessings to each of you ~ Lorna, the Leukemia Mamma