Saturday, October 16, 2010

Sleep, Ulcer, and the Wall

Well looks like I'm back to trying a new sleep aid, I was taking Triazolam for the past six months or so which worked just fine for me. I was able to get a full nights rest while taking it, no up and down or tossing and turning all night long. Apparently the pharmacy can no longer get it!! Hmmm, so my GP has now prescribed Temazepam 30mg.  for my sleep problem. I sure hope it works, I've done relaxation techniques, regular daily exercise, (morning mall walking), and still have problems getting a solid nights sleep. I even tried to take part in a sleep study for cancer patients that was being conducted at the University of Calgary, but would have had to go there for two weeks to take part. Not something I can do on a pittance of a disability pension. So tonight starts a new journey with a new med, so cheers to a good nights sleep!


Stomach disease or trauma


The results are in on Brenda's scope she had done on Tuesday and it appears that all the episodes she's been having off and on with the extreme pain is an ulcer. She has been put on a double dose of Prevacid for a week to give a rapid start to the healing process then she will be on 1 pill a day after the first week. We are hoping this does the trick. As painful as it is for me to watch her go through the attacks, I can't even imagine how painful it is for her. Also a list of foods to avoid for now as well, spicy and acidy things. She will be having a follow up in a couple of weeks.

THE WALL! 





"Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day,
fritter and waste the hours in an off had way"
,Ok, wrong song, right songwriter! But that is where I am at right now waiting for Roger Waters, THE WALL, to hit the Palace of Auburn Hills. This is not only a "pay it forward" moment for a good deed I did many years ago for one of Brenda's uncle's who gave us the tickets as a gift for that deed, but it is also a life long dream to see this live! A bucket list item scratched off so to speak. This is a concert of historic meaning for any Pink Floyd / Roger Waters fan.
 

There is only one more thing that would not only be the icing on the cake, but another historic moment. That is that David Gilmour makes this date, the day he pays back Roger, by doing Comfortably Numb, in exchange for Roger having done "To Know Him is to Love Him" with David at the Hoping Foundation Event earlier this year. If only.................., now that would really make this old man's dreams come true!

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Battle of the Ribbons, Pink Envy.

I watched in envy this morning as the walkers for the American Cancer Society's "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer" event made their way around Belle Isle Mi. for their 5 mile walk to raise awareness and funds for their cause. It looked liked they had a great turn out from what I seen from the Canadian side of the river. I tried to get a couple good pictures but with my cheap camera I could not zoom in clear enough to get a good one so I just grabbed one from an article about the event.

It is always nice to see a big turn out for events such as this one. The only big one here locally that I have attended is the Canadian Cancer Society's Relay for Life event. They also have the annual Dragon Boats for the Cure race which again is a breast cancer fund raising event. This was a Windsor event but has moved to the Town of Tecumseh now and seems to be even bigger!

Like I said I watch in envy how these events for the cure of breast cancer get bigger and bigger each year. Don't get me wrong, I think this is fantastic how successful these events are at raising awareness and funds, which in most cases stays local where the events are held.

My point, I guess, is I wish there was such and event here in Windsor for Lymphoma Awareness and to raise funds. I have on a couple of occasions now contacted the Lymphoma Foundation of Canada to inquire as to starting a local chapter here in Windsor. I am sure I could do some of the work to get it going but I would definitely need help with it. It seems they have gone through a few personnel changes here in Ontario so I'm guessing my inquiries have gotten lost in the shuffle. So, time once again to knock on their door, so to speak, to try and get things going. I would love to get an annual event for Lymphoma here in Windsor and a Chapter to keep things going year round. I have many, too many, idea's running around in my mind. Time to make an effort to get busy and get things going and see where I get with them. Wish me luck!
Wishing everyone well in their journey's.



Friday, October 8, 2010

Dear Doctor and the doctor's response.


The following is a letter that was written by a fellow survivor, friend, and author Betsy de Parry, this letter is in my opinion one of the best written letters a cancer survivor could write to their doctor. Shortly after the letter was published in Betsy's cololm The Roller Coaster Chronicles,Life and Cancer, on Ann Arbor.com she got the response that follows her letter on here by Dr. Gary Hammer, world-renowned adrenal cancer specialist at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.


I fully intend on printing and giving a copy of Betsy's letter to all of the doctors that are part of my team, so here they are, Enjoy!


Dear Doctor,

Here we are, you and me, our lives connected by cancer. My cancer. Under the circumstances, I’m really glad to have you in my life, and I want our relationship to be very, very long and very, very good, but since I can’t find a manual on how to build our relationship, I’m guessing that, like any good one, it has to start with trust.

But trust takes time, which we don’t have, so I have some things to ask and say.

First, just what am I trusting in you? That you’re brilliant, cool under pressure, experienced, knowledgable and up-to-date on the latest miracles of modern science for my type of cancer? That you won’t be too proud to call in colleagues or send me to them if you get stumped or run out of ideas? That you’ll always be honest with me no matter how hard it is for you or me? That you’ll help me set realistic expectations without ever stealing my hope? That you’ll be my strength if I’m too weak to be strong? That you won’t give up on me if the going gets rough and it looks like I won’t be one of your success stories?

Do you understand that it’s hard enough to put my trust in you, but even harder to put blind faith in the people I can’t see but on whom you rely? Like the pathologists who look at tiny pieces of me or the radiologists who interpret pictures of my innards. You may know their credentials, but I don't.

I get that you went to medical school to learn how to identify and treat disease, not to listen to me blather on about how cancer is more than a physical problem. That it’s really personal. That it sweeps us patients and our families into a tempest of confusion, fear, frustration, vulnerability and isolation from the healthy world. I’ll try very hard to check those emotions at the door when you and I visit, but if they creep into the examining room, is it too much to ask you to recognize that I’m not just a collection of cells that needs to be fixed while you work to fix my wayward cells?

And Doc, surely you know that your sophisticated equipment can’t see the parts of me that make me who I am. And I am not my cancer. No machine can identify the parts that make me love and laugh. And none can calculate how very afraid I am. Of what lies ahead. Of dying. Of pain. Of medical procedures. And of becoming a number in a bureaucracy where no one will care whether I end up running a marathon or being turned over in a bed like a piece of meat on a rotisserie. Could you occasionally share my fear and shore up my hope?

Doc, I’ve tried to put myself in your shoes, but I can’t imagine how, day in and day out, you see humanity at its weakest and still find the strength to help us. I’m just glad that you can. And I know I need much more from you than you need from me, but I’ll do anything to help you help me, if only you can squeeze out a little time to teach me how to be a good cancer patient in addition to everything else that I ask of you.

Neither you nor I can predict the future, Doc, and I don’t expect you to do more than is humanly possible. But may I trust you to treat my future as if it were your very own?

Respectfully,
Your Patient

Betsy de Parry is the author of The Roller Coaster Chroncles and host of a series of webcasts about cancer. Find her on Facebook or email her.

And now the response:


Dear Patient,

You have asked questions about the unique aspects of the doctor-patient relationship. I will attempt to answer them as well as share my perspective on illness.

Life is indeed defined by relationships — feeling understood and feeling connected in our relations is trust.

You ask what you are trusting in me. Trust is earned. It is fair for all of us seeking care to expect competence, it is fair to seek excellence, it is fair to want the best. It is right to demand respect. It is right to demand honesty.

You ask that I not be too proud to call in colleagues if I run out of ideas. The Hippocratic Oath, a verbal decree by doctors to honor and respect human life, speaks to integrity. "Do No Harm." My interpretation of this most powerful phrase is that we must not be wrapped in solitary ego and hence filled with the imposter syndrome, afraid of being found out that we are fallible, imperfect and not all-knowing, afraid of what we don't know. A good doctor knows what she doesn't know, is not afraid of that fact and discloses it humbly. Owning our limitations is freeing and honors our shared humanity. Consulting with colleagues and other specialists who know more than me about a particular situation is absolutely essential and happens every day.

You ask if I will be honest with you without stealing your hope. Honesty and hope, at times, seem to be mutually exclusive reflections of imminent death versus certain cure. Rather, they are our forever present and forever fluid experience of our life with illness. I will honor both.

You ask if I'll give up on you if the going gets rough. A person doesn't "give up" on another person. While I might give up on a given therapeutic approach, I will never give up on you as a person. I will fight alongside you. I will surrender alongside you, but you — and only you — can decide if, when and how to engage your life, your experience of illness and ultimately your death.

You wonder how to trust members of my team whom you will never meet. The only way that you can feel confident in this dance is to trust me and our team. And it is a team. I promise to hold your best interest in the fore and to represent you to the team. Know that while I cannot formally speak for others, I will demand the very best from those I consult, from those on our team, from those we together entrust with your care.

You ask if I will treat you as more than a collection of cells that needs to be fixed. I reject the concept that doctors must disengage to provide "objective care." What does it mean to be objective anyway — cold, impersonal A+B=C? What good is that? On the contrary, conscious and emotional engagement not only facilitates healing and/or acceptance in the ill, it opens a space in the caregiver as well. In that vulnerable space where spirit mingles, life is transformed for the suffering, and life is transformed for those who bear witness.

You ask me to share your fear and you wonder how I do what I do every day. Perhaps the most frightening words a person might hear in his or her lifetime are "You have cancer." This truth revealed fractures our reality. It challenges our relationship to our inner world, forcing us to re-evaluate who we are.

However, embedded within this experience lived is a gift. The little-known secret is that the gift is not just for the afflicted but also for their entire circle of relationships, including spouse, children, friend and caregiver alike. The only requirements to receive this unique communion: vulnerability and presence.

As a physician engaged in the care of people with a particular rare cancer - where those under my care almost always die — I am thankful for the sharing of truths that have been unveiled to me by these men and women in this, their most vulnerable and internal sanctuary.

In this place of finding themselves dying, brave people have let me into their space where three truths seem to be unveiled again and again as defining gifts of sacredness. These truths can be embraced as three reflections of the word "presence:" conscious engagement, the experience of present time (the razor-sharp now) and the gift of emotional authenticity.

Through these patients, I have come to an understanding that if we are fortunate to actually have time while we are ill, and we are brave enough, what happens as our vanity, our beauty and ultimately our physical identity is stripped away is that we are granted a chance to become our own sacredness — as it becomes all that is left.

Sadly, when people die suddenly, they rarely have the luxury of such time, such a place. But equally as tragic is that most folks never risk to venture to this vulnerable place while living when they do have time. Having our own death close by in life — be it through illness or conscious reflection — sharpens our internal lens by stripping away all that is not present, all that is not presence.

I thank these lovely people for helping me begin to see. It is indeed my experience with deeply reflective and engaged people suffering with cancer that is becoming, for me, a touchstone for such conscious intent.

While the unique bond between a doctor and a patient has often been described as a polarized relationship of doctor gives and patient takes, doctor talks and patient listens or patient questions and doctor answers — this is just silly. Trusting comes when both feel the presence of the other — and hence know the truth of the other.

Finally, you ask if I will treat your future as if it were my very own. Such is the truth of shared experience. I hear you and I see you.

My very best regards to you in this difficult time,

Your Doctor


Gary Hammer, MD, PhD, is director of the Endocrine Oncology Program, within which are the Multidisciplinary Thyroid and Adrenal Cancer Clinics, at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. Hammer holds the Millie Schembechler Professorship in Adrenal Cancer. He is also the director of the University's Center for Organogenesis.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

A Caregiver's Thoughts on Cancer Awareness


This writing is courtesy of Teresa Bacal with Control Amid Chaos

Teresa is pictured to the right with Husband Joe and their son Greyson

http://www.twitter.com/cntrlamidchaos
http://www.twitter.com/JoeBacal
http://www.YouTube.com/ControlAmidChaos
http://www.ControlAmidChaos.com
http://www.cancercenter.com



We’re in the thick of cancer awareness season. You can’t miss it.

Cancer awareness has different meanings based on how cancer has or has not weaved its way in to your life. If you are one of the fortunate ones whose family has not been directly touched by cancer than cancer awareness to you may simply be that you know the pink ribbons stand for breast cancer. If you, however, are one of the many who has the experience of yourself or a family member being diagnosed with cancer, then cancer awareness takes on a more personal note.

As a caretaker to a cancer patient and now survivor, I am now much more aware of the multitude of types of cancer, the many groups that raise money for cancer care or research in some form, and how cancer truly affects everyone. It can be overwhelming when you decide you want to make a difference and contribute in some form to bringing innovative therapies and the best care to patients faster, or curing cancer. The one thing I find a little disheartening is when people talk about this cancer or that cancer and how one is worse than the other. Any cancer diagnosis to the person and family getting the news is life altering, scary and crushing. The world they - the patient and family - are now living in has just changed forever and they are not comparing one cancer to another. They are just trying to figure out how to get through the day, treat their cancer and live. They are trying to get some sense of control back.

Joe Bacal refuses to let chaos bring him down. He thrives in the extreme world of off-road racing.
He waged war on cancer and won.
Joe’s on a mission to help others Take Control of the chaos in their lives.

I think it is extremely important for all those involved in cancer research and care, to remember the goal is to cure all types of cancer, not just the one they are focused on at the moment. I realize that scientists’, researchers’ and doctors’ focuses may be on one or two types of cancers so they can become a specialist in the area, and it helps them to understand how to treat and hopefully cure that type of cancer. But, let’s not lose sight of the fact that all cancers attack healthy cells in some form, therefore, they are all connected.

To separate types of cancers to such a degree that people get offended when their cancer color is used for the wrong type of cancer is losing sight of the ultimate goal. Isn’t the goal to eradicate all types of cancer? Isn’t the goal to raise funds for research that has a snowball effect and starts to cure one type of cancer and could potentially be used to cure another…and another? Isn’t the goal to cure all of our family and friends so they can live a full life, enjoy the moments that matter most to them, and be with their families until they grow old together?

I applaud anyone who supports cancer research and care in any form, whether it is with your time or money. My one recommendation if you are giving a monetary donation would be to understand how your funds are used. Is most of your donation going to the actual research? What type of research is being done with your donation? What is the background of the program and what are their goals? Is the research something that is shared with other groups?

There are so many groups out there doing research that it makes me wonder if it’s time to have a meeting of the minds and share the findings that have been discovered so far for all types of cancer. Joe and I support Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), and are so proud that Cancer Treatment Centers of America and The Gateway For Cancer Research partner with SU2C. It’s about collaboration, not competition, among scientists from different institutions on cancer research that brings innovative treatments from the laboratory bench to the patient’s bedside more quickly. It’s about creating more treatment options for patients TODAY. Cancer patients and their families don’t have time to wait or waste…

Once again, my heartfelt thanks to the Control Amid Chaos fans and everyone supporting Joe and the mission to take control of cancer and put patients in the driver’s seat of their care. You are our inspiration…every day.

Teresa Bacal

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Is "Chemo Brain" a Disability under the ADA (Americans with Disabitlites Act) ?

The article below is great information for my American friends and many will find it very informative and useful, I've copied the article with permission from


" YOUR BRAIN AFTER CHEMO"
Tell your story. Ask your question. Lift the Fog.

Idelle Davidson is an award-winning health, medical, and general-interest journalist whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times Magazine, Time, Parents, Discoveries, and many other publications. She is the recipient of the 2009 Pillar of Strength Award from the Wellness Community West Los Angeles for "Making a Difference in Our Community."

You can learn more about the topic of chemo brain at Idelle's blog here is the link:
www.YourBrainAfterChemo.blogspot.com

Monday, October 4, 2010
Is "Chemo Brain" a Disability Under the ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act)?

In researching and co-authoring "Your Brain After Chemo: A Practical Guide to Lifting the Fog and Getting Back Your Focus," I interviewed countless survivors who reported often debilitating cognitive issues following treatment for cancer. I wanted to know if there were any legal protections available to them in the workplace, or at home if they could no longer work.

To find out, I spoke with Joanna Morales, an attorney and the director of the Cancer Legal Resource Center (CLRC), a national, joint program of the Disability Rights Legal Center and Loyola Law School Los Angeles. The CLRC provides free information and resources on cancer-related legal issues to cancer survivors, caregivers, health care professionals, employers, and others coping with cancer. I hope you find the information helpful. -- Idelle Davidson
Q and A With Joanna Morales

ID) What is the legal standard to qualify for a disability?

JM) To have a disability under the ADA's definition of disability, you have to have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits major life activities, have a history of an impairment, or be regarded as having an impairment.

Major life activities have traditionally been things like walking, talking, eating, breathing and working. But when the ADA amendments passed in 2008, they specifically delineated some additional major life activities that made it easier for someone with cancer to actually use the ADA's protections.

And those activities include sleeping, concentrating, thinking, communicating and operation of major bodily functions.

So, particularly the concentrating and thinking activities really speak to the side effects from treatment that we often call, "chemo brain."

This really makes it much easier to argue that the effects of chemo brain are substantially limiting major life activities. That by itself has made it easier for people with cancer to use the ADA's protections.

Now what that means is you really get two types of protections in the employment arena. One is that you're protected against discrimination. And two is that you get access to reasonable accommodations.

ID) What would those accommodations be?

JM) Reasonable accommodations are things that could accommodate you in the workplace if you are experiencing chemo brain. That might mean having a note taker in a meeting or maybe your employer would buy you a tape recorder so that you can tape record meetings to help you remember what was agreed upon in that meeting.

That might also mean help with organization of your workspace or providing things that are going to make the concentrating piece, or sometimes the memory piece, easier for you in the work environment. So maybe your employer might provide access to a hand-held electronic device such as a PDA (personal digital assistant) so that you can take notes and have access to your contacts, calendar, and to-do list all in the same place.

So there are lots of pretty simple things that can be reasonable accommodations and can ease your experience with chemo brain and are relatively easy for an employer to provide.

ID) But "chemo brain" may not be severe in every case.

JM) That's correct. We can never say across the board that everyone who experiences chemo brain has a disability, or even that everyone who has cancer has a disability. That analysis is always done on a case-by-case basis. It's how your particular diagnosis is affecting your particular major life activities and whether or not that effect is substantial.

ID) Who makes that evaluation?

JM) Eventually if it were to go to that point, it would be a court. So you would hope that you wouldn't have to go to court to make the argument that you do have a qualifying disability.

But initially if you're having that conversation with your employer, your employer is going to get that information from your health care team. All you may need is just a letter from a health care professional that speaks to your particular medical condition and your ability to function in the context of major life activities.

ID) So the employee makes a request for an accommodation. What happens next?

JM) Once a request for an accommodation is made, the employer and employee are supposed to engage in what is called the "interactive process," so that there is a discussion about the accommodations that are being requested and if there are perhaps alternative accommodations that would work better. It's supposed to be a back-and-forth dialogue. But ultimately the employee is supposed to get an accommodation.

Now if along the way the employee doesn't feel as if he's getting heard, there are different options. One is mediating with the employer, filing a complaint with the state fair employment agency or the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or pursuing legal representation. That can be something as simple as a lawyer writing a letter on behalf of the employee, reminding the employer of their obligations under the law and what the employee is asking for, or it can be much more aggressive depending on the circumstances.

ID) What if you just can't work anymore even with accommodations?

JM) Then disability benefits are a pretty good option if you qualify for them. There are lots of different types of disability benefits. There are some states that have state disability insurance programs. There are employers who offer short and long-term disability insurance plans through your work. You can also buy your own private short or long-term disability insurance plan. There are also the two federal long-term disability insurance plans available through the Social Security Administration: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

ID) What are the qualifications for each one?

The qualifications for each are very different. In California, for example, the California State Disability Insurance (SDI) plan has the lowest standard of disability. You just have to have a medical condition that is keeping you out of work at least eight days. That's probably the simplest definition of disability.

For SSI and SSDI, you must have a disability that's expected to last longer than a year and is keeping you from substantial gainful activity.

And then for private plans, whether they are something you purchase yourself, or are purchased through an employer, the contract is going to define disability and the terms of the policy.

ID) What are the specific disability benefits for each program?

It depends on the program. In California, SDI will pay approximately 55% of your income while you were working. It's a formula. They look back over a certain number of quarters of what you were making and then it's 55% of that amount.

Then there are the two federal long-term programs. SSI is a flat monthly rate and SSDI pays benefits based on what you have paid into the Social Security system over your work history.

ID) What if you don't work? Perhaps you're retired or you're a stay-at-home parent where functioning at home is difficult. What then?

JM) If you aren't working, but are in a situation where you are experiencing chemo brain and maybe other long-term side effects from treatment such as fatigue or depression you may qualify for other assistance programs. Getting assistance around the house, whether it be paying bills or daily chores, can bring up a number of different areas of the law. So if it's financial management, perhaps you would want to consider a power of attorney for financial affairs. If it's to keep track of the day-to-day things, you may be able to qualify for in-home support services, depending on your income and whether you qualify for that program.

ID) Where does that assistance come from?

In-Home Support Services (IHSS) is a program related to Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) that is available in some states (contact the Cancer Legal Resource Center for state information). And it's specifically available to assist people who would prefer to stay in their own home, rather than be forced into moving to an institutional environment like a nursing home. And they can have someone come into their home and help them.

IHSS will do an assessment to see what your capacity is and what you need help with and how many hours per week you require assistance, then they come up with a formula and they will pay for part or all of that care. But you do need to have an income level that qualifies you for the Medicaid program in your state.

ID) How can people reach you if they have questions?

JM) People can contact our national, toll-free telephone assistance line at 866-THE-CLRC (866-843-2572) or visit our website at www.CancerLegalResourceCenter.org for more information about these topics and other cancer-related legal issues.

To learn more about "Your Brain After Chemo: A Practical Guide to Lifting the Fog and Getting Back Your Focus" by Dan Silverman, MD, PhD. and Idelle Davidson, visit www.YourBrainAfterChemo.com or find the book on Amazon.

For permission to reprint this article, please send an email to IdelleDavidson@gmail.com.
Posted by Idelle Davidson at 1:27 PM
Labels: Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), Ask the Experts, Chemo Brain, Chemobrain, chemotherapy, CLRC, Cognitive, Joanna Morales
6 comments:

Helping out, and entertainment.

I've been thinking of ways and things I can do to give back. I plan on putting in some time with the Windsor Essex Regional Cancer Center Foundation, as they have done so much for us. Also to anyone out there looking to help here's an idea, you could purchase tickets on the Canadian Cancer Society Lottery ( http://lottery.cancer.ca/index.asp ) helping a good cause and a chance to win prizes too! If your not interested in the prizes you could send me the ticket, we could sure use a break and a chance on this end! You could also donate to the Windsor Essex Regional Cancer Center Foundation ( http://www.windsorcancerfoundation.org ) Again a great organization that does great things for our Center and for those who use it.

Then there is my Facebook activity, sharing my story there and help others in anyway I can. I really do believe that sharing your story gives comfort those just beginning their journey as well as those well into their journey. It let's you know your not alone and someone else is going through what you are going through, very comforting to compare notes and stories.

On the medication switch front, I am now into stage 2 which is 2, 300mg Gabapentin capsules 3 times a day, this will be for four days, I then will be contacting the Dr.'s office to get the ok to move up to 3, 300mg capsules 3 times a day. The past week has not been pleasant with regards to the CIPN.

Brenda has had another of her attacks. This last one about 2 hrs long. The test date is not coming fast enough! Boy time drags when your waiting for something urgent.

Roger Waters, The Wall LIVE! is coming up this month, (http://vimeo.com/15218553 )man, I can't wait for this one. Again thanks to Brenda's Uncle Tom for the tickets this is definitely a historic event in my books, I will try to get pics, maybe I can find a good camera to borrow, mine does not seem to work well indoors or in dark settings. We are also going to see Cirque du Soliel in November, ( http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/dralion/default.aspx ), Hope everyone is well no matter where you are in your journey. xxx

Friday, October 1, 2010

It's official, Gabapentin it is!

Well got the call, yesterday actually, that since there is really nothing new out there for the neuropathic pain I will be switching back to Gabapentin from Lyrica. Had to try I guess, it's been and experience that's for sure! So did the switch today, and starting out gradually again, 300mg three times per day for four days the up to 600mg three times a day for four days. After completing the 4 days of 600mg, I will have to check in with the Dr. and see how it's going and go from there. I was up to 900mg three times per day when I did the switch to Lyrica.

Brenda had her tooth fixed and has a couple of follow ups with the dentist now just to bring everything up to snuff! Her attacks have been less frequent and less often, still having them though, watching very carefully what she's eating and physical activity as well, because still not 100% sure what the cause is till after the scope later this month. Her cousin and her family from Botswana, Africa were here for a visit and everyone enjoyed each others company, was a good time. The kids and Cheryl too, had a blast feeding the Canada geese down in the park out front of the building. They are back in Saskatoon now till they return to Africa in Nov. (Pic is a little dark as it was around 6-7pm and photo was taken from our 6th flr balcony)

So, we shall see how the change goes, hope I feel better that I have lately, I really think it was the change of meds affecting me, but we will find out in a few weeks when I get back to where I was with the med. Hope this finds everyone well in their journey's.