This weekend has been filled to the brim with events and activities and I can honestly say that I am totally wiped out. Sleep tonight will be VERY much appreciated and is, at the moment, desperately needed. I worked a four hour shift on Saturday - one thing that I had maybe blocked out of my brain about being casual part-time is that if I do not work, I am not paid... and so at this point I am accepting any and all shifts I am offered - which has been making for 6-days-a-week of working... that one day off is cram-packed with all of the "other" activities that need doing.
Anyhow, this weekend has had a different flavour for me.
Wednesday after work I drove Jasmine down to Cedar-by-the-Sea and dropped her off with Terri (her breeder) because she was entered in a dog show this weekend - her first - and I needed to have her with Terri a few days’ before-hand to allow time for settling in, grooming and practice. Plus, Jazzy gets to play with her sister Scarlet - and she LOVES to play with Scarlet when they are together.
I can't believe how QUIET my place is without my shadow following me. So lonely!!
Saturday night I took part in the Canadian Cancer Society's Relay for Life.
Anyhow, this weekend has had a different flavour for me.
Wednesday after work I drove Jasmine down to Cedar-by-the-Sea and dropped her off with Terri (her breeder) because she was entered in a dog show this weekend - her first - and I needed to have her with Terri a few days’ before-hand to allow time for settling in, grooming and practice. Plus, Jazzy gets to play with her sister Scarlet - and she LOVES to play with Scarlet when they are together.
I can't believe how QUIET my place is without my shadow following me. So lonely!!
Saturday night I took part in the Canadian Cancer Society's Relay for Life.
On April first of this year I lost a dear family member to Cancer and this past Thursday another dear family member had a mastectomy because she, like her mother, was diagnosed with breast cancer. While the ladies have a breast exam with every physical and men have the prostate exam (with every physical? I don't know about this one but it seems to be common sense to me) most people do not have the tests for colorectal cancer done because they are embarrassed to ask. And when was the last time a man ASKED for a breast exam? Yes gentlemen, you CAN get breast cancer.
Suck it up folks - ask for the tests. It's 100% between you and your physician - and wouldn't you rather have the peace of mind? I know I sure do!
I will step off my soapbox now...
Anyhow, I was able to spend a great couple of hours walking the track with some amazing cancer survivors at a fantastic event that I can promise you I will be taking part in again next year, no matter where I am living!
I got home around 9:30 last night and had a message waiting for me on my answering machine. I thought it was Terri letting me know how Jasmine had done, but it wasn't... it was my Dad leaving a message to tell me that my Grannie (Mum's Mum) had had what appeared to be a stroke and had been air-lifted by helicopter to Victoria General Hospital and letting me know to call when I got the message.
You know that feeling you get when you have the wind knocked out of you...?
A call to Dad let me know that Mum and her Dad had headed to Victoria and that things didn't look too great. Dad didn't have much more to share with me at that point other than they had done a CT scan and though they couldn't see any blockages, there is a great deal of plaque build-up (which we knew about) and that Mum & Grandpa would be spending the night - more details to follow this morning. I had almost no sleep last night - worrying for Grannie, worrying for Grandpa, worrying for my Mum and Dad, and yes, also fretting over my sore feet (blisters.)
5:30 this morning my alarm went off... quick trip to Tim Horton's to get coffee and hot chocolate for those amazing people on my Relay for Life team (who stayed on the field & participated all night long) and I was then home again, to shower and ready myself to drive to Nanaimo, pick up my Dad's Mom (Grandma) for breakfast & then go see how Jasmine was doing at the dog show. She got no "points" (don't ask - I don't know) but both days got the "reserve" placement - which seems to be the position where if, for any reason, the winner is disqualified, she gets their ribbons & points.
While at breakfast I had a further update from Dad that there was no update yet as Mum hadn't called with one. What I was able to find out this morning, though, was that Grannie was stable overnight, that she still has use of her arms and legs and that the scans hadn't proven anything other than that she had had some sort of "episode" and required more tests.
Before leaving Nanaimo to head back up here to Comox I checked in again & Mum & Grandpa were in the ferry line-up to head back across to Thetis tonight and then when I got home I called & Grannie is doing alright - though she has lost the ability to speak at this point (we don’t know if this is permanent or temporary) and will be in the hospital for a few more days at the very least. Mum will be getting updates a few times a day...
Tomorrow Mum & Dad are heading back down again - I assume with Grandpa - and I also understand, with my brother. I had booked off work tomorrow and Tuesday for my Graduation ceremonies - and though I will keep the days off, tomorrow I am going to use the clear day to catch up on some stuff and then on Tuesday I am going to Victoria to see my Grannie.
As important as participating in the Grad ceremonies was to me, my family is WAY more important - and this has been a really frightening reminder that, as much as I want them to live forever, my grandparents and parents and brother may not be around forever. I want to spend as much time with the people I love as I possibly can.
Call your Mum / Dad / Grandparents / Brothers / Sisters and loved ones tonight - tell them you love them.
Have a good night.
Suck it up folks - ask for the tests. It's 100% between you and your physician - and wouldn't you rather have the peace of mind? I know I sure do!
I will step off my soapbox now...
Anyhow, I was able to spend a great couple of hours walking the track with some amazing cancer survivors at a fantastic event that I can promise you I will be taking part in again next year, no matter where I am living!
I got home around 9:30 last night and had a message waiting for me on my answering machine. I thought it was Terri letting me know how Jasmine had done, but it wasn't... it was my Dad leaving a message to tell me that my Grannie (Mum's Mum) had had what appeared to be a stroke and had been air-lifted by helicopter to Victoria General Hospital and letting me know to call when I got the message.
You know that feeling you get when you have the wind knocked out of you...?
A call to Dad let me know that Mum and her Dad had headed to Victoria and that things didn't look too great. Dad didn't have much more to share with me at that point other than they had done a CT scan and though they couldn't see any blockages, there is a great deal of plaque build-up (which we knew about) and that Mum & Grandpa would be spending the night - more details to follow this morning. I had almost no sleep last night - worrying for Grannie, worrying for Grandpa, worrying for my Mum and Dad, and yes, also fretting over my sore feet (blisters.)
5:30 this morning my alarm went off... quick trip to Tim Horton's to get coffee and hot chocolate for those amazing people on my Relay for Life team (who stayed on the field & participated all night long) and I was then home again, to shower and ready myself to drive to Nanaimo, pick up my Dad's Mom (Grandma) for breakfast & then go see how Jasmine was doing at the dog show. She got no "points" (don't ask - I don't know) but both days got the "reserve" placement - which seems to be the position where if, for any reason, the winner is disqualified, she gets their ribbons & points.
While at breakfast I had a further update from Dad that there was no update yet as Mum hadn't called with one. What I was able to find out this morning, though, was that Grannie was stable overnight, that she still has use of her arms and legs and that the scans hadn't proven anything other than that she had had some sort of "episode" and required more tests.
Before leaving Nanaimo to head back up here to Comox I checked in again & Mum & Grandpa were in the ferry line-up to head back across to Thetis tonight and then when I got home I called & Grannie is doing alright - though she has lost the ability to speak at this point (we don’t know if this is permanent or temporary) and will be in the hospital for a few more days at the very least. Mum will be getting updates a few times a day...
Tomorrow Mum & Dad are heading back down again - I assume with Grandpa - and I also understand, with my brother. I had booked off work tomorrow and Tuesday for my Graduation ceremonies - and though I will keep the days off, tomorrow I am going to use the clear day to catch up on some stuff and then on Tuesday I am going to Victoria to see my Grannie.
As important as participating in the Grad ceremonies was to me, my family is WAY more important - and this has been a really frightening reminder that, as much as I want them to live forever, my grandparents and parents and brother may not be around forever. I want to spend as much time with the people I love as I possibly can.
Call your Mum / Dad / Grandparents / Brothers / Sisters and loved ones tonight - tell them you love them.
Have a good night.
xx
Erin
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