Hello,

Well summer's over and the kids are back to school for their second day already! We had an awesome summer this year...much better than last year!! This year was like a gift for me and I had a completely different outlook on it. Usually summers in our household are - we'll work in the mornings and play in the afternoons. This year it was - we'll do what needs to get done and for the rest we're on vacation! I just absorb everything now, watching my kids play together, enjoying the weather, the camping, my health - but mostly just being with my family! This is the first time I wasn't ready for school to start again!

I've been so busy with summer and helping with the welcome evening for our new minister and his family, that I've neglected the blog! Usually if there is no news, it means its good news. I received the results from the biopsy's. My bone marrow from my hip came back with a small trace of the cancer cells (5%) from what was taken - this is how I understand it. The doctor said it was nothing to worry about, so I'm not. At the end of this month I go to Owen Sound for my monthly IV and than I do full blood work (check off all the boxes on the lab sheet) and a 24hr urine sample to make sure the levels (cell counts) haven't changed too drastically. As for the biopsy from my stomach I'll need another scope done in six months time from my last one to make sure my stomach isn't more irratated or inflamed. The pills I'm taking from the last scope are supposed to cure that though. Time will tell. In the meantime I don't think too much about my health, but just enjoy each new day as it comes. It's a nice way to live!

I can't remember if I told you about my IV's. I get them once a month and it's just a "maintenace" drug - nothing to do with the cancer - to help the calcium in my blood to stick to my bones and hopefully make them stronger. The IV lasts about 4 hours. Earlier this year I was asked if I wanted to have the IV put in and than go home with it. When I heard that I thought to myself, "but I have a really good thing going on here in the hospital". Usually I take a bag to the hospital with a good thick novel, a water bottle, a sandwich and lot's of snacks. Then the nurse will get me settled into a lazy-boy chair, recline me, get me a pillow and a handmade blanket, come back with a tray of cookies and ask if I want any coffee to go with that. Than they stick me with a needle and I'm "trapped" for 4 hours. Now they want to know if I want to take the IV home?! I said, "No thanks, I'm good right here!". There are no dishes staring at me, no laundry piles begging to be washed, no weeds wanting to be pulled up and no beds needing to be made at the hospital!...all good things can't last forever. When school ended in June I figured I couldn't leave my kids home alone all day while I go to the "spa". Sometimes there are delays at the hospital and I end up being there from the time I drop the kids off at school until I pick them up again. If I were gone all day it would leave the kids plenty of opportunity to get in fights! So in the end I decided to take the IV home. The lab fills a balloon with my drugs and place it in a plastic bottle. A long tube runs out of the bottle with a needle on the end. Now when I get to the hospital I'm put into the recliner (with out being reclined!) and they stick me with the needle, tape the tube up my arm so it doesn't dangle, place the bottle in my pocket, say "have a nice day" and I go home to my chores. After the balloon empties I pull the needle out and throw the whole contraption away. The next month I went back to get the same thing done again and they asked, "How did it go taking the IV home?" I said, "It's hard to get things done with always having to watch out for the tube or the bottle falling out of my pocket. Plus I don't want my meds to start boiling over the steaming pots while I'm cooking dinner!" They gave me a "prescrpition" to go out for dinner on those IV days. Of course I rushed home with this exciting new prescription, but Pete's not buying it. I told him I have to follow doctor's orders - very important! The kids seem to agree with the doctor too! Pete still isn't buying it. Anyway, now that school started again I wonder if I can get back to the "spa" way again! I'll probably just take the IV home and give myself a prescription for the day off.

That's it for now, the end of the month may produce some more news. So for now, enjoy getting into the new school, homework, making lunches -and for my family now- catechism routines! I hope you all had an enjoyable and safe summer! Thanks for all the many prayers that still go up for my family even though things here are relatively good. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Take care,
Pete, Sharon, Natasha, Heather and Shaun.