Up and down, high and low...

This describes my last few days/week. It all started with the worst headaches I’ve ever had, that just wouldn’t go away. I was getting worried that I might have a brain tumor, and this paranoia grew, as more nights passed of no sleep. Sleep deprivation can mess with your mind and cause some mental anguish of it own. The high point in those crazy few days, was going to my naturopathic/chiropractor and having him suggest some hands on prayer in addition to his treatments. The timing was, as always God’s, and four willing participants that I basically knew and just happened to be there, did the honours. I felt very blessed and sensed healing in the words and touch.
As the headaches worsened, I headed to the ER. After 5 hours, I was given a medication that offered some temporary relief, and I was able to get some sleep. A CT scan was ordered, but wouldn’t happen for another 12 days. My oncologist called me at home, after I made attempts to contact her through the cancer agency. She felt that the headaches were a side effect of the new chemo drugs and suggested another drug, which did offer even more relief. Thankfully just as she thought, by day 10, after chemo, the headaches disappeared, (just in time for me to hear INXS sing, “All of your problems, all of you fears and the world seems to disappear, disappear…”)
On Wednesday we discovered our Van just wouldn’t start and fixing it not only was a $600 bill, but meant no vehicle for two days. Not good. Stopped by the church and found a $250 gift card for groceries in our mail box…very good. Friday I took the girls to my parent’s place for Daniel’s birthday party, and Carmelle ran after the dog right past the bbq and got 2nd degree burns on her arm (another 4 hours in the ER) Not good at all!
Saturday night I got a great surprise when my cousins from Fort St. John, Shiloh and Clayton showed in Abbotsford and came to stay at our place. They are two of my Mom’s brother’s children, and he passed away 7 years ago, so we really cherish our visits with them. They are 25 and 23 and beautiful young people that I really enjoyed having around for 4 days. The girls really took to them and they were great with the girls. It was wonderful to see Carmelle and Cadence bond so quickly with their “Uncle” Clayton and “Auntie” Shiloh.
We did visits to Chilliwack to see our Grandma Butchart and Uncle John. We also visited my parent’s on the farm. We went out to a movie, and then the next day to Vancouver. We took the sky train because they and my girls had never been on the sky train. We enjoyed the afternoon with my brother Forrest and Amanda for lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory, and walked Gas Town and Canada Place. Then we had pizza with my brother Daniel near his new place in Aldergrove. Then on Tuesday we went all the way to Vancouver Island to Butchart Gardens. My cousins had always wanted to go because we are related to the Butchart Family. It was so nice to not only get in for free, $25 per person, but we were greeted by a distant relative, David Ross, and given a welcome gift ( a book about the history of the Gardens) My mom’s maiden name is Butchart and her father was named after his uncle Robert Butchart who founded the gardens with his wife Jennie, just after the turn of the century.
From the sounds of it, my whole week was a high, but no there was a serious low as well.
Chris was to be working in Portland, Oregon for the week, for which he would have mad about $3,000. When he went to the boarder to cross Monday morning, with all his papers in order, doing the same job he’d done the year before, they refused him entry. Not only did they send him home, they first took away his keys, car, cell phone and passport. Then they finger printed him and photographed him and put him in their system for life. He was treated like a common criminal for no reason. He’d done nothing wrong, according to the free trade act, he was completely innocent. They treated him like he was guilty of something, the only thing he was guilty of, was telling the truth.
The job is lost because it was a business conference, a one time job. He turned down other jobs this week to do that one and we are out of luck.
Our four year old daughter said it best when Chris returned home from the boarder. He was preoccupied with his situation and she kept calling out to him, Daddy, Daddy!! Chris turned to her and said, “I’m sorry Carmelle, Daddy’s having a bad day.”
“I know…” she said, “You got screwed.” And with that we almost fell over laughing!
I suppose she’d heard a little more of my cell phone conversation than I realized, we were very upset. We still don’t know what we are going to do financially to get through the month. We need the benefit concert on the 21st to be even more of a success than before, so please buy tickets and tell all your friends and family to come as well!!
I leave for Vancouver tomorrow with my best friend Lizzy, for my sixth chemo, only three more to go! It’s my first one that’s 7+ hours straight. I’ve got movies set for the laptop and we’ll bring snacks. We are looking forward to some good chick time!