Thursday, December 30th 9:00pm

What a day for Michellie, from lows to highs and from lethargy to giggles.  Michellie struggled all day to get past the nausea.  After fluids all night through intravenous, and more gravol at 9, she slept until after noon.  Her white blood cell count had dropped significantly and she was having trouble just feeling well enough to do anything.  The doctor gave her the go ahead to leave the hospital, but she still was not feeling up to anything.  Michelle began some healing work with her, and balancing the body for fear of being sick at home.  A dear friend from Touch for Health and Michelle’s work with Svetlana Masgutova called at that point and gave some of her input for assistance.  We will share with you two of her tips, incase anyone reading this needs or can use the information for themselves.  She reminded me of a story of a friend of hers who soaked bread in milk and then placed it on the back of his knees and secured it with saran wrap after his chemo.  He left it there over night, and it was able to draw the toxins out of the body.  Michellie was not convinced, but as we begin to find all the healing tools that can help the body to recover, we will be using everything we can.  She also reminded me of my neurostructural training that will bring the body out of shock and allow it to process the whole gamut of experiences Michellie is going through.  So, for those of you who get to come for a visit, I will be calling on your assistance to help with this technique.  Of course, you will be able to see its value for yourself this way.  Michelle started to feel more confident in her ablilities to apply her knowledge to be of more assistance, and this was a big boost for her today.

At 4 pm Michellie finally was able to move.  David had administered her GCSF (notice all the incredible language we are now able to throw around so casually?!).  This is a hormone to help the body to recover its blood count and pull it back up into the healing zone.  “They” recommend we give it around 4 each day, but what we discovered today is that Michellie’s mood and energy increases significantly with each shot, and that she quickly bounced back to the personality we recognize.  We think we will adjust this time to mid morning so she can reap the benefits of the boost in the daytime, rather than evening when she has trouble winding down to sleep. Anyway, the boost today allowed her the energy to get out of the bed and get going.  By 5 pm we were in our hotel room and breathing a sigh of relief, we had made it that far!

After a much needed shower, and some fantastic food, Michellie was coming round.  We watched a movie and made our plans for tomorrow.  We were determined it was time to get home.  We were fortunate enough for Linda’s help to secure a hair appointment with her sister Joanne for our return trip, so tomorrow the beautiful head of hair will be cut to donate to Angel Hair for Kids programs, and Michellie will sport a short do until her hair begins its descent from her scalp – which should be in the next few days.  This will be a tough time we know.

For now, the giggles have started, and together we are enjoying a very good time just being together and enjoying the simple things in life.  And, Michellie’s hunger has picked up so Dad is off to find a restaurant that can supply chicken fingers and nachos.  What a good Dad Michellie has!

December 30 - 6:30 am

We had a slow and quiet day on the 28th as Kenzie packed to leave and Michellie spent quiet time reading and watching TV.  It was the calm before the storm.  After a toss and turn night we awoke at 5:30 am on the 29th to take MacKenzie to the airport.  He headed off in anticipation of home, and New Year's plans, and hopefully a job prospect too.  He was kinda sad to leave us, but he needed to get back to living and doing what teens do.  We headed back to the apartment after a quick Timmy's breakfast at the airport thinking that we would be on the road home by noon.  We arrived at the hospital for our 9 am clinic appointment.  Michellie was trying hard to be awake, but she had kinda got used to the freedom of sleeping in, and she really comes to life around 10 pm actually.  The pharmacy was very busy, so she waited a few hours for her chemo.  During the wait she did manage to eat a muffin and drink some water, but not a lot.  Within an hour of the chemo going in, Michellie became extremely hyper and "chatty Cathy" (for those of you who had one of those dear dolls).  Then her head became extremely itchy, and she broke out in hives all over her scalp and neck.  They quickly gave her Benadryl to calm the reaction, and that completely knocked her out.  For the next 4 hours she came in and out of consciousness with nausea and an intense headache.  By 4 pm we were trying to get her to a wheel chair, as she could not stay in the clinic as it was closing.  Before we could wheel her to face the door she was violently ill.  Our poor dear girl was rehooked up to intravenous and they found her a bed on the 7th floor for the night.  She was wheeled by bed to the ward, and then her blood pressure took a dive to extreme lows.  With more fluids and meds, she managed to climb through this incredible blast closer to midnight.  For the rest of the night, she slept relatively well, and was up to eat a few crackers and toast periodically.  This morning she is resting and is tired, and remembers only snippets of yesterday (thank God)!.

Thinking we were going to be heading home, we had packed up the apartment, handed back keys and parking passes, changed bedding etc.  The cars were loaded and ready.  At 4 pm, with resignation and fatigue and worry we were devastated.  Our social worker was called in, and she quickly found us a room at the Delta Hotel where they have a special program for Christmas called "Home for the Holidays".  We could have gone back to the apartment, but we also just needed to crash.  David took the first shift of caring for Michellie and Michelle went for a shower, food and a good nights sleep.  The hotel was incredibly helpful, and they took care of little details for us.  So, after a solid 6 hours, Michelle is back at the hospital and David has headed for his turn of pampering.  He didn't get supper, so breakfast was sounding very good to him, as well as a big bed all to himself!

We are not sure what today will bring, but we are just so happy to see Michellie's eyes open and aware.  They are truly the most incredible brown eyes!  We know the road is a long one, and that there will be lots of hills and valleys, but it never truly prepares you for the anguish of watching your daughter fight for her life.  We thank you all for continuing to keep us in your prayers and it really does lift us up to know that we have so many family and friends helping us through this.  We can feel your love and we are comforted by how it feels through these tough times.  We are also encouraged by all those who have walked this path before us who are supporting us from their triumphant paths in life - this gives us great hope.  Thank you for your advice and for your experiences to share.  We do look forward to when Michellie is well enough to make it home to her own bed, and in the meantime, we are so grateful for the incredible team at the IWK who are helping her through this.  I hope my next blog to you will be from home and include some antic about our kitties that we are missing so much.  They will be an incredible distraction for us and a huge source of comfort for Michellie when she can hold them again. Thank you everyone and God Bless.

Monday, December 27th

Today was a slower day.  David and Michelle definitely felt the effects of the last 2 weeks, as they slept in again, and then slowly worked their way through the day.  There was another nap for David and a doubling of vitamins for Michelle.  We are grateful for this extremely quiet apartment, the private time, and then the opportunity to head back to the Krochko's for more wonderful food and fun for the evening.

Michellie slept in and then read quietly in bed.  For those of you who know Michellie well enough, she hardly ever takes time to read.  If the book can draw her in, she can steal away the day with it.  This was a good diversion for her today.  Michellie was moving a little slower today, but without any pain killers or nausea drugs. She even felt well enough to put her jeans on for the first time since having the bone marrow taken out (there was a bit of bruising on her hip bones), she got out the perfume she received for Christmas and the smell was not overpowering for her, and then she did her hair in clips and let it hang so nicely around her shoulders, (usually she would have it in a ponytail).

We have to thank the Krochko's for their incredible friendship, hospitality, care, concern and love.  This evening we laughed and laughed and laughed with all the kids as they came and went with their various antics and activities.  Kamryn, their granddaughter, was a lot of fun at 20 months, and so were the animals as they worked around this little going concern. Our teenagers were ready for a night on the town, and we enjoyed all the hoopla that goes with getting ready to go out.  It brought back memories of our college days, although we are told that we really do not know what partying means - we will continue to let them think they are right!

Michellie had a chance to go out for a bit without her parents hanging around, and she got to watch her brother shop for clothes.  She enjoyed the opportunity to be a teenager again with all the independence that she had acquired before last week.  We were happy parents to see her going out with buddies and not needing us.  Tomorrow is our last day in Halifax as a family.  MacKenzie will fly back to Alberta on Wednesday morning, and Michellie will have her last chemo for round 1.  Michellie's blood count is predicted to drop over the next week, and sometime in the next week she will see her hair begin to drop.  This will be a tough time we know, so we are embracing the moments we have right now to be as normal as possible with the energy Michellie has gained back.

Oh, the appetite is gaining again, and pizza is being called for. We will embrace the opportunities in Halifax to get pizza at any hour in the evening and within walking distance.  Back on the island this will be a distant memory.

Sunday, December 26

We slept in!  For the first time in over a week we had the freedom to let the morning disappear.  Michellie was feeling much better this afternoon, and as we headed out for what we were thinking of as breakfast, she walked several blocks to the restaurant, and then several blocks to the hospital too.  The doctor was very happy with her progress and discharged her from the hospital.  This means that she becomes on out patient, and we do not have to actually be back in to the clinic until Wednesday for her last chemo of this round.

Michellie's aches and complaints today were mostly around her jaw, teeth, ears and blurred vision.  This is all part of one of the side effects of one of the drugs.  Fortunately, Tylenol is all she needs for this.  The Prednisone is ramping up her appetite, and she has eaten voraciously all day.

Later this afternoon we were able to all head to the Krochko's for a lobster/turkey leftover dinner.  It was wonderful and catching up with everyone was great.  Michellie was able to eat with everyone and not be bothered by all the smells, and after dinner she enjoyed a movie on their big screen, and then we all watched footage from MacKenzie's Tap Dog touring.

As we headed home from the evening, Michellie was already asking what we had in the fridge as she was hungry again.  Yah!!!

David and Michelle were very relieved when the doctor granted Michellie permission to be discharged.  In fact, we both let out a huge sigh of relief, (one we did not know we had been holding all week), and we felt the worst was over.  We do have a road ahead with treatments, drugs, blood counts, driving, snow storms ( or hopefully none), and of course, the loss of hair.  But at least we know the big stuff has passed and she is on the road to recovery!!! Another big day, and another set of incredible miracles to behold.

Again, thank you everyone for following this journey and for holding us in your hearts.  We heard lots of stories today of all the toasts and prayers that were sent our way over the last few days as you shared with your own families.  We are so touched and grateful for everyone's thoughts and concerns.  We know all that you have been doing is making a difference in our world and we THANK YOU!

Happy Boxing Day!

Christmas Day

When we decided to move across the country and experience different adventures than those we were used to, we were not specific enough to the angels what we were looking for!  Christmas Day has been amazing, quiet, painful, fun, inspiring and full of love.  Because we now have teenagers, and because Michellie takes after her Grandmother, Yvonne, she could not wait a moment past midnight to plead for mercy to open all the presents Kenzie had brought with him from our house.  As we opened gifts last year after Midnight Mass, they felt this year should be the same.  So, at 12:01 we were ripping open the parcels and celebrating great fun.  Thank you to everyone who sent such great creative ideas.  Kenzie surprised us with shopping on line and finding the most obscure - David got an SS Enterprise - Star Trek Pizza Cutter - for all of you who know David and his afternoon of Star Trek watching while working - this was perfect.  Michellie got battery operated candles that you can blow out and blow on - fabulous for power outages.  Michelle got an umbrella with tiny little lights all over it (Singing in the Rain comes to mind), and there is a flashlight in the handle so the path before can be lit.  Michellie went to bed tired, happy and with smiles.  She had a bit of a sore chest from all the giggling we did - that's a nice sore.

We awoke in the morning to go back to the hospital for the start of the hormone shots we will be administering to Michellie ourselves.  We were not on top of the nausea drugs, so she was not feeling well to start off with and Michelle was sporting a migraine.  By the time we got to the hospital, they hooked Michellie up to IV for some nausea control and some fluids, and then they helped us to learn how to do the shot.  David had the steady hand while Michellie burst into tears, but he was very cool and was a pro from the start.  Michellie spent the rest of the afternoon sleeping and trying to calm the sores she was feeling in her mouth and the pain growing in her jaws.  All of these pains are part of the side effects. 

We returned from the hospital in late afternoon, and the boys left to have dinner at the Krochko's while the girls settled down for naps.  David brought back dinner for us, and I have to say - fantastic.  That was definitely food for the soul, and the wine was sure a welcome too.  So, now Michellie has gained back some positive ground and the evening looks like some quiet tv time and some good chatting and sharing together.  Tomorrow we have to stop by the hospital to check in, but the next few days should continue to improve for Michellie.  We do hope she will feel well enough to do some visiting and get some fresh air.

This afternoon while Michellie slept, David and Michelle went to Ronald MacDonald House for a Christmas dinner.  It is on the 3rd floor, and when you open the door to this amazing space, you walk into  a large living room with a fire place, sky light, library, full kitchen and smiling volunteers.  We were treated like royalty and served a wonderful meal.  It is definitely a healing place where kids can be kids and parents can escape the realities of hospital life for a few precious moments.  Santa had left gifts under the tree for all ages, and the kids were very excited to see that he had even thought of them there.  We felt so honored to be able to see the magic of Ronald MacDonald house, as many of us just hear about it through the media.  We were grateful to the volunteers giving their time on Christmas day as well.

So, we found lots of magic today, many precious moments, and of course the incredible power of the love of family and friends.  We hope your day was as special as ours; and, as the left overs are served tomorrow, and the turkey soup is on the stove, we hope that you can continue to enjoy the true meaning of Christmas with your loved ones.

God Bless and Love to you all,

Michelle, David, Michellie and MacKenzie

December 24th, 4:30 pm

Well, what a difference 24 hours can make.  Michellie has spent the day up and around.  She is laughing and joking and eating too.  We are soooo happy to see her smile.  The afternoon was given a huge boost when Auntie Char's crazy package arrived!  We don't know how the nap sack got zipped up, but we could not get everything back in.  So, we now have books and games for guests when Michellie tires of people - she just gives them a task and that will keep them out of her hair!  We received the care package from the Dance Debut dancers as well, Michellie loved all of your crazy cards and wishes.  There was some great art work too!  And for all the many people who have been a part of prayer circles and wishes abundant, you can all be relieved to know that the size of the tumor in her neck has already gone down, and she can feel her collarbone again.  The doctor is very pleased and has granted Michellie a pass to leave the hospital tonight and get a good night's rest out of the hospital bed.  She has not had any pain killers for almost 48 hours, and even is leaving a break from the nausea pills as well.  We thank everyone for their thoughts and wishes, as we know the power of the incredible love you have shared, is making a huge difference for Michellie, her family, and those around us as well.

When we leave the hospital in the next few hours, or day or so, we will not be able to connect quite so easily by the internet.  We will do our best to keep everyone updated, but no news will be good news.  We wish you all wonderful fun for the next few days with your loved ones and friends, and all the best for safe travelling and health.  Merry Christmas Everyone and we hope that your stockings are full of surprises, and your dreams are achieved. 

Love to you all,

Michelle, Michellie, David and MacKenzie

December 24, 2010 1:30 am

It is Christmas Eve and we can hardly believe where we are at.  It is the wee hours of the morning and Michellie is wide awake after sleeping all day - seems like home already?!  She awoke a little chipper from last nights sleep, and as soon as the toast went in, the nausea began.  There was a difference though, the doctors had figured out the formula for pain killers and nausea control - Yah!  The day was a balancing act, and fortunately Michellie had no memory of most of her first day of chemo, and part of the second day as well.  When she awoke this evening, she was groggy, but the Grinch was on TV and soon she was distracted, and so was Mom.  We watched the version Mom and Dad remembered, and then we watched the new version - and Michellie started to giggle.

The drugs are definitely harsh.  So far Michellie has a very keen sense of smell.  She is insisting that the soap is not going into the clothes and washing them.  As well, she had to shower and get rid of the awful smell her body was emitting.  And food, we are not allowed to bring it in the room or breath on her, as our breath is very foul.  She will be happy to see this go back to normal.  As well, Michellie has mood swings that send her crying very easily and for no reason.  She was prepared for PMS, but this is worse.  Hopefully this subsides in a few days as well.  Otherwise, the mood is picking up and the appetite is coming back at 1:45 am.  It is a good thing I napped through part of the movie - my usual tv habit.

David awoke this morning, after only half a night in the tippy chair, and he was ready for action.  He read the big binder we now have for Michellie and he studied on how to give injections.  He definitely loves the science of everything.  Tonight he is over at the apartment getting ready for Christmas and getting a good nights sleep.

Michelle had enough rest to begin her energy work again.  Using her Chi Qong techniques she began bone marrow washing and organ washing.  Hopefully the energy for everyone will continue to grow so that everyone can get back on track again.

MacKenzie was busy at the house preparing to pack and head back to Alberta.  He also was baking (and we hear it turned out well), and cleaning house.  It sure is great to have him close, and we are very excited to have a few days with him in Halifax before he heads to his home.  We hope the Cuckows are ready to have their second son back, and all the fun that goes with that.

The family in the room next to us is preparing for their little 18 month old, his twin sister and his 3 year old sister to be here for Santa.  There are signs and decorations everywhere.  Christmas morning will be very interesting for them, and I wonder how early?!  Since we had to wake up our kids last year, we are prepared that we will all get to sleep in again, and embrace a slow, quiet and peaceful morning together.  We should be at the apartment and considered an outpatient from here on in.

Merry Christmas everyone, and enjoy all the precious moments this season brings for us!  We love you all and thank you for being an incredible part of our lives and this journey.

Wednesday, December 22

My little girl has finally rolled from her back to her side and is resting like a little angel!  I think I thought those same words when she was a toddler.  After her incredibly gruelling day, she finally feels comfortable in a small way.  After a restless night, she awoke with stomache cramps and pain in her chest.  The doctors were anxious to get going with the chemo, and they were not prepared to take no for an answer.  The poor nurse on duty today had her work cut out for her, as she took the tough love approach and finally got Michellie to consent to start the cocktail.  Michellie loves taking pills as much as she loves her IV, and when the start of chemo was to swallow 8 pills, we were off to a rough start.  Mom had to leave, and Dad stuck it out to get each piece down on a spoon of apple sauce.  After a half hour, the mission was accomplished.  Then, they brought in the big arsenal.  Four different concoctions were mounted onto the IV rack, and the nurse came in with armor on - that was a big hit for Michellie - the tears began to flow.  She did not take kindly to the drugs, and soon the nausea was creeping in for a long afternoon.  Dad got this chore, while Mom took a back seat.  Amongst all of this fun, our nurse coordinating our next four months was trying to get our details to us, and the nutritionist was trying to confirm vitamins we could use, and the social worker was trying to get a chance to get to know Michellie - (not really showing her best side today). Full craziness - we thought we had left that life behind already!?!

What did we learn today?  For our daughter, who hated the seams on her socks to rub in her shoes, and who didn't like seams on her pants, and who only liked soft fabrics for her shirts, we realized that she is hypersensitive.  Bandaids, port-o-caths, tubes, fabrics, feeling of hot or cold entering her body with the chemo, dry skin, dry throat...all were causing her great distress.  As well, Michellie always believed as a little one that if you threw up you would die.  As a teenager, she knows this is not true, but it doesn't make the dread any less, and with such an afternoon she could not imagine how she would get through 4 months of this.  For now, there are 6 more pills to be swallowed before 10:30 pm, and she is not prepared to wake up - I don't know how we will succeed with this one tonight.

How did Mom and Dad fare?  It was a tough day.  We were not prepared for how sick she was today, and for all the pain she felt, and in all the different places.  We missed breakfast and lunch, and before we knew it we were into the full afternoon of chaos.  We realized we have to be a better advocate for her, as she finds it hard to ask for more pain killers and she has a tough time describing or putting into words how she feels.  And, you can hold the bucket, but really it is soooo hard to just watch your little one in so much pain.  We had tears today, and we did have a few smiles.  At the end of the day, we know that the worst is behind us for the start of chemo, and we hope that when she wakes in the morning she cannot remember most of today.

Our highlight today was a little tree that was given to us and that we could decorate - it now is beside Michellie and sparkling.  And, we discovered an amazing hamburger joint - Darryl's.  They had Peanut Butter Burgers and Salza Burgers, and old fashioned Milk Shakes. It was different than Pete's in Calgary, but we sure enjoyed a few moments of peace at 9 tonight, when we could catch up together and take a moment to enjoy the morsels.

Tonight David gets the flippy chair, and I get the little day bed.  We hope Michellie can sleep through the night and that we see a familiar smile on her face in the morning.  Good night everyone.

Tuesday, December 21

Winter Solstice arrives.  We thought we would be celebrating with Jill, our next door neighbor, and throwing our emotional baggage into her big bonfire...ok, with a toss from Halifax, I am sure we can make the aim happen and it should be an easy idea to put into the fire...So, for those celebrating tonight, clear the air and wish big!

Michellie had a tough night recovering from surgery.  The pain did not want to back off, and the drugs made her nauseated.  At one point, we got to the bathroom and then the drugs kicked in and she lost her legs for the trip back to bed.  Today has been much the same.  Between her stomache acting up (as we were previously trying to solve), and the pain in her chest, she has been on and off the pain killers all day.  We have managed a few bits of food and some juice, but hopefully tomorrow will be easier for this.

The doctors fast tracked all of her results, and this afternoon they confirmed what they had expected:  Hodgkins Lymphoma, stage 2B.  The prognosis is good for recovery, and they are anticipating 4 rounds of chemo and finishing with radiation.  They would like to start tomorrow so that Michellie could get an overnight pass for Christmas, but she is a little hesitant.

Some incredible acquaintances from the island, Jay and Bob, have graciously offered their apartment here in Halifax for our use for the holidays.  They will be away, and the apartment is only 3 blocks from the hospital.  We are so blessed with all of the gifts given to us today.  We hope to be able to spend Christmas at their apartment, with rest and relaxation, as Michellie will not be up for much of anything, and for as little contact with germs as possible.  We do hope to be able to see our other incredible friends, the Krochko's, but we will see how Michellie is doing by then.  So, for those worried about our Christmas celebrations, please know that we are well taken care of, and we will find a home cooked meal for sure.

The hospital has a special Christmas surprise for patients.  We got to go "shopping" on the 7th floor today for gifts for Michellie, and we wrapped and delivered them for the start of our celebrations.  There were treat bags in the family kitchen this morning, and then a quilt was delivered to Michellie from the Child Link coordinator.  Sam continued to do his magic in keeping Michellie's spirits up today, and there were a few smiles and giggles with him here.  There is a tree coming for her to decorate, and Kenzie has been busy at home accepting parcels and wrapping the last minute items.  He will box everything up and bring it down at the end of the week to celebrate with us. Christmas is definitely here, and you all know how Michelle loves to see how long celebrations can last...this is shaping up fabulously.

We are all a little more tired today with all of the emotions of the plans this afternoon, but we have met with the social worker and the doctors to put everything together.  We have some great help coming from the social worker for us, the child link coordinator is hunting for more movies for Michellie, and the nurses are bugging Michellie to get up and moving.  The doctors have spent lots of time with us explaining everything and making sure Michellie understands it all.  We all do need a flu shot tonight.  This one is very tough for us, as you all know how we feel about that.  We are trying to let that go though.

We are heading off to bed early tonight, and we hope that the morning sees us all a little fresher and ready for the beginning of treatment and the road to the end of this journey.  Thank you all for your wishes, gifts, teddy bears, flowers, cards, thoughts, and energy.  Good Night! 

Monday, December 20th

After a long wait today, and no food or water since last night, Michellie finally made it to the OR at 2:00 pm.  She was very apprehensive, but knowing that this was a good thing.  She had an MRI this morning that found no cancer anywhere else.  The report from surgery is that the biopsy in her neck went well, the port-a-cath has been inserted for her chemo, and the bone marrow was taken from her hip.  We will have results by Wednesday and a plan of attack will be ready by Thursday.  We are just waiting for her to come out of recovery and then we can wait for her to feel well enough to get some food in.

On an even more positive note, Michellie's boyfriend, Sam, was able to surprise her before surgery, so she had someone to keep her busy and distracted for the hours she was waiting.  As well, the Child Life coordinator stopped in and there are several activities planned for the patients here throughout the week.  There may be a tree arriving for her room, and activities to keep her busy while we wait. 

We won't be home for Christmas, but MacKenzie headed back to the house last night.  The cats had only been into a little bit of trouble while we were away.  He is holding down the fort for now.  There is a weather watch out, and they are predicting high winds and rain again.  He will be in charge of checking for leaks and listening to Moaning Mona for a few days,(the storm windows in the gables that hadn't been changed yet).  He will head down to Halifax again when we know more.

David and I are holding up well.  They keep us busy and keep providing us with more information and preparing us for what is next.  We are very optimistic about everything, and we know Michellie is in good hands.  We are both staying at the hospital for the time being, and we trade out who gets the little bed and who gets the tippy chair.  But, we have a bathroom and running water, so it is better than camping!

Thanks again for all the well wishes you have been sending, and for the jokes and laughter too.  We look forward to hearing stories about your Christmas celebrations and we hope some Hogmanay Celebrations are in planning stages for New Year's.  We can almost taste the Haggis now.

Monday, December 12

Finally, after a year of dealing with stomach issues, we finally had an appointment for Michellie with her new doctor.  After a chest X-ray and a blood test, the results were in.  Not at all what we were expecting.  They kept telling us to look at irritable bowel syndrome.  But, on Wednesday they rushed us in.  The swelling on her neck, that we thought was from bug bites of the previous week, was not going away.  Michellie had a cancerous growth and we were to rush to Halifax as soon as possible.  We took one last look at the Christmas tree - our first real one - and a huge one to boot.  The cats were chasing each other in the hall, and Mom and Michellie headed to Halifax.  Dad and Kenzie stayed behind until the testing was completed and we knew more.

Thursday was a blur.  We checked in around 1:30pm to IWK in Halifax.  We dropped our suitcases, and we headed off for an afternoon of tests.  Michellie saw a dentist - no cavities (yah!), she had a CAT scan, and all the vitals were taken.  The Cat Scan confirmed that they were looking at Hodgkins Lymphoma - a very treatable form of cancer.  Friday would be more tests to confirm more.  Friday was a complete day of no food and one appointment after another.  Lung tests, heart tests, and a PET scan of the whole body.  This confirmed that the cancer was focused in the middle of her chest, not attached to any organs, and along the side of her neck.  This was all a good sign.

Saturday, the surgeons determined that they would operate on Michellie on Monday to put in the device they use for chemo, take a biopsy from her neck and take bone marrow from her hips.  The nurse brought in a little doll to show us how everything would work and what things would feel like.  Michellie was scared, but put at ease by the doctors and the surgeon.  (Incidently, the surgeons first name is Lakshmi, for anyone reading who understand special goddesses).

David spent three hard days waiting for news and coping as best he could.  He began the hard job of keeping up with all of the incredible people in our lives who would be there to help blanket us in healing light and energy.  We are soooo thankful for all of you.  Saturday night he drove down with Kenzie, and together we had an overnight pass to stay at our wonderful friends the Krochkos.  Michellie was thrilled to be out of the hospital and away from the food.  Diane served the most delicious stir fry - Michellie even had two helpings!

As we spend our day resting this Sunday, we cannot believe how quickly life has changed in less than a week.  Michellie will be in the hospital over Christmas, and we will celebrate when she gets to go home.  Surgery is tomorrow and we are very optimistic that the incredible staff at the hospital will take great care of all of us.  We know the incredible thoughts and prayers that are being said for us, and we send love and light back to each and every one of you.  Thank you all.  We will try to keep you up to date as best we can.

Michellie is her usual shy self about being the center of attention, and she would prefer to keep everything on the QT, but if you know of someone who has not heard, we ask that you please let people know.  The more we can gather the universe around us, the more that Michellie will have to work with.  If you would like to leave messages here, we will get them, or please leave them on our facebook or email.  We will not be returning all the messages, but will try to reach everyone through this blog.

Please enjoy your Christmas season with love in your hearts and admiration for the incredible opportunities our life has in store for us.  And, as you sit down to Christmas dinner, please remember how dear you are to us and how grateful we are to have you in our lives.