Cape Breton and Day 11 and beyond

Our flight from Calgary to Halifax was long.  It was a full day of travel.  We landed in Halifax at 9 pm and had a wonderful dinner with the Krochko's.  It was nice to be able to share the trip with them as they had been the driving force with each treatment and trip to Halifax.  We stayed over night and in the early morning ventured back to the airport for Michelle to catch a flight to Toronto for a week with MacKenzie and the time to see his show.  Michellie and David headed home.  Michellie went to school for the afternoon to catch up with friends, and David tried to make some semblance out of the house.  Clare had done a fabulous job of taking care of the cats and holding down the last of the renovation challenges.  And, this begins our attempt at getting back into the regular life and finding out what impact our time with the dolphins has had.

David made magic happen at the house by finishing the floor in the studio with Michellie's help and getting all the little details caught up.  Michellie and Emma created magic by setting up the tree and decorating.  Michelle and Kenzie experienced a week of magic in Toronto with healing tap techniques from Heather Cornell and then a show that was out of this world!  As I write today, we are all home and enjoying each others company.  Last night was the winter solstice and Jill had a big party to celebrate, our next door neighbour.  Each of us gathered something to let go of and to burn in the bonfire.  We were happy to burn a requisition paper from one of Michellie's treatments as one of our offerings.  Now we are enjoying the magic of the season, the magic of our family, and the magic of the incredible journey called "life".  What a year, what incredible memories, and what experiences we could never imagine.

One of the biggest messages learned through the Dolphin experience was voiced by Doug - "Look fear in the face and walk right through it.  You can never imagine the opportunities that will be opened on the other side and the chance to experience them because of your bravery".  Michellie faced her fears in Hawaii and she conquered them.  This gift of words has been carried forward to other experiences for all of us.  If you are reading these words, we hope you will embrace them too.  All of us are scared to walk in, we dance around, avoid, go the other way, and hide in the face of fear.  We all have the strength to head straight in and know that we will have the tools to face what is there for us. 

Kenzie and Michelle used this technique when they accidentally ordered a huge platter of sushimi this week.  Raw fish was not anything they would ever choose to eat.  It was quite the scene when they were faced with this challenge.  So, they ate the fish, and they loved it!!!  After a good laugh, they both were thankful for jumping in and going for it.  More Sushimi...bring it on!

Cochrane and Day 10

After flying all night, we arrived in Vancouver at 5:30 am, and then Calgary at 9:30.  The Harris' were there to greet us and hear the stories.  We were really on another dimension when we arrived.  It is hard to describe.  David spent the afternoon in bed since he cannot sleep on the plane.  The girls shared their stories with Erin and then fell asleep, and Michelle and Mireille had tea and chatted quietly.  The evening was slow and quiet, and everyone was early to bed with another plane ride and an early morning for the last of the trip home.  I think that you can see by our faces on this last picture, we were relaxed and ready for some Christmas fun!  Our shirts are signed by all the significant people on our trip.  Thank you Children's Wish for making such an inspiring trip happen!!!  Thank you to all of those people who so generously support the Wish foundations to make such trips possible.  We are so grateful!!!

Tada!

Our last Day in Hawaii- Day 9

Michellie and Chelsie-Anne were given the choice of what they wanted to do for the last day.  They chose sleeping in and relaxing.  That of course didn't happen.  We were all up by 8 and ready not to waste a single moment.  We all headed down for swimming and hot tubbing.  We walked around a little and we enjoyed the incredible resort.  We finished off the morning with a great brunch, and the girls did a little shopping.  By 11:30 we met in our little room to have one last gathering.  It was so incredible.  I know that I have used this descriptive word many times throughout the week, but there really are not the right words to describe the whole experience.  In fact, it is hard to put much of it into words.  Our gathering allowed everyone the chance to talk about their experiences, and to give thanks.  Doug and Trish were incredible.  They treated us like royalty all week long.  They were so intuitive and receptive to all that was going on, and they were there to help Michellie make her transition to a healed world.  Once again there were many tears, and Michellie was able to express herself this time.  David was extremely moved, and he felt some deep emotions throughout the week.  He really needed this experience as well.  He was such a pillar through the whole year, and he needed some special healing time too.  With the closing meditation, we all felt rejuvenated and ready to see the world.  We packed our bags and headed to the Santa Claus parade, Hawaiian style!  We enjoyed a Thai lunch, some great shopping and some fun experiences from the floats.  We met Doug and Trish's newest grandchild and shared some time with their family. 

At 5:30 we were on our way to the outdoor airport to catch our flight.  It was sad to leave.  We all enjoyed so much with this experience.  Hawaii is truly a magical place, and we felt that.  Mahalo.

Time to say Goodbye - Day 8

We began this morning like all the others, but Michellie was up and ready right away - what a switch from the start of the week.  We headed to our restaurant, and had our usual, and then got ready for the boat.  It once again needed to be fixed, but we were used to that and how the timing of the boat leaving the harbour was alway just perfect.  Today was part of the full moon cycle and an eclipse as well.  The water was running with different currents and the dolphins were scarce.  There were a few to greet us, and then they left.  We headed north and the water was very choppy.  We could not find the dolphins and had to keep travelling a long way.  David and Michellie ended up with sea sickness and spent all their time holding on to the boat.  All at once a Manta Ray was spotted, and then 11 surfaced.  Usually you have to take the boat out at night when they feed to find them.  Today, the waters had churned up the food and they were following some little microbes.  Chelsie-Anne and I jumped into the waters to be bitten by these little microbes, but the Manta's were too big a draw to care.  There were little pacman jelly fish, and long tubular jelly fish too.  But, the Manta's were incredible.  They were like angels floating in the water.  They would swim ahead of us, and then stop if we stopped.  At one point one turned to swim towards us, and Chelsie-Anne and I had to back paddle to get out of the way.  Another time we were just over top of one and it stopped. It opened its horn of skin on the front to expose an pearlescent shine that attracted the suns rays through the water.  It stopped and sat for what seemed like eternity or 60 seconds, and then it closed up the skin and swam away.  It was so surreal.  We feel very privileged to have been able to share such special moments with these incredible creatures. 

We headed back to the harbour since none of the boats could find the dolphins.  Once there, there was a small pod of about 20 - 30 swimming there.  It was in the boat channel, so we weren't supposed to swim there, but several boats parked and we jumped in.  We were all relieved to be able to say goodbye to the dolphins.  Michellie was quick into the water even after being sick.  David we let off at the docks as he couldn't handle any more topsy turvy water.  We swam in very murky water.  It was hard to see the dolphins until they were close, but they were swimming in circles around us, and they were calling.  It was so beautiful.  Afterwards we put down anchor and had our pineapple and lunch.  This time Michellie ate most of the pineapple herself.  We were all so happy to finish the day on a high note.



With Doug and Trish!



Upon our return we headed to the Cultural Center for the chance to make our own flower lei's.  This was so easy.  We were quick to finish our creations and then we headed upstairs to get ready for the gala.  We were heading to the Royal Kona Resort for "Lava Legends and Legacies" Luau.  We enjoyed incredible dancing and music.  As well as witnessed the unearthing of the roasted pig.  We tried Poi, and other Hawaiian delicacies.  It was a fun night.  We were all dressed to the nines and the pictures probably tell more.

Dolphin swimming again - Day 7

This is what greeted us this morning!



And, they just wanted to show us that play is so important!


Today the dolphins were not in the harbour to greet us, but they joined us on our ride northward.  They were ready to play, and they continually were splashing and spinning all along the route.  The swim today was about playing and being playful.  They were moving quickly, and we spent a lot of time in and out of the boat to keep up to them.  It was so interesting how they showed us such completely different sides each day.  Everyone was feeling good, and Michellie was able to let go of Doug's hand and swim on her own and with Chelsie-Anne.  David was challenged with his gear, and he was frustrated with getting sea water up the tube as he was breathing.  We were not sure if he was breathing so hard that he sucked it up or if there was really deficiency in all of his equipment.  Instead, he got some great photos today. 

After pineapple and lunch we headed back for an afternoon with more swimming, and I went snorkeling with the sea turtles in the lagoon at the hotel.  Next we headed to Heiau and the Kona Inn.   We sat on the shore line and watched the sunset in each our own special spots.  Then we headed for a great dinner beside the ocean.





We followed up the evening with a channelling session.  This was extremely powerful.  Trish supported us through the meditation, and channelled the dolphins to us.  They had powerful messages to share.  Afterwards we were all quick to bed.  David was so quick to bed that he fell asleep fully clothed and spread out like a star fish.  It wasn't until the wee hours of the morning that he noticed he still had a belt on and it was cutting into him.  We will receive the channelling messages on a tape, and I look forward to hearing all of it, as I seemed to disappear somewhere in the middle.  They sang to us through Trish and this was incredibly powerful as well.

Kilauea Volcano - Day 6

Breakfast was in the hotel this morning, and Michellie actually ate!  And, she ate well too.  This was a first for her in many months.  Heading off early this morning, but not as early as other mornings, we headed along the shoreline for our volcano tour.  We went through little villages and shops, as well as past water falls and coast lines that were so beautiful.  Coming from Mauna Lani, we headed to Waimea, and then to Waipi-o Valley Lookout, through Pa'auilo and to Akaka Falls.  The rainforest was full of incredible beauty, and there were so many incredible plants and flowers.  We ate lunch in a little spot where it downpoured incredulously.  We got to the top of Mauna Kea for cold temperatures - only 6 degrees, and rain.  We could see the crater and the steam from the different lava ponds.  It was really surreal to be on top and see such incredible power coming from the volcano.  We went through the museum and watched the videos, and enjoyed Doug's tales of Pele, and the other spirits of the volcano.  We attempted for a Thai restaurant in Hilo, but after 45 minutes of driving around, ended up in a little Italian spot that was fantastic.  Well worth the wait, right David?!

The trip home was in the dark, and across "Saddle Road".  This road is windy, dippy, dark and lonely.  We had never been on such a road, even with the windy bits in CB.  Most of us fell asleep during this part, and Michellie really slept most of the day from spot to spot.  She was really processing a lot, and we just couldn't seem to wake her.  At 10:30 pm, we finally made it home.  It was so good to see all the little, non commercial parts of the island, and the volcano.  What a great day!



Kilauea Volcano



Amorous Dolphins and Day 5

Tuesday morning was even harder for Michellie.  She just couldn't wake up.  We managed to get to the car by 6:15 but it was a challenge.  We headed for breakfast at "Bite Me" and waited for the boat.  We loaded up, headed out and the prop was causing difficulties again.  We all unloaded and waited for a fix.  Once we were on the boat again, the dolphins were waiting for us.  They were swimming all around us, and leading us out of the harbour and northward.  We were excited for another day with them.  We were asked to picture what kind of an encounter we would like with the dophins today, and each of us kept that picture clear.  Once we were at our location, there were hundreds of dolphins swimming everywhere.  We suited up, and jumped in quick.  Michellie was still apprehensive, so she swam with Doug holding her hand once again.  He led her all over with quick observations of where the dolphins were.  They were coupled for the most part, and there were lots of babies around too.  The dolphins really shared their love with us today.  They swam past and around, and were in many large pods as they past us.  Afterwards we had our pineapple with first mate, Daryl, and spent an hour or so just jumping from the boat and swimming around.  It was really great fun, and Michellie finally felt comfortable in the water and with the boat. 



Best buds or what?!

For the afternoon we headed for smoothies.  They have the most incredible juices and choices.  This became a quick special treat for all of us.  Afterwards we swam and then headed to the beach to learn how to peel a coconut.  We learnt about the inspirational healing powers of coconut water.  After husking for a long time we finally got into the meat of the coconut.  We poked a hole and drank the water, then we ate some of the meat.  Lastly, we had an incedible jelly like dessert with the coconut.  Heavenly! 

Next we headed to the Hilton Hotel.  First, the Hotel is like a mini Disney Land with a boat around the area, and a tram car.  There is a dolphin swim with several dolphins there, as well as shopping and restaurants and incredible art work and artifacts.  We headed over to a special Buddha statue that overlooked the ocean.  We enjoyed an awesome sunset that continually changed for over an hour. 



Sunset at Kohala



The Real Thing - Day 4



In the Great Blue for the first time... FEAR...that's a word all right!

Up and preparing at 5:30 am, we were down to the car for 6:15 am.  Michellie was hard to get up, but we managed.  We headed to the docks at Kona, where we had a bite to eat at "Bite Me" Fish Market Bar and Grill.  We loaded up the boat - "Neptune Charlie" and prepared to set off.  Donning sunscreen and getting our gear organized, the dolphins were at the harbour mouth ready to greet us.  There were at least 20 - 30 dolphins circling and sharing with us, and the swam in front of the boat, beside and around.  It was so exciting.  Then, we had a problem with our prop, so we had to head back into shore.  While they fixed the boat, we went around to a little site point, and we watched the dolphins from there.  About an hour later, we headed out again, and headed south towards the latest sightings of the dolphins.  En route we spotted a sea turtle just floating on top of the water. At our destination, we stopped and quickly prepared to get into the water for our first swim.  Michellie was petrified.  She could not even get her sun screen on herself. We managed to help her with this, and she dressed, but she was terrified.  When it got time to jump in the water she couldn't do it.  Doug was amazing with her.  He took her hand and coaxed her gently into the water.  Holding both his hand and mine, we let the excitement of the dolphins take over and she put her face into the water.  The dolphins were surrounding us.  They were beside, below and swimming all around.  They were really welcoming us into their pod.  They even swam over to Michellie and called to her.  At one point Chelsie-Anne was swimming off on her own and they surrounded her and swam and sang to her.  It was amazing.  There were several sounds they were using.  There was a clicking sound that filled the water, as well as an echoing call.  We were surrounded and it was so fulfilling.  Each of us received different messages through the week.  What I felt the strongest on this first day was "Look around and see everything".  This was very important, as you could have a dolphin swimming beside you, but if you were looking down, you didn't even know.  And, if you only watched the dolphins and searched for them, you missed all the schools of fish and the coral reef below.  The water was clear and beautiful.  The sun shining in rays below the water illuminated the seas and made everything so surreal and ethereal. 

We jumped in and out of the boat several times through the morning as we had to keep up to the different swimming patterns of the dolphins.  Close to noon we stopped in a beautiful coral reef location, and Doug and myself went swimming to see the different fish etc.  It was so amazing.  So freeing to be in the water and just enjoying time as it is.  The First mate of the ship, Alicia, cut up some fresh pineapple for us to enjoy, and Michellie was able to eat much of it with no reaction to it.  At home she breaks out in sores all over her mouth, but with fresh pineapple, there was no reaction.  We ate lunch, and then headed back to the harbour.  Captain Jeff was a great commander of our first day!

We returned from the boat for some relaxing, and the girls immediately suited up to go swimming.  We stopped in to the cultural center and learned how to make tea lei's.  This was great fun.  We all met for a gathering later on, and Michellie fell asleep deeply.  We didn't know how we were going to wake her, until she rolled over and fell off the couch.  After a few stunned moments, we were able to get her up and out for dinner.  We all slept well that night.

Snorkeling lessons - Day 3

Sunday, the 4th, we were awake quite early with all the time zones.  David and I headed to the beach for some Tai Chi.  The girls headed to the pool to swim and sit in the hot pool.  We had been given a huge fruit basket from the hotel, and Trish and Doug had left us lots of other food choices in the room, so we snacked and relaxed.  After lunch, we met Trish and Doug under a huge and beautiful tree by the water for our first gathering.  Here we talked about the week and did our first meditation to call in the dolphins and ask for their assistance for the week.  Then Doug took us out to snorkel in the lagoon.  The hotel had free snorkeling gear as well as surf boards etc., so we headed out to get acquainted with the coral reef and fish.  We saw all kinds of fish from "Finding Nemo", as well as sea cucumber and turtles.  It was great.  The water was like a warm bath, and we loved it.  After snorkeling we went for dinner with Trish and Doug, with our lei's and all.  We finished the evening off with a gathering in the room to talk about our goals and our dreams.  This was a very emotional time, as it was a chance to bring our fears, dreams, and wishes to voice.  We had tears and Michellie was overwhelmed with it all.  We finished off with a video of the dolphins and what to expect through the week.  We were all excited to bring on the swimming!  Also, Larry, our favorite down at the desk, sent up to the room two little dolphins with lei's stuffies for the girls.  The timing was perfect and the connection he made with the girls was awesome.

Dolphin Spirit of Hawaii - Day 1 and 2

We left our home at 5 am on the 2nd of December for a good trip to Halifax.  The weather was great, and the roads were clear.  We boarded the plane for Calgary, and we were off.  We arrived in Calgary at 3:30 pm and were greeted by the Harris'!  We were all so excited.  Our evening was an incredible night of Indian food with the company of the MacAuley's too.  Chelsie-Anne planned an evening with the home schooling bunch, and all the teens headed over to the bowling alley for some great fun.  Michellie was pumped.  Even with just a little bit of sleep, her stamina was astounding.  It was great to hear all the giggles and chatting from the teens.  Us adults had some fun of our own.  It was so good to catch up, and to talk about cancer as a thing of the past.  Melody has had her challenges after 10 years of recovery, and we talked about the new things she is working on to get her stamina and sleep on target.  Mireille was a force to contend with, and everyone was scooted home by 10 pm so we could get a little nap before our 4:30 am departure for the airport. 

Andy took us to the airport, beginning our morning with "Vacation" by the Gogo's on the radio.  I should comment here, that despite the icy conditions on landing, the road was relatively clear and the skies were vibrant in the morning.  We arrived to the airport in fine time.  Later that day the snow storm closed all the roads in and out of Cochrane, but we were already up and on our way.  Our flight took us to Phoenix, Arizona with a short stop over to do a little shopping and eating.  Finally, we were on a plane to the islands!!!!

We landed in the early afternoon (thank goodness for Touch for Health time travel skills to adjust time zones for us - 6 hours time difference from Cape Breton).  Trish and Doug, our incredible hosts, met us at the airport where we were lei'd for the first time.  It was warm, green, beautiful and our hosts so warm and welcoming!  Doug was guided by the dolphins to make our trip bigger than it was, and he obtained a sponsorship from the Maula Lani Resort to support us with accommodations for the entire trip.  We were on the top floor, overlooking the ocean, and we each had our own rooms, as well as a special room for our mediations and gatherings.  We were met at the resort with more lei's, as well as Larry (our incredible greeting person).  We were given cold wipes to refresh with, fresh guava juice, and the girls were given little turtle stuffies from the resort.  We settled into our rooms, walked the grounds a little and enjoyed the real turtles, as well as some entertainers in the lobby singing and dancing and playing guitar.  We had dinner, and then we crashed by 9.  It gets dark in Hawaii by 5:30, and they have a torch lighter that blows a conch shell and then runs from torch to torch lighting the grounds.  This was fun to watch.  We could not believe the trip was real.  It still seemed like such a dream.

From the Naturopath

We have spent the last few months with a great Naturopath from Antigonish, Jennifer Doyle.  She has taken all of Michellie's last complaints and begun work on cleaning this out.  She began with a stomach coater to reduce the inflammation.  This is DGL.  This took about 6 weeks to really show an impact that was lasting, and the stomach cramping while eating has been reduced significantly.  Second, Michellie has really slowed down her eating.  She finds that if she eats in a rush, the cramping returns.  I guess Grandpa's wish for dinner at the table and for a relaxing visit is the best medicine too! We also added a product called Calm with Calcium and Magnesium to reduce cramping, and this has worked really well also.  A really strong probiotic was added to get the good bacteria going, and reduce the side effects of the antibiotics used during chemo.  That was in October.  In November we added a B6 vitamin to increase energy and reduce PMS.  As well, Myorel was added to reduce inflammation.  Lastly, we added Castor Oil rubs 4 times a week along the lower abdomen, with a hot water bottle for twenty minutes.  This is a detoxifier and can eliminate any cysts growing on the ovaries.  (Blood clotting with the blood flow, cramping in the middle of the menstrual cycle, and intense pain with menses can be indicative of cysts).  We are thrilled to report that the back pain from menses and the overall cramping has been reduced significantly, such that Michellie was able to continue to go to school and only use a regular pain killer to manage the pain.  This was so incredible, I was doing the happy dance for three days!!!

Our friend, Wendy, also sent us some essential oil blends to assist with the pain, and Michellie was able to add these to her repetoire as well.  She sent us a special blend of Clary Sage, Fennel, Bergamot and Coconut oil.  This Michellie kept on the bottom of her feet each night for the last few weeks.  Thank you Wendy!!!

Our time with the Naturopath has educated us on the different levels of activity happening for Michellie.  She did not have a hormone imbalance, which is how many of the PMS symptoms are usually dealt with.  If we had gone this route, we would still be having trouble with symptoms.  We hope that by outlining the info above, others will be able to find their own solutions. 

Michellie was so happy to finally have relief and solutions.  In fact, we didn't even have any mood swings to go with this last round either.  We will keep you updated.

Michellie is having difficulty with getting to sleep, and many night she lies awake until 3 or 4 am.  Our friend Melody has suffered from terrible sleep deprivation since her chemo treatments, and with some testing discovered that  her Seratonin levels were extremely depleted.  She is attending a special clinic in Canmore, Alberta this week to help her change this around.  We are eagerly waiting for her results so that we can know if this is something we need to pursue further.  Anyone with info on this, we would love to hear from you.  The Naturopath explained to us that if you just work with the Melatonin, that is the final product, whereby Seratonin is one of the initial products the body produces to help several systems in the body.  It can cause difficulty in several areas if it is low.  She advised us to wait a few more weeks to see if Michellie continues to heal herself, and if these difficulties will adjust.

Bring on healing with the Dolphins!