Blink of an eye

Life can change in the blink of an eye. I'm very, very familiar with that phenomenon because of my cancer diagnosis. On that fateful day in April 2009, my life changed dramatically and will never be the same again.

My husband, Michael's life was turned upside down this week. While it's not as drastic and dramatic as cancer, his situation is far more serious than he or I originally thought.

Last weekend, he decided to hop on the treadmill and do a long overdue workout. He ran, did some situps and worked out with weights. Afterwards, he complained his back hurt a bit. Then on Saturday, we shopped and bought a recliner loveseat. Michael, Noah and I managed to get the heavy piece of furniture into our house and up the stairs to our living room. That night, he complained his back hurt a little more.

We soaked in the hot tub, I gave him a massage and he took some Tylenol to try to get this little back problem under control. As the week progressed, he complained the pain was getting worse. On Thursday, he actually had to leave work and saw the doctor.

That afternoon, he discovered his little back problem was actually a compressed L5 disk. Apparently, that area controls the rib cage, as well as bladder and penile functions. His doctor warned him if he damaged it further, he could lose bowel control, and if that heppened, to get to the emergency room right away. Yikes! And if he didn't take it easy, damage could be permanent. Double yikes!

So my dear husband is now off work for one to six weeks, has a prescription for anti-inflammatories, needs physiotherapy and has to rest his back. Just as I'm going back to work, he's off for a while. (His physiotherapist said the time will probably be closer to six weeks than one, which is probably best.)

While he didn't feel a sudden twinge or pain, the workout and couch carrying are the only things he did differently before the problems started.

You know what The Rolling Stones would say: "What a drag it is getting old." While the body overreacting to everything sucks, I'd rather get old than the alternative.

Here's hoping Michael's pain subsides and his back heals quickly. We've got living to do.

Tina

Just life

On Friday, I got an email from a dear friend, asking if I was okay. She noticed I hadn't blogged since Tuesday, which is a long time for me, and therefore needed to check on my status. I was touched.

I've gotten busy over the last couple of weeks, even though I'm not even working half a week yet. Yikes! Next week, I work four mornings and on my day off, I head to Hamilton for a check up with Dr. H.

Life is busy, especially with children and their appointments, homework and activities. Yet, I'm thankful for this type of chaos because it means I'm living a normal life. While I haven't got quite gotten into the swing of everything yet, it'll come, with time.

Tonight, I'm going out with a bunch of friends. We're celebrating the winter babies in our group, of which I'm one. I think a little drinking and dancing are in order because it's good to have birthdays to celebrate.

Cheers,
Tina

Renewed love affair

I've recently rediscovered the joy of reading magazines. These portable, glossy-paged, disposable booklets are treasure troves of information and ideas.

I read a lot of books. I love a good fictional story, especially ones involving mysteries, crimes, police and forensic pathology. The novels I choose need to have strong characters and compelling storylines. Yes, they can be dark, but for some reason, I'm drawn to them. My favourite authors include: Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs, John Sandford, James Patterson, Elizabeth Lowell and Tess Gerittsen. I also like Janet Evanovich, but her books are more humerous and unrealistic than gruesome.

I got drawn back into the world of magazines because of the hot tub. I wanted to relax in its soothing, warm waters and read at the same time. The extreme cold of our Canadian winters produces a lot of steam over the water surface, which would damage my books (or those of the library). So I grabbed one of the many unread Chatelaine or More magazines, which are neatly piled in different areas of my house, knowing I could simply recycle their soggy pages.

I think Chatelaine changed its format during my publication-reading hiatus, so now I find the magazine's articles, recipes, fashion ideas, exercise routines and home-decorating tips relevant and compelling.

For example, the magazine features a style spread each month, with age-based recommendations on how to wear the latest trends. Usually I don't go for the latest fashion, finding them unrealistic to real life. But I actually like the clothes chosen for these spreads. Mind you, I usually like the clothes, shoes and jewelry featured for those in their 30s the most, so maybe I'm mentally younger than my cronological age. The magazine even lists the Canadian store where readers can find the clothes featured and their retail price.

Chatelaine publishes longer feature articles and lots of short tidbits of information, so the readers can choose according to their current attention span. I love them all! Did you know asparagus will help detoxify your liver after a overindulgent night of celebrating? Me neither! I also didn't know 10 minutes of friendly conversation can give my brain a quick boost and make me a better problem solver? Or that walnuts are a stress reliever. Thank you Chatelaine.

The January 2011 issue also featured a breakdown on some of the most popular diets, just in time for the popular new year's resolution to shed a few pounds. It also included a checklist on ways to change your life in 30 days. Some readers may follow the list of 30 wellness suggestions from beginning to end, while others may pick a few to better themselves and their lives. The list included:

- Aim for 80 per cent of today's food intake to be fresh, real and unprocessed.
- Go on a (laughter) date.
- Reach out to someone important in your life. It can have a powerful effect on both you and your valued friend.
- Take at least three breathing breaks
- Indulge in chocolate and red wine (powerful antioxidants) - This is my favourite!

The February 2011 issue taught me how to cook and enjoy dark leafy greens. While I knew these super veggies packed a lot of immune-boosting nutrients and were touted to possibly help reduce the risk of some cancers, I didn't know how to incorporate them into my kitchen routine. Thanks to the article, I now know the nutrient breakdown, storing instructions and ways to cook arugula, spinach, kale, collard greens and swiss chard. While I love spinach, I can now expand my palate to incorporate some of these other leafy powerhouses.

I find myself saying "Hunh," "What a great idea!" and "I'd like to try that" during my perusing of every issue. Even when I don't consciously incorporate the magazine's suggestions into my life, its articles expand my knowledge base and give me food for thought. In addition, it provides great food ideas with wonderful recipes, complete with full-colour, glossy photos of the final product. Mmmmm.

So, while I'll continue to enjoy my novels, my love of my magazines has been renewed, especially during those leisurely soaks in the hot tub. Now I can lower my stress levels and increase my I.Q. at the same time. What a great combination!

Tina

A-okay

Over the past couple of weeks, the focus has shifted from my abdomen to my breasts. As a BRCA-1 gene mutation carrier, I have an extremely high risk of developing breast cancer. Even though my hysterectomy and oopherectomy reduced my risk by half, it's unacceptable at at almost 50 per cent. As a result, I undergo careful screening once a year.

Last week, I made my way to St. Joseph's Health Care to be scanned and squished during my MIR and mammogram. Luckily, I had the foresight to take two Tylenol in advance of the MRI and therefore the act of resting my entire weight on my breastbone for at least 20 minutes didn't hurt quite as much. I used my imagination to ferry myself somewhere else during the process and it didn't seem to take very long (and it kept my mind off the fact my body was slid head first into a slim, claustrophobic tube).

My main irritation was a few itches. Once I wasn't allowed to move, a particular area would demand some scratching attention. Luckily, if I ignored it, the sensation went away. But it was annoying nonetheless.

Yesterday, I visited the nurse practitioner to learn my test results. My breasts are great. No lumps, bumps or pesky signs of cancer. Whew!

In April, I have an appointment with the plastic surgeon to discuss a prophylactic double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. (This date scheduled after my breast check in 2010 and it's taken over a year to get the appointment.) At this meeting, we'll discuss my surgery options. When I choose on particular procedure, I'll then have the opportunity to talk to other women who've had the exact same surgery.

To be honest, thoughts of my breasts have been on the backburner. I was too busy dealing with ovarian cancer to think about the possiblity of getting another form of the disease. But the meeting yesterday got me thinking once again about going under the knife again.

I have to confess, I'm a bit conflicted. If the Olaparib is doing its job and fixing the broken part of the gene mutation, it should prevent the development of breast cancer too. Should I rely on the Olaparib? Can I take that risk with an experimental drug? Can I take a wait and see approach or do I need to take action as soon as possible? These questions and ideas are swirling about in my mind.

I don't feel particularly connected to my breasts, but I had a twinge of sadness for them yesterday when looking at photos of women who've undergone the surgery. There's the risk of them being slightly lopsided and the nipple would be gone (and a tattoo version put on later). I guess the upside is they'd be perkier.

I'm reluctant to experience more pain and recovery, especially since I don't feel I have my full strength back from all the chemo treatments this past summer, but I certainly don't want to battle breast cancer too. The thought makes me feel very, very tired.

I guess I'll examine my options and make some hard decisions after I see the plastic surgeon in April. I suspect this process won't move quickly anyway, so I'll have lots of time to adjust to whatever my future may hold.

Tina

Interesting research

We live in an amazing time. Medical researchers are working hard every day to discover the causes of and develop treatments for deadly diseases.

Of course, I'm especially interested in the work being done for ovarian cancer. In fact, as a participant in the Olaparib clinical trial, you could say I'm dangling over the cutting edge, hoping I don't fall off. It's a semi-scary, yet exciting place to be. I truly believe Olaparib, and other breakthrough research, will decrease the number of deaths associated with this silent stalker. Unfortunately, the fatality rate of this form of cancer is terribly high with 2,600 women diagnosed and 1,750 dying from this disease in Canada every year. This has to stop.

Some of the breakthrough discoveries come from amazing places. The February 2011 issue of Reader's Digest briefly explained two recent discoveries in the ovarian cancer field:

The shrew
This medical breakthrough story involved a shrew. Since I didn't know exactly what a shrew was, I looked it up this morning. I knew Shakespeare's used the term in his play, The Taming of the Shrew, as a reference to a nasty-tempered woman.

According to Wikipedia, a shew is a small mammal that belongs to the family of small insectivores (eats insects). There are approximately 250 species worldwide, 16 in Canada. Shrews are small (35-180 mm long) and have short legs, a well-developed tail, a long, pointed snout, small eyes and ears. The short-tailed shrew's venom is poisonous, and the American short-tailed shrew's glands have enough to kill 200 mice by intravenous injection.

Researchers have discovered one component of this venom may help treat high blood pressure, while another compound may be useful to treat neuromuscular conditions and migraines.

Jack Stewart, a biochemist at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick discovered small amounts of the protein soricidin in the venom kills ovarian-cancer cells while leaving normal tissue alone. While the conventional chemotherapy treatment kills all rapidly-dividing cells, this type of treatment isolates and treats only the cancer cells. It's very exciting!

In June 2010, Canada's National Research Council invested over $500,000 (which doesn't sound like enough to me) in Soricimed Biopharma Inc., the company Stewart helped start. Phase I trials of soricidin ovarian-cancer therapy begin in 2011. This could be one of the breakthroughs we need to more efficiently battle this horrible affliction.

Out with the fallopian tubes
Researchers at the BC Cancer Agency recently discovered ovarian cancer deaths could be reduced by as much as 30 per cent. Dr. Sarah Finlayson, a gynecological oncologist with the agency's Ovarian Cancer Research Program found the deadliest form of ovarian cancer originates in the fallopian tubes, not the ovaries.

As a result, the BC Cancer Agency is calling for a change in surgical practices so fallopian tubes are removed along with the uterus during hysterectomies and when performing tubal ligation, regardless of the patient's age. For younger patients, the current practice is to remove only the uterus during a hysterectomy and to clip or burn the fallopian tubes to achieve permanent contraception.

If the fallopian tubes aren't present to create this deadliest form of ovarian cancer, then the number of women who succumb to the disease could significantly decrease. No one needs to go through this and prevention is best.

I'm extremely grateful to all those who work hard to find a better way to prevent, detect and treat ovarian cancer. I'm encouraged by the results of new and innovative medical research. It feels as though they're on the brink of something new, different and exciting. This research may provide more and different options for women battling this insidious disease - and most importantly prolong life.

It gives me hope ,and that's an important component of this fight.

Tina

The buzz of the alarm clock

I'm slowly getting the hang of this working thing. Three days a week, I get up to the buzz of the alarm clock instead of my own circadian rhythm and bustle about my house getting lunches packed, my kids up and myself showered. Gone are the days of yoga pants and a sweatshirt. I have think about what I'm going to wear and dig out my professional attire.(As a result, I've learned I don't have enough pairs of black dress socks. But that's another issue altogether.)

My first full work week, I wanted to collapse in exhaustion. Last week, I did well, managing to work, take the bus home and do a few chores around the house. Of course, the hours in my work day bump up by one this week (three days, four hours a day) and the kids have activities and appointments three of the five days.

In addition, I'm trying to exercise at least three days a week. Expending energy exercising will make me stronger and create more energy. But it's still tough some days to convince myself to move my body. Last week, I had to hop on the treadmill as soon as I got home from work, before I talked myself out of it.

I have permission from my disability co-ordinator to once again secure the services of a personal trainer. I've got T lined up again, but I'm afraid to start scheduling appointments since I know she's going  to be tough in her attempts to kick my butt back in shape. Yikes! I have every confidence I'll know when the time is right.

I'm getting better at listening to my body, and as long as I pay attention I should be okay. For now, I'm taking it one day at a time.

Tina

Me and Suzie - 2007

Here's me and Suzie when I met her outside the theatre when she was in We Will Rock You in 2007. I had hair and Suzie was blond!

(She's tall - and beautiful.)