I haven’t updated for a long time because I have struggled with what to write. I can’t seem to find words powerful enough to express sufficiently how deeply this journey has pushed me. When Cailyn was first diagnosed, I was told that I needed to accept that she had a chronic, life-threatening illness. Frankly, I […]
This is the seventh update I have started and I am very hopeful that I don’t get a writer’s block with this one! I have mentioned it in other entries, and it is just as true now, I am struggling these last many months to find the words that do justice to my feelings regarding […]
Today was a very special day… it was Earth Day, my birthday, and the wonderful celebration of both my parents’ 60th wedding anniversary and my Mom’s 80th birthday. The weather cooperated, bringing beautiful sunshine… it was as sunny in the party room as it was outside. These kinds of gatherings afford us the opportunity to […]
From the ridiculous to the sublime… that is sometimes how we roll!! A few weeks ago, Cailyn’s Auntie Corinne organized an introductory “sitting volleyball” session, which was sponsored by the KW Predators Volleyball Club. Cailyn didn’t really want to participate, but she did, and admitted that it had been a lot of fun. Volleyball has never been […]
It’s that time of year. A time for giving and a time to cherish moments with family and friends. I am so thankful that our blessings are many and our needs are few… there are many who can’t say the same. The girls are thrilled that the only things that are actually planned over […]
I am so very thankful for all of the support we are receiving from our circle of family and friends. I can easily state that this support is a life-line for me. Twelve years in, I am painfully aware of how effectively my resilience has been eroded by the stress I feel managing Cailyn’s health journey. I first noticed my shaky […]
Fifteen years ago today, my life changed forever. My beautiful daughter Cailyn was born and I finally became a Mom… someone I had wanted to be since I was 5 years old. In hindsight, the exceptionality of my pregnancy might have been foreshadowing for what has certainly been an exceptional 15 years. The last 6 weeks […]
The girls are home from Camp and they had a fantastic time. Our departure from camp was delayed with reluctant goodbyes. It was only after a visit from the camp director, who needed her counselors to help with camp clean-up, that we were able to pull away from the wonderful experience. Every time the girls […]
Monday afternoon, I drove the girls to Camp Trillium for six days of camp. This camp is a very special place specifically focused on providing great experiences for children with cancer and their families. During this week of camp, both of my girls have the gift of sharing time and having fun with kids who really get what it means to […]
YAY!! I finally got notification that Cailyn’s MRI shows that her tumour is stable. I am VERY RELIEVED and happy, as it is a wonderful springboard into some of the fun planned for this summer. The communication took a little longer than usual (and than I would have liked, clearly) because Cailyn’s oncologist was away […]