"20 Ways You Know You're a Parent of a Kid With Leukemia"... hopefully worth a smile.

1. You have a favourite brand of hand sanitizer...  we use 3M Avagard.
2. Your kid has a favourite brand of hand sanitizer (favourite "flavour" actually since our kids still put their fingers in their mouths).
3. You make decisions on whether your kid can attend an event, based soley on "infection risk".
4. You are put on "high alert" whenever you hear another kid nearby who's coughing or sneezing.
5. You know what a neutrophil is... and you know what a "good count" is.
6. You have an "express pass" in your local hospital's emergency department.
7. You know your kid's 10 favourite ways to be entertained while in the hospital.
8. You know where the hospital stores its movies, games, craft supplies, etc.
9. You know which of your awesome kind friends makes the best meals for when you're in hospital or "post chemo".
10. You know what "pole riding" is... and you know which IV poles are the best for riding.
11. You think that the inventor of EMLA cream deserves a Nobel Prize.
12. You know at least one thing about each of the members of the nursing staff (eg. where they last went on holiday, how they like their coffee, etc.).
13. You know all the areas in the hospital where your cel phone works.
14. You have at least one cupboard in your house entirely devoted to your kid's medicines.
15. You have perfected a checklist system for ensuring no missed medicine doses.
16. You try to avoid saying the "r" word (relapse).
17. Your local pharmacists don't need to ask your name when you pick up prescriptions.
18. You know how to make a full meal from food you can find around the hospital (note: I didn't say "healthy meal" though).
19. You can sleep in just about any position in just about any form of bed/couch/chair.
20. You know what A.L.L. stands for and you can spell Leukemia (without using a spell checker).

All the best,
Bill LaBranche, London, Canada


I publish this as a reminder to laugh~it is a healing balm

Being Positive

"being thankful for what is positive in every situation" 

by: Elie Wiesel

Someone wrote a blog post about this man, and I began to do some research. 

I am learning that he became a journalist and  I found a pdf format of a book called "Night"  that he wrote about his life.  He is a survivor of Auschwitz. It is a part of my 'mental healing' process to absorb and ponder his experiences.   Truly an inspiration.

A Discovery

NEEM!
Anti bacterial

anti fungal

anti inflammatory

anti perasetic

antiprotozoal

anti viral

pesticide

anti microbial

 A good place to begin research:  http://usingneem.com/  

I am experimenting with it .  We have access to the fresh leaves.

Freshly dried in the sun and made into a powder

Lets see how this herb helps my health issues ...!   

A Promise

Thank you for all the kind comments from my last post. 

 I will share as I feel capable. 

 For now I will leave you with a picture  captuured yesterday. 

 A promise from God

Running on Complete Empty

I have been pretty depleted physically, mentally, and emotionally. Don't get me wrong, I have a close relationship with God. My spiritual connection is strong. He is the glue that holds me together~but reality is that life has been tough this past year, and has left its mark on me physically, mentally and and emotionally. Now that my son is past his hard phases of chemo, I am focusing on my own health issues. The social worker at the clinic approached me one day  and asked me if I was taking time out to care for me.  I told her I thought so~but obviously I have been neglecting some of my personal needs over the past year.  The first sign was when I came down with shingles~and other physical ailments have cropped up or resurfaced also. I have been researching all my options and plan to share some of my story as I heal. For the record I have been to the Dr. and am following medical advice.

Morning Bliss

I am getting back into the morning walk mode after a long absence.  I took some pictures to remind me of the simplicity of life, and to remind me that we humans are the ones that complicate life.

Randomness

 Since I have not been here for a long time, I thought of just posting pictures to update some of what is is happening around here.

First time in almost a year

Baby Shower for a friend

First Sermon as our new pastor~but definitely not first sermon in this church

Love the colors~made for a brunch

Love to see him active again!

Enjoying the beach~i think

Sun!!! In the eyes

Bike helmets were pretty dusty from disuse

Sure enjoying the fresh picked tomatoes