Two posts in one day!

It seems that there are times when just saying your family has been so special in a post is not enough.  I really should have made it far more clear how important they were to me this year, instead of simply writing “2013 brought a new meaning to the word Family”

So let’s start with my husband Richard

• he was my rock this year.  I really couldn’t have got through all of this without him
• he made sure I stayed in the moment, and didn’t get ahead of myself
• he made sure I didn’t read what I wasn’t supposed to, and I know he stayed up researching everything when I wasn’t looking
• he kept the family functioning when I was not able to 
• cancer brought us closer and made us realize what is important and what’s not
• I thank you and I love you

My girls Carly & Hailey

• telling them I had cancer was truly one of the hardest things I had to do last year, much harder than actually getting chemo.
• they were my reason for fighting
• they were the ones that made me understand that chemo was for making sure it didn’t come back.
• they kept it all real for me and did not let me be a cancer victim
• I thank you and I love you

My Mom

• when you’re a Mom, the last thing you ever want is for your child to get sick, doesn’t matter what age you are
• when you’re a Mom that has had cancer and now is watching her own daughter go through it treatment, I think it’s harder on many levels
• my Mom, jumped into “mom mode” as soon as I told her what was going on
• I thank you and i love you

Nava & Wayne

• they were the first to always offer to take me to the hospital, call to see if I was ok, and drop off food without ever asking what I needed
• yes, cancer brought us closer.  I spent a lot of time with Nava at the hospital, and had some very special time in Israel with Wayne this summer
• I love you and I thank you

Jeffrey & Naomi

• my diagnosis was really difficult on my brother and sister in law.  
• With a new baby, my beautiful niece Piper, their time was occupied with all good things, and the beautiful smiles from my niece.
• but when it counted, there were there
• I love you and I thank you

Auntie Nessie

• Although you were in Winnipeg, you were there every step of the way
• Your messages, texts, and the meals you sent meant the world to me
• I love you and I thank you

I am so grateful to have the family that I do, and their strength and love took me through some really dark days.

I’m looking forward to sharing wonderful happy times that will make us all smile in 2014

Love you ❤

Needless to say, there is a lot about 2013 that I would rather not have had happen…ok…that’s one heck of an understatement!!

But they do say (honestly not sure who “they” are) that some good things come out of not good things, and I’m going to focus on those.

• I discovered an inner strength I never knew I had
• It brought a new meaning to the word Family
• I made some very special friends over this year that I hold very dear to my heart and I know will be lifelong friends. 
• New friends that reached out to me, acquaintances that became good friends, and friends I only knew through Facebook became such a special part of my life that I so cherish
• I renewed some long lost friendships, unfortunately cancer did push a few friends away as well, but I’m not going to dwell on them.
• I threw the baseball out at the Blue Jays game, and threw a strike!
• I was honored to speak at the press conference to introduce the new clinical drug that Dr. Tak Mak & Dr. Dennis Slamon developed with the monies raised through WEWC
• I was a Breakfast Television, and was showered with gifts.
• I was humbled to be part of the survivor circle along with the other amazing survivors at Weekend to End Woman’s Cancers
• My story has been featured in the PMCC Financial Statement, in the North York Post, and in the Feb issue of Canadian Living Magazine.
• I’ve been interviewed by a few TV and radio stations including CP24 right after my last chemo session
• I was part of a video done to help orientate those going into chemo
• People were so wonderfully generous with their time for me, cooking, sending amazing special gifts, sending message of love and support, things I will never forget
• Grateful to my Doctors that they were able to arrange my chemo schedule so that I could join my family in Israel and watch Carly compete at the Maccabi games, we had such an incredible time
• Thankful to my Doctor friends who helped me understand what was going on, helping me decipher the terminology, fitting me into a busy schedule to put in my port
• Thankful to the Chemo Daycare nurses for being such compassionate people, and holding my hand when I was scared
• Thankful for all the support from everyone at the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation and my teammates at Trade Secrets as they stayed by me through my journey
• I had wonderful support from everyone I work with, and they made it easy for me to work through my treatment, and were so understanding of when I was limited in what I could do.

I’m sure there are things I’m forgetting, but memory is one of the things that gets messed with when you go through chemo and radiation.

2013 ended with a smile as good friends from New Jersey came in to send it off with a smile, and bring in 2014 with a bigger one.  I am so blessed to have such special people in my life that it brings tears to my eyes as I’m writing this.

Here’s to a better 2014 for everyone!!

Happy New Year 🙂

Hugs, Randy