Editor's note: The following is a personal account of living with cancer, written by Gail McIlroy of Hawkestone.
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As a young grandmother with seven grandchildren, I wanted to share some of my experiences along the road of battling cancer, undergoing chemotherapy and recovery’s amazing journey
The journey carries on: lots of imaging, oncology followups and now, I could (almost) run a pharmacy from my home.
It’s quite amazing how one’s mind can wander if you dare to allow it. Being isolated because your immune system is at zero and the country is still in the middle of a pandemic, texts and social media become your new friends.
The treatment journey needs to be done on one’s own because of the state of our wonderful wonderful country due to the rising numbers of COVID cases; you quickly learn to deal with things on your own, ever so respectful of your front-line workers.
Family members check in and out daily which is such a bonus. Friends in the community continue to prepare and provide food daily, delivered to the porch, and my dog and companion, Bentley, joyfully announces their arrival.
I can’t stress enough the difference a loving community makes. Even though at this time I can’t see anyone, just knowing they are out there makes such a tremendous difference in my mental attitude. It needs to be noted our community really came together.
Thank you to Judy and Becky for setting up a meal train. Also appreciated are Guy and Heike and William (who walks Bentley), Cindy and Jay, Warren and Barb, Marilyn and Bob, Wanda and Don, Mark and Ricki, Ralph and Sandra, Betty Ann and Terry, Debbie, Irene and John, Michelle and Peter.
Having friends so generously prepare food really has made such a difference in recovering; I would never be as well without their dedicated influence and delicious meals.
Thank you to neighbour Scott who voluntarily moves snow from the pathways so the nurses can find their way to the front door.
Thankfully another neighbour volunteered to return the garbage and recycling bins weekly. Thank you Kirk!
Part of organizing for your journey is getting rides to and from the hospital. In my case, my son Brad from Toronto took time to stay with me post-surgery; my sister Nancy (from Thunder Bay) and my son Jamie (from Calgary) each took a turn, not just for driving but stayed with me after surgery.
Helping Hands drivers drive on days when it couldn’t be done by anyone. Then there is the faithful, dedicated friend Sharon who has been driving weekly since the family left. Thank you, Sharon.
Yes, it takes a village! Dedicated neighbours and friends have made so many parts of this journey doable.
Granted, treatments can be gruelling; some days are more tense than others and, as mentioned earlier, in some cases it’s hard to get one’s head off the pillow. Therefore, I cannot stress enough the importance of reaching out. Friends like to help!.
Keeping everything as normal as possible is another goal! Thank you Sue for gifting me a dog walker and thank you Rob for coming at a moment’s notice. .
Hydration and rest is key to your wellbeing during your recovery. Filled with pain meds along with whatever is recommended you get through the day, some of us walk on an angle due to the drugs. Perhaps, as cancer patients, we should form our own chorus line complete with IV poles.
I hope some of the things have been helpful to those who are new to this journey, a journey you didn’t ask for, but a journey you are going to win!
Humour should always be a priority. One evening without wearing my glasses, I decided to taste one of the treats that had been delivered. It was separate from the other food items, so I thought it was a yummy little dessert treat.
After having a taste, I thought it could be a different kind of fig or maybe a bacon-flavoured oat bar. Hmm.... Then I thought to look at the carefully labelled packaged item: it was a generous, thoughtful treat for Bentley. Lesson learned: wear one’s glasses and have a laugh.
I go to Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital in Orillia (OSMH) for my chemo treatments and to the Royal Victoria Hospital for radiation. Once again, I can’t say enough good things about the small cancer centre at OSMH.
Being small is an asset. The nursing staff know all the patients and welcome you in a gentle and positive manner upon arrival. It takes a special kind of nurse to work in this field, knowing some of us will make it while others will not. Friendly, yet professional, I consider it another bonus in this journey.
Thank you to the caring nursing staff at Soldiers'. They care and take the time to show it; a small engaging group of professionals that look at us almost as family.
Everyone in the cancer centre at Soldiers' go out of their way to keep you comfortable during chemo treatments, and yes we laugh lots together Thank you.
I mentioned Bentley, my furry partner in crime - a four-year-old Golden Doodle rescue. I received a great gift from Scott and Lauren (one of my three sons and his wife): a Furbo (furbodogcameras.com), which is a dog camera that allows you to interact with your pet when you’re away.
I can watch Bentley’s antics, speak to him through a speaker from my iPhone, and can have him fed a treat from the unit all at a touch from the phone. All of this from the hospital and my chemo chair.
A funny anecdote: the Furbo also has a motion sensor that triggers pre-set responses. One night, while up to take medication, it quietly flipped me a piece of kibble, and then sent my phone an alert that it detected a person in the house. Needless to say, after a brief moment of panic, I made the adjustment to the settings the next day.
So, in closing, be strong, be loyal and honest with your loved ones and be true to your commitment to empower healing and, most importantly, love yourself. Stay strong, laugh lots and let your body heal through resting.
Chemo tires one’s body out, so this is not the time to be heroic, but rather relax, rebuild, reach out and be thankful!
