My Twitter posts now on NFB

You'll notice a new box on the right, which is my Twitter tweets. We'll see if you like it!

Matty in the Pumpkin Patch

Today was a beautiful fall day. A friend signed us up to visit the pumpkin patch next week. As it turns out, the time conflicts with my riding lesson (yes, horseback! YAY!). So, we took our kids today. Matty had a great time playing in the pumpkins with his friend.
Here are a few of the pictures.


Matty is almost a year old! I can't believe how fast the year has flown by. This time last year we were still waiting to see if this house would be finished on time for us to move in. Wow. I was still working and not yet on maternity leave and friends were helping us pack up the house in Temagami.

Good thing I got over my fear of needles

Here's the short version of a long story. My immunoglobulin levels are abnormally low. This was the case prior to chemotherapy, and has continued to this day. Whether it predated cancer is unknown. My oncologist basically shrugged his shoulders and said he couldn't do anything about it, talk to my GP. My GP sent me to an immunologist in Toronto, who took some blood (all doctors are vampires, I'm discovering). The immunologist told me I have panhypogammaglobulinemia. Am I ever glad I took a medical terminology course as part of my paramedic diploma. That 24-letter monstrosity means that all of my gammaglobulin levels are low. That immunologist said I would need a therapy called intravenous immunoglobulins, or IVIG. He sent me to another immunologist who apparently provides this treatment. Of course, no doctor is content to believe the blood test results from previous doctors, so this doctor/vampire ordered new blood tests. These tests will not only gauge my current immunoglobulin status, but also the effectiveness of previous vaccines I've received.

One thing I did have confirmed is a statistical link between NHL, celiac disease (I may or may not be celiac, but I do have a gluten sensitivity), and low gamma globulins.

So that's where we're at right now. Going home tonight, finally.

Back home

Finally, after over 2 weeks on the road, we're home again. First to Maine to visit with Hilary, Peter, Ben and PD. Then to Vermont to visit with a whole pile of Anna's friends. Then New Hampshire. Then St. Catharines to see Sarah Laughton and Sophie, her 2 month old daughter. Then Toronto, and now home again. But we won't rest for long. We're headed back to Toronto for my first IVIG appointment at St. Michael's Hospital. (Don't think I've blogged about this before, but will soon. In short, my body currently produces insufficient quantities of immunoglobulins, so I will soon begin a lifelong supplementation program. Should make me less susceptible to bacterial illnesses and maybe H1N1!) We're staying in S. Ont. for the weekend to visit Mom and Dad. Matty's looking forward to a swim in the pool. Then another appointment in Toronto on Tuesday, and we'll be home again. Then I think we're glueing our asses to North Bay for awhile!

Teething sucks

I'm glad I don't remember teething. Last Friday Matty spiked a fever, which we sorta controlled with baby acetaminophen. Then it was two full days in the car as we drove first from Temagami (er, Freudian slip) North Bay to Toronto to Rochester, and next to Portland to visit Hilary, Peter and family. Matty wasn't happy with car seat torture, and the 30+ degree weather didn't help. Yesterday he was inconsolable, not eating, not sleeping. But last night something changed, and he slept for 13 hours, with only one minor interruption. Yesterday Anna and I felt like lumps of parental-goo. Today we feel wonderful. Now off to enjoy a lovely Maine day!

New Liskeard Biker's Reunion in July & the North Bay Carousel

Names on my leg, the starting line, on the road

A mid-summer's afternoon post

Several have pointed out recently that I have not posted in nearly two months! How time flies! It's been a busy summer since the Ride. Matty is growing more every day. His latest thing is crawling. Grandma and Grandpa were up yesterday. They babysat for an hour while Anna and I did a horse trail ride, then we hung out with them at their campsite at Restoule Provincial Park. Before that there was a canoe trip to the beach at Sandy Inlet with a few other local couples and kids. Before that, two weddings in southern Ontario, a visit from Nana, and a visit from Aunt Eleanor.

Next week, we're leaving for Maine and Vermont to visit Anna's sister's family, for two weeks. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to September, which should be a little quieter.

I'll try to get some photos up tonight.

Finally, a fundraising update: total for 2009 RTCC is $8310. I registered for the 2010 Ride, and have already raised $525 (but that's mostly uncashed cheques from 2009. I have some new fundraising ideas for next year, which do not involve pestering friends and family.

$8,110 raised!

Bob raised over $8,000 - hundreds of dollars ,more than his goal. WAY TO GO SWEETIE!
Bob did a quick turn around and is off on another adventure. He will post more when he returns.
Thank you all who donated! There were 3,550 riders and they raised over $14.5 million! HOORAY!





Waiting for Daddy at the finish line!

7 Days To Go!

Fundraising has been fantastic in the last few days, with over $1000 coming in! I still have over $1600 to go to reach my goal of $7500. Honestly, a few months back I didn't think I would reach that goal. Now, with your help, I know we'll pass it!

I'll be training hard this weekend, with back-to-back long rides (including one day of about 150 km). Next week I'll be taking it easy, with just a few short rides to stay in the game.

Some friends have asked for a "vegan" fundraising option. This is because money donated for research purposes may incorporate animal trials. I absolutely respect this. Anyone interested, please email me.

I'll also be writing names on my hand in honour of those fighting cancer and in memory of those who lost the battle. If you would like me to write someone's name on my hand, please let me know. I already have 27 names.

If anyone will be in the area next weekend, I'd love to see you at a cheering station or the finish line. Contact me for more info!

Ride on!

Nugget Article

Fellow North Bay riders Steve, Dave, Jeff, and Greg were interviewed by the local paper. The article, from the May 25 edition, is below.

Check out this post

Don Wright of A Brand New Day blogged a little about my fundraiser. Check it out.

A few recent camera-phone pics

I'm off to the wilds for a week to teach a wilderness first responder course (and the doctor's tomorrow), so I thought I'd get these pictures up. I'm supposed to be packing and tire shopping though!

1. The three of us out for a BBQ at our friends Amy & Andrew & Soren's.

2. Canada's "Cancer Nurse" Renee Caisse (inventor of Essiac) is memorialized in her hometown of Bracebridge. We were there recently for Anna's work.

3. Anna and Matty at the Sudbury Cancer Centre after getting our good news last month!

4. Matty checking out the surroundings while we shopped for a new car seat.

5-6. Baby Days at Mall-Wart.

Enough with the doctors!

Got a phone call from my family physician's office last week. A locum doctor was in, looked at my blood work results from April, and wanted to follow up. I said that I had followed up, with my oncologist. But she says she still wants to see me. I don't like it when doctors call me up out of the blue saying they want to see me. I see her on Thursday.

New bike!

Last Wednesday I picked up a Kona Zing from Kevin at Cycle Works (he doesn't have a webpage, or else I'd link it here). Lisa said I should have it fitted before laying down the cash. Well, I had David the bike-fitting physiotherapist give me a fitting on Thursday, which all went well. Then I rode it back to Cycle Works, asked Kevin if he liked my new bike, and paid him for it. He seemed pained to give it to me at the price he was, but he knows about my Ride to Conquer Cancer. He's not given me a "tax deductible donation" per se, but he's done everything else. So I want to take this opportunity to thank Kevin and Kyle for their help outfitting me on my ride. They've helped with all my bikes, and all my cycling needs since I moved to North Bay. I should just call him my official bike shop.

After laying down my Visa card to Kevin, I took the Zing off for a long ride, down the Kate Pace Way to Callander, then out 94 to Corbeil and Trout Lake, then back to North Bay. Forty kilometers. My butt was numb, as well as my fingers and toes from time to time. Might need to tweek the bike fit. And put in more saddle time. But I figure that two hours for 40 km is acceptable two months ahead of a 200 km ride. Will try to get some action shots with the new bike posted soon.

All's good

Phew!

Blood work normal, CT scan unremarkable. Exactly what we wanted to hear. There is still some outstanding bloodwork, which should be in Friday, but we're feeling so much relief. Thanks for all your kind thoughts!

By the way, since March when I started fundraising in earnest, I've raised about $2000 for the Ride to Conquer Cancer. Six weeks to go until the Ride, and I'm still about $5000 short. Can you help make up the difference? Just click here to make a secure online donation, or here to download a mail-in form!

Big day tomorrow

Kinda like Christmas, but this time there might really be a lump of coal at the bottom of my stocking. Or nothing. Sometimes nothing is the most wonderful gift.

Keep your fingers crossed for all three of us tomorrow. We're headed to the Cancer Centre in Sudbury to get the results from my last two blood tests and a CT scan. I don't mind going there every 6 months, but every 3 weeks, not so much. We were up in New Liskeard last night, and I popped into the hospital there to say hi to my chemo-nurse, Lynn. She reassured me by saying that, "They're keeping a close eye on you. Anything that's the slightest bit out of the ordinary, they're going to check out. Not everyone get's that kind of service!" Here's hoping that my liver enzymes were high because I'd popped too many Vitamin C pills, or had a bit too much vino the night before the last blood test.

I'm not feeling worried or stressed, but that doesn't mean anything. Anna's worried. Wouldn't you be?

I've been strictly no-booze, no-coffee for the last 3 weeks, to give the old liver a rest. (Tried to do no caffeine, but there is a little bit in green tea and in dark chocolate too.) I think I've started to lose weight as a result, down from 160 lbs. to maybe 157.

Training for the Ride to Conquer Cancer goes well. I went out for a nice 20 km ride this afternoon, up the North Bay escarpment, down some country roads, and zooming down the hill home. The fundraising goes well too, I'm at $2170 of $7500, but that doesn't include some mail-in donations and some "pledges." If you haven't given yet, or if you have said you're going to but haven't got around to it, now would be a great time! Just click here to donate online, or here to download a form you can mail in.

Anna and I have a hot date tonight, as long as Matty stays asleep, so I shouldn't blog for long. Just keep your fingers crossed, and I'll spread the word here tomorrow evening.

Oh, that's a photo of Lynn, Anna, Matty and I taken in March. It was the first time I'd been back to see Lynn since my last chemo in April '08, and the first time she'd met Matty! Sorry that it's a bit blurry.

More tests. Bleah

My life is a dichotomy. Outwardly (and mostly inwardly) I'm happy. I feel great. I have the most wonderful son and the most wonderful wife. I'm doing things I've always wanted to do. I love my job. I love riding my bike. (I've crossed the $2000 line in my fundraising for the Ride to Conquer Cancer?!)

But on the other side is this nagging two week wait between when Dr. Herst told me I have elevated liver enzymes and when I find out what it all means. At least when I first got my diagnosis it was very sudden. I honestly had not been expecting to hear that I have cancer. But this waiting.... I honestly don't know what to expect. I feel great, but I felt great the day I got my original diagnosis too.

This week I've had another CT scan. Next week it's more blood tests. Then the day after I go see Dr. Herst. He'll either tell me that the cancer has spread or that the elevated enzymes are due to some other factor. I've got so much weird shit going on that I'd make a fascinating case study for House. Cancer. Possibly celiac. Possibly a primary immuno-deficiency disorder. Yet outwardly I look strong and healthy, in the prime of my life. Who can understand it?

Shopping for insurance

Who would want to sell life insurance to a guy who had cancer only last year? We'll soon see.

Anna and I are being responsible parents and "putting our affairs in order." This includes writing a will (well, paying a lawyer to insert our names in the blank spots of one of his wills). It also includes life insurance. Nothing spectacular, just pay off the debts should one of us kick the bucket. We've spoken with a few insurance brokers, and been quite open about the whole cancer thing. I wonder if they Google their prospective clients? I sure would! Guess I can't hide!

Fundraising for the Ride to Conquer Cancer goes well. I'm about 20% toward my goal of $7500, with still quite a few fundraising avenues to explore. If you're reading this and you haven't made a donation yet... what are you waiting for?

Some of you are wondering about what happened at the oncologist's last week. My liver enzymes are high. This could mean, as Anna says, anything from "yikes!" to "meh." I have the honour of an abdo CT scan Thursday and more blood tests next week. Seen as toxins of various types might be making my liver work overtime, I'm on a serious detox diet for the next two weeks. In keeping with my previous discussion on how to rid the body of toxins, my detox diet involves little more than cutting out the red wine and coffee, completely cutting out whatever sugar and junk was still there, and upping the organic vegetable quotient. I discovered that I'm addicted to coffee, with withdrawal headaches and all.

Despite all this, it's hard to stay upbeat. It's hard to be nice, to myself, to Anna. (It's always easy to be nice to Matty though.) I haven't had any of those dreams lately, but I do find myself grinding my teeth, which my dentist says is a sure sign of stress. 'Ya think?!

On the positive side, I feel great. I've been getting some olympic weightlifting training from a highly accomplished local lifter. What a difference, to be getting some professional pointers on my snatches and cleans. He wants me to compete at a tournament in Toronto this July. Might be fun!

He's growing so fast!

Matty is around 17 pounds already! He is very active and talkative. He loves to laugh (a lot), have splashy baths, read books (and turn the pages!), play with toys and kick his feet.

He is strong and last week he really started trying to sit up. His latest thing is to go from lying down to standing when we give him our fingers to pull up to sitting. He is pretty good with his balance, but soft surfaces or our arms are required when he tries to sit! He is also quite the conversationalist, as you can see from the video below.

Parenting this little guy is such a wonderful thing. He brings so very much joy to our lives!

Here are some recent photos:

Going for a walk on a sunny, but still chilly day


Matty in his new wool pants made from a sweater - wool works great as a cloth diaper cover! It is much less bulky on his butt to have cloth diaper and wool pants than cloth diaper, waterproof cover and THEN pants!


Supervising Daddy's physio exercises

Enjoying Dr Seuss


Stroller-joring?


Mmmmmmmm.... fingers....


Talking in his swing

How to rid your body of toxins (the old fashioned way)

I've talked in a few posts about toxins and how I believe they are a key component in why I got cancer. I think of it as a three-legged stool, with environmental toxins, poor diet and lifestyle, and genetics all contributing.

There are no quick fixes. It takes decades for cancer or other chronic diseases to take hold. It takes years, at a minimum, to detoxify. This can seem daunting, like you need to do everything perfect forevermore. But Rome wasn't built in a day.

Where do you start detoxifying? Add one new good practice to your roster. Once that good practice becomes habit, add another. Don't try to change everything suddenly. They're like collecting pebbles on a beach. You don't start your walk with all the pebbles collected. You collect them as you go.

Here's what I do to shed the toxins. Some are big things, which take dedication and practice, and others are easy to add to your daily routine.

1. Meditate. Mental toxins are just as damaging as the pesticides in your salad (perhaps more so). Meditation helps remove mental toxins. There are many kinds of meditation. Some are religious, but the what I practice is non-denominational. Find a quiet and comfortable place to sit. (You don't have to cross your legs like a yoga-master!) Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Feel it come in and go out. When thoughts comes along, which they do, observe them. Usually they go away, then you can go back to focusing on your breath. Do this for about 10 minutes, ideally every day.

2. Exercise. The important thing here is that it be something you like so that you will stick with it. I do CrossFit because it is interesting, challenging, and free. The other important thing is that exercise make you sweat. Sweating removes toxins.

3. Apple cider vinegar. Pour a splash of ACV in a glass and fill with filtered water. Do this morning and night. You can almost feel it sucking the toxins out. Make sure that the ACV you buy is raw and contains the "mother" or the cloudy vinegar starter. Oh yeah, filtering your water removes toxins.

4. Eat well. Good nutrition does two things. First, it gives you the nutrients you need to be healthy. Second, it displaces junk food. This isn't difficult stuff. If you want to detoxify, start by stopping the toxins coming in.

5. Sauna. Remember what I said about exercise that makes you sweat? Sweating in a sauna helps, and it's great fun too. Ask any firefighter who gets all sooty after a good fire. You can smell the junk seeping out of your pores for days afterward, and a sauna is one of the best ways to accelerate that process. But you don't need to be a firefighter to benefit from the sauna. It doesn't have to be terribly hot, just make sure you stay in long enough to get a good sweat going. I like to extend my saunas with cold showers (or jumps in the lake), up to an hour or more.

6. Sleep. At least 8 hours a night. I prefer 9 or more, but that's hard with a baby in the house. Your body removes toxins during sleep. Imagine if you did everything else perfectly, but you didn't sleep! You'd still be completely toxic!

7. Be nice. To others and to yourself. Being mean is being toxic.

8. Forgive yourself. No one is perfect. Don't beat yourself up for things you did in the past. Resolve to do your best in the future.

9. Avoid sick people. They will make you sick, and you can't shed toxins while you're fighting a bug.

Can I find any more cliches? The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Life is a journey, not a destination.

If you're not doing the basics (eat well, sleep well, exercise well), then you will not be ridding your body of toxins. All the other things will be of no use if you haven't got the basics down. Build the walls and roof on the foundation. You can build great walls and a great roof, but if you put them directly on the ground, your house will rot and fall as surely as if you built it with shoddy materials and workmanship.

How to avoid pesticides in produce

We've all heard about the connections between pesticides in our food and cancer. Now I don't blame pesticides for what happened to me, but I do believe it was a contributing factor. With that in mind, I found the Shoppers' Guide to Pesticides in Produce from the Environmental Working Group. It ranks 43 fruits and vegetables for their residual pesticides. For instance, Anna has been very adamant about buying organic onions, but it turns out they have a very low residual pesticide level! We should have paid more attention to apples and lettuce!

Anna and I try to avoid pesticides by buying organic, local and free range. We could do a lot more, but some of our produce is organic and much of our meat is free-range, grass-fed, and hormone/antibiotic-free. (Check out our beef source at Golden Beef and our local farm at Dalew Farms.) And when we get back to Temagami this summer, I'm sure I'll get digging in the garden there again!

The photo above is last summer's garden in Temagami.

While we're talking about pocket guides, here's another one you should have. It's the Sustainable Seafood Guide from the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It lists best choices and seafood to avoid, based on contaminant loads and the sustainability of the fishery.

On another note, Patricia asked about a colon cleanse. I have never done one. Having seen the inside of a number of colons during my surgical rotations as a paramedic student, I believe the notion that we store up a bunch of gunk in there that needs to be flushed out is, well, bunk. Colon cleanses even made the Mark's Daily Apple Top Ten Health Scams. Here's some more info I found, from drmirkin.com: colon cleansers can rob you of essential nutrients. With gluten and lactose intolerance already robbing me of the nutrients I need to fight cancer, I don't need something else sucking them away! Thanks for the question though!

Mom, how was the coconut-beet soup?

Coconut beet paleo recipes

I'm going to try to post here a bit more often. After I finished chemo the post count dropped like my platelet count after chemo. Why? Because blogging made me feel like I was still sick. Despite the front I kept up, when I was on chemo I felt like shit. Blogging made me feel like I was still on chemo, so I didn't want to do it. I don't feel that way anymore, so I'm back.

Cancer and chemo changed me for the better. Most obvious to me and everyone else is a new attitude toward food. Before I put something in my mouth (or in the shopping cart), I ask myself, "Is this going to nourish me?" Usually that means 'nourish my body,' but sometimes it means 'nourish my soul.' They're not always one in the same.

With that in mind, I'm going to share some of my favourite online recipes. Often, when dinnertime rolls around, I look in the fridge and see what we've got. Then I enter those things in Google, plus the words 'PALEO RECIPES,' and see what pops up. The results can be surprising, tasty, and always interesting. Try it sometime, it's fun!

One of my best finds used the words COCONUT and BEET, believe it or not - Coconut beet borscht from Catalyst Athletics. Robb Wolf's page is a great source for meal ideas (check out some of the others on the left, like this one for a brussels sprout and bacon stir fry).

Time to get a move on!

February is here, which means it's time for me to get serious about fundraising for the Ride to Conquer Cancer.
I've got some great ideas, which mostly involve networking at the Fire Department, on Facebook, and in my email address folder. If you've got an idea, drop me a line or leave a comment here.

Health wise, I'd rate me at 8/10. My level of fatigue has crept higher, but thankfully I've been able to match that with a good 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night. My immune system still isn't up to snuff, so I have to make sure I wash my hands a lot. I'm still getting over a cold I caught two weeks ago. Hopefully I'll get back in the gym tomorrow with a short workout, something to get the blood flowing and pump out the toxins.

Thanks for checking in!

3 months old!!!

I'm 3 months old today!!

WOW - time flies!
People have been asking for new pictures so here are a bunch!
Matty is 24" long and 14.5 pounds. Just getting over the croup, he is in a pretty good mood. Bob and I are also recovering (mostly) from our own colds - ugh.
These pictures are from the last 2 weeks.



Hanging out with Nana

Training to be a superhero


Mini Me



First sleep induced by my own thumb!!

So bright here in January!!

August will never be the same again

We still have a few firefighter calendars left over, and are letting them go at the deeply discounted rate of $10 each. If you want one, let me know and I will get it to you. All proceeds to One Kids Place, a childrens' treatment centre in North Bay.

This one's for you, Patricia!

This from yesterday's workout: deadlifts 5-5-5-3-3-3 (225 lbs.-295-325-335-340-345)

Lingering effects

Patricia from Nashville wants to know if I'm having any lingering effects from my treatments. Certainly, cancer changed me, so let's consider some of the results:

Specific to chemotherapy, I cannot think of any lingering effects offhand. Patricia speaks of bone pain and a host of other issues that were not there before. However, I do have some annoying muskuloskeletal issues on my right side. After the lump was removed from above my right collarbone, I spent quite awhile recovering, then quite awhile in chemo. This had the effect of creating some scar tissue in the supraclavicular area, as well as some muscular atrophy in my right shoulder and arm. I've been working with a physiotherapist and chiropractor on these issues, and some days it seems the more I do my exercises, the worse the problems become. Mostly this manifests itself as muscular soreness and immobility. Last week my neck seized up. It's still sore. And then my right elbow seized up, while at work, not a good thing for a firefighter. (That was the night I dreamed it was flesh-eating disease and I required amputation. Who ever heard of a one-armed firefighter? So my dream was preoccupied with figuring out a new occupation. I decided on being a one-armed dad and a one-armed wilderness first aid instructor!)

Mentally, emotionally, cancer weighs on me still, in my dreams especially. That's the hard part about remission. What if it comes back? Is that a lump? I'm not ready to go. When my time comes, can I die with dignity?

There are some positive lingering effects. I eat better. I live better. I love Anna more. I appreciate every day more. And the most wonderful lingering effect of all? Just take a look at the pictures in the previous post. Matty is here BECAUSE of my cancer. Before I even started chemotherapy, the first thing I did was bank sperm, and Matthew is the result of subesquent fertility treatments.

Patricia, you're in my thoughts and prayers and meditations. I don't think your name ever made it onto my hand in a workout. I will rectify that tomorrow.

Our growing little boy!

Our sweet baby boy is a dream come true, as you know!
Here are some updated photos of our little love. He is getting to be a big boy!
In the past 2 weeks he has really started to smile at us and we are having a good time with silly games and faces.
He does love having a bath...

And has started to interact with some toys (though his favourite toys are mommy and daddy!). Here he is talking to his "Whoozit".

It is such an amazing thing to watch him grow and learn. My heart just keeps expanding with love for this little being.
Here he is hanging out in his relatively new fancy cloth diaper cover.

And me "wearing" him in the Moby D wrap (which Bob usually does)

Battling Demons

I just returned from a sauna at the YMCA. Nice thing, living in the city, to have easy access to a sauna. I like to meditate in the sauna. Once I read about the Dalai Lama's daily meditation practice. During meditation, he goes to other worlds and does battle with the demons that are trying to tear this world apart. Whether you believe it or not is irrelevant; he believes. Heavy stuff. Anyway, in the sauna tonight I encountered some of my own demons. At first I thought whoever was bringing me these bad dreams was a demon. (A few nights ago, in my dreams, I found a lump in my neck. Then last night I dreamed that I got flesh-eating disease and had to have my right arm amputated.) But then I thought that perhaps these dreams are a good thing, reminders of what could happen and not necessarily what will happen. So I focused instead on the positive: healthy immune system, able to recognize good from bad; strong, healthy, balanced and flexible musculoskeletal system; healthy lymphatic system, removing toxins from my body.

And now it's time for bed, and hopefully some good dreams.