I finally have some Good News!

I have sadly neglected this Blog for too long, I wanted it to be a positive thing in my life, and didn't want any doom and gloom to enter it, and so to avoid that, I avoided the Blog.


The past weeks have been a roller coaster here in Nova Scotia. However, I did spend 10 days in Toronto with my sister, our mother was there visiting for her 87th birthday. Our mother has dementia now of some form, so we treasure any time we can with her.

We had a wonderful time together, even went to a spa for a facial, and I had my hair chopped, do you see Dianne Keaton before you?

And to the Good News! Regarding my health saga, I did have my follow-up Ultrasound and I just got the call that there is no change, and that I am good for another six months.



After tears of relief, I am back on track here, getting refocused on my Job Hunt.  Gemma Shoebridge means business.

Good and Bad News!

Spring poked its nose out for a few days, but last night we had freezing rain, and snow flurries, but fotunately the snow did not stay, however there is still a lot of ice around this morning. 

I have been distracting myself since my CT Scan last Thursday, and was expecting a call from my Doctor with the result, but this time he wanted to see me, having not seen me in over a year.  A nervous breakdown was developing, but rescue remedy calmed the situation down again.  It seems that there is possibly something at the inferior side of the Right Liver, which was not there on previous scans. The technician may just be covering themselves, as it may be an artefact, which it is to do with the equipment and not physical. I am not due to see my consultant for a few weeks, and he may recommend an MRI to clear up what this may be.  I think until we know more I have to stay positive, because I feel very well, which must count for something. Other things that had been picked up on previous scans show no change, which is all positive news.

Having had my work permit through having waited almost six months, I have been told that I will now start receiving unemployment. So the winter of discontent is almost over, I can't begin to say how tough it has been, never experienced such a difficult time, but things can only improve now.

I wanted to show a bracelet I made recently using the spool knitter, and then knotted into a celtic heart, along with some friendship bands I made.

Click here to see how to tie the knot.

Possibility of a table at a Farmers' Market in Sydney..

I have had some of my items listed on Kijiji, the free site, without any sales. But today I got a response from a lady that manages a Farmers' Market, so this is a possibility for me to try and sell some of my stock, as she said that there is no one else selling these kind of things.. which is good news for me. 

I am home from having the abdominal CT Scan, which is usually twice a year. This is a follow-up to my Kidney Cancer - two years last October.  My own Doctor is closed on a Friday, so I will have to wait until next Monday to hear what the report states.  Contacting my own Doctor is just me not wanting to wait until I go to see the consultant early next month.  By getting the result, I don't have to worry about it for that much longer. 

So now I have to keep busy for four days, to avoid focusing on the waiting..

Good News on our Status in Canada!

Our Work Permits that were applied for in November have finally arrived.  And there is additional good news in that I was not 'Out of Status', which is what a lawyer told me, which changes the picture a little regarding my not receiving unemployment all this time off work. Whether I will now be paid back the unemployment I should have received, has not been answered yet. But Immigration are refunding the 'Restoration Fee' which will see us through the ongoing shortage of money.

Because we had not work permit, our social insurance cards expired, as did our health cards, so things could have got tricky, if I had had any health issues in this interim period.  And the timing could not have been more perfect, I received my new Health Card, and the next day received a call for my appointment to go for a CT Scan.  The background to all this, is that I was diagnosed with Kidney Cancer in August '08, and my right kidney removed in October '08, and other than follow-ups like this, I have had no other issues on that score. So with the CT Scan due on Thursday, I have in theory no time to build up and worry over this, and hopefully will hear from my family doctor in a few days time on the report. I will be going to see my surgeon in Halifax in early May, where we catch up on how I am doing.

I find that I get on with life in between scans, and really for the most part do not dwell on what could happen, but of course with having been out of work, and not getting unemployment, and really financially we have been and still are in dire straits, I have had far too much stress and worry this winter.  It is fine for people to say that there is no point in worrying about something you can't change, but if the phone is ringing off the hook with non-payment issues, what can I do but worry.  And the one thing they tell you in regards to any Cancer is that you should avoid stress and worry, so this will be on my mind going for the scan, and hoping this winter has not had far reaching implications on my health.