Andy and I met the oncologist at the BC Cancer Agency today and found out what the next year (?) of our lives is going to look like. I start chemo next week in Victoria, then will have seven more cycles on two week rotations. The concept is that I am healthy therefore my body can take a more aggressive regime (for you biochem nerds it’s the BRAJACTG protocol).

Up until today it’s been an odd feeling of getting ready for… whatever is coming…. and being surrounded by the outpouring of support from my SAR community, friends and family. Carly and others from Nanaimo SAR along with Steph organized an amazing “Fill the Freezer” event and quite literally filled our new stand up freezer that Jess and Camille delivered from Courtenay, as well as the small freezer, and the freezer over the fridge… and several cupboards…. (thank you Richard and Holly for being so good at Tetris).

So this weekend will be mine and Rory’s last patrol shift for this season, and we’ll stand down from our operational roles within our SAR teams. These two things are breaking my heart right now but as Paul Berry from CVSAR told me “You will do calls again….just on pause to take care of you!”

Learning to accept help has quite possibly been the most challenging thing we’ve had to do up to this point and we are still feeling a little uncomfortable with all of this. But as my sis and others have been saying “Think of what you would do for one of your friends if they were in this position.” So many thank yous and virtual hugs to all of you!