Home At Last - Time to Set New Goals

August 10, 2006

It has been 18 weeks, 19 hours, 59 minutes …( but who’s counting), from the day I insisted Marilyn take her first ambulance ride to the emergency care department. A torrent of water has passed under that bridge, and today I am bustling about preparing our home for her return, (hopefully permanently). In some ways it seems like only yesterday and in others – a complete eternity. Those weeks and months translate into 1/3 of an entire year. During this time our lives have been changed forever.

Will normalcy ever return to the Seeley household? That remains to be seen. But today we take that first all-important step towards bringing it back. About three weeks ago Marilyn’s doctor ordered a CT scan so he could determine the current state of her cancer tumor and make some decisions regarding further treatment. We waited with much fear and trepidation, and today, after a short ride to the Baker Cancer Center, and a much longer sit in the waiting area we were finally ushered into a consultation room where we listened as Dr. Scot Dowden gave us a rather optimistic report. In short, Marilyn’s tumor has not grown, nor has the cancer spread. It appears that for now the radiation treatment given shortly after Marilyn’s admittance to Foothills hospital has at the very least stopped this growth for the time being. Dr. Dowden also explained that this scan can’t determine the difference between active cancer cells and scar tissue and that very likely, a portion of this tumor has now been reduced to scar tissue. Unfortunately, scar tissue can be the cause of much pain, and at the moment it is the pain that is causing Marilyn the majority of her problems. Chemotherapy treatments are still a possible treatment in the future, however for now, this would be considered unnecessary. Marilyn’s best offence against the cancer and pain is to continue her exercise regime and keep pushing herself towards another goal.

With the help of Dr. Dowden, a new goal for Marilyn has been agreed upon. We are now aiming towards a dinner out in a restaurant for a Thanksgiving celebration. So far Marilyn has been able to both accomplish and surpass all of the goals she has set. We reminisced this afternoon that had there been no summer wedding to attend, Marilyn may have never achieved so much. As of now, not only has Marilyn relearned the skill of walking, but she can now negotiate two full flights of stairs up and down on her own power. She can also shower and use the bathroom facilities with almost no assistance. Considering the fact that just 2 months ago, Marilyn could not sit up in bed and needed a special machine to lift her in and out of bed, these achievements are indeed amazing. Along with her increased strength and mobility, Marilyn’s exercise regime has been a major contributing factor to a significant loss of weight as well. So far Marilyn has lost over 70 pounds and she hasn’t even become a Kristie Alley groupie.

Coming home will be one of the greatest challenges either of us has faced so far and we both look forward to this with great excitement as well as with much anticipation. I know we would not be where we are today without both the moral and prayer support of all of our friends, co-workers, and church associates. Please remember our door will always be open for visitors and our phone within reach. Our address is 172 Mount Apex Green in SE Calgary, and our phone number – 7262333. As Marilyn says goodbye to the many nurses, therapists and health care workers who have been her family lately, and as she prepares to reacquaint with the familiar surroundings of home, I know that the bumps of this transition will be smoothed out by all her friends and family. Once again, thanks for your prayers and support and we both hope to see you in our home or talk to you on the phone in the near future.

Bryon