Lots of News

Greetings Friends and Family!

Health Update

We have had an eventful year, with both joy and sadness. Let me start as always with my health update. When we woke this morning, Derek pointed out that it is a memorable date for us. October 18th, 2018 was the day I received news of my diagnosis. Instead of dwelling on the feelings of that moment, I’m going to celebrate where I am today. Thank you to my amazing medical team, and endlessly supportive family and friends.

Having completed my latest round of check-ups in the last week, I continue to report all things are great! In addition to my regular eye exam in London, Dr. Hooper completed an IVFA test. This test looks for circulatory issues in the eyes that can result from radiation treatment. I’m pleased that everything is normal. His examination of my eyes showed no inflammation, and my follow-up with Dr. Kouroukis at Juravinski indicated a clear MRI and normal bloodwork. Good news all around!

My Mom

Unspeakably sad news I must share is that we lost my dear Mom in March of this year. Incredibly, in January she was diagnosed with Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma, the same illness I had. To say we were shocked is putting it mildly. To see such a vibrant, active woman struck down so quickly was devastating. Although she fought it briefly like the fiesty girl she was, the brain tumour was inoperable, and her age eliminated the possibility of a stem cell transplant. I still can’t believe she is gone.

Those of you who knew her will remember her sense of humour, which by the way, she entertained her family and caregivers with right up to her departure from this world. After a long road of caring for my Dad throughout his illness, she carried on with doing the things she loved. Her gardening, walks every day, socializing with friends and family, and her legendary snow sculptures! I miss her terribly.

Whole Lotta Rosie!

Thankfully we’ve had an extremely happy event to celebrate since then. My daughter Katie and her partner Nick had a beautiful baby girl! Rosalie Milley Jayne Fortuna was born May 25th, and I was fortunate to be out in Penticton when she arrived. I stayed a month to help out, and Derek came to meet the munchkin as well. My completely unbiased opinion is that she is the most adorable baby ever!

Let’s Go Camping

Derek and I embarked on an RV adventure in late August that took us to South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming, and eventually up to BC to visit with Katie, Nick and Rosalie in Penticton. We went on the road with our 43 ft. motorhome, towing an 18 foot trailer with Derek’s R1 motorbike. Those of you who follow us on social media got a glimpse of the spectacular sites we visited. Badlands National Park, Mount Rushmore, the South Dakota Air and Space Museum, The Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, Yellowstone National Park, and Glacier National Park in Montana.

We had some epic motor bike excursions, boon-docking adventures, and saw some real life wild west locations and characters! Some of our most memorable sites were the beauty of the Badlands, Old Faithful and The Grand geysers in Yellowstone, and what’s known as the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. We also rode the iconic Going to the Sun Road on the motorbike at Glacier. Indescribable. After spending 3 weeks in Penticton, we hit the road for home. We stopped for a visit with my nieces Sarah and Ellen, in Canmore, and in Calgary to hang out with friends Joe, Laura and Owen. We also connected with one of our friends Chris and Nancy in Calgary, who we met in St. Maarten.

Other Updates

Other family updates are that Derek’s Mom had a successful hip surgery in June, and has had quite a smooth recovery. Dancing in the streets now (not quite yet, but soon)! My son Joey continues with his apprenticeship as an industrial plumber, and lives in Guelph with his girlfriend Katie and their furball Edie.

Derek is ready for his next life adventure, as he has sold his interest in his home automation/security business. After successful completion of several large projects, he is scoping out what he’d like to sink his teeth into in the coming months. Having said that, it may involve some marine work down south, since we’ll be leaving for St. Maarten in a few weeks, spending about 5 months in our beautiful paradise. We already have family scheduled to visit, and are excited to be back in our community with our island peeps.

I am wrapping up my course work on my Holistic Nutrition program, and am now working on the logistics of starting my Nutrition Consultant business, CFor Wellness. It’s been a great experience completing the program, and I’ve learned more than I could have imagined possible. Although it is daunting to start a business, I am excited to build a practice and help my clients find their optimum health. Stay tuned!

Wow, that was a lot of news to share. It was a rollercoaster year, and we feel very fortunate to have you all in our lives. We wish you the best and send much love to you and your families. Stay warm and safe!

Cindy & Derek