Colorectal Cancer prevention

When I was in my 20s, my dad left the family house to live with another woman.    I don’t want to go into details here but shortly after this happened we learned that he had colorectal cancer.   He had surgery and wore a bag after that.   We didn’t know which stage it was.  For personal reasons, I cut my  interactions with him.   But somehow, God was working in my life.  When I move to the capital region for work purposes, I was invited to church and accepted Him as my Savior.    Still I didn’t want to have any contact with my earthly father because I didn’t accept how he left, didn’t want to be impose to meet this new “woman” and other personal reasons.    But God was working…. slowly.   I came to Christ in January 1997.   We married in 1998.  Through all this my dad kept wanting to seek, send money which I returned (I didn’t want to be bought out) and so on.    Somehow he had found my address…   In 2000, he contacted me telling me that he didn’t had much time left.  Apparently the cancer had invaded his body which makes me think that his colorectal cancer was very advanced – possible a stage III or IV.    So in November 2000 a meeting was arrange in a public place with him only and my aunt since he couldn’t drive anymore.   We met and he learned that I was pregnant with our first one.   On December 24th, 2000, he died.

I knew that someday I would have to get some testing done since my dad died of colorectal cancer and generalized cancer.   I wasn’t looking forward to it but the 40s were coming.

Today I am 42 and recently I went to my physical.   While speaking with my family doctor I reminded him of my dad and he agreed that it was time to go for a colonoscopy.

This is schedule for Thursday this week.   I’m stressed about it a bit.

The day before there will be a 24 hours not food intake period.   I don’t know how I will do it.

So I am asking for prayers on Wednesday and Thursday – August 3 and 4.    Please keep me in your prayers for peace of mind and not be too starved.  Thanks in advance.

To be honest, I am thankful that in 2011 the medicine is so advance that I can go through preventive testing for such a disease.    I’m just not looking forward a forced fast like a friend said and the exam itself…  But it has to be done!

Like I said this is a preventive exam for me because my dad has had it. 

For more information about colorectal cancer please see this slideshow which I find very informative.

Happy 3rd Birthday to my little girl!

Today is the 3rd birthday of my sweet little Jasmine.    I wish her an marvelous birthday on this December 19th, 2010!

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Happy 5th Birthday Jérémy!

Five years ago, my sweet Jérémy entered the world.   
Jérémy is special as he is our last boy.   He loves to rock, learn, play with his siblings, discover new places and have fun.
I love you lots my son.   I pray that God will be with you all the days of your life.  
HAPPY FIFTH BIRTHDAY JÉRÉMY!

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Motherhood and birthdays

9 years ago, I became a mom.  My first born came into the world via cesarean and was frank-breech (which means bottom first and the feet close to his face).  

He got welcome with these words from his Dad "Welcome to the real world!".

Can anyone guess which movie inspired Dad?  

So today I am having a tween officially.  A tween who looks forward on what God has in store for him in the future.  A tween who has a heart to help and loves his siblings even if sometimes they do get in his stuff.  A tween who is growing up so fast that I need to catch my breath sometimes.

I love you Alexandre!  Tons and more. xoxo

To celebrate his birthday, I've put up a little something to show how he grew in the past nine years.  Enjoy!

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Turning 41 - going through the years

Today I turn 41.   And to celebrate it, I am posting a little thing that will bring you through the years and make you discover a little bit more of me.

Enjoy!

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Happy 6th Birthday Dominic!

Here's something I made for my son Dominic who is turning 6 today!   I love him very much.

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Will she have any teeth???

Jasmine will be 10 month this week-end and so far she doesn't have any teeth.  I know they will come in time... She doesn't have teeth but she loves to pull herself up to stand... 

But hubby met a guy from one of our contract whose wife gave birth 1 day after we did last december and their daughter already has 2 teeth.   Same with my niece-to-be who is 6 months (born in March of this year).

So what's with that???    I think it's funny - she is the oldest but no teeth yet.

Saying goodbye...

... is always hard but when you know the people are following God's will then the sadness doesn't last long.  In the past we said goodbye to friends who went to become missionaries in Thailand and another couple who had to move to Winnepeg, Manitoba because of his job (he works for the defense).

Last night, we had supper with some friends of ours from our mother church.   We camp together last summer.  Their daughter went to school with Alexandre (they were in the same class) and they were in Sunday School together.   They are cute calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend.   When we learned they were leaving for 2 years so that Shannon could finish her master in divinity in Cochrane, AB well we provided  their daughter with paper, envelops and special pens to write to Alexandre.   

When they left to continue packing last night, my son cried, Shannon and I had tears in our eyes.    Not easy to say goodbye.   But they are coming back for Christmas time and next summer too!  

We will miss them but we will keep contact via e-mail, facebook with Al and the cameras on our laptops.    I sure hope that God will bless them in Alberta during this two years.

So I pray that Al had a good drive and that he will be protected during the trip.  I pray that Shannon and the kids won't miss Al for the few more days they will be staying in the area.   I pray that you give patience to Shannon who will be living with the grand-parents for half a week.  I pray that she and the kids have a good flight to Calgary.  

We will miss you guys... but we can't wait to see you again in December!

A small problem... that could become a big one!

Okay I need some help here...   All my previous kids were not thumb suckers... but my darling little girl is.   Anytime she can she will pop the thumb in the mouth... and she is only three months!

She is cute though but my husband knows that breaking this habit is hard later in life - my sister-in-law used to suck her thumb when she was little...

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

One step closer....

Yep I'm one step closer to being 40.  Not yet though next year...  I am turning 39 today.   That's it for living in the 30s... LOL

Oh and today I am sharing this special day with a dear friend of mind who lives in Pennsylvania.   HAPPY BIRTHDAY HEIDI - please go wish her an happy birthday at ReviewsByHeidi.

Funny part is that I know most of the gifts I will get since I bought them...  That's what happens when you go to the store and call your husband on the cell phone to tell him about something and he says to buy it.   Mind you when you are in Costco, you have no choice really.   I got two books on how to draw there....   When Rob went back a couple of weeks later to get some for H.E.A.T. well there wasn't any.

Yesterday, Jasmine turned three months.  So to celebrate it, we went to the mall and got her ear pierced.   She cried a bit but she is so cute with her little earrings.   Daddy spoiled her - let me tell you that.   He loves his little girl, only the best for her.

When I had my ears pierced I got golden studs... She got crystal hearts.   Cute!  Very cute!

Also at the mall yesterday a woman passed a comment on how many kids we had...  She asked us is we were planning to have any more.   What kind of comments is that?   Hubby thinks I need to have a tougher skin - because of H.E.A.T. because it disturb me so much afterward.   At first I said no to her and she said something else I didn't heard...  But after thinking about it I don't think it's her business.   Most people were shocked that we had four children.   What is going on???   Noone were passing comments to the lady in the mall with her 5 kids - was it because she was from another country and it is more expected from them?   What would they say if they saw a family that we know that have 10 kids?   Maybe I should wrote to the mom to ask her how she deals with these kind of comments...

As we cross the line for Spring at the same time, I am quite excited about the upcoming H.E.A.T. service.  Excited and a bit stressed at the same time.   Can't help it - it's in my blood I think.   I want it so much to be a success...

Having a baby tomorrow!

The big is finally there!!!   Tomorrow at 8:30am EST the c-section will be on its way and the baby will be born soon after that.

Pray for guidance for the doctor and all the people in the OR, peace of heart for us, fast healing and no side effect (including sciatic pain...) and so on.

I will keep you posted on how it went and to present you our new little one.

God bless.

Another stage of life...

I taught Alexandre to tie his shoes today...   It took him about 15-20 minutes to get it!   I am so proud of him....   Should have done it a long time ago...  He needs practice to go faster but he can do it himself now!

Biking alone on two wheels

Finally, we made it to this stage of life. Last year, Alexandre broke his arm in May and we had been told to be careful with it for the summer because if he fell on it he could brake it again! So we listened to the doctors and did not remove the training wheels on his bike. We didn't want to go through surgery another time. How heartbreaking for a mom to be told to stay behind and her child looks at her with HUGE eyes not knowing what will happen in the OR. I think I will always remember this picture in my head. Why they don't let the parents dress-up and once the child is asleep asked the parent to leave??? Oh well. We made it through that day more than a year ago...

Anyhow, the training wheels were still on when spring and summer arrived. So we looked at how he was doing. Pretty good. So we removed the training wheels and husband went with him one evening. Alexandre was a bit stiff and thinking he still had the training wheels. Last week, we went to the Leadership Summit in town and my in-laws came for 1 day and a half to babysit. Father-in-law is a miracle for biking... Within a day, Alexandre got it... He is a pro now, going as fast as a speeding bullet. Beware Superman! It brought me tears in my eyes to see him enjoying it. Yes we did indeed reached a new stage of life.

Biking alone on two wheels...

Finally, we made it to this stage of life.   Last year, Alexandre broke his arm in May and we had been told to be careful with it for the summer because if he fell on it he could brake it again!   So we listened to the doctors and did not remove the training wheels on his bike.   We didn't want to go through surgery another time.   How heartbreaking for a mom to be told to stay behind and her child looks at her with HUGE eyes not knowing what will happen in the OR.   I think I will always remember this picture in my head.   Why they don't let the parents dress-up and once the child is asleep asked the parent to leave???   Oh well.  We made it through that day more than a year ago...

Anyhow, the training wheels were still on when spring and summer arrived.   So we looked at how he was doing.   Pretty good.  So we removed the training wheels and husband went with him one evening.   Alexandre was a bit stiff and thinking he still had the training wheels.   Last week, we went to the Leadership Summit in town and my in-laws came for 1 day and a half to babysit.   Father-in-law is a miracle for biking...  Within a day, Alexandre got it...   He is a pro now, going as fast as a speeding bullet.   Beware Superman!   It brought me tears in my eyes to see him enjoying it.   Yes we did indeed reached a new stage of life. 

Stages of life...

This week-end, Alexandre went through a new stage of life...  He had a tooth that has been wigglying since a while and it finally fell...  He is so happy to have lost his first tooth!

Toothless

This week-end, Alexandre went through a new stage of life...  He had a tooth that has been wigglying since a while and it finally fell...  He is so happy to have lost his first tooth!