I got a family Doctor!!!

My nice walk in doctor called today and was happy to hear I was working with the Endocrinologist and said he'd step back now.  I said I'd miss him and wished he was taking patients.  He told me I was a good reasonable patient and he would take me on if I was ok with him possibly moving to Victoria one day.  I've been without a doctor for 9 years so ya, Victoria is managable.  So it's pretty exciting!  My intake/history appointment is the morning of Fei's graduation.  On the heels of three days of Children's with Luk.  It will be an exhausting week.  

I did my blood work this morning and then had two phone appointments during the day. The pharmacist called today too, asking if I had questions or needed to talk.  Our medical system is a mess but there are still great people out there once you get in.  

Now I have to convince my new family doctor that we're a nice family so he'll take on the other 6.  Haha.  Lili thinks I shouldn't lead with how many we are.  

Children's clinic nurse called me back about the last of my questions.  Luk is all sorted for his cathing clinic.  Supplies are ordered and should be here this week.  His meds are here and we don't have to start until after the clinic.  

The boys iep meetings were today.  We heard lovely things about both of them.  There was tons of positive things happening for both of them. They are meeting goals and new ones are being set.  It's settled that they will both do grade 7 in the same school but in different classes again.  Not much about toileting.  There were questions about why Kai isn't 'getting' toileting. We just shrugged and suggested we think autism withholding is playing a role and he simply doesn't like to poop so waits too long and then tragedy strikes.  It's a difficult dance of enough meds so he can't withhold and not too much that he loses control.  We saw videos of him reading without assistance at grade one level.  That was cool. He's getting braver at trying new things and he loves his ea.  The team really wants us to move him into Quamichan for grade 8.  They were letting us know today how many services and adults would be on his team.  We've agreed to go in Sept and meet the new team and see what we think.  Luk would actually be able to access the same team and classroom.  Although I'm leaning towards Jia's hybrid system.  Luk wouldn't need supports if he was only in school 2 hours twice a week.  

We leave tomorrow afternoon for our anniversary weekend.  We have done NOTHING to prepare. We do want to stop for tacos at Taco Bell.  Love it.  So romantic.

Eric and I just texted a few food ideas back and forth.  As usual, we're more concerned about what the kids will eat while we're away.

I got super brave this morning and got a mirror out so I could see my surgery site from yesterday.  Tmi, squirmish medical stuff again, I had assumed she would take/biopsy the actual growth/tumor but NO, she took a decently big chunk right out of the vulva two inches away from the growth.  ??! That was so surprising.  And way bigger than I expected.  Now at least I know why it's hurting so damn much.  The bleeding finally stopped through the night but started again this afternoon.  Sigh.  I'm clearly, not resting enough.  She asked if I wanted stitches, I stupidly said no because they pull and then itch. I may have made a bad decision there. I'm currently parked on the couch with Finn and Sassy until Eric gets home with Jia from dance.  Then hopefully an early bedtime for me after the boys and Finn are sorted.

On a whim today Eric took me to see a Jeep Wrangler he thought I might like.  His effort at distracting me?  My Jeep is poised to hit 200,000kms any second.  That's usually his mark for when it's time.  But, I LOVE my Jeep.  The salesman's eyes lit up when he saw mine and his 1st question was if we would trade it in.  7 seat Commanders sell super quickly.  I wasn't ready to discuss anyone else having her.  Haha. So, the one we test drove today was pretty nice.  I definitely liked it. It's Tonka toy yellow.  I really would  much prefer that Eric would just tell me my Commander will run for another hundred thousand kms and I can keep her forever.  

My therapy dog.

Sassy and I are resting in the sun. It's been a brutal day for me.

All tmi. Medical. Skip if you need to.

It turns out the type 2 diabetes I was diagnosed with at age 15 is likely/actually type 1.  Combination of things going on.  Birth defect, born prematurely, Chrones, colectomy likely affecting pancreas. Partial pancreas removal/damage.  Fertility drugs and prednisone and Chrones maintenance drugs all can cause metabolic changes.  All in the end to say I need insulin now.  Jardiance not working well enough so now adding Ozempic and moving onto using a Libre 2 glucose monitor.  It's all very overwhelming.  Not unexpected but overwhelming none the less.  As you can imagine, I'm super excited about wearing an attachment in my arm, taking tons of needles and wearing alert jewelry.  Not.  

I get to take lifestyle classes.  Fun.  The good news is I don't have any bad habits to change.  My diet was already pretty much where it needs to be.  I indicated not enough exercise but my very little is already way, way more than they have required.  Only 150 mins of movement a week.  

I was already super annoying about what I can/will eat.  It only gets worse moving forward.  

Then after all that fun news I went to see the gynecologist in person.  This is where the day got brutal.  She didn't want to wait for a surgery date so did a biopsy today. Yowzers.  The numbing needle was bad.  It didn't work so she stopped mid slice and gave another needle.  Felt that and then still felt it all.  In a very delicate spot.  It's been stinging ever since.  The bleeding hasn't stopped.  I'm definitely feeling sorry for myself.  Three weeks for results. Collective prayers for fibroids please.  I was shaking pretty violently on my way out.  I shouldn't have driven but I wanted home.  

My walk in Dr that is not my Dr keeps checking in.  He's calling tomorrow.  Love him.  The Endocrinologist was so shocked at how much I was dealing with and how complex they all are that she called a pharmacist into the one hour meeting to double check her approach.  He thinks the Ozempic might actually help the Short Bowel Syndrome so that was exciting to hear.  

So for now, no hot tub for a week or two.  No foreign water, so no kayaking at Sproat Lake. No soap and try to rest.  Haha. 

The boys iep meetings are tomorrow and I have another fasting test in the morning.  

The kids are all doing well today and dinner is in the oven.  Shepherds pie.  Comfort food.

Can't wait.

It's warming up!

When we got to Dry Gultch we were told there was a bear in the park, a cougar nearby and two badgers to look out for.  I'm a little disappointed we didn't see the badgers.

Last day

We all lived quite comfortably in Cheese for a week.  I'm already plotting Squamish/Whistler/Barkerville.  

Eric and Luk would rather do more camping.  Kai wants to go home.  I would like to camp more but really feeling the pull to get home.  Lots on my to do list.  Meetings, appointments, work, the girls and of course the puppies!

Eric and I get to take off in Cheese on Jun 1st for an anniversary get away at Sproat Lake.  

We had three hours to kill, so we did lunch at Tswassen Mills.  Chinese again ;) It's a week day, there's no little kids in the play area that is for up to 5 years.  We let Kai go for it.  It was pure joy to watch him play for a few minutes.

He's yelling CHEESE.  He's posing with his eyes closed.  I wish this was just me catching a blink.  

Kai wanted this picture, I told him he could go ahead and sit in the chair.  He ran ahead and started climbing.  Oops.

The wife and kids have been parked on a bench while hubby explores Pro Bass Shop.  Haha.

This is tv for Kai.  Apparently they're all cute baby fish. 

Finally found a big horn sheep, unfortunately he's quite dead.

Mule Deer Campground

We stopped in Princeton for lunch and found this cool rock.  

Wifi at lunch.  

We arrived at this spectacular site at Mule Deer Campground in Manning Park.  More river sounds!

If it was warmer it would be the perfect camping spot.  

Sudoku for me and Majong for Eric.  We sat until it was just too cold to pretend I was having fun.

A balance beam he couldn't fall off of.  

This was the one moment Kai was allowed near the water.  He couldn't be outside for even a second without supervision.  

I finally gave up.  Total chill.  No sickness, just couldn't warm up.  Sleep sometimes regulates my temp so I napped through dinner.  Another night with snacks and a movie.

Okanagan Falls

We spent the morning in Grand Forks.  We found a Fields.  The boys got new camping plaids.  

Then we did the Farmer's Market, a restore, a Dollarama and had more fabulous Chinese Food for lunch.  Duncan needs to step up their game.

We stopped in Oosoyoos for a potty break and ice cream.  

Okanagan Falls.  Right by the river.  I miss the sound of the river while sleeping so tonight is a treat.

Sporting their new coats.

We bought a curtain at the Dollarama.  Kai has been staring at us while we sleep.  It's creepy.  I'm sure he's unsettled and keeping his eye on what is happening.  Trying to predict the next food.  In the constant effort to teach privacy and 'look away' we thought this was worth a try.  It was not.  Haha.  When I woke up he was peeking around it and staring at us.  Sigh.  Luk thought it was cozy like a fort though so he appreciated the privacy.

The mad scientist setting up his flush.  He's managed ok.  It's not ideal but we have a system happening.

A night time stroll in pajamas.  Why not?  

Cheese, nestled in.  There were two other a-frames at the campsite.  Another tour of ours to some people in a tiny trailer.  They thought ours was too small.  Then they stepped in.  The camp attendant was surprised to see 3 a-frames in at once.  

These signs were more than enough to keep us back from the water ;)

Ready for snack and movie time.  

We watched Old Dogs with John Travolta and Robin Williams.  A disney movie we hadn't seen.  I was a tad disappointed there were no dogs.  However, it was one of the funniest movies ever.  There was serious belly laughing going on from all four of us.

Last night is tonight at Mule Deer campground in Manning park.  We have a 5:45 ferry reservation for tomorrow.  

Gladstone Park/Christina Lake

It was a travel day.  We thought since it was rainy we'd do the heavy driving and hope for better weather further along.  

We're a couple hours away from tomorrow's destination of Okanagan Falls.  We in Gladstone park, it's huge.  With showers so Eric and I are excited about that.  

The place is seriously empty!  

So different than the island.  At home I have to show the reservation, drivers license and a disability letter.  Here they just ask for your name.  We were also told not to use propane fire because it attracts bugs.  Haha.  They don't  but the whole don't set the forest on fire thing hasn't quite caught on here in the mainland. 

All the pit toilets are actually huts with a flush toilet and sink.  Everything here is spotless.  Even the dish washing station.  A brand new playground. Hot water demand showers.  This is supreme Provincial camping.  For the camping friends, this place is goals ;)  

Funny moment, Eric met a couple on the road asking about Cheese.  The fellow was intrigued.  The wife made fun of it.  Said it was too small to fit anything.  I invited her in.  Haha.  Her reaction was gold.  Then the camp attendant came and said there was another one here on the long weekend, she'd never seen one before.  I invited her in too.  She was shocked.  The boys were lounging on their beds and dinner is cooking.  She had written us down as 2 people because she couldn't imagine us fitting more.  Love it.

Late dinner and another movie.  Showers and out of here early tomorrow.

Now They're Happy

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I can't remember what it said before.

The boys were thrilled to cozy in to watch their new Star Wars movie.

We made it through a wicked storm.  Thunder and rain so loud that we had to keep turning the movie off because we couldn't hear it.

Invemere

We drove to Invemere and poked around town for a few hours.

The antique stores were full of interesting things.  We bought a Star Wars movie.

Picture from home.

We found a bug zoo.  Kai wouldn't go in.

I had to push Luk a bit to go in.  He surprisingly knew a LOT about all of the bugs but wasn't keen to hold or touch.

This guy likes to hang on and cuddle.  He felt like a piece of wood.  Very cool. I thought he'd make a great pet but there is a 25000.00 dollar fine if you have one in your home.

I did convince him to pet the cuddly one.

Snack time.

Mr. Mr. finally found a moose.

We drove Kootenay National Park and didn't find the big horn sheep.