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Posts from the ‘The Power of Pain’ Category

Sep 28

18 Comments

Game On

Welcome to the roller coaster that is now my life.

Buckle up. Keep all hands and arms inside the vehicle. I promise the ride will be bumpy, twisted, and upside down.

Good. Now that I’ve warned you, let me tell you about my week.

I’ve seen four different doctors. I’ve been to BC BioMed Labs three times. And, so far I may have one or more of the following four illnesses: pulmonary hypertension/heart failure, hypothyroidism, cervical cancer, or my favorite, pituitary tumor.

All are possible, the last three are likely. And they may all be related to the last one: a tumor in my pituitary gland.

Technically, pituitary tumor is not cancer. Nor is it a brain tumor. It’s called pituitary adenoma, a slow-growing tumor in the pituitary gland that messes up all of the body’s hormones, causing things like hypothyroidism and a host of reproductive issues, including the iron-deficiency anemia that I’ve already been diagnosed with.  Depending on its size, it’s often not operated on; best treatment is usually through medication.

It’s also often never even diagnosed. Read more

Sep 25

11 Comments

Control, Defiance, and Joy

I meant to blog on Friday.

But then I got a phone call – from my oncologist’s office.

Yeah, those usually aren’t too fun. Oncologists are – unfortunately – busy people. No news is good news, they say. And its true. If they’re calling you, then, well, something’s up.

Or down, as the case may be.

This time, there was something down. I blogged on Wednesday about having microcytic anemia (low hemoglobin due to small red blood cells). I’d had a Ferritin level blood test (iron levels) done on Tuesday, to see if the low hemoglobin was due to low iron. If it wasn’t, then we had to consider that I might be sicker than we had thought.

But, it was low. 6, to be precise. Normal is 20-100, so yes, I’m a bit iron-deficient.

Good news, right? Because then I can just take iron supplements to correct the problem.

Or, maybe not. Read more

Sep 19

2 Comments

Canuck Hate, Canuck Shmate: 10 Reasons to Stick With Em Anyways

A quick disclaimer: I write to Canuck fans. You love another team? I bless you to do so. Whoever you’re for, be for. Please, and thank you.

Another disclaimer: there are many blogs dedicated solely to Canuck hate. (Ha ha ha. And, they call us pathetic.) BUT, this is NOT one of them. So, if you’re not exactly fond of Canucks – and its in vogue to hate us, so, I understand if there’s more than a few of you – this is probably not the post for you. Check back in on Wednesday. There won’t be a single thing about hockey in here, I promise.

Maybe.

Read more

Sep 11

4 Comments

9/11/11: The Dragon Doesn’t Always Win

Ten years ago today, I woke with dread.

No, I hadn’t heard the news. I just hit my head on the top bunk and realized I had no idea what I was going to do for the chapel service I was supposed to lead that morning.

I shrugged on my backpack, hoisted up my thirty-pound-nursing-textbooks (word to the wise: those of you going to Nursing school, prepare to invest in a decent masseuse, physiotherapist, or chiropractor), and hoped my very strong coffee would give me inspiration as I walked the flowering-cherry-tree-lined path from McMillan Hall to Neufeld Science Center.

Other bleary-eyed students joined me, coffee mug in one hand, the other rubbing their eyes. Obviously, none of us were built for 8 am classes.

None of us residents, I should say.

A commuter friend saw me and bounced along the path.

I realized as I got closer she wasn’t smiling. “Did you hear the news?” she puffed out. Read more

Aug 25

The Hunger Games and The Power of Pain: A #100blogfest Blog

I just read what may be one (or three?) of my favourite books of all-time.

A quick hello to all those following #100blogfest! Welcome to Lana Meredith: Stories of Hope in a Post-Fairy Tale World. I’m so glad you came! I hope you enjoy what you find and leave a comment – even if only to say hi – before you leave. If you like what you find here, please visit my home or ‘about’ pages.

On Fridays I pick a book, blog, article, paper, or magazine to share with those ‘non-compulsive readers,’ aka. the people who, unlike me, don’t seek out their literary fix at every turn. In other words, people who need a huge pull to get  them to read a book.

If you’re one of those people, look no further than The Hunger Games.

No, I’m not kidding. I had big plans for this week. Those plans got blown to smithereens when I took my good friend’s advice – okay, ten of my good friends’ advice – and read The Hunger Games.

Read more

Aug 22

4 Comments

Life, Death & Hope: A Salute to the ‘Courageous’ Jack Layton

On Friday I quoted The Toronto Star‘s reference to Rick Mercer as one of Canada’s great educators.

They must be right, for this morning I woke to the sad news of Jack Layton’s death, and my first thoughts were of Rick Mercer.

No, not really.

But a lot of what I remember about Jack Layton came through The Rick Mercer Report.

Read more

Aug 19

8 Comments

The Good, The Bad and The Funny of Canadian Politics: Rick Mercer

This Friday I bring you another great, sadly unread, Canadian book.

Well, its not really a book. It’s a paper version of what you could watch every Tuesday night on the CBC at 8 pm. Well, every Tuesday between October and April, that is.

“No one on TV has done more to teach Canadians about their own country than Mercer,” says the Toronto Star.

And, despite the Toronto Star’s recent gaffe claiming Canucks GM Mike Gillis called Rick Rypien ‘crazy,’ (the writer quoted a vandalized Wikipedia article rather than the actual interview with Gillis), I think they got this one right.

There’s a good reason my niece’s Social Studies teacher used clips from The Rick Mercer Report in her Friday classes.

Rick is one of our national educators. And frankly, we could use one. Read more

Aug 15

4 Comments

Good Sports, Sore Losers, and Why it Matters: RIP Rick Rypien

This post is dedicated to a fierce competitor and a lovable guy, former Canuck Rick Rypien. We’ll miss you, Ryp. We know you didn’t play for us anymore, but we will never forget your spirit. We all loved watching you take on guys who were a whole head taller than you! Our thoughts and prayers are with your family.

Five hours ago, the Stanley Cup was at my work.

No, no. I’m not kidding. I mean, the real thing was at my work.

You super-sleuths now know where I work, if you know the Cup’s schedule. I, sadly, was one of the few who did not know it was going to be there.

And of course, today is the first day of my four-week vacation.

I discovered the Cup’s presence early this afternoon when someone posted a picture on Facebook. Calling the direct line to my department, I asked a co-worker if it was gone.

“Sorry,” she said. “Only a half-hour window, I heard.”

Sigh. This is the plight of a true Canucks fan: never knowing – or not seizing – their half-hour window. Read more

Aug 12

4 Comments

British Columbia: ‘We Don’t Think That’s Funny’ (And Other Inspirations from “How to Be a Canadian”)

On Wednesday I wrote about a sadly unknown feisty woman in history.

Today, I write about a sadly unread great Canadian book. It’s not the great Canadian novel. Though, it may make you want to write the great Canadian novel.

No, this is your manual on How to Be A Canadian. As evidenced  by, ehrm, the title.

I bought this book ten years ago for my American husband. He wasn’t quite my husband yet. The prospect of moving to Canada from the greatest country in the world made his patriotic heart quiver with nervousness (as it should). But the Ferguson brothers description of what defines us (hint: Canadians are always defined by negation, as in, I am NOT American), unites us (see below), and makes us awesome (the ability to poke fun at every inch of our land, people and government), made David laugh and say, ‘ok, I might like it here.’ Read more

Aug 7

Morons, Stupidity, and Us

I prepare you now: I have had a week of stupid. A miserable, bash-your-head-on-your-desk, you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me, did-someone-suck-these-people’s-brains-out? week of moronic encounters. So this post may be a bit, uh, more honest than you’re used to.

A few of you just ran away in fear. After all, I’m not known for being – what shall we call it? – hard to crack.

But for those of you with the courage – or perhaps morbid fascination, for who doesn’t love a good trainwreck? – to stay, let’s just agree up front to be honest.

Sometimes life is filled with stupidity. Sometimes you feel like you’re the only reasonable person in a sea of idiots. And then you painfully wonder if you’re the idiot and everyone else is sane.

And, it all unravels from there. Read more

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