38 week update – He’s arrived!

Hey all,

If you are reading this now, we are enjoying our new bundle of joy.

On April 1st, I had an ultrasound as well as a non-stress test. A non stress test involves a heart rate monitor being placed on the baby while you monitor for movement. When you feel movement, you press a button and the machine links the baby’s heart rate to the movement.

During my clinic visit following these tests I received good results. The baby scored perfectly for movement during the non stress test and my ultrasound showed good amniotic fluid and blood flow through the umbilical cord. However, in the words of my Ob, the placenta still looked, “Nasty”. I was also checked for cervical dilation which was 3cm. The Ob was happy about that because it means things are on their way.

So a date for induction was set for Sunday April 7th – exactly 38 weeks and 1 day.

I had hoped to do a natural labour. But I learned last night not to be a hero. I started the oxytocin (to get contractions started) at 9:15am. Around 12:20 in the afternoon, I was around 4cm dilated so the doctors decided to break my water. Then the fun began. The contractions got much stronger and before I knew it, 3 hours had passed. It was now 3:00pm. I lost track of time or what was happening around me. Although I thought I was breathing well, my face started to go numb and my arms, along with my inner thighs. I started to get really sweaty and the shakes. Apparently I had been hyperventilating once active labour began.

I was sufferring. I asked to be checked and I was 7cm. Who knew how fast I would get to 10cm. I decided it was time to stop being a hero and get the epidural.

Best decision ever.

I was afraid to get it because it brought back memories post surgery. It caused me a lot of anxiety in retrospect. But it was time.

Insertion wasn’t bad at all as the contractions were 100x worse. Once it was in, the pain was bearable and I laboured on. It may have slowed things down but it was bearable. The oxytocin was stopped but restarted sometime a bit later. But during this time, I could talk again and rest. Around 6ish, the baby was making his way down my birth canal and I experienced a lot of rectal pain. I was given lidocane to help me out as I had only 0.5cm to go.

At 8:30pm the pressure was back and strong. The lidocane had worn off as the doctors wanted me to feel where to push and how hard. I was checked and it was time to push.

I was ready. I had trained for this. Loads of core work from Zumba and pelvic PT to help prevent major tears.

This is where my open surgery for my TG almost 5 years ago was put to the test. The pushing involved a position with your legs in the air and you do a sit up while bearing down. You do this during contractions.

At first I had some reservations because I feared creating a hernia. But I needed to push with everything I had.

Thirty five minutes later, he was out. 7lbs exactly and 38 + 1 days gestational period. I only required one stitch. He is beautiful.

I lie here while he sleeps reflecting on what I just experienced over the past day.

What a miracle and another chapter to open in our lives.

Advertisements

37 Weeks pregnant – Home stretch

The pregnancy bump is in full force, although most identify it only on side profile.  I am all baby.

I am now onto the final few weeks of pregnancy and it has been another adventure to add to the books.  I left off at a 33 week update and I would say that the home stretch has presented itself with a few more twists and turns.  Pregnancy is an individual experience for every woman myself included.   I always wondered what the last few weeks would bring as those are the weeks your baby is packing on the pounds, taking whatever it needs from its host.  Yeah I said it, my baby is eating me.

I last left off questioning my iron and hemoglobin levels.  I had a clinic visit on March 11th where my levels were deemed low but not so low that something needed to be done.  But let me back up a little. Previous to this visit (end of Feb) is where I learned my levels had not increased but additional blood work was run.  I received a phone call on March 4th from the dietitian that my zinc level and albumin levels were also low.   Zinc is important for immune system function and albumin is a type of protein.

So what did this mean? Start taking 10mg of zinc 2x a day.  This brought my individual supplement total up to seven.  But wait there is more!  Zinc competes with iron and calcium when it comes to absorption in your body.   So they cannot be taken together and I need to take it twice a day, along with taking iron twice a day and calcium once a day.  You can see where this is going.  So for the past few weeks my supplement regime has gone something like this: wake up – prenatal vitamin and vitamin D, 2 hours later – Zinc, 2 hours later iron, 2 hours later, calcium, back to zinc, then iron….somewhere in there B12 and Omega 3.  Inevitably, I forget one of them per day.   I’ve tried putting them all in a bowl in the morning and slowly taking one whenever I head to the kitchen.  I feel for all of those people who need to take daily medication.

I decided to finish working on March 21st.  This would be about a month prior to my scheduled due date.  This was not an easy decision and it ultimately boiled down to my inability to stand or walk for prolonged periods of time, I was down to fifteen minutes.   The difficult part was that my brain was all gung-ho but my hip was saying, “Noooo”.  The baby has been growing and started to push right onto my sciatic nerve during movements and would send shooting pain down my leg.  I was fearful of falling while treating patients and this is what ultimately stopped me from working.  Those who know me, know that I LOVE my profession and what I do so when I stopped, it was like a piece of who I am was also taken away.  Not to mention, leaving my work fam for a bit.

But in my heart, I knew that this is temporary and my physio self will be replaced with a new self, “mom self” very soon and some of this void will be filled.   I did not really want a full month  (or more) off of work though.  However, I have always suspected that the baby may come early at 38 weeks.

As people know, I am a big believer of the universe’s plan and working in certain ways for certain reasons.  Let’s now jump ahead to my March 25th appointment – Ultrasound and clinic visit (week 36).

During this visit, I learned that my Ob-Gyn is a master at the sandwich approach of explaining things.  For those of you who do not know, this is where a person will begin telling you the great things, followed by some bad things but closing with great things again.

She began by explaining that the baby is growing well at an estimated weight of 6lbs 1oz and the blood flow to the placenta was looking good. Amniotic fluid, also good.  Then she asked how I was feeling and if I had been feeling the baby moving.  I replied, that there was lots of movement.  Here I thought, she would now say, “Great, see you next week for follow up”.  But instead I got, “the radiologist called me after your ultrasound and mentioned to me that your placenta looked odd”.  She followed up with drawing a picture that demonstrated that my placenta is calcifying and was getting calcium/fibrotic deposits inside.  This is normal for someone who is around 41-42 weeks term but advanced for someone who is 36 weeks. Especially since my 32 week ultrasound was normal.  From my understanding, this means that the placenta is hardening and eventually it will stop working as it should.  This was the centre of the sandwich.

Next she went back to the good news, “but your baby is growing and the blood flow looked good”.  Followed by, “I think we will want to induce you next week or the week after before it stops working as well”.  I think after I heard, “induce next week”, I just nervously laughed and left the clinic filled with many emotions.  Excited baby is coming very soon, shocked that baby is coming so soon, happy I only get a week maybe week and a half off work, upset that I only get a week or so off work, etc.  I’m happy my mom was with me at this appointment to clarify some details for me afterwards.  I’m pretty sure I went to La La land after that news.

However, I did ask if I could keep doing Zumba (since I was still doing it…36 weeks proud!). The answer was, “umm, I don’t think we want to increase your heart rate to make your placenta work any harder than it should”.  I knew this would probably be the answer but I needed to hear, “No”.    So to my Zumba community – I will see you all after the baby is born!  However, I was cleared to continue with Yoga and general gentle exercise.

Once we left the clinic, I was booked for another ultrasound on April 1st (the following Monday) as well as a non-stress test (to evaluate baby’s heart rate and levels in utero).  Then an induction date would be set based on these results.

Now back to my belief of universe working in certain ways.  Although it was shocking to know that our baby would be here before the second week of April.  I had always said, “I hope the baby comes around 38 weeks”.  This will definitely be the case now.  In addition, my hip continues to get worse  as the baby grows and maybe this was also another way to get me back to normal faster.  Finally, my eating has become more difficult and at my last clinic visit, I actually had lost some weight.  I now sit at a 16lbs weight gain with this little guy.

So everything for a reason right?  Brandon and I are really looking forward to meeting this little guy and having a new chapter open in our lives.  I know that labour and raising him will be a challenge, but what’s life without some challenges?  The harder the challenge, the sweeter the reward 🙂

 

 

 

33 Weeks preggo – the final trimester

The days are getting a little longer here in Ontario and the birds are out chirping in the mornings. I feel spring is on its way, which means we are down to the countdown until this little guy makes his arrival into the world.

My friends and family have identified that I look bigger every three days. I am also noticing this change. When I get dressed in the morning, I feel like I’m on a game show called, “Will it fit?”, where I will spin a wheel to determine if this is the week I retire a pair of pants or shirt. I don’t think I fully realized how big your body can get in pregnancy and thought I wouldn’t need maternity clothing. Well, majority of my Lululemon studio pants are now retired and I’m down to leggings, amazing thrift shop maternity pant finds, and old loose Lululemons that I had been hanging onto for this very moment. I have approximately seven weeks until estimated due date (Easter weekend).

I had a follow up with my Ob-Gyn at the high risk clinic (although I am lower risk compared to the high risk women at this clinic) last Monday. I saw the little guy again and he is growing well at an estimated 4lbs 8oz. However, I did mention to them that my energy levels returned for about a week after I saw them last and had been feeling tired no matter how much sleep I had. The shortness of breath also had returned. Blood work was recommended to analyze all my nutrient levels including my ferritin. On Friday I called the clinic for the results and my hemoglobin and iron were still low despite taking 300mg of iron a day.

I will return to the clinic on the 11th of this month and we will discuss what to do in terms of my low iron and hemoglobin. It is common for women who are pregnant post gastrectomy to require IV iron infusions so I am wondering if this is in my near future. As for now, I am going enjoy my extra sleep and view this constant fatigue as sleep deprivation training for when the little guy arrives.

In terms of my physical activity, I continue to go to Zumba once a week and prenatal yoga once a week. I have had to drop Zumba to once a week as it has a tendency to flare my hip up; however, the community is so strong and the classes are so much fun, I can’t stop! I think this baby may come out dancing. Once more of the ice clears around here, I will start walking more. I want to be as fit as I can be for labour.

I continue to be active at work but need to take some occasional breaks to sit as my hip and pelvis continue to be an issue. I decided to take the last month before due date off which leaves three more weeks of work until mat leave begins. It was a tough decision as I really enjoy my job, patients, and colleagues. What really hit it home was a nurse at the high risk clinic who mentioned to me that in my therapeutic relationship, I am supposed to be the strong one. I also have a sneaky suspicion that this little guy may come early because he will run out of room and just decide, “I’m outta here”. He’s always been sitting low and is just getting lower as the weeks progress. My weight gain is now at a whopping 15lbs. I’m hoping for a 20-25lbs weight gain total (Who says that?!).

The human body never ceases to amaze me. It is wild that women can grow a person inside of them. My pregnancy journey has been another adventure and it is interesting how everyone is so different with their pregnancy journeys. Despite the fatigue and hobbles, I remain in high spirits and we are looking forward to meeting this little guy next month.

Pre-Zumba class at 33 weeks pregnant

29 Weeks Pregnant – A well overdue update

Hey Friends!

This stomachless pregnancy update is well overdue. I made the mistake of watching “Tidying up with Marie Kondo” followed by listening to her entire audio book and have been de cluttering like mad the past few weeks. I wondered when the nesting would begin but Marie has kicked it into full gear. But today I take a tidying break to give you all a much needed pregnancy update.

Since my last update, I have seen my Ob-gyn twice. Once just after Christmas where I was referred for a blood work up for my iron levels as well as to measure my blood sugar levels, and more recently Jan 24th where I completed my 28 week ultrasound as well as got updates on my previous blood work .

Normally women who are pregnant complete a glucose test around 24 to 28 weeks to test monitor for gestational diabetes. From what I understand, this involves drinking a large quantity of a sugar beverage followed by a blood work one hour later. Due to the no-stomach-thing, I did not have to do this test. Thank goodness because I think it may have killed me. Or just given me violent diarrhea and full scale dumping. Instead, I completed some blood work.

Throughout the month of January, I continued to work my regular hours and regular duties. I continued to attend the gym 1-2x a week for Zumba and home yoga daily for about half an hour. My fatigue level started to increase near the last couple weeks of January and I started to look green and pale at the end of the day. I was falling asleep on the couch around 8:30pm every night but figured it was just regular pregnancy fatigue. I also started to have minor dizzy spells and felt slightly faint during the last couple of tracks of my Zumba class. You probably know where this is going.

On my Jan 24th follow up, I was notified that my iron level was low and I needed to double up on my iron supplements. I have been taking Ferramax 150mg since my surgery as stomachless folk often have iron absorption issues post total gastrectomy (TG). This made all too much sense after hearing my results and started doubling up immediately. Within a week my energy levels improved as well as my colour. I will likely have this level rechecked in the future to ensure I am not anemic and if it remains low – I will be referred for an iron IV infusion. This is also common post TG and in pregnancy (especially during the late 2nd trimester into the 3rd).

In terms of my blood glucose levels, I did not have gestational diabetes so this was a bonus. Continue eating ice cream, baked goods, and chocolate for me! I am convinced this baby will be 1/4 chocolate.

On this visit I also had a 28 week ultrasound. At this point in time, I had gained about 10lbs above my pre-preggo weight. The issue the Ob-gyn is concerned about with people who have TG’s is the baby not gaining enough weight. Much to my surprise, I was notified that the baby is currently in the 73rd percentile. Which means that he is bigger than average! I heard these scans are not the most accurate for actual birth weight but I’ll take it. I am hoping to have a 6-7 pound baby but if this scan is accurate, I may have an 8 pounder. Yikes! Maybe I better slow down on the sugar….

In terms of physical mobility, my right hip and pelvis continues to be an ongoing issue and although I am doing as much as I can for it (Yoga, stretching, Physio, and massage therapy) it is getting worse as the baby grows. I’ll spare everyone all the details as I do not like to complain but I am confident that it will all go away once the baby is born. I am determined to keep up with my physical activity though throughout all of this pregnancy.

In terms of eating, my appetite is the best in the morning to mid day. Although, I have been eating a lot, my weight gain has been minimal. This morning I was at an 11 pound gain. As he continues to grow, the baby is taking all the good nutrients he needs and my body composition has been changing. Less muscle mass…larger belly. I think I am all baby.  The evening is a different story. Often it is hard eat the same portions I was able to eat a month ago and I have issues with food getting stuck. Dinner time is the most difficult. I find standing and eating the easiest. Sometimes, I try to shift the baby position around as I suspect my intestines and pseudo stomach are getting all bunched up and the pipework is getting kinked. If I’m successful, I usually feel a good gurgle and the stuck food sensation goes away. I also try not to eat too late into the evening to avoid bile reflux in the middle of the night.

Believe it or not, my surgical scar looks better than it ever has and I think all this belly stretching is stimulating more cell repair. I also think this baby is breaking a lot of old adhesions from surgery. You go baby!

Anyhow, my next follow up is next week. I am down to the every two week appointments now. I am now 11 weeks off of my estimated due date. Homeee Stttreeettccchh!!

Me at 27 weeks pregnant

Pregnancy post total gastrectomy

I have been a little MIA from the blogging world over the past few months. Not because I didn’t have any ideas but I was saving up for some big news!

After last years adventures with IVF + PGD +PGS followed by a natural pregnancy and a miscarriage, we are happy to announce that we are expecting. I write this with both excitement and hesitation. As you all know, I am an optimistic person and prefer to see the light in situations. However, after experiencing a miscarriage, it is hard not to be semi-guarded when expecting. We announced to our friends and family after the infamous end of first trimester, but I did not feel comfortable posting anything onto social media. After speaking with Brandon and thinking about it long and hard, I decided that I wanted to blog about being pregnant without a stomach as it may help many other women trying to make that tough decision about when to have their stomach removed. I know I was there back in 2014 and it was not an easy one.

I was one week out from meeting with a fertility clinic as it had been almost 1 year since our miscarriage last year. I decided to take a pregnancy test about a week before the appointment and much to my surprise, it was positive. I was four weeks pregnant. This was back in mid August.

I had suspicion that something was going on as I was able to eat some ice cream, which I shared with the world on my last blog post. This happened to me last year before the miscarriage. I was able to tolerate sweeter foods easier. That was my first sign.

I called the fertility clinic to let them know about our natural pregnancy and they still followed me for the first eight weeks. At this point, I was transferred to a high risk maternal fetal medicine clinic. During my appointments at the fertility clinic, ultrasounds were taken at the six week and eight week mark. Each one filled with nerves that we would receive bad news and then joy that things were going well.

Once I was transferred to the high risk clinic, I first met with the regular maternal fetal medicine clinic and a genetic counselor to discuss the hereditary nature of the CDH1 genetic mutation as well as how one can go about testing a fetus for the gene. We had already decided in advance that if we had a natural pregnancy the child would not be tested until it is old enough to make the decision on their own. But for those who are interested, doctors are able to test for the gene using Chorionic villi sampling or amniocentesis. At this point, the expecting parents can decide to terminate the pregnancy or keep it. It is not an easy decision for anyone, that is for sure. In Ontario, these tests are covered which adds more layers to the decision making process of IVF with PGS/PGD (costly) vs. natural (testing is covered).

Thankfully, we were already prepared for all of these decisions as my genetic counselor discussed all this with me back in the day when I found out I was positive for the mutation.

I had morning sickness from weeks six to week fifteen. It actually was afternoon/evening sickness which allowed me to get through my work day but knocked me out at night. I experienced brutal nausea from about 4pm to when I crashed at night around 8pm. I attempted vomiting hoping it would make it stop but that is one thing that I have not been able to do since my stomach removed. So it was basically like being stuck with constant motion sickness for a nine weeks. Props to all the women who have this throughout the entire pregnancy and for those who don’t, you are lucky!

Around week six, I started to develop coccyx (tailbone) pain which has progressed into right sided glute/hip pain which radiates a quarterway down the back of my leg. Thankfully, I have many great physios friends who with who have been keeping it manageable. It is a real pain in the butt!!

In week 16, I was able to feel the baby kick and in week 17, I was able to see some kicks and feel them on the outside. They say that people may not feel these things until 20 weeks or later in pregnancy but I think us stomachless people are so body aware, we pick it up faster. The baby kicks more after I eat, I am assuming because all the intestinal noises from digestion must be pretty loud in there for it. The baby is sitting on my left side and fairly low.

In terms of weight gain, I have gained about four pounds since becoming pregnant. The Ob-gyn recommended that I gain 5-8lbs by week 20. I also recently completed my anatomy scan which occurs around weeks 18-22. Again, I had some ‘scananxiety’ but thankfully, everything was normal. I have still not gained much weight and I have a small bump. My Ob-gyn was not concerned about the lack of weight gain as it is too early to tell if the baby is growing appropriately.

Anyways, I plan to keep people up to date about how things are moving along. Pregnancy post gastrectomy is not a topic that many blog about so I think this will serve as a good platform to blog more frequently again.

Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer Webpage

Hey all!

Recently Karen Chelcun Schreiber (Founder of No Stomach for Cancer) started a webpage dedicated to Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer (HDGC) which strongly focuses on CDH1 mutation as well as the most recent research regarding HDGC.   She works with Dr. Parry Guilford (Discovered the mutation and continues to do research for CDH1 mutations).

The mission statement:

“To support Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer (HDGC) translational research that leads to improvements in the health and well-being of those affected by HDGC, and to provide relevant, reliable information and resources to help individuals and families understand their risk, make informed decisions, and advocate for themselves.”

I think this is such a great organization as the funding and donations to this group go directly to research for HDCG.   My hope is that there will be a better way to prevent HDGC for people with CDH1+ mutations than removing your stomach in future years.

Check it out:

Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer

Stomach Cancer Awareness Day

Hey all!

Today is Stomach Cancer Awareness Day and I will be attending the 2nd Annual Stomach Cancer Conference in Toronto. There will also be a live cast for anyone unable to attend but interested in the information presented.

If you are going to be there today. Come say hi!

Ice cream

It has been just over two months since my last blog post. Time sure does fly! We are having a real summer here in southern Ontario – hot and dry. I have been spending much of this summer studying for an exam that involves progressing my diagnostic skills and treatment skills as a physiotherapist. But that is a whole blog in itself. Needless to say, I have been a little MIA from the blogging world.

But I’m back for another reflection post.

One food that I have always loved is ice cream. I have mentioned it many times in previous blogs and purchased the biggest cone to eat prior to saying farewell to my stomach. Not only is it delicious but often, eating a cone is associated with a fun social outing with friends or family.

Unfortunately, I still do not tolerate it well in larger quantities (i.e. greater than 1/4 cup). So every time we stop for ice cream, I am faced with a decision – eat it and risk feeling unwell (usually bloated, fatigued, and rapid heart rate) or kindly pass and often take a few licks off your husband’s or friend’s cone.

I came across a quote that states, “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” and I am not a person who likes using the phrase, “I can’t”.

Last night after a nice dinner with friends in Toronto, we stopped at an ice cream place called, “Bang Bang Ice Cream and Bakery“. They are a small ice cream shoppe that makes home made ice cream and apparently has some of the best ice cream sandwiches downtown. Once again, I was faced with the decision to pass or to try. This shop had a small 4oz size cup.

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”

I ordered the 4oz cup of mint ice cream. Was it the best ice cream I’ve ever had. Yes. Was I scared to eat it. You betcha. Did I feel bad after? Surprisingly not as bad as I had expected.

Life is too short to pass on the things you love. Life is too short to be afraid.

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

Happy August everyone!

Four years wiser – 4th Gastrectoanniversary

Today I celebrate four years without a stomach and my annual gastrectoanniversary blog.

I’ve been MIA from the blogging scene over the past few months. Where have I been? I’ve been busy living. Honestly, my life is becoming so much more normal that I find it difficult to find unique gastrectomy topics to blog about these days.

This past year I have been working on overcoming two ongoing issues since surgery – Fatigue and Sugar.

On Sugar

About a year or so ago, I decided to man up and try sugary foods and various breads that I previously not digested well and surprisingly I could tolerate a lot more than what I had originally thought. I grew tired of being afraid of feeling unwell and that I didn’t want to live out the rest of my life missing out on things I may be able to tolerate but was too afraid to try. So in the safety of my own home, I started experimenting with various foods/beverages. Thankfully, I was able to tolerate a lot more than what I could tolerate a few years ago.

So after four years, I can eat a small slice of whole grain toast with peanut butter for breakfast. I don’t pass on cake or pie. And I can eat a whole donut over 45 mins and not feel terrible. The key to my success is pacing and portion control. At this point, I will try anything and just pace through it and 85% of the time I’m fine. The other 15% I’ve passed out on the couch.

Donut time!

On Fatigue

I work a healthy 30 hours a week and have not bumped it up for the past three years. To those who may not know, I work as a physiotherapist in an orthopaedic clinic performing manual therapy on patients throughout my day. I’d classify it as a physical job. Twice a week I start work at 11am and I have been careful not to do anything too strenuous before work for fear I would burn out by the end of my work day.

Well, earlier this year, I decided that I wanted to do more with my mornings and started pushing back my rise time and doing more with my mornings. I knew there would be an adjustment period where I would feel tired but my body would adapt and I’d even out. My good friend, coffee, would also be present to help me through. Currently, I am able to wake before 8 am with enough time to get some jobs accomplished before work. I’m working on pushing it back to 7:30 am to have a more consistent wake time throughout the week. It goes to show that if your mind is ready, your body will eventually figure it out. I require power naps every now and then but overall, my energy level has increased and I’ve gotten a lot more accomplished.

Other updates

As for my weight update, my weight remains fairly stable at 117-118lbs. Although I am only off of my pre-surgical weight by 7lbs, my body shape has changed. I’m leaner and carry my weight in different places. Reading through last year’s post, I’ve managed to maintain this weight throughout the year. I am beginning to think I’ve levelled out. The only issues is that my mind still thinks I am my old size and I constantly pull clothing sizes that are too large even four years later!

I want to make a quick mention about the importance of iron supplementation and monitoring levels post total gastrectomy. My iron level has been slowly dropping over the past few years and for the first time this year, my iron was at a low enough level to affect me physically. It felt like I hadn’t slept for days. I just kept pushing through figuring it would pass but it did not and after a week and a half I caved and went to see my family doctor. She ran some blood work and I now know I need to take my iron supplement daily. Once I started taking it daily, my energy levels improved almost immediately. Previously, I was taking it every few days thinking that was good enough. Apparently not!

From an unsuccessful IVF cycle, to a miscarriage, to facing your fears, this past year has been filled with many learning experiences that have helped me become more resilient and wiser. Year four has gotten me even closer to my pre-gastrectomy self and I believe this time next year I’ll be that much better.

Olympic fever

I love the Olympics – especially the Winter Olympics.  Many of the sports carry considerable amount of physical risk, whether it be the laser sharp blades of the speed skaters, the speed zipping  down a steep hill, flying stories above the ground, and of course sending yourself head first down an ice track on a small sled.

I also love the stories of all the athletes as they have spent many years training for this moment when the world watches and cheers.

Obviously, I follow and cheer a lot more for our Canadian athletes and last night I witnessed a truly inspirational story.

Last March Mark McMorris was seriously injured while snowboarding backcountry.  He hit a tree and fractured his jaw, left arm, pelvis, multiple ribs, ruptured his spleen, and collapsed his left lung.  It was shocking to the nation and many of us followed his story as he fought to recover.

Fast forward to Pyeong Chang 2018.  Just under one year later. Men’s slopestyle.  Guess who’s back? Mark McMorris.  He laid down three amazing runs to land him a second Olympic Bronze.   Oh and did I mention he broke his femur in 2016 and has a rod in there?  

From Olympic Instragram post – Feb 11, 2018

And then there’s Denny Morrison.  He recovered from a bad motorcycle accident in 2015, suffered a stroke in 2016 and is back competing in long track speed skating.  

These stories are so inspirational as it demonstrates many things.  Perseverance.  Determination. Attitude.

If they can overcome challenging life experiences, so can we.