Improvement!

I went for lung function test last week and....I got a 80%!! My highest yet! I was pretty excited afterward. Of course it was one time and I didn't repeat it but who cares, I got there once. How is this possible that it keeps going up? Not that I'm complaining but I am pleasantly confused.

I was told my numbers would be stable after the first year but I guess with the cancer out of my system, my body is still healing itself. Sometimes I forget that the healing process can be so long. Plus all the hiking and jogging is probably helping to strengthen my lungs. 

The other news is that the team in Toronto would like to see me for my 3 year assessment in November. This was up for debate because the NS government has decided that it no longer wants to fund stable post-transplant people going to Toronto for their yearly assessment. However, it has been decided that although I'm "doing well," the team would still like to see me this year. Fair enough. No complaints from me as long as they keep their promise that I will not need a bronch!

Haircut

I got a haircut this week! My first post-cancer haircut. I sat in the little chair and the hairdresser asked the standard "so how long as it been since your last cut?" Then I had to go into the whole "it's growing back since it all fell out during chemo, so my last cut was technically when the barber shaved it off in Dec 2015." I feel like it's always such a long spiel every time it comes up but I have it down now.

The hairdresser just shaped it a bit to make the curls a bit more organized. It feels much lighter.

Before.

After!

Cape Breton

We had a wonderful time in Cape Breton! We did a ton of hikes (some in the rain, some in the sun), swam at the beach, and I even got a bit of a sunburn. I was not prepared for the sun. For some reason in my head, Cape Breton is always 16 degrees and rainy. So I packed 4 pairs of pants and they never left the car. I guess it's better to have them as an option than to have them sitting at home and being cold.

We did not see any moose or whales which was a bit disappointing. Not that I have much experience with the Cape Breton Highlands but the one other time I was there, we saw whales twice from shore and there seemed to be moose wandering all over the park. This time they avoided us. The muffler on our poor car gave out halfway there so perhaps we scared them all away while powering up the hills.

We kept hearing about moose sightings from other hikers like "someone told me there was a moose up there to the left" and "a bull moose just chased us down the trail (I think those people may have been exaggerating slightly)" but they were all gone by the time we arrived. Just as well we never saw one while driving. I would rather them stay in the woods than be in front of my car. Plus it gives us something to look forward to the next time we go!

It was such a nice mini vacation. Now we need to get the muffler fixed.

Classic Cape Breton from the Skyline trail.

Sunset from the Acadien trail.

Isaiah checking out the rocks at Mica Hill

I enjoyed the view more but the sparkling ground was really unique. 

Top of Franey Mtn.

Swimming at the little waterfall after the hike.

Beautiful sunset at the campground.

Beach!

Staring off the cliff at Middle Head looking at birds.

Campsite. We somehow take up so much room with such a little tent.

The Chief.

In Vancouver, Melissa and I did a hike called "The Chief" while Amy slept in. The trail is basically walking up uneven steps the entire way with some ladders and chains to help you climb the boulders at the end. It's a very intense hike. We did it really early in the morning which was a brilliant idea as the day ended up being really hot (plus Melissa had to work in the afternoon). I had the jelly legs on the way back down, that feeling when your legs are wobbling and you aren't 100% sure that they'll keep holding you up. But I made it back down and spent the rest of the day on Melissa's lounger with my books and cold beverages.

Going to the top!

The only way is up.

I'm smiling but it's mostly because the cold ladder felt good. You can see the sweat/sunscreen dripping off my face.

Keep going up!

Worth it.

Don't drop the car keys!

Glancing at peak two (to the right) and thankful we decided to do just one of them. Maybe next time...

Isaiah and I are now on a little camping trip to Cape Breton. We figured we may as well go before he gets a job (fingers crossed that he'll soon get a job). I don't think the hikes will be quite as intense. When the guides say "medium or hard" I know what they mean. Not in Vancouver where it says "some stairs" and you end up climbing stairs for an hour. People who live in BC are on a different level than the rest of us.

Pictures of Vancouver.

We made it back from Vancouver! Just in time to have a rainy Canada Day in Halifax. I'm still recovering from jetlag because that seems to take way longer than it should after a vacation. I may also be in coffee withdrawal as I drank way more coffee on the trip than I normally do.

We had such a wonderful vacation. Full of hiking and being out in nature. It was exactly what I was hoping for when I decided to go to Vancouver. We even saw orcas! I didn't have any medical problems so now I'm feeling confident to leave the country. Maybe not quite to visit David in New Zealand but somewhere in Europe would be fun.

Amy has started the long, terrible process of sorting through our travel pictures and has made it through the first few days.

To help keep us awake when we arrived, we went to Lynn Canyon Park to check out the suspension bridge and river.

It looks like a dinosaur is about to come running through the woods.

The next day we took the water taxi over to the city and cycled around Stanley Park. Melissa and Amy rented a tandem and did surprisingly well around all the corners.

On the rainy Sunday, Melissa and I hiked around this lake while Amy read her book.

I found a goose friend along the way.

Monday, Amy and I went on a hike overlooking Deep Cove.

Amy made it with me carrying her oxygen. Afterward we got donuts in town.

After our hike and donuts, we sat in a park in Horseshoe Bay and watched porpoises and seals.

No complaints about the view.