The Backstory

Here is a brief tale of how we arrived here.


Anne's Story First


She had her routine mammogram on Wednesday Feb 29.


Several days later she got the phone call that they wanted to investigate further.  "Don't worry; there is likely nothing wrong but we need to check more."


So another mammogram and an ultrasound in Peterborough led to a needle biopsy and a visit with a breast cancer surgeon.  She has since had more blood tests and is to have an MRI Monday May 7 in Lindsay.  Stephen has that day off work and will drive her there.  She does not appear to have a tumour but the surgeon wants to remove some "precancerous" tissue from her breast sometime in the next few weeks.  We do not have a date yet.



Ron's Story


Here is the short version.

I spent the last half of March with a sore foot, "indigestion", constipation and gas pains.  Then in April I added a sore back to the mix.  About Sunday April 22 my skin started to turn yellow.  So finally we had something definitive to show to our local doctor.  He took it very seriously, saying it looked like gall bladder problems which would need relatively minor surgery.  To be sure, he ordered emergency blood work and an ultrasound.


When he phoned with ultrasound results he said it was not so minor after all, that there was a growth on my pancreas that was pressing against my bile duct causing the symptoms.  He ordered a CAT scan and got me an appointment with a specialist in Kingston.  I was getting sicker every day until I could not even keep water down.  By the time we saw the specialist on Tuesday May 1, I was very sick and dehydrated.  The Kingston specialist had me admitted to Kingston General Hospital that day and the staff brought me back to life with IV fluid, anti-nausea medication and morphine for pain.