The High Before the Low

Whoever said money can't buy happiness never experienced a deep, fresh powder day at Revelstoke Mountain on new Salomon "Lady" skis! It was steep and it was deep, although tracked up for most of the first two days there. It snowed almost the entire trip so by the third day we got the untracked "pow" we were hoping for. It's what makes living worthwhile- these moments when you can't get the grin off your face and all you can think to say is "wahoo!" over and over. The sun poked its head out in the afternoon and although my thighs were screaming at every carve from overuse, even when my mind said sharp turn right and my legs said "forget it!", I was in heaven for not minutes but hours.
I am feeling the same as the days prior to the second surgery. The energy level is at an all time high and I am making the most of it. The first morning as we stood at the base of the gondola, fate came to our aid when a long-time cat powder guide named Tom recognized us. We spent the next 3 days with him and girlfriend Heather ripping up "groomers" and replaying some of the snowy memory lanes with our stix. Evenings were hot tubs and dinners- sesame crusted tuna steaks and parmesan saturated pizzas with so many laughs. "What do you call a snowboarder in a suit and tie? The Defendant." Tom knows ever snowboarder joke ever told!

Now we're back in Kelowna awaiting Friday's first visit with the radiation beam. I can't say I am looking forward to it, not like I was for the chemo. You couldn't get the chemo into me fast enough. But I have been through so much and like before, with that taste of freedom, of being back to normal again so fresh in my mouth... I want to keep it. The thought of going backwards again, of going down into that tired, dragged out world of treatments is enough to make you hug a very understanding teddy bear. Poor Homer is getting thinner every day.
The good news is the hair is growing again. A quarter inch covers at least half of the dome. I am almost ready to shave my pits and legs again- even though it is returning in patches. I wonder how soon before one can start coloring the salt and pepper? With all the health food stores here, I hope to find a safer solution to put on my scalp.
I don't think there's ever going to be enough that I can do to make sure all of this never happens to me again.