Mele Kalikimaka! (Hawaiian for Merry Christmas)

An early Christmas gift...pending any new unwanted developments, mom, dad and I will be spending 2 weeks in Hawaii starting January 2nd! I will still do chemo during that time, but it is all pill-form, so it's possible to do! I am now shopping for a "rash guard" which is basically what surfers wear - a skin tight water shirt with a high neck and shorts, that will cover both my graft site and my neck wound. I won't be surfing but perhaps a little snorkeling! It has been 20 years since I last visited a warm tropical beach, so I am very excited.

My trip to Vancouver this weekend was very good. It was a little hard to see grandma given how amazing she was the last time I saw her. That said, she looks pretty good, still attempts to speak,and her agility with her arms, fingers and legs has improved over the past few months, even without formal rehabilitation. I told her that I know I get my strength from her...she is such a wonderful woman. It was also fantastic to spend some time with Colleen (mom's sister), Allan, Grady and Joelle as well as my mom's brother Bob and my brother Brandon.

The trip tired me out a bit, so Monday I was a bit slow, but managed to make it to the Survivor Finale party that my PricewaterhouseCoopers Survivor Chicks had kindly delayed for me! It was great to see Shannon, Laura and Julie as we took in our favourite reality show and crowned the winner. I had picked my survivors while still in the hospital (and clearly on too many drugs) so I didn't come close to Shannon's high score. Maybe next season!

I continue to improve each day, although my stamina still is no where near normal. Today I have blood work and a few things to do before I start the Chemo day 1 again tomorrow, which may set me back slightly for a few days. I'm looking forward to Christmas with the family, seeing the twins open gifts and of course Hawaii January 2nd.

Cheers to you and yours, with eggnog (which has 10 g of protein in it by the way)!