helping devo kick cancer's butt

Hi from HOT and sunny Whistler!

I headed down to Vancouver yesterday, July 6th and met with Dr Connors at the BC Cancer Agency for my 3 month appointment. I did blood work last week, and found out yesterday that I am good to go for chemo maintenance on Tuesday July 7th – which is great news. I’ve been feeling great lately so I’m pleased with the chemo maintenance so far.

I have been back to work at Club Intrawest since May 10th. I have been doing a slow integration back into the work force over the last 7 weeks. I will be doing full time hours by mid July. I am really enjoying being back at The Club. I had been off for almost 11 months, so there are many new faces along with the familiar ones. I have a new position, which is alot of fun and way less stressful than my old position.

I have been walking/jogging daily with my friend Lisa. We do a 2km walk & 2km jog. It’s good to have someone to push me back into shape. I have almost been out on my bike most days, I actually commute to work on “Betty”. Casper was a good bike, but he had battery and motor issues and couldn’t be repaired 😦 He has gone to a better place…. Because he was under warrantee I received a new bike. I now have a black Toba Edison named Betty. She is fast and sleek.

Ball season has started and I am back playing. It’s great to get out every Monday to play with the team again. I will post a team picture soon.

I hope that you are all having an awesome summer so far.

Peace,
Devo

*Update from Devo…

I had a great first day back to work. I am doing 4 hours day for the next while. Club Intrawest has been amazing at accommodated my slow integration back. It was so good to see all old & new staff.

Check out my new office:

I just got back from a week in the Grand Caymans with my hockey chics. Two gals live there and seven of us traveled from different parts of BC to be together. It was a blast and I am so thankful I was well enough to get away. I was sick once again right before I left, but was given the green light to go on my day of travel. I actually thought I might have had pneumonia as I was coughing so badly and having a hard time breathing. X-rays showed all was good, just had to use a puffer,lay low and get better. A week in the Caymans was the cure.

The vacation is over….

Time to get back to work it looks like. It hard to believe that I have been off work for almost a year, just shy by 6 weeks. I will be heading back to Club Intrawest tomorrow. It will be a slow integration back as I still have a bit of chemo brain and have a hard time concentrating, but it will be good to get back at it.

I was able to watch the Habs while on vacation. The girls were kind enough to find bars with TVs to watch. Game #6 tomorrow! GO! HABS! GO!

Peace,
Devo

*Update from Devon…

It has been 4 weeks since my chemo maintenance. My next round will be at the end of June. I have been sick yet again with a sinus and an ear infection. I am still on meds and hope to rebound sooner than later. My asthma seems to have been triggered as well, so I have a bit of a cough. I am convinced it’s allergies that are getting to me. It should be under control very soon.

I received my CT scan results from my doctor. I am very happy to report all is good. Here is what he said:

Quote from Dr Connors: “The CT scan shows no sign of lymphoma. All of the enlarged lymph nodes have gone back to normal in size. It may take a while to fully recover from the chemotherapy but you are on track to do so.”

I am going away with 6 of my girlfriends to the Caymans to stay with a friend who has moved there. It should be an awesome time and a much needed vacation from being sick. Look out Caymans – 8 crazy hockey chicks are coming your way!

I am starting back to work mid May. It will be a slow integration back. It will be great to see all the staff and the changes that have happened while I have been off. It will be almost 11 months off. Hoping I remember what to do 🙂

I am still walking daily with my friend Lisa. It’s been harder than usual due to my low blood counts from being sick, but it’s good to get out there.

Thanks again for your love and support.

Go! Habs! Go!

Erin joined Devon at the BC Cancer agency on Tuesday this week when she started her chemo-maintenance, which will last 2 years (chemo once every 3 months). With the anniversary of our father’s death coming up soon, it has been an emotional last week for our entire family – remembering dad and his fight against cancer and supporting Devon in a new initiative in her own fight against cancer.

Erin wrote the following on Facebook on Tuesday at Devon’s chemo appointment:
Early morning Chemo with Devon Brusse. when I walked in this AM I was overwhelmed with emotion. Lots of bad memories here from this year and all that she has been through. I have no idea how she’s does this?? She is one strong woman and this CANCER will not get the best of her.. Ever! Thanks for all the support!

And an update from Devon after completing chemo:
Feeling pretty good after chemo today. Erin and I did some hard core shopping in Van and I now going to head out on a walk to get some air. Thanks Shannon Susko for the awesome apple carrot juice & I am looking forward to the pumpkin spice loaf. Thanks for the support and kind words, I couldn’t do it without everyone being in my corner.

Cancer sucks but it’s beatable! BOOM!

Its hard to believe that its almost April, time seems to be flying by.

I was sick for most of January and February with sinus and ear infections. For March I seemed to have rebounded. I was able to spend a week with Noah and his hockey team in Fraser Lake, BC for hockey provincials. It was an awesome week in small town BC. Fraser Lake is 2 hours past Prince George, which was a 10 hour drive from Whistler. Noah’s team won the provincials and brought home the banner. It was an exciting week and being a proud hockey mom, I was in my element clanging my bell.

Loss of hearing from chemo
I had seen the ENT doctor for my ear & sinus infections. She referred me to get a hearing test. I seem to have damaged my ear drums from the chemo. I am going to have to look into hearing aids. This is my third time doing chemo, so we are unsure if it was this round or the previous other 2 times (in 2001 or 2007). Eric has noticed in the past 5 years that I don’t hear as well, so I’m thinking before this round. I call it selective hearing 🙂 The ENT feels that if I get the hearing aids they will help with the nerve damage and allow me to hear better. This is costly so I will be using the money raised by my fundraiser for the hear aids. Thanks to all of you for this.

Chemo ahead…
Starting next week, I will be getting my CT scan and seeing Dr Connors (March 30) and then doing chemo maintenance on March 31. For the next 2 years every 3 months I will do chemo maintenance. The drug I will be doing is Rituximab, which is one of the drugs I have done for the past 7 months of chemo. This is to keep the cancer at bay. I should be going back to work soon, so this is something I can do while motoring along through life.

I have been walking still daily when I am well. I haven’t been able to play any hockey, as my fitness level is not quite there. I have missed seeing the girls and being on the bench. There is always next season and that is what I am working towards. Whistler weather has been very mild this year, so I have taken Casper (my bike) out of storage and gone for a few rides.

Hope you all have a fantastic Easter next week. Thank you for your continued support. It means alot to me and my family.

Devon’s meal train is active again! Please sign up for a date to cook Devon and her family a healthy meal. Devon’s throat is in incredible pain at the moment so soups are requested. Perhaps some stews or curries might also be good…things that are easy to swallow.

You will find instructions on the meal train about when and how to drop off meals for Devon as well as likes and dislikes. Please don’t ring the doorbell to chat to her as she can’t talk much and is resting most of the time. Thank you in advance for your understanding.

Click here to sign up for a meal.

Thanks!

I’ve been asked to update this blog on behalf of Devon with an update on her health.

While her chemo finished in December, her body is still pretty weak and her immune system is not strong. As a result, she is currently suffering from Pink Eye, a chest & sinus infection, fever and she has possibly ruptured her ear drum again.

She’s really uncomfortable and in a lot of pain. She’s asking for meals (soups and healthy food) so we’ll have the meal train website up and running again once Devon gets some dates to me.

In the mean time, feel free to ask her if you can bring a meal by for her until we get the meal train back up and active again.

Thanks for your help and let’s all be praying for Devon’s recovery. She needs our continued support! Thanks!