January 9: Julie A.’s Medical Update

I hope you’re all having a great day!

On Jan. 6th, I received my follow-up phone call from my surgeon, who was 30 weeks’ pregnant when she operated on me on Friday, Nov. 7th, 2025. She has since had a baby boy, and at this time she is only doing phone consults and if I need anyone, she said that her colleagues in her office would be at my disposal until she’s back in office in April.

Yes, a world renowned surgeon like her is not taking a year off to wipe noses; she has people to do that after she’s taken a few months’ off. With her expertise and with patients who need her skills, she’ll be back in April. She said she will remain on my Medical Team with Dr. Kawari, Hematologist, and Dr. Souied, radiation chemo-oncologist, and Dr. Mir, the brain oncologist with them at the Allan Blair Cancer Clinic.

My surgeon also said I am on the weekly discussion list for their team of six physicians with the surgical -oncology -radiation -chemo -haematology doctors. There’s a whole bunch of them and they meet once a week and they discuss me and others in my situation and if anything arises then I can call them right away.  

Dr. Souied called me the week before and said he was very happy with my progress with the chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Dr. Kawari‘s consult isn’t until February 15. The surgeon also agreed with Dr. Souied said it was too early for an MRI as of last week, and she also said that she is not the one who would book an MRI so she agreed with Dr. Suoied that there could probably be an MRI after I complete my protocols of chemo and radiation therapy which end on January 23rd, which probably explains why I’ll have Dr. Souied’s consult on February 15th and then we go from there with future treatments. All is good!

I’m rocking my Duolingo in French every day & daughter Heidi‘s over here going through old photos that I have ignored for decades, which is great because some of them were easy decisions such as I don’t need that picture from in the 1990s anymore and like we were so thin back in the day! 

Daughter Allie (pictured above) and Kaylee have been over, and meals & visits with son Grant (always love his videos) and brother Kurt has been over & sister Emily and brother-in-law Doug brought us food over Christmas holidays and on New Year’s Day. We had our New Year’s Eve potluck as per usual with our neighbours and it was all good, so all is good. OK so just to let you know about the updates on all the consults and right now we’re just maintaining our course.

Hubby Stacy (who has absolutely been SO awesome) administers my chemotherapy pill every day and we go to radiation on Monday through Friday and the staff there is so wonderful. I liken the staff at the Allan Blair Cancer Cinic (ABCC) to community schools as they’re so helpful and they want to be there. They choose to be there. We just feel so blessed to have them on our team! Also feeling blessed to have you as part of my faith-filled journey on my road to recovery walking with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Do have yourselves a wonderful day.

Julie A.