When we moved to Calgary 15 years ago I was really struggling. Moving is hard, and with two young kids starting in Gr.4 and 6; Fraser starting his new job; and me knowing only a handful of people, it made sense to have some stress….It was just a teensy bit stressful…of course! I could easily explain away my lack of ability to cope ‘well’.
Three months after our move I had a grand-mal seizure in my sleep…turns out I had a brain tumour. It was a small, non-cancerous ganglioglioma….but clearly it was enough to wreak havoc in my brain. Not sure how I came to name it but it seemed easier, and far less scary to call it a name rather than ‘tumour’. It was the size of a large pea…thus, Sprout! The doctors suspected I was having upwards of 20 petite mal seizures a day where I would sort of zone out…and those would exhaust me. So, I could likely have coped better…if my brain was working properly!
The medication they put me on slowed my brain and made me really tired. One day Fraser asked me if I wanted him to find me a place where I didn’t have to prepare meals and I could just watch tv all day if I wanted! He said I could walk around outside and they’d make my bed every day. They might even have flower gardens…it sounded lovely! I wondered what kind of spa he had in mind…he said it was more like a hospital than a spa, but it was really just semantics! 😆
During the 5 months we waited for my surgery the kids would ask, every now and then, like they needed to be reminded, what was going to happen with me and would I be ok. One time during a drive, Fraser said, ‘well, remember what happened with Teila?!’ ….she was our cat and had to be put down because of her seizures. OMG! 😆
Funny not funny…but damn…we’ve gotta find laughter sometimes! We were good at that. Fraser had a dry sense of humour; a quick wit and would sometimes say things one shouldn’t necessarily say…but who was going to say anything to him? Besides, I found it funny....most of the time. I miss his humour…and his pranks that I thought were so silly and non-sensical. Funny what one misses at the end of the day…or a lifetime.
The whole point of this story was to share how we found humour and could make light of our situations. We made it through with laughter…and each other.
…and yes, fights and hard times along the way, but with time we were even able to laugh at the ridiculousness of our arguments sometimes….because, at the end of the day, they are rather silly, aren’t they?
Xo, Brooke
15 YEARS AGO?!!!!! Although in other ways, it seems like a lifetime ago.
OMG that was a time!! Again feeling helpless while my sweet brain addled Brooke was needing help but far-away. Non enthusiastic move, new big city, small kids, catholic school, couldn't drive, Fraser away at work, brain tumour, no neighbour with a pool, sad dog ... I remember calling and talking to Sadie to try and cheer her up. And then Sprout kicked it. It's like "why is the universe testing this woman so hard, WTF", before WTF was in wide use.
Oh yes, Fraser had black humour. I loved it. ( Geez, I hope that's not a racial slur) But it did take a bit to get…