This is a special message to all the special people in my life, that share my life. Most importantly my husband Jim and my sons Trevor, Andrew, Jeffrey, and Danny and Shane. Also my sisters, sisters in law, parents, nephews and friends.
For Jim and the Boys
I cannot really express in words how much I love you. Let's just say that you cannot be more loved than you are by me. My love is true, deep, forever and eternal. I will always be there for you, and walk beside you every step of the way.
I always knew that the most important thing in life for me was to get married and have a family. That is what I did, and it has been the greatest source of my joy. It continues to feed and nurture me every day. It has been such a blessing to get married to a beautiful man like Jim and to continue to grow together in life. We are life partners and we ride the ups and downs of life together, supporting each other as best friends. For that I am truly blessed.
Jim, you have taught me about loyalty and unconditional love. You have always been there for me, taking care of me, and just being my love and my best friend. Your awesome sense of humour and intelligence have been so much fun. We are truly a team together and we have our work cut out for us raising these boys. I love you.
With the birth of my children and my relationship with my stepsons, I have loved every minute of motherhood and raising sons. You have all been such a great source of joy to me, and I am so very proud of each and every one of you. It is so special to see each of you with your own special personalities and unique gifts.
Shane you have succeeded in creating and working in your own business. You are so independent and enjoy the life that you have created for yourself out west. Your dad and I are very proud of your accomplishments and only wish you complete and true happiness.
Danny we are so proud to see your accomplishment in becoming a professional nurse. Such a noble profession, so inspiring. Along with that you maintain a huge network of friendships with your magnetic and fun loving personality. You seem very happy with your Robbie, and we are very glad that you have a wonderful life partner.
Trevor, my soulmate child. You choose the life of the artist, a life of passion and challenge. We are so proud to see you follow your bliss. This is a path that so few have the courage to pursue. I know that you will do something very special in your career. You are very talented as a singer and songwriter, and I know that there is really no other path for you. The main thing is for you to be happy doing what you do. We are also glad that you have Andrea to share your life with, and that each of you support and love each other.
Andrew you are amazing. You have been a community volunteer at Rogers Television now for more than five years. What an accomplishment that is, and how lucky they are to have you. We are also so proud and happy for you that you have found your niche at the Mayfair Theatre. I loved visiting there and seeing you in your special place where you belong. I am amazed at your talent in writing, movies and the whole creative process. May you continue to know joy in doing this work.
Jeffrey you have worked hard to get your college diploma and launch right into a career in management/marketing in the fitness business which is right up your alley. Sports management seems to be such a good fit, and I know that already you are making your mark. I have no doubts that you will soar like an eagle in whatever career aspiration that you follow. You also have a wonderful way of loving and keeping your friends close which is such a beautiful quality, a real gift.
To the rest of my extended family, especially my sisters and sisters in law let me say how much I love you too. I am so glad that our souls chose each other, allowing us to share our lives. There is no greater comfort than the comfort of being surrounded by family who you love and who love you back unconditionally. And that is truly how it is ~ unconditional love, forever and for eternity.
Lisa you are so vivacious and full of life and happiness. You are an inspiration in how one should live life. For our whole lives you have always lived with passion, and you always go for the gusto. Because of that you have pretty much realized your dreams, with a great life partner, a beautiful home and success in your career. Now you are a grandmother of the most beautiful boy. I love you.
Marcie my beautiful nurse sister. You are a special nurturer and your caring and compassion for others is totally who you are. You and I have shared a special bond, and alot of it has been through our suffering together. You were there with me through my car accident, and you had your own sorrow to deal with, the loss of Matthew. We have funny (bittersweet) memories like the time we slipped on the floor coming home from the hospital, and we both laid there and cried.
Whenever I have been sick or hurt you were always the first one who showed up. You never missed a day in the hospital and that is unbelievably amazing. Thank you for your amazing love and giving, I love you.
Cathy you are such a great sister in law. You are responsible for all the family traditions that have created so many wonderful memories for the family, for so many. All the kids admire this, and I thank you. You have also been a constant and caring "sister", one that I can always count on. You have that Lapointe loyalty down to a T.
Norma my sister and best friend. You and I also became very close during the time of my car accident. You were another one that was there for me every step of the way. Whenever I have had trouble or cares, you were there. You are the most loyal of best friends. We have shared the journey of our lives for the past 33 years. That is something. And our friendship and love just continues to grow. I am so happy that you have found someone who is making you happy. I wish you nothing but a beautiful life.
And to my friends who have chosen to share life's journey with me, I am eternally grateful. Each one of you brings something special to my life, and I am so grateful for you. You are what brings the magic and music to my life.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Life Purpose (2010 Intention)
This is a new year, and a new life, I feel it. I want to be totally focused on the things that matter and make a difference in my life and my contribution to the world. The first priority is to connect with people, especially the special people that matter to me the most. I want to be an encourager, a helper. I am going to take this intention and create something brand new in my life, which I believe will lead me to the why I am here. This is not about making money or a career aspiration, it is a life aspiration.
I think that writing and journaling is central to this. I am going to take better care of the things that I write and start to keep my journals for others to share later. Secondly I am going to create an Action Plan to manifest my intention with is to love and encourage others. Stay tuned. Sending love and blessings to the universe.
I think that writing and journaling is central to this. I am going to take better care of the things that I write and start to keep my journals for others to share later. Secondly I am going to create an Action Plan to manifest my intention with is to love and encourage others. Stay tuned. Sending love and blessings to the universe.
Friday, January 1, 2010
My Journey through a Brain Hemhorrage ~ December 2009
For about three weeks before Christmas I was not feeling well, with headaches but I was figuring it to be stress related with trying to complete work before the holidays and the additional effort that goes into preparing everything for Christmas.
I got through Christmas but by Boxing Day I had two successive days of severe headache to the point where I did not sleep all night with the excruciating pain. On the second day I asked my husband to take me to emergency at the Queensway Carleton Hospital. I told him to go home because I thought it would take all day because they would probably not think much about a headache.
I was wrong and was quickly sent for a CAT scan which revealed an abnormality with my pituitary gland. At that point they did not think there was a bleed, but they called over to the Neurosurgeons at the Civic Hospital and had me immediately transferred. Problems in the pituitary can prove fatal.
I immediately underwent an MRI which indicated that there was bleeding in addition to the abnormal pituitary. The surgeons were not sure if my pituitary gland was bleeding from the inside or whether there was an artery behind it that was bleeding.
On the next day I was scheduled for an angiogram test, which is where they insert a tube through a vein in your leg up through to your brain. Then they inject dye and take all sorts of pictures. There are a number of dangers with taking this test such as stroke, embolism etc. After the test you have to lie still for four hours flat on your back so that these things do not occur.
All went well, and the test revealed that there was no bleeding from veins or arteries. Excellent news, I did not have the same condition that my mother had. She had died from a cerebral aneurism at age 52. The next bit of good news is that the bleeding was not coming from inside my pituitary gland which is the potentially fatal condition. The bleed appears to be outside the pituitary, and the doctors are now thinking that I may have had a benign tumor that has bled out.
Since the beginning I have had three teams managing my case – neurosurgery, endocrinology and ophthalmology. The endocrinology group has been doing excessive testing on the function of my pituitary gland which manages a whole bunch of functions in your body such as hormones, temperature, growth, reproductive system etc. The ophthalmology group is looking into any issues with my eyesight because a pituitary bleed can affect your eyesight.
Apparently whatever it is that has happened is very rare, and the doctors are somewhat perplexed, calling me a “puzzle”. I think they like trying to solve puzzles. I have had so many blood tests and have been hooked up to so many machines I feel a bit like a pin cushion. However, at this point I am a very grateful pin cushion.
All in all things look very positive. All the test results so far on my pituitary function are coming back normal. There are additional results to come in, and more tests to be done. I have to undergo more blood tests and appointments with specialists as an out-patient, and I have to have a second MRI test prior to meeting again with the Chief Neurosurgeon at the Civic. My neurosurgeon’s name is Doctor Da Silva and apparently he is the best.
The MRI test is where they put you inside this big machine and inject dye intravenously into your brain, and then take pictures. The MRI and angiogram tests are the Cadillac tests of the health care system, and provide the doctors with the most information. The angiogram is the most conclusive. They use these tests also for heart etc.
After the second MRI they will decide if they need to do surgery. It is quite possible now that I will not need surgery at all because if my pituitary gland is functioning normally, and there is no further bleeding or evidence of other things, they will just let the blood re-absorb into my system and I just carry on with my life.
I should pretty much have the full diagnosis and prognosis by February 10th.
This has been quite a journey for me, a roller coaster ride of emotions and physical experiences. A sad side note is that I was at the Civic at the time the police man was shot, and the situation within and outside the hospital were far from normal.
I now have such a profound respect for the police, the paramedics and all the people who work in the health care system, based on my more intimate experience during this time period of the inner workings of the healthcare system and its supporting systems (paramedic and police). I am so impressed to say that the health care system is not broken when your case is serious and potentially fatal. I have a lot of thank you notes to write, and maybe even a few letters to the Provincial and Federal governments.
I did not have much to do during this time except stay pretty still and observe everything that was going on around me, and I did that. I learned so much, and I feel like I have lived a lifetime in the past couple of weeks.
I am grateful for my wonderful family and friends who were there helping me through this. My hubby and beautiful sister Marcie barely left me alone, spending long hours at the hospital.
This journey enabled me to deal with my own fear and my own mortality. My mother and her sister both died at the age of 52 from brain bleeds that were sudden and fatal. At first I thought this was my fate too, but it seems I have more work to do here on earth, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to continue to live, love and grow.
Happy New Year and Love to all
Anna Lapointe
I got through Christmas but by Boxing Day I had two successive days of severe headache to the point where I did not sleep all night with the excruciating pain. On the second day I asked my husband to take me to emergency at the Queensway Carleton Hospital. I told him to go home because I thought it would take all day because they would probably not think much about a headache.
I was wrong and was quickly sent for a CAT scan which revealed an abnormality with my pituitary gland. At that point they did not think there was a bleed, but they called over to the Neurosurgeons at the Civic Hospital and had me immediately transferred. Problems in the pituitary can prove fatal.
I immediately underwent an MRI which indicated that there was bleeding in addition to the abnormal pituitary. The surgeons were not sure if my pituitary gland was bleeding from the inside or whether there was an artery behind it that was bleeding.
On the next day I was scheduled for an angiogram test, which is where they insert a tube through a vein in your leg up through to your brain. Then they inject dye and take all sorts of pictures. There are a number of dangers with taking this test such as stroke, embolism etc. After the test you have to lie still for four hours flat on your back so that these things do not occur.
All went well, and the test revealed that there was no bleeding from veins or arteries. Excellent news, I did not have the same condition that my mother had. She had died from a cerebral aneurism at age 52. The next bit of good news is that the bleeding was not coming from inside my pituitary gland which is the potentially fatal condition. The bleed appears to be outside the pituitary, and the doctors are now thinking that I may have had a benign tumor that has bled out.
Since the beginning I have had three teams managing my case – neurosurgery, endocrinology and ophthalmology. The endocrinology group has been doing excessive testing on the function of my pituitary gland which manages a whole bunch of functions in your body such as hormones, temperature, growth, reproductive system etc. The ophthalmology group is looking into any issues with my eyesight because a pituitary bleed can affect your eyesight.
Apparently whatever it is that has happened is very rare, and the doctors are somewhat perplexed, calling me a “puzzle”. I think they like trying to solve puzzles. I have had so many blood tests and have been hooked up to so many machines I feel a bit like a pin cushion. However, at this point I am a very grateful pin cushion.
All in all things look very positive. All the test results so far on my pituitary function are coming back normal. There are additional results to come in, and more tests to be done. I have to undergo more blood tests and appointments with specialists as an out-patient, and I have to have a second MRI test prior to meeting again with the Chief Neurosurgeon at the Civic. My neurosurgeon’s name is Doctor Da Silva and apparently he is the best.
The MRI test is where they put you inside this big machine and inject dye intravenously into your brain, and then take pictures. The MRI and angiogram tests are the Cadillac tests of the health care system, and provide the doctors with the most information. The angiogram is the most conclusive. They use these tests also for heart etc.
After the second MRI they will decide if they need to do surgery. It is quite possible now that I will not need surgery at all because if my pituitary gland is functioning normally, and there is no further bleeding or evidence of other things, they will just let the blood re-absorb into my system and I just carry on with my life.
I should pretty much have the full diagnosis and prognosis by February 10th.
This has been quite a journey for me, a roller coaster ride of emotions and physical experiences. A sad side note is that I was at the Civic at the time the police man was shot, and the situation within and outside the hospital were far from normal.
I now have such a profound respect for the police, the paramedics and all the people who work in the health care system, based on my more intimate experience during this time period of the inner workings of the healthcare system and its supporting systems (paramedic and police). I am so impressed to say that the health care system is not broken when your case is serious and potentially fatal. I have a lot of thank you notes to write, and maybe even a few letters to the Provincial and Federal governments.
I did not have much to do during this time except stay pretty still and observe everything that was going on around me, and I did that. I learned so much, and I feel like I have lived a lifetime in the past couple of weeks.
I am grateful for my wonderful family and friends who were there helping me through this. My hubby and beautiful sister Marcie barely left me alone, spending long hours at the hospital.
This journey enabled me to deal with my own fear and my own mortality. My mother and her sister both died at the age of 52 from brain bleeds that were sudden and fatal. At first I thought this was my fate too, but it seems I have more work to do here on earth, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to continue to live, love and grow.
Happy New Year and Love to all
Anna Lapointe
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