Guest contributor: Dr Revd Valerie Michaelson (former housemate, colleague, & longtime friend of Kirstin)

Hello everyone,

I am here catching up with Kirstin, and in response to my barrage of questions, she admits that she has not sent out an update lately.  I convinced her to let me type as she tells me her update… and then she won’t have to do it twice…

Here we go:

She is laughing, and, though in a lot of pain and clearly on morphine, her insatiable and jovial spirit is shining.  Since the last report, not much has happened.

About a week and a half ago, the neurologist’s office called to say that there have been a very unusually high number of emergency surgeries in Ottawa recently, so they’ve had to push back all their scheduled appointments by a month. Because of her condition, it’s not good to delay it because of the ongoing deterioration, but she’s not as urgent as a car accident. So, she’s on an emergency cancellation list and there is the possibility she will go in on a 48 hour notice. Otherwise it will be in April.

Although that stinks, Greg and Kirstin both feel tremendously grateful to live in a country where need takes priority over less urgent cases. So, while it is a bummer, they wouldn’t want it to be any other way.

So, surgery should be in April. In the meantime, movement needs to be very limited to minimize pain, and she has to be very careful not to fall down.  That the snow and ice is now gone means that being outside is safer & easier. 

Some mornings she is having to use her walker again, but she's still very mobile.

For those who are nearby: Kirstin is starting to realize how much she moves her head even when conversing, even when listening to people, so she has to be careful. It’s much easier talking to one person at a time.  She’ll love to have visitors in May after the surgery is over.

In the meantime, she’s doing ok.  Sleeping lots. And in her usual resilient spirit. She is laughing at me as I type.

When she does have energy, she is trying to do work for both Linlathen and the Cambridge conferences happening this summer, and also sort some household stuff before the surgery. (Her mother-in-law has homemade a ton of freezer-meals to save energy & effort). She is obviously even more behind on all emails etc than she usually is. But she will reply eventually. Your prayers, good wishes (and patience!) mean a lot to her.