We would like to begin by thanking Captain Grahame Brown and Chaplin Barbara Brown for inviting Chad and I here tonight to share our experience with all of you.
First we would like to lead up to this with how we came to be in need of the Regina Wascana Grace Hospices services.
ANGELE BOURASSA
Very few of you here have heard her name before. She was my wonderful Mother and my Dads best friend and perfect wife.
Angele began her Cancer journey in November 2002. We did not know at that time where the journey would lead us nor how soon she would arrive there.
At the very beginning when the diagnosis was made Angele began to keep a journal. It was something she had to do to enable her to express her feelings as it was easier for Angele to write them than to verbalize them. I would like to read the very first paragraph of Angele’s journal for you:
I never told anyone this story so I might as well
start my journal with it.
My
weekly routine was every Friday, rain or shine, I cleaned my house whether it
needed it or not. That was the law
and on Fridays the house got cleaned.
Well
one Friday in September 2002, I think it was, I stood in the middle of the
living room feeling so so tired, nearly crying. What a chore I had in front of me and absolutely no energy to
do it with. Standing there I said
to myself, “I hope that the Doctors find something really wrong with me, like
that everyone will believe how tired I am”.
Well the Doctors did find something really wrong.
In November/02 they diagnosed me with cancer.
Be careful what you wish for….it just might come true.
In November of 2002 Angele was diagnosed with Colon Cancer that had already spread to the Liver, the Left Ovary, the Lymph nodes and to the Omentum. This was confirmed with a surgery to remove part of the Colon on November 28th, 2002. On January 24th 2003 Angele was told that the Liver Cancer was in-operable and non-curable.
So from that day forward Angele entered the Palliative care system, taking her first Chemo treatment February 3rd, 2003 and then every second Monday until July 19th 2004, (37 in total) which were meant to keep the cancer stable for as long as it could.
On July 21st 2004 Angele’s pain became so severe that she had to be admitted to the hospital and a few days later we were told that the tumors had progressed very rapidly and that no more treatments were to be given.
Angele made her first trip into the Palliative care unit at the Pasqua Hospital on Friday July 30th. We celebrated Angele’s 54th birthday on August 3rd in the hospital, with her son, Kevin, presenting her with this beautiful picture. By that time, under the care of Dr. Clein, Angele’s pain was controlled and plans had been put in place with home care for Angele to return home for a while.
Angele returned home on August 4th and remained home until Sept 3rd when, once again, pain control became unmanageable.
We returned to Pasqua Palliative again where once again Dr. Clein was able to get the pain under control. As good as the care and compassion that was given to Angele at the Pasqua was, it became even better when Angele was transferred to the Regina Wascana Grace Hospice, room 307, on Thursday Sept 9th. I have to admit that I had some doubts about moving to the care home mainly because of my ignorance and Angele’s young age. Those doubts very quickly disappeared though. The special care that was given to Angele by all the nurses, Lynne, Bonnie and all the others was simply fantastic. I remember Lynne the best because she was there when Angele arrived and then again when Angele made her final journey to Heaven at 9:12 pm on Friday Sept. 17th, 2004, nine weeks ago today.
Captain Grahame and Chaplin Barbara were especially compassionate to all of Angele’s family, and there was always lots of us there as Angele and I have 13 siblings between us, and we all appreciated that greatly. The talks, the prayers, the kindness, the lunches provided were all a blessing.
I would be remiss not to mention a wonderful family that we were fortunate to spend time with at the Hospice. Sandra Dedman was going through the same battle as Angele was and we got to know Sandra’s husband, Ron, her son Mike, daughter Heather and Heather’s husband Mike. We also spent a lot of time with Ron’s brother Warren and his wife Terry. Wonderful wonderful people and we were grateful to get to know them all. Warren and Terry, Thank-You so much for attending Angele’s celebration of Life on Sept. 22nd. Angele and Sandra never met but on Sept. 21st Sandra joined Angele in Heaven.
The care at the hospice was special in many ways but especially in the way we were made to feel comfortable and welcome. A special gift from Chaplain Barbara to our 5 year old Grand-Daughter, Victoria, a lovely book “Something to Remember Me By” went above and beyond the call of duty. Thank-You so much.
In Memory of Angele Bourassa, the Huberdeau family and the Bourassa family, plus many friends and co-workers we now present this cheque for $2500.00 to the Regina Wascana Grace Hospice, to help furnish room #307. As well a donation of some wall shelves with some Bears and Angels will be supplied to help decorate the room with some of the things Angele loved. Thanks to Kim Hoey from Calico crafts for supplying and painting the shelves.
So, in conclusion, if any of you find yourselves in the same circumstances as we did, DO NOT hesitate to make use of the Regina Wascana Grace Hospice if need be. You will not be disappointed. It is never easy when someone you love has been diagnosed with a Terminal disease but having such caring people and a place like this for Regina to help is a true blessing.
Thank-You again to all the nurses and staff at the Regina Wascana Grace Hospice for the special work you all do. You can all be sure that you have made a huge difference in our lives and many other lives as well.