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Clinton News Record, 2013-11-13, Page 5Wednesday, November 13, 2013 • News Record 5 7777 www.clintonnewsrecord.com letters to the editor Tips for having a truly Merry Christmas To the Editor; We wish you a Merry Christ- mas, we wish you a Merry Christ- mas, we wish you a Merry but wait...things have changed for me and I don't feel very merry right now. In fact, I would like to hiber- nate until....sometime when all the hurt and emptiness and lone- liness will go away. As we enter this Christmas sea- son of planning for parties, and family get-togethers, and pur- chasing gifts, and keeping secrets, and going to concerts, and and...and - my heart is not in it this year. You see, a loved -one of mine died this past year and I am not sure how I will get through this season of `coloured lights, special baking, wrapping gifts in shiny paper: My heart aches, I can't stop the tears, and the mem- ories - oh how they flood my mind and pre -occupy me so much that I can't seem to focus, nor get ordinary things done, never mind the thought of Christ- mas. I feel exhausted, over- whelmed and so out of tune with what is happening all around me. I just need to get off this train that doesn't seem to stop going. I just need....oh, I don't know what - this loud silence that I am feeling. If you have lost a loved one, had to say goodbye to someone spe- cial, this maybe a time of unrest and struggle and confusion. Many people believe they need to con- tinue doing all the things they used to do before the loss but their hearts are so broken and raw they have no energy, no desire to be in crowded stores, nothing seems to matter the same. Some- times people shut the world out and hide and others keep so busy they are spinning circles around everyone else. I've heard it said that the anticipation of the Christmas season is harder than the actual day. It is important to pace yourself, plan and choose wisely what you wish to spend your energy on. Huron Hospice is invit- ing you to a 'Hope for the Holidays service' - a time when you can stop all the rush and scurry of the sea- son; a time to take care of yourself and give yourself permission to ponder about your loved one -- what they meant to you, how much you miss them, and what memories you want to keep in your sacred space about them. Some ideas that might help you focus on both the Christmas sea- son and the meaning of your loss include: • Start a new tradition • Put a flower or special memento on the dinner table in memory of your loved one • Change some of your plans to more low-key events • If you don't feel like shopping for gifts, be ok with that decision - there are other ways to show someone that you love and care about them • Allow time for yourself • Visit the place of burial or where internment has taken place • Chose only a few activities to do instead of feeling obligated to attend all events • Invite those who are close, who are special to you together for a time of remem- bering and shar- ing - perhaps a potluck meal • If you don't feel like decorat- ing your home, be ok with that • Itis ok if you do not feel like sending Christ- mas greeting cards this year • Listen to music with a friend Some don'ts • Don't be alone all the time • Don't do more than your body/mind/spirit has energy for • Don't force yourself to do things that are not meaningful • Don't use other substances to `cover your pain' (alcohol, drugs) Christmas is about spending time with friends, sharing with others, and remembering - what- ever your belief is. Give yourself the same gifts that you give to others. Huron Hospice has invited Eugene Dufour, author and inter- national speaker to come and share some insights on how to make the Christmas season the most meaningful time you can. We will be holding this event on Mon. Nov 25 at the Betty Cardno Memorial Building, 317 Huron Road, Clinton. Special music, candle service and refreshments are planned. Bring a family mem- ber or friend. There is no charge to attend this service. For further information please call Huron Hospice 519-527-0655 or 519-357- 2720 Huron Hospice Volunteer Service Despite life's obstacles, Campbell skates on into the future On a recent Friday night, Scott Campbell was out on the ice, help- ing out at the practice of a Seaforth hockey team. It's the sort of thing the young man hopes to do more often. "The more normal things are for him, the happier he is," says mom Lisa. Ice time is a dream come true for a young man accustomed to doctors' visits and hospital stays, aggressive med- ical treatments and the energy - sucking side effects. It started with a strange rash behind the knee. For six years, Scott saw doctors and specialists and was told it could be eczema, psoriasis, or allergies. The rash would flare up and recede but it came back with such a vengeance one year that more than 90 per cent of his body was covered. At Sunnybrook Hospital in 2008, Scott was diagnosed with Mycosis fungoides and soon after that, Hodgkin Lymphoma. Treatment started immediately. "We spent the next four years going back and forth to Sick Kids (hospital) for either treatment or follow- up," Lisa said. That Colum n Paul Cluff included chemother- apy and radiation. Through all that time, they were never able to get into Ronald McDonald House, even for a night. After he turned 18, in the sum- mer of 2011, Scott saw the same oncologist that he visited in 2008. The doctor looked at his blood count and liver enzymes, which were skyrocketing. A bone marrow tap and CT scan were completed. After a liver biopsy, Scott was diagnosed with non Hodgkin Lymphoma. In the fall of 2011, Scott underwent more chemother- apy in preparation for a stem cell transplant. "It was an auto transplant, he was his own donor," Lisa recalled. Scott went back to work in Feb- ruary 2012 and last January, started business studies at college. But after the first semester, he wasn't feeling well. Tests in London revealed his liver was deteriorat- ing. This past summer, further test- ing revealed his cancer was back and aggressive. "We knew after his stem cell transplant that we were running out of options. He didn't want to go to anymore treatment, it takes such a toll." Scott soldiered on. Oral chemo- therapy was given a try but around the time of year students are get- ting back into the groove at school, he wasn't doing well. He came back from school and his family knew immediately. Scott went back to hospital yet again. He started on a clinical trial not widely used in Canada. Only two people in Toronto have tried it. A subsidy from a drug company helped offset the cost per cycle of $75,000 to $100,000. Scott has finished two cycles but more tests need to be completed to assess his health. He is still under- going chemotherapy and if that works, it's back to Toronto for an allogeneic bone marrow trans- plant, which requires a donor. If all goes well, Scott will spend three more months in the hospital. Lisa said her son's spirits are remarkably good, given his health challenges. Chemotherapy continues, but so does life. "Scott's main goal through all of this is to be a normal kid, he really just wants everyone to treat him normally." It's a tight family. Dave Campbell is an EMS supervisor and works hard to support his family and their added expenses. Siblings Matthew and Nicole have found their brother's journey difficult. "The kids are all very close and it's hard for them. They are out on their own now and not there all the time. If nothing else they just want to hang out and watch a hockey game with their brother." Scott was a goaltender from the time he started in organized hockey. Playing is out of the ques- tion at the moment, but, given all he's already lived through, lacing up the skates and helping out at practice is a perfect Friday night. The Seaforth Optimist Club is hosting a fundraiser for Scott on Sat. Nov 16 from 5 p.m. until mid- night. A matching grants program through Optimist International, for up to $3,000, will be utilized as part of the Seaforth Optimist Childhood Cancer project. All money raised will go directly to the Campbell family.