You Are My Hero | Sydney, NS

Many years ago, I worked the cash at the pizza shop, Kenny's Pizza, which was just down the road from home.  There were certain perks to working there - pizza, of course.  The cooks would throw together a pizza burger for me, or if we were all hungry, they'd whip us up a pizza.  Sometimes I'd get to decide what kind we'd have (Pep and Cheese, please), sometimes I'd let them experiment and they'd throw on whatever they were in the mood for that night (hamburger, onions, salami, you name it).

On one occasion, Robbie, the cook that night, suggested I try a Hero Sandwich instead of pizza.  I scrunched up my nose and shook my head.  "I'm sure they're delicious, but nuh-uh, no thank you."   "Come on," he said, "try it, if you don't like it, I"ll make you a pizza."  *sigh* Fine.

Well...

It.was.fantastic.

What could a Hero Sandwich be, you're wondering... it is a bun with donair sauce, pepperoni, ham, salami, donair meat, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese all nice and toasty from the oven.

So delicious.

 

Kenny's Pizza has since expanded the business and opened shops all over Cape Breton Island.  Each and every time I head home, it is the one place I make sure I go, sometimes for pizza, sometimes for a hero sandwich.  And, yes, sometimes for both.

This last trip home was no exception.  I had a late night snack from Kenny's on my first night there.  It was so good, a few days later we stopped in Sydney River on our way out of town and picked up a treat to bring back to Halifax with us.

...Kare

email:  karenk{at}eastlink.ca

website:  http://www.karenkyte.com

Facebook

That Sounded Better in My Head | Halifax, NS, Breast Cancer Survivor

Today I saw oncologist number three.  Well, technically, he was oncologist number one, but he happens to be the third (and final) oncologist who gets to give me the all clear.  He was the first oncologist I saw after being diagnosed and he started me on my road to treatment.  He was my surgeon, who took great care in making sure I had all the facts and that I made an informed decision on my treatment.

My surgery went well, my scar isn't disturbing, and Dr. P took enough tissue around the cancer to ensure it was gone!  I've seen many other doctors since my surgery and they have all commented on the great job Dr. P did.  Had he not done such a great job, I may have had to have another surgery, or my treatment could have taken a different path.  He, in essence, created a great starting point, and each doctor, resident, or nurse I've seen since then has mentioned it.

Today's appointment consisted of an exam and a little conversation about where I go from here treatment-wise.  I like to be supportive and I like to tell people when they are doing a good job, so I thought I'd tell Dr. P what a great job he did.  Confidently, I said, "For the past year everyone who has seen my scar says what a great job you did!"

In case that wasn't enough, I said it again, "Everyone who sees it says how good it looks!"

Did I mention the scar is on my breast?  Or that I didn't specify to him that it was doctors who were looking at it?  Did I notice a glimmer of confusion?  A hint of, "Oh dear, who has this woman been showing her breasts to?"

Things always sounds better in my head; perhaps I should keep the pep talks to myself.

...Kare

email:  karenk{at}eastlink.ca

website:  http://www.karenkyte.com

Facebook

Girlfriends: Jacqueline | Halifax, NS, Photographer

Two years ago, I saw a post on Bobbi + Mike's blog that I immediately wanted to steal.  Bobbi was blogging the women in her life.  What a fantastic idea and a great way to share what I love to do with people I love.  No kids, no pets, no husbands - just me and one of my best friends, we get together, grab a bite, chat up a storm, and take some fun shots.

First up - Jacqueline.  She happened to be pregnant, but that wasn't the reason for the session.  There was no reason, except that we needed to catch up.  We had a little rain, but that didn't stop us...

 

I love you, Jacqueline, and I can't wait to meet your little guy!  

Once you get him settled in at home, we'll need to have another date.

xoxo

 

...Kare

email:  karenk{at}eastlink.ca

website:  http://www.karenkyte.com

Facebook

Celebrating Canciversaries | Halifax, NS, Breast Cancer Survivor

It was just a regular day.  Get up, go to work, nothing special.  But it was special, it was a year later, a year since I was diagnosed.  My team sent me flowers.  A few of us went out for dinner to celebrate.  We weren't celebrating my cancer, we were celebrating the year.  A year of ups and downs and struggles, but a year I survived.  One year stronger.

And today?  Today I celebrate again.  This one will be a quiet celebration, no flowers, no dinner, just thanks.  Thanks to the doctors and nurses, for it was a year ago today they took the cancer.  Thanks to their skill, they got it all.

I won't be celebrating all my cancer victories.  Each step along the way was a struggle and a victory:  diagnosis, surgery, bandages come off, I stopped leaking, my scar is healing, no chemo, radiation starts, radiation ends, I feel good, life gets back to normal, my oncologists give me the all-clear!  Each step was important.  But I will forever remember December 22 (diagnosis) and February 3rd (cancer-free).  My life was forever changed on those two days.  And now I'm one year stronger...

...Kare

email:  karenk{at}eastlink.ca

website:  http://www.karenkyte.com

Facebook

Too Much Information | Halifax, NS, Photographer

I've been known to occasionally share too much information, usually by mistake.  I blurt something out, I pause, I groan, I stammer, "Oh, I shouldn't have said that."

But today I thought I'd share too much information on purpose, random bits of me that usually make no sense.

1. It's been noted (by guys) that girls always go to the washroom together.  True, so we can talk about boys. But... I don't ever want to have a conversation with anyone in the next stall.  Ever.  It's just awkward.
2. I never eat the last bite of my banana.
3. I once had a dog named Too.
4. I can moonwalk.  For real.
5. No, I won't show you.

I guarantee that once I hit publish, I will pause, I will groan, I will stammer, "Oh I shouldn't have said that."

...Kare

email:  karenk{at}eastlink.ca

website:  http://www.karenkyte.com

Facebook

Isn't Cancer Supposed to Be Life-Changing? | Halifax, NS, Breast Cancer Survivor

At least, isn't that what you hear?  People have cancer, they survive, and they discover they weren't living their life's dream, that they're only human and the end could come at any time, that they need to kick things up a notch.  And then they do.  They kick it up, they live their dream, they change things and make it better.

I sit here, more than a year after being diagnosed.  Living the exact same life I had before diagnosis, wondering where my change is.  I know that I've come through this incredible thing, that I've beat this cancer, but ohmyGod I need to be living my dream!  It's in my head every day.  And I know my cancer journey is not over... I need to be checked regularly, the breast cancer could come back, a new cancer could come, I could be hit by a bus; at any time, I could be facing my immortality once again.  So where is my change??  Why am I living the same life I was living before cancer?  I want excitement.  I want to inspire people and share my story.  I want to change someone else's life.  I want to live the dream!

But then I realized... my life has changed.

Before I found the lump, Jason and I were just starting to fall in love.  When tragedy strikes, it brings people together.  We would most certainly have created a bond regardless, but cancer cemented it in record time.

I feel more closely connected to my family and friends.  My blog and facebook updates were cathartic for me during treatments.  I needed to share my story with my peeps.  And they read, they commented, they lifted me up.  A year later and I'm still sharing, they're still commenting, and still lifting me up.  I feel more connected to the people around me, me sharing with them and them sharing with me.  Surrounding yourself with good people is important and I feel like I've hit the lottery with that one.

Have I changed someone else's life?  I doubt it, not yet.  But I aim to do that, to keep plugging away at what I'm doing, to make someone else's cancer struggle just a little easier, to make someone else's life struggle just a little lighter.  Not knowing if I've had an impact on anyone else just inspires me to keep at it, maybe it will be years down the road, or maybe, just maybe, it's small changes for lots of people.  Who knows how any one of us impacts another?

I don't feel like I'm "living the dream" just yet, but I know I am happy.  Deliriously, joyously happy.  That is my change.  The dream, the excitement, they will come, but the happiness?  That is the win.

...Kare

email:  karenk{at}eastlink.ca

website:  http://www.karenkyte.com

Facebook

My Grandparents Were Mortified

If you know me, you know I love french fries.  Fries with ketchup, with mayo, with vinegar, with fish, with a burger, with a good steak.

I love McDonald's french fries, I love Burger King french fries only when they are covered in cheese curds and gravy, I won't order Jack Astor's fries, and I looooove Montana's sweet potato fries.

You get my point, right?

My obsession started early in life, but there was an incident...

We were living overseas, I would have been about four years old.  Look how cute I am, I would never cause a problem...

Mom's parents came over for a visit.  I loved having them there.  I heard years later that Nanny was enthralled to hear all the German children jabbering away outside our apartment only to discover that I was out there jabbering away in German with them.  She had no idea I had picked up the language so quickly.

While they were visiting, we took a trip to visit some clients of my grandfather's.  Grampa was a laywer and this was a pretty big client - he was a doctor who owned a hospital.  Owned it.  We stayed with the doctor and his family, swimming in their indoor pool, and dining outdoors overlooking their mountain.  It was all so fancy and I'm sure we were told to be on our best behavior.

The doctor took us all in to his hospital for a tour.  The dining room was closed, but he insisted we stay for lunch.  I remember a fancy room with linen tablecloths.  This was a dining room, not a cafeteria, for sure.  The orders are placed... til it's my turn.  I want pommes frites (french fries).  "But Karen, honey, they don't have pommes frites here, let's find something else."

"No.  I want pommes frites!"  And with that, I flung myself across my seat and repeated it.  "I want pommes frites!  I want pommes frites!"

The kind doctor discreetly waved over one of his runners and requested he drive into town and fetch the adorable child some pommes frites.  I'm quite certain he would not have used the word adorable, though.

I'm also quite certain that in this moment my grandparents were mortified.  I'm sure they'd be thrilled to know that was the only time I caused a scene at dinner...

...Kare

email:  karenk{at}eastlink.ca

website:  http://www.karenkyte.com

Facebook