Hello Andrew,

I am sorry it has taken me so long to respond to your kind message. It was so nice to see you and several of our Club members both at Grant’s service and at Paige and Sandy’s baby shower.

I wish I had good news to share regarding my health. Unfortunately, I am still struggling significantly. I have to work because we cannot afford to be without my salary any longer and I don’t have disability insurance due to my prior cancers. I am barely managing to work part time, but have little strength to do anything else. I have significant trouble breathing, my heart rate is elevated, I have chronic pain, and I have little stamina or endurance. And that’s a short list of the symptoms I am living with, sadly. Although it is a miracle that I am alive, and I am very grateful for that, my quality of life is extremely poor.

I miss being at our Club more than words can say, but getting up so early in the morning is more often than not, more than I can manage. I was lucky to be able to do online makeups and have makeups from being on the Conference Committee (most of our meetings were online, so I could attend from my sick bed). The part that just about did me in was that I was the co-MC with Gord Dalglish. It was fun, but more than I could reasonably do without compromising my well-being. I ended up having to leave the gala on Saturday night as I was feeling so unwell. Argh!

I am in the middle of another round of tests to see what the permanent damage is to my lungs and heart. I will have results in early June. Hopefully then I will know what my new base line is.

Anyway, thanks ever so much for reaching out to me. It means so much to me not to be forgotten! Like Paige and Sandy said so eloquently on Saturday, our Club is our family. You are the kindest, most caring man I know.

I try every week to make it to the Club, and it remains my intention to do so as often as I reasonably can. Keep your fingers crossed that I can make it more often.

Big hugs,

Angiola