Last March I had the amazing experience of bringing in my 40th birthday on a roof top in Havana Cuba. I fell in love with the culture, the people and the history. This was my first vacation ever and now I understand why people do it year after year!!! I jammed everything I could possibly experience in 7 days thinking I would never get the chance to go back being a single mom and all. (at the time) All I could think about when I was there was this would be so cool for my kids to see and what an awesome reality check it would be. They certainly are not spoiled by any means but we do live in Canada after all...we are all spoiled here in comparison.
Returning home I suddenly realized that I could take my kids, it would just take some saving and planning. I spoke with my family Dr about taking them as my daughter has an immune deficiency, he had no problem with it, made some suggestions and then I went into major planning mode.
I went to my bank and opened a savings account with the sad amount of $50.00 knowing that I only had three car payments left. My plan was to take the car payment money that I was use to paying and dump it into my savings account. I knew I needed 9 months of car payments to get the three of us to Cuba. I made cut backs in other areas, got rid of cable TV, watched what we bought at the grocery store, little things added up. Three problems presented themselves, there was no way I could afford Christmas and Cuba and 9 months took us to April 2013. That's when Cuba for Christmas was born, what an amazing gift of culture that would be. My plan was to give my kids new suitcases with sunny south things, like bathing suits, sunglasses and a note saying we were going to Cuba. I started collecting these items in the summer, with the closing out of Zellers, it was a God send on my budget.
I was busting at the seams with excitement when I booked the trip September 27th turning into an organizational freak, this was going to be such an amazing adventure for the four of us. I was feeling awesome about my life, I met the man of my dreams, together creating a Christmas my kids would never forget. Six days later I was diagnosed with my brain tumour and the wind blew out of my sails. Suddenly, my life was about MRI's and surgery dates not the sunny south. Why? Why do bad things always happen to good people? For the first time in my life my mental health was in question as I slipped into a depression. I went from the person who can do anything to the person who just couldn't.
Surgery booked, surgery cancelled, surgery maybe next week, maybe the week after, all the while I'm sinking both mentally and physically and I know it. My mind is spinning, do I go ahead and give them the trip, all I can think about is the "what ifs" I seek help, and with to many light bulb moments to count, I'm back mentally. Although I'm feeling the physical affects I push on realizing that if this trip is meant to happen, God will allow it and that's where I place my trust.
December 25 arrives, still no surgery and Cuba for Christmas is given. My kids are as excited as a 12 and 10 year old can be having to wait 4 months to get their present. We read the reviews, look at the pictures and get as excited as we can. As soon as the Christmas break was over the phone rings, my surgery was booked for January 11th. Hooray I think, plenty of time to get this done and be my old self again...wooo hoooo!!!
Well brain surgery ain't all it's cracked up to be, I can tell you that!!!! It's been a long recovery and 13 weeks later, I'm just started to feel myself again. As Cuba for Christmas is fast approaching I am blown away that not only was I able to organize it in all this chaos but timing IS everything. Although this trip might not be as adventurous as it would have been as a non brain tumour survivor it will be everything it is meant to be, time spent with family. I'm so blessed to be given this opportunity to have this experience with three people I love so dearly. One week with no Doctors, no physio, no appointments at all and NO thinking about the "what if's" It's a tumour free week that we all deserve. Merry Christmas to my family
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