The Wrestler
This painting by Jack Baumgartner portrays Jacob Wrestling the Angel from the book of Genesis. It’s a central metaphor for this blog – wrestling with life, health, urban issues, and even with God.
A Retreat
I’m sitting in Henry Nouwen’s living room (www.henrinouwen.org). Well it was his final living room before he died. Now it’s a retreat center and perhaps one of Toronto’s best-kept secrets. I’m surrounded by his books. It is peaceful here. Spiritually peaceful. Supernaturally peaceful. Every time I come here for retreat, the inevitable happens. I come …
A New Year’s Resolution
Well I decided during the Christmas season that I’d resurrect this blog site. I last posted something here back in 2010 when I was going through some stuff related to my journey with MS. So this site was mainly dedicated to processing the things I was thinking about as I underwent an experimental surgery called …
Life with Multiple Sclerosis
The story of Dion Oxford, father, husband and Executive Director of The Gateway, a men's shelter in Toronto. Dion talks about his life with Multiple Sclerosis and why news of a medical breakthrough might change his life forever.
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Life with Multiple Sclerosis – Story Discussion
The Full Circle Ladies talk to Dion Oxford about the treatment he has received for Multiple Sclerosis and about the report, "Life With Multiple Sclerosis: Dion Oxford's Story"
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august 16. 54 days post liberation
well i guess it’s time to write another update here as to how i’m doing on the MS front now that i’ve had the procedure done. it’s strange to think that it’s been almost 8 weeks since i had it done in that hospital in san jose costa rica. on one level it seems impossible …
july 21. 4 days post liberation
so it’s been exactly 4 weeks at this very moment since i was given that drug that put me to sleep and they inserted a tube into my groin whch was then snaked up through my venous system into my jugular vein where they then inflated a balloon to open a blockage that they found …
july 4. 11 days post liberation
well this will be my last post from my fave spot at my fave time of day here in costa rica. i’m sitting by the pool with the cool evening costa rican breeze and trying to reflect on the past few weeks. virtually impossible. yesterday we had a full day adventure to the pacific coast …
july 2. canada day boxing day. 9 days post liberation
well our time here is winding down. tonight we said farewell to a couple from our group by all getting together for cake. it’s that phase of our journey now when the people we’ve befriended are starting to leave to go home. we’re three sleeps away from our own departure ourselves and are ready to …
july 2. canada day boxing day. 9 days post liberation Read More »
july 1. canada day. 8 days post liberation
a funny thing happened on the way home after my time of blogging last night. a mariachi band showed up and they picked the party up a major notch. so i ran and got erinn and we sat and listened to their last couple of tunes. then a funnier thing happened when they were done. …
june 30. one week post liberation
well tomorrow is canada day. we feel so far removed from all of that these days. i’m not sure but i don’t think i’ve ever been out of canada on canada day. oh well, we’re surrounded by canadians here so that’s something i guess. and today a newfoundland couple and their little boy showed up …
june 29. 6 days post liberation
well i’m kinda fried right now from 2 very long days so i’ll write more tomorrow. but as for how i’m feeling, i’m very certain that my balance and endurance is definitely improving. and erinn reminded me that my fatigue issues seem to have really diminished but that’s hard to tell in light of how …
june 27. 4 days post liberation
i’m here at my nightly spot by the pool enjoying the cool evening tropical breeze. life is a gift. i don’t have much more to report than my status update (facebook) from this morning. i could not walk in a straight line yesterday, one foot in front of the other, without my therapist having to …
june 26. 3 days post liberation
well it’s been a bit of a drab and dreary day here in costa rica. it didn’t do the normal sunny, hot morning here and it’s basically been cloudy and raining all day long. and i myself have been feeling a little like the weather today; drab and dreary. we did decide to head out …
june 25. 2 days post liberation
well i’m back in my usual evening spot by the pool. the weather here is so beautiful. it’s the rainy season so every day it gets real hot and sunny in the morning, then like clockwork at about 1pm it pours down rain for the afternoon, then we get this moment in the evenings of …
june 24. one day post liberation
so, cate, erinn and i are sitting at our dinner table by the pool with the most beautiful breeze and listening to what may be the worst ever spanish band of all time. it’s so bad it’s absolutely hilarious. they’ve been setting up for the past half hour or so and we decided to stay …
Dirty Laundry Helps Clean Up Lives
Gateway Linens, a ministry of the Salvation Army, is a job training centre in Toronto that helps homeless men find meaningful work by teaching them the tools of the laundry and linen industry. After the men graduate, they are guaranteed full time work at K-Bro Linen Systems, a local linen company that's teamed up with the Salvation Army to help fight homelessness.
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thoughts on experimental health care, drug companies, MS, hope, diet soda, and God (part 4 of who knows how many)
so i’ve been a little worried, due to some of the stuff that i’ve been writing lately, that our friends think that our entire lives are doom and gloom, nothing but heartache and pain and struggle. while it’s obviously true that we are in a difficult season in our lives with lots of anxiety around …