every scar tells a story

Never be ashamed of a scar. 

It simply means you were stronger than what tried to hurt you.

Burgess Shale Fossil Beds

So, a little while ago my dad won a contest to hike the Burgess Shale and view 500 million year old fossils. It sounded like a fun idea so I agreed to go with him. Being a science major, the fossil part appealed to me. We chose the shorter (but steeper and harder) Mt. Stephen hike. 5 mins into the hike I was regretting the decision a little bit haha! Honestly, if I had read the hiker comments before I went, I would have for sure pulled out. Many hikers have rated it a "steep and difficult hike for experienced hikers". 1. I am not a hiker 2. I am not in good, physically fit shape 3. I have MAJOR knee joint problems. But, not matter what I put my mind to, I get it done. So off I went on my hike. It wasn't easy, but coming from someone who is in horrible shape, it wasn't terrible. Approximately 800 m in elevation and 9 km round trip, we made it up in approximately 3.5 hours. This is a restricted hike and only accessible via a guided tour.

"A World Heritage Site, the Burgess Shale is considered the world’s most important fossil site that preserves one of the world’s first complex marine ecosystems. It has also been shown that 95% of the world’s species have evolved from these fossils; the origin of all life."

Anyways, long story short, it was a rough hike up (and almost as difficult down) but fossils and bragging rights made it worth it.

view from the top:

just some fossils

proof I made it, haha 

we'll see how this turns out in the morning

my heroes

It's interesting how deeply some experiences influence your life. Working with children with disabilities has completely changed my outlook on so many things. These kids constantly struggle to complete their normal day-to-day routines. Something so simple like eating a snack or trying to communicate is so difficult and frustrating for these children, yet I have never met such joyful and lively kids. You would think that they would be miserable and full of self-pity, but the exact opposite is true. These kids reach new milestones every day. So determined and hard-working, all while facing internal battles with their own bodies. It makes me tear up thinking about how strong and inspirational they are. The kids I work with are so positive and so joyful, it is so uplifting to work with them and I feel so privileged. These little guys that I get to work with everyday are my heroes. I wish everyone could see the valuable lesson that these kids can teach us. Life has handed them a terrible, terrible situation, but you would never know it by their attitudes. If everyone could have this attitude about their own life and their own struggles, the world would be an amazing, uplifting place.

i love my job!!!

well I love my practicum, it's not my real job... not yet. It's only been 3 days but I am in love with what I do! I work as a recreation therapist with kids who have cerebral palsy or other brain-related motor deficiencies. We get them playing sports and games and they just have a fun time. I was scared to start because I have never worked  with children with disabilities before, but I enjoy it. The kids are so normal, seriously, half the time I don't even notice that they are any different. Of course most of them are in wheelchairs and alot of them aren't even verbal but that doesn't stop their personalities from shining through. 

 

They're just kids and they are goofy and they laugh and just love to have fun. The group I work with are some of the cutest, sweetest and fun kids I have ever met. I wish I could do this forever!! 

life today

Wow life is just flying by, it just seems so busy all the time. But busy is good. Busy means I'm healthy. Busy means I'm going to school, work, volunteering, hanging out with my friends etc. etc. Another semester has just flown by and I'm one step closer to finishing that bachelor's. Spring classes stary May 9 so I have a tiny, tiny break from school. I'm starting my work practicum tomorrow- At the Children's hospital, and I am just so excited. Then I'm going to volunteer at PEER - a program aimed at improving fitness in pediatric oncology patients.

Did you know:

Among the benefits of exercise for cancer patients that researchers have found:

• Keeping fit protects the heart by helping mitigate the heart-damaging effects of some forms of chemotherapy. 
• Reduced fatigue resulting from improved cardio-pulmonary fitness, as well as muscular strength. 
• Exercise helps counteract the cycle of fatigue and inactivity which leads to increased muscle-wasting that results in even further fatigue in many cancer patients.
• Improved quality of life due to a reduction in cancer-related depression, anxiety, sleeplessness and stress.
• Exercise enhances overall health by improving balance, controlling weight and protecting against osteoporosis and heart disease.
• Reduced nausea due to redistribution of blood flow away from the abdomen and toward the legs, or from an increase in resting metabolism.

Experts also agree that people with cancer — whether or not they exercised before their diagnosis — should try to stay active throughout their treatment. Family caregivers can help out by joining in the exercise program and by encouraging their loved one to be as independent as possible in daily activities.
[http://www.melslife.com/c15/l81/Cancer_Exercise.html]

Exercise is seriously good for everything & everyone - even cancer patients. I totally understand that exercising is probably the last thing on a  cancer patient's mind but it has been proven to work wonders during any stage in treatment - anything is helpful. Talk to your doctor :)

well that is all for tonight - hopefully these blog appearances start happening more & more

love B