News from the front

Well, I have just completed my essay on the effects of Specialized Equity Funds on MFIs and I'm very happy about it. Tomorrow, I will be sending it by mail and I can truly concentrate on my studies for the final exams. I still have a lot of work to do on my Spanish but I am hopeful I can get it from Intermediate Low to Intermediate High by the end of July.

Jess is doing well after her operation about 3 weeks ago. We will be visiting the surgeon tomorrow to confirm everything is okay. She did have a bit of pain on her side but I think this may be part of the healing process.

Sam bought his ticket to London so we are confirmed a go for Ireland and Munich. We will be planning our trip next week. I will also be going to Russia afterwards. Lots to do and see in Europe! Still unsure about my plans for July and August. This will depend on Jessica's work situation and her vacation plans.

Other than that, I can officially confirm I will be going to Toronto next year. My scholarship was renewed for another year so I will be entering the 16-month IMBA program at the Schulich School of Business at the end of August 2006 and completing at the end of December 2007. Then, there is a mandatory 4-month work term either in Chile or France or Switzerland. Will have to see if I can improve my Spanish speaking skills.

Jess gets an operation

As we waited for news of the operation, we looked at the clock anxiously. It felt like a movie where you do not want to hear bad news but at the same time, you crave the news of how your loved one has done on the operating table. At 11:20, three hours and a half hours after the operation began, Dr. Chadwick talked to Marlene, Jess' mom.

The operation was a success although the tumor was larger than initially expected and its capillars where wrapped around about a foot of upper intestine. The surgeon decided to cut off that part of the intestine and rebuild the intestine using very strong staples to hold everything together.

The pathologist was very intrigued by the tumor since he had never seen anything quite like it. They will be running test for the next week in order to determine its pathology and more importantly whether it is benign or not. For the moment, all signs point to the tumor being benign but this can only be certain after a series of tests.

Jess is doing much better two days after the operation. She has been in no pain since the operation due mostly to a steady stream of morphine but yesterday, she walked and they took out the tube replacing her bowel movements. She is now drinking apple juice and gingerale and hopes to have some jello and puré today.

There is no definite date for her release but we are hoping for Wednesday. We will not be going to Waterloo next weekend for Easter and she will be taking an extra week off from work to recuperate. We are hoping to make it to Waterloo the next weekend. I'll update you with the latest news as soon as more information becomes available. Thank-you for your prayers and thoughts.