Originally intended to simply focus on book reviews, over time, KaliDesautelsReads has morphed into its own entity.
I write about issues that are near to my heart, be they political, feminist, motherhood, mental health, or, as the title holds, books.
A thirty-something Canadian woman in my mid-thirties, I have been “super married” to my high school sweetheart since 2006, and together we have two crazy, clever, kind, hilarious, wonderful kids.
My first book – How Not To Blog: Finding Myself, One Post at a Time is available on Amazon (in eBook formats for you clever tech readers, and paperback for those of us who love that new book smell!)
I have tried a podcast – it’s still on Apple and Google Podcasts – but writing is where my heart is.
My life changed dramatically when my husband was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer in 2018, and I am now a writer for a leading Canadian Cancer Non-Profit.
I am lucky enough to have a family that loves me and pushes me to be my best, even if it is outside of my cushiony comfort zone. I have a village of friends that nourish me, mentally, and spiritually.
Welcome to my thoughts. Sit down. Stay a while. Enjoy a cup of coffee!
The Burrard Inn in Vancouver is exactly what a motel from 1956 would look like if I was given free rein to decorate it!
For this final (?) leg of our recovery stay, I am so excited to be staying in a vintage motel that has been made adorable and modern, while keeping the vibe of the 50s and 60s.
Today, I am feeling like an optimist – I have spent 8 months praying for Dave’s tumour to be gone. Today, it is gone. My husband’s cancer tumour is gone. My husband will come home. I prayed for THIS, and it is here.
Reposted from • @wise.qoutes Even if it’s just something simple, like having peace of mind, or life changing for the better.
Tag the first person who comes to mind.
@wise.qoutes .
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#quotesaboutlife
#quotestags
#quotestagram
#positivequotes
#quotesdaily
#quotesforlife
#quotestoliveby
#wordsoftheday
#wordsofwisdom
#quotesandsaying
#typewritervoice
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This has been a long week, and without my mom, I am not entirely convinced I could have managed. From moral support, to hotel extensions, to a walking companion, and personal food bringer, my mom has gone above and beyond. I am so grateful for the love, attention, and generosity this past week, and every week, of this woman.
Today is a weird anniversary for me – 5 years ago today is what I fondly think of as the “Day the Shit Hit the Fan”. 5 years ago today, my body started to fight me again for the first time in 10 years, my anxiety and depression became completely unmanageable, and I spiralled into a months long search for answers to help me get out of bed and back into my life.
I remember needing to sit down at the butterfly release, and then I drove my son to an ultrasound and I could not get out of the car, because I was shaking so badly and all I wanted to do was climb out of my own skin. When I got home, I laid down and could feel the bed vibrating from my own shaking form.
5 years ago today, the grief of losing my Grampa, my eating disorder and over exercising triggered my autoimmune thyroid disease to change drastically, and I began the long journey to my eventual fibromyalgia diagnosis.
That was a hard, hard year. At the time, it was the hardest year of my life. My ability to parent my kids suffered, my ability to function as a person and a wife and a friend not only suffered but completely fell apart. I did not know that this beating of my soul would result in the largest amount of growth that I had had in decades. When I became well, I could not imagine how happy and healthy I would feel. I could not imagine how much love I would feel for others, nor how much confidence I would find. I also had no idea that this anniversary would find me in another hospital, working through an even more insane year of “growth”. All I can hope is that 5 years from now, this will feel like a long long time ago, too, and that the changes will be just as meaningful as the ones leading to the anniversary.
I finally had the opportunity to try the Japanese Cheesecake Soufflé… I don’t know if it was the brand or the bakery or if @jimmynorth and @jriginla were just right and there is nothing much to write home about a foamy cheesecake that tastes sort of like a cheesecake flavoured sponge cake… Does not live up to the hype.
Sitting with Dave through this involves some time sent away from his bedside, whilst the nurses and doctors perform their tasks and activities. Right now I am taking a minute in the patient lounge while his IV is replaced. It’s hard to manage pain when the IV gets displaced.
I’m so grateful for the nurses at St. Paul’s who are taking care of him, acknowledging how busy they are. Everyone one of us on the ward feels like our partner’s emergency is the most critical, and demand their attention in an instant, and somehow they manage to prioritize and triage the emergencies, without making us feel ignored.
Kali J Desautels 