August 2017
Parkallen
News In this issue… • Canada 150 Celebration • Volunteer with us! • Creeping Bellflower • Community Garden • Upcoming Events
One of many elf and fairy houses in Parkallen.
Only in Parkallen By Elissa Woolnough
A year ago I was diagnosed with a serious, aggressive form of breast cancer. It was crippling. To be honest, as a single mom at 41 you think you’re going to die and there really isn’t anyone who can tell you otherwise. To make a long story short, it’s been a year now and I have survived. Six rounds of chemotherapy, surgery and 28 rounds of radiation. I lost all my hair, had chemo brain for eight months and have burns on my body that are still healing. My successes were that of my entire community of people (doctors,
nurses,family, friends-old and new, students of mine, coworkers,neighbours.) You may have seen me walking in our beautiful community during that time, it was my therapy. Often times, when you go through a crisis of some sort, you “see things” others might miss — perhaps a heightened hypersensitivity. Our community is amazing and splendid in all its grandeur and for 12 months, I explored it in every season. During the often grueling time, when my eyes watered profusely
due to the lack of eyelashes and my nose watered continuously, when my thoughts drifted from one scared thought and then to the next... I walked with a lot of people, those people often opened my eyes to the loveliness that our community possessed. As I walked I observed the strangest things. Perhaps, I was looking for a sign. In Parkallen, we have so many unusual, cathartic, often amusing little things that can knock the funnies right into you.