The Problems!

If you read my last post, you know that we have moved from our house in Dartmouth and are settled in comfortably in a condo in downtown Toronto. It took over a year to plan and actually pull the move off, and it was not easy. In fact there were many times through the process when we did not think we could do it. This post is about some of the difficulties we had to overcome in the process. 

Anyone want an old computer

As discussed in the previous post, the first obstacle was my attitude; I really did not know if I could actually downsize my many collections enough to be able to move, but once I got over that first hurtle, we reasoned that we might be able to make it work. 

But just as we got going with deciding what to take and what to leave behind, I had serious health issues; ongoing enlarged prostate issues got worse until I ended up in emergency with serious plumbing issues and dealing with a catheter for over two months, so not a lot of packing or downsizing was getting done during that time. 

Fortunately the health issues improved enough for us to make a scheduled trip to BC and a train journey back to visit our daughter Alisha and her husband in Kejick Bay Ontario. The visit to her was actually a positive step to Toronto, as she announced that she had decided to move back to Nova Scotia and was willing to take over our house for the time we had planned to live in Toronto. This meant we could leave many things we did not need in Toronto with her in the house.

But then my urology specialist called to inform me that he had a date for the Prostate surgery

Hospital Stay

(TURP - look that up if you need to know more) that would hopefully improve the internal plumbing issues. The date was convenient as it was after we got back from moving Alisha and before the move to Toronto. 

But (you knew there had to be another “but”), this procedure is frustrating in that, although it is major surgery, there is no incision, no scar and very little discomfort, and the recovery was a full six weeks which coincided exactly with the scheduled move to Toronto. I was warned that although I would feel fine, I was not to drive for four weeks and I was not to lift anything more than five pounds for the full six week; and being a “good patient”, I really wanted the procedure to be a success so I intended to follow the warnings carefully. This might not sound so bad, but it was VERY frustrating; I could pack things in boxes, but I then had to get someone else to move the boxes. Five pounds is not very much, and I found it very limiting, but with Regis’ doing the lifting and Alisha and Derek doing what they could after work, we were making slow progress. Fortunately our son stepped up, and flew down to help pack . . . . . . the Toronto end of the plan was well underway, so he did not want us to have to back out. 

Positive!

Then, just as we were pretty well ready with decisions made and most things packed, we went to a farewell dinner with good friends who were completely unaware that they had contacted COVID during a trip to Montreal. Yup, we both caught it and tested positive with just a week before the planned departure, and since we were living in the same house as our daughter and her husband we were isolated in our bedroom and unable to finish the packing. Our symptoms improved quickly however, so with serious hygiene and constant masking, we managed to get everything done. 

Well, a bottle of shampoo did go missing and somehow the top to the blender got left behind, but generally we managed to pull the adventure together. 

Enjoying Big City life!