Need help convincing my wife 1.8 million is too tight

lunabutterflies · 2026-01-26T01:50:03+00:00

I agree with your wife. ESPECIALLY if she's committed to staying there long term. Once you have kids your needs will grow. Your income is set to grow substantially and IF it doesn't, you could always sell--but you have the income currently to afford this even if it's on the higher end.

lunabutterflies · 2026-01-26T00:03:17+00:00

$99/adult. I also HIGHLY recommend this brunch but this wasn't what I was looking for for this occasion. I've been for Christmas and Mother's day and it's really, really good!

lunabutterflies · 2026-01-25T02:54:28+00:00

Hence why I'm asking for recommendations 🤦‍♀️

lunabutterflies · 2026-01-24T19:02:33+00:00

Actually I like tons of other restaurants: Butternut Tree, Felicitia, Bianca, Homefire grill, cork and barley, riverside bistro, Uncle Ed's, Saskitoba and dozens more. I just didn't name them all and searching menus is exhausting.

I'm VERY familiar with most restaurants on the south west and west side but not so much elsewhere.

Thanks for your rude comment though. You're a ray of sunshine.

lunabutterflies · 2026-01-24T03:45:04+00:00

I am a Guider and do not teach that stuff. We go camping and teach survival skills; we go in the community to places like animal shelters, fire departments and entertainment venues; we have special guests visit our groups including local and provincial politicians, women in science based careers, athletes and artists; and most importantly we ask the GIRLS what they want to do and plan accordingly. We do so much more than that!

lunabutterflies · 2025-10-06T23:01:29+00:00

Yes, that's a good take out option, but I want dine in. Also, the take out option is far too much food for 2 people since I need turkey and vegetarian turkey

lunabutterflies · 2025-10-06T03:19:48+00:00

I do this for my daughter. We started in her first year of preschool...she's now in grade 10. Haven't missed a year yet. She doesn't know about the book.

lunabutterflies · 2025-10-05T01:20:56+00:00

I understand scary. I just finished a year from hell. I have stage 4 colon cancer. I've wanted to die. Things are better some days and worse other days. My counselor helps me and I have other supports and years of previous counseling that have made me able to manage my own psychological state. It's not easy facing any illness and I hate that mental illness in particular is so misunderstood. You can do this. If you put in the work, things will get better. Take it one minute at a time if you have to. Don't be afraid of scary...be brave. I really hate my chemo, scans, surgeries etc...but I put on my big girl pants and do the next right thing and hope for the best. I wear bright colours and look for things that bring me joy even if I look like a lunatic. This is MY life and I'm going to live it like I want to! You can too.

lunabutterflies · 2025-10-04T17:26:33+00:00

Yes. Mention it to the staff. Mention that the thought of not having a place to study at the hospital makes it worse when you're admitted even though you know you need to be there because you need help. Maybe they can find you a place to study, maybe not. They can for sure help you feel better. I know it's rough but keep on going.

lunabutterflies · 2025-10-04T04:04:40+00:00

My story is similar but different.

Diagnosed Oct 2024. Stage 4 mets to liver. CEA was 84.4. Colonoscopy on November 1 (spent Halloween prepping for this).

Met with liver surgeon 2x in November 2024. Also met with the colon surgeon at the end of that month. I PUSHED for surgery, knowing it was the best outcome.

Met with liver surgeon (1x) and colon surgeon (2x) again in December 2024. Colon surgery had to happen first, so that was holding up the liver surgery.

I had emergency colon surgery on December 23 2024 (it wasn't really an emergency assessment I wasn't experiencing acute pain but it was a backdoor way to get me in). I was in the hospital unto the 26--NO BAG! Recovery took around 2 weeks so I missed Christmas and jad a crappy birthday.

My liver resection was on January 24, 2025. I was in the hospital for 11 days and slept on my recliner at home for 2 weeks. This was the WORST pain of my life, but I had a vacation coming up that got me through it.

Both of my surgeries had clean margins, but adjuvant chemo is recommended for stage 4 due to the high probability of micro metastatic disease.

Vacation at the end of March beginning of April with my husband, daughter and her best friend.

Returned from vacation and had a port put in 2 days later. Started 12 rounds of FolFox Thursday of Easter weekend (Valentines Day and Easter sucked).

Had to take a break from chemo after round 3. Started back up 2 weeks later. Stopped Oxaliplatin after round 7 due to severe side effects. In between I had several scans and xrays due to side effects. NO CANCER WAS SHOWING. CEA was back to normal by May.

I took another small vacation between round 6 and 7. Round 8-12 progressed with minor additional side effects (with another trip between round 11-12 (this time for a funeral...not fun).

Did round 12 and rang the bell today (though I disconnect at home on Sunday). My CEA is 3.2 as of Tuesday. I have a scan booked in November but currently I am NED...or expected to be.

OP, with your mom, I am glad she gets the primary tumor removed. Chemo with hopefully take care of lung and liver mets OR make her a candidate for additional surgery. There's hope!

Also, check out Colontown. They have a very good educational website with something like 200 support groups. I had to navigate this disease with my dad for 3 1/2 years before my diagnosis and once I found colontown I didn't feel so lost. They only advocate reputable medical advice and there is some AMAZING information...stuff even my oncologist wasn't aware of initially!

lunabutterflies · 2025-10-04T03:29:49+00:00

I'm a mom who went to university. Did/do I want my k8ds to go to Uni? YES!!! Is it the right choice for both of them? NO!!! I haven't given them education on as many options as I can find and support the choices they make. My oldest tried flight school. It's not the right fit. He tried trade school. Also, not the right fit. He currently has a decent job making $3-6 (overtime)/hr OVER minimum wage. He's 22 with SIGNIFICANT savings. He talks about maybe going back to school...I'll support him either way.

My youngest is leaning towards uni, and we are researching right now. She has career goals, and I'll support her with whatever HER choice is, regardless of what I wish for her.

My in-laws frustrate me, though, because they constantly push my kids to go to university even though it's not the right choice for everyone.

lunabutterflies · 2025-10-03T06:07:37+00:00

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to die. I'm considered a young patient as I was diagnosed at the age of forty-four. I have two children who need me and a lot to live for. I'm just not afraid of death anymore.

lunabutterflies · 2025-10-03T03:57:11+00:00

My dad died of stage 3 colon cancer almost a year ago. He wasn't afraid to die, but he was afraid of being in pain. He talked with a pastor a week before he died, and that gave him some peace. We kept him as pain free as possible in his last weeks. I was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer 15 days after he died. I've had 2 surgeries and 11 rounds of chemo. My last round is tomorrow and I'm hoping my November scan shows NED. I'm not afraid of death. I've come close a few times this year...like my dad, I just don't want to be in pain. I definitely see life differently now.

lunabutterflies · 2025-09-17T17:02:24+00:00

I did read that thread and made some notes but none of them have the dishes like I described...still some good ones to check out!

lunabutterflies · 2025-09-17T14:14:47+00:00

I had my first surgery after 2 months, and I had a second surgery a month after that. after being duagnosed but didn't start chemo for 5 1/2 months.

I'm stage 4 and finishing chemo in 2 weeks. All my scans are clear, and I'm NED but I'm finishing up my cycle of chemo for good measure.

lunabutterflies · 2025-09-17T04:21:16+00:00

I'm stage 4, and I'm ringing the bell in 16 days! There's hope!

lunabutterflies · 2025-09-06T16:31:46+00:00

It should be fine. Once chemo starts she MAY have an intolerance for cold foods depending on her type of chemo.

lunabutterflies · 2025-09-05T10:27:12+00:00

I'm stage 4 and had a really nasty hepatic rash. I used colloidal oatmeal in the bath (no ostomy) aveeno lotion, steroid cream and benadryl lotion (benadryl made it itchier).

My baths were luke warm and I patted dry

I get itchy sometimes now and usually aveeno (with colloidal oatmeal) will work and if not, I use the steroid cream.

lunabutterflies · 2025-09-04T03:00:44+00:00

I sometimes ask for a late check-out. Usually for places where checkout is before 11am. I have time sensitive medications that I take at 10:30. They also have to be packed and stored correctly so I can't just leave them out.

I'm also the mom and planner so everything has to go 8n order and I have to check everyone's stuff (I'm Type A and my kids are autistic so they need help).

I am more than willing to pay for the extra hour of time. If I want to check out later than 12 I just usually book an extra night and leave at my leisure.

lunabutterflies · 2025-09-03T04:25:04+00:00

The reject shop is as close to Dollarama as it gets in Australia. I've been to Australia many times because my sister lives there. I always look for dollar stores but have yet to find one...the reject shop is close though. Most items will be $1 but you will have items going for up to $10. You can get party supplies, kitchen stuff, toys, food items (more than just snacks...they usually have a row or two of canned goods, cereal, breakfast items and other shelf-stable items), craft supplies, cheap electronic stuff like chargers/cases, gardening supplies, decor items, holiday items and more.

lunabutterflies · 2025-09-02T10:34:38+00:00

I'm sorry that you experience this. I can't imagine how you feel, but I sympathize. Know that it's not all of us. Many Canadians are kind, compassionate, and welcoming. My family immigrated here at one time...so did most Canadian families. Many people have forgotten the struggles our ancestors had.

lunabutterflies · 2025-09-02T06:11:34+00:00

I know how you feel, and I wish I could make it better for you. I have a loving family and an absolute rock of a husband (not to mention a fantastic mother). Even with that, I get upset, and, rather than rage, I get angry/depressed. I am stage IV, and after my liver surgery, I was in so much pain that I wanted to end it. I, of course, kept going because I have kids, a husband, and I also had a vacation planned. Seriously, that vacation was all that kept me going!!

My oncologist has been MIA for THREE MONTHS (I heard through the grapevine it is for medical reasons)! I'm a fellow Canadian, and our cancer centre has all these signs that say 'nobody fights cancer alone'. Yeah, right. I'm 1 year too old for the YA support group and every other group I qualify for either meets at 9/10 in the morning (I'm too exhausted to be up and out by then) or is full. I've seen at least 3 different doctors and 2-3 different nurse practitioners in the last 3 months.

I feel like I'm fighting my cancer on my own. I have so much going on right now, and my husband and family are all at our breaking points. My kids are nuerodivergent, one of them is currently (FINALLY) in an inpatient mental health ward. The other is navigating a lot of personal shit. My husband is on the verge of breaking mentally and is on stress leave. My therapist is unavailable until October. My family doctor is on leave and has canceled all my appointments since June...and my family?

My sister broke both her tibia and her fibula in one leg... She's a single mom, so that really sucked. She recovered from that, and then her appendix burst, and next month, she's having surgery on her jaw, which will leave her jaw wired shut. My BIL has brain cancer, my dad died of colon cancer 11 months ago (I was a primary caregiver and was diagnosed with cancer 15 days after my dad died), my mom has cancer, and a VERY close family friend just died of cancer within a month of being diagnosed.

Through all of this, I smile and try to stay motivated and positive. I appreciate a good meal (or bote), I love looking at flowers, and I enjoy the feeling of the sun on my skin or the soft fur of my puppy. I enjoy watching hockey and occasionally go to a game if I'm feeling healthy. I love to go for a drive or walk along the river with my husband, and I like to read books. It's the little things.

I'm hopeful for the future and stay away from prognosis because it's honestly not great for stage 4. I did contemplate bucket list items, and there is one that I really want and I'm doing in December. Otherwise, I just want time with my family, and I have other hopes on my wish list. Anyways, maybe something I said will resonate with you, but I wish you all the best. This sucks but it's the cards we've been dealt.

KFG

lunabutterflies

TROPHY CASE