Feeling Your Love and Affection

Thanks for your emails friends! Shelley no longer has energy to focus on her emails so I read them to her when the energy of her day allows. As I share your communications with her, she continues to feel your love and affection.

In recent days, her mobility has become more limited. Moving from the bathroom, to day bed, to recliner and back to her night bed at 5:00 PM becomes her daily exercise. Over the past couple of days, she has been "swishing and swallowing" unpleasant tasting nystatin four times a day in order to deal with a thrush infection. Fortunately, her back and stomach pain is mostly alleviated by "breakthrough" pain meds. Sleep is a great friend which she is able to welcome many times throughout the day. She also sleeps extremely well through the night and has been free of nausea this past week - another blessing.

Her days are now spent completely on the main level of our home. I am less inclined to be downstairs for any length of time so, if you tend to write to me, would you please send all communications to Shelley's address so that I can receive and respond to them from our living room (sfinson@eastlink.ca).

Mechanical Friends

This morning, Dr. Rob Horton (palliative care physician) visited with Shelley and, while here, he attempted to remove the build up of fluid from her abdomen. Unfortunately, the procedure wasn't successful. He will return in a week or so to try the procedure again. By that time, Shelley's tummy should look 8 months pregnant rather than 5 months pregnant. He tells us the second attempt will be successful.

Because my love's health has taken a fairly rapid downturn, we are inviting more mechanical friends into our home; among other things, a wheelchair, recliner with remote, and a chair-lift as soon as one can be installed. At noon, a friend came by to help me relocate her hospital bed from the downstairs study to the upstairs kitchen area. It will be used as Shelley's 'day bed.' At the moment she is napping on the bed, very pleased with the amount of comfort it provides and the fact she still has a good view of our bird feeders which continue to offer her much delight.

Sadly, we've been told by the palliative care team not to look for "better days." Within this new reality, we continue to be overwhelmed by angel-friends who surround us with amazing care and support.

The sun is shining brightly though our kitchen windows and it is 10 degrees outside. As with your continued thoughts and prayers, we are warmed by its presence.

Results of CT Scan

Shelley's health problems the past few days have been a foreshadowing of the difficult news we received this morning. Her cancer has spread significantly - thus the reason for her swollen tummy and feet as well as her increased tiredness.

The good news is that Shelley won't have to get out of bed early on Monday mornings to face chemo any longer. The palliative team will now take over responsibility for symptom management.

Her three siblings are arriving within the hour for their final visit before they leave - one at midnight tonight for England, the other two at 6:30 AM tomorrow. What a joy their visit has been to both of us!

With appreciation for giving us some space just to be with each other over the next couple of days.

Sharing Pancakes

Shelley's siblings have safely arrived. One of them is especially enthralled with the snow....wishes he could see it falling. Imagine!

Surrounding my love from left to right - Janette, Will and Tom. It was a rough start to Shelley's day but it picked up considerably with her siblings energy and love in our home!

Looking for a better tomorrow

The past few days have been very challenging for Shelley. She has experienced extreme fatigue, swollen feet, sore back and tummy, as well as bowel complications. Recent blood work has indicated that her thyroid is out of wack so her GP upped her thyroid meds. We are hoping that the next few days will bring a return to a greater sense of wellness.

Janette, Thomas, and William arrive at 10:30 tonight. If you have a moment, all prayers, thoughts and energy sent Shelley's way this weekend would be appreciated. She is quite disappointed because she may not be able to be out and about with her family in the way she had hoped.

Looking for a better tomorrow.

On other side of CT Scan

Yesterday was the CT scan day. I suspect it was all the "guck" that went into my body prior to the scan, but I felt pretty much under par following the test.

However, today, Tuesday, I feel somewhat better and we are off to a movie. Well, not exactly a movie, but to see the opera “Hansel and Gretel” which is being viewed simultaneously at movie theatres round the country. It is performed live at the Metropolitan Operatic Theatre in New York. Pretty exciting stuff and, I gather, quite popular as I have friends in Toronto who will also be at the same movie and who tell me the place is often full each time a live operatic production is shown.

A Celebration

On Nov. 13, 2007, the Centre for Christian Studies announced the names of two recipients who will be named "Companions of the Centre" this coming spring. Only recently has Shelley given me permission to post her citation on our blog so, while she is napping following a trek out to church this morning (and without opportunity to change her mind), it is my joy to share with you the following:

The Centre for Christian Studies
2008 Companion of the Centre Co-awardees are

Shelley Davis Finson
Feminist, Adult Educator, CCS graduate and former Academic staff

and

Ken DeLisle
Diaconal Minister, Advocate for those on the margins


to be conferred at the 2008 Annual Service of Celebration
April 6, 2008, 3:00 pm CST
at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Winnipeg
and across the country via a telephone link up

Shelley Davis Finson

Shelley Finson was the prime mover of the Canadian Christian Feminist movement through her coordination of the Movement for Christian Feminism. She opened eyes, raised consciousness and called women to action. Although she was perceived as too radical by many in the institutional church, she served on the national United Church Task Force on Men and Women and through that work and her myriad of other influences and undertakings she profoundly shaped the United Church. Indeed she holds a place in the church and feminist halls of fame for all of North America. She supported women across Canada in their struggles against sexism and introduced them to feminist theologians around the world.

Shelley has also had a remarkable influence on theological education. She served on the CCS Academic staff from 1978 to 1985 as the Director of Field Education where she worked with both the students in the program and the many field supervisors who were then part of the program. She was said to have “put them through their paces”, developing local educators throughout parishes and congregations. She was active in the North American Association of Theological Field Educators. After leaving the Academic Staff of CCS she was Professor in Pastoral Theology at the Atlantic School of Theology. She continued in association with CCS through her years in Halifax in many ways. In 2002 she became a member of the CCS Program Committee, providing excellent leadership in the development of many policies and program developments, seeing through a major program review and revision. She also served on the national United Church Education for Church Leadership Coordinating Committee and several of its task groups, where she was an advocate for diaconal ministry and perspective, for CCS and for experiential and praxis education.

Shelley is a remarkable mentor for many, many people. She is a gifted facilitator, a wonderfully compassionate teacher, a critical and analytical thinker, a committed and articulate Christian. She has a clear and vital passion for a vision in which God’s fullness is known for all and she does not shy from her determination to work out of that passion. She does not mince words in the face of inequality and injustice. She is an advocate of the disempowered and a voice for the voiceless. She will speak truth to power, despite the discomfort of that action, and she does it with courage and above all with a genuine, deep and wonderful humour.

Shelley became a student at CCS in the fall of 1962 and graduated in 1964. She was commissioned by the United Church as a Deaconess in 1965. After completing her MDiv she was ordained.

Shelley has numerous degrees: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Masters of Religious Education (M.R.E.), Diploma in Christian Education Centre for Christian Studies, Master of Social Work, Doctor of Ministry (D.Min) and an Honorary Doctorate - United Theological College, McGill University. Shelley is widely published.

Shelley was born in England, south of London, spent three years in Jamaica and arrived in Canada in 1956 and made her home in Toronto. Later she moved to Halifax, where she has retired. She lives there with her partner, Diane Tingley.

Shelley has pancreatic cancer and is in palliative care. The presentation of her award is planned for April, 2008, but may need to be adjusted in response to her health.