As 2020 is upon us I have been doing a lot of praying,pondering and planning. I will be turning 50 this year and have been thinking of the best way to bring in this new decade of life. I thought about creating an Instagram account about turning 50 but decided that I am not that interesting. Being a shift worker, coupled with the unpredictable behaviour of Kourtney’s health, makes it difficult for me to committment to many extracurricular activities. In my heart I have felt unsettled in my current stage of life.
Since November Kourtney has had a ton of pain in her knees. Sadly, her pain doctor retired in the summer. We quickly realized that there is not a lot of expertise or comfortability for medical staff in prescribing pain medication. So we went through a vicious cycle of controlling her pain that resulted in Kourtney sleeping through most of the day. I spent many of those days sitting with her while she slept. Every year I make Christmas gifts. To pass the time I decided to get crafty. I went into full pom pom and macrame mode. It was so satisfying!! Then my sister, Sharon, inspired me to make a natural spray to add to the gifts. I knew it was a hit when Shae and her boyfriend, Ethan, swiped it for their cars.
Seeing Kourtney in such a state has been depressing to say the least. Of course our biggest fear was that cancer was going to be found again. I could feel the “cloud” forming over my head and I was going down with her. Both Kourtney and I needed inspiration to get through this. On December 26th I had to take time off work due to a neck injury. Needless to say Kourtney and I became a fun pair over the holiday season. My thoughts were consumed with how to make Kourtney feel better. We tried antibiotics however after just one dose she had a reaction that caused even more blistering on her already broken down skin.
The pain in her knees was so bad that even the pressure of cream or coconut oil caused her to shudder with pain. Although the coconut oil is healing and feels good on Kourtney’s skin she hates the smell. It's a known fact that pain heightens one’s sense of smell so it’s extra important that scents are “Kourtney approved” before putting them on her. I went into mixing mode and made a cocunut based spray that was soothing for Kourtney but also was pleasing to her senses. It smelled so good I started using it on my hands as a soothing spray. Little did we know that it would become a kickstart to this new business venture.
After the holidays we went and saw Dr. C in Vancouver. We showed him her knees and he wasn’t too worried about them! He creatively adjusted her pain medication which now seems to be working. As I redressed Kourtney’s knees I used the “KOKOnut” spray on her knees. We didn’t realize it but we drew a crowd into the room. People were saying how good it smelled in the room. (Keep in mind that we just removed some dressings that don’t always smell so good.) Everyone from doctors occupational therapists and clerical staff were wanting me to bring some in for our next visit!!!! Kourtney and I both acknowledged that perhaps there may potential, not just for business opportunity, but to help other EB families as well.
So let me introduce you to KOKO&SHAE!!! “making scents of suffering”
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