Positive Changes
Only one person should understand this:
I am sorry and you are forgiven!
This is the last time I will respond. Have a wonderful life.
Jill
America….busy getting ready for election day!
Due to my health issues, I had the privilege of observing democracy at work this week. The poll workers arrived at the specified time and quickly looked over the building they had to work with. Just as quickly, they unloaded the equipment needing to be set-up. Smiling faces every where, American pride at work. My hubby was beaming. It was good to see him excited to be outside, focusing on a project.
I watched as poll workers freed the equipment and placed it around church gym. The tables and equipment were doused with my favorite invention of the decade, “disposable, cleaning wipes.” Since becoming disabled, these things are my favorite item on the cleaning aisle of the local grocer.
The workers with experience took over, assisting the inexperienced, with arranging the polling station to utilize the space available for maximum benefit. The workers wanted their voters to be comfortable and out of the weather. A happy voter makes a pleasant voting experience.
Their focus was on the next day, Election Day….the first Tuesday in November.
By Jill
Dreadful Doctors
My title is not fair to all doctor’s. I enjoy the physicians I am currently working with. The dread I am referring to is what they are going to tell me or ask me to do. Since 2012, the neurologist I see thinks he needs to change the medications I am taking, just to see if something new will help.
What I have discovered and verbalize to them is “NOTHING HELPS”. I feel like a lab rat at times. Actually had one physician say I should feel honored to be in his presence because is that good! Needless to say, I refuse to ever see him again.
I have enjoyed working with the rehab center and the cancer specialist. They try to cover every aspect of care a patient may need. They offer incredible services at Winship.
After everything, we have been through, it is wonderful to be treated special after certain diagnoses. The sad part is the numbers of people in and out of the doctors offices at Winship.
One of the things that I dread yearly, is my thyroid scan. It is such a long process and it takes all week just to get to the point where the scan can be done. For some reason, My Protein levels are staying elevated and thyroid cancer is playing hide and seek in my throat. The last PET Scan showed there is still something in my neck. Hopefully, this will be the last treatment for a few years. This is only the fifth time since 2009.
Personally, I am ready to run away from home. I put a smile on my face and keep going. I refuse to let this or anyone get me down. I need to take care of myself, Barry, Maggie and mom. I am faithful the the Good Lord will be by my side through the next week. It has been a bad couple of weeks and it is time to turn things around. Have a joyful week everyone!
Ode to my Lost Hormones
A breast cancer diagnosis, brought questions flooding in,
After the process was explained, one tiny question remained,
scores of specialist could not answer, I was scared silly of what was to come.
They called me “Lucky”, to have the tumor caught so early,
The treatments that followed were easy to get through,
Thanks to my cousin, Cindy, for sharing her secrets of survival,
What could have been unbearable, became tolerable,
Thanks for the info cuz, it was much appreciated.
Once the lumpectomy was over and the chemo began,
I found myself awestruck of the millions that have gone before me!
all of the fight, strength, love and passion that has gone before me,
I persevere to continue the fight!
Thank you, Ladies for the inspiration to keep going.
I am a survivor, I refused to let this bring me down.
My chemo was coming to an end and I knew radiation was the next step,
Little did I know my journey was just beginning.
My sweetheart became seriously ill and needed immediate surgery to survive,
The same night my father went home to be with the Lord. As Barry slept, I told him to be strong,
I knew he was a survivor, Several family members and our Pastor helped me through the hard parts.
Life started to calm and a routine began, while Barry was being cared for at the hospital,
I left daily for my radiation treatments and returned just before supper.
Our Jeep had to be on auto-pilot to get me, from the hospital and back daily.
Once the oncologist suggested we turn my ovaries off,
first thing I pictured was a little switch that needed to be turned on each ovary, she had other things
in mind, once I knew my options,
I took the injection until I could schedule the surgery needed,
I knew the minute I woke from surgery, that my Doctor had been successful.
My first official hot flash was in the recovery room!
The Estrogen and other things produced by my ovaries are now gone, the surgeon had a wee surprise for me,
Soy can mimic Estrogen in the body, soooooooooo…..no over the counter remedies for me!
Now the brown spots, the “hot and cold” flashes and mood swings were just around the corner,
On March 28, 2014, I was thrown face first into MENOPAUSE!
Just a little update…..
Most of you are aware that my mother lives with us.We both love her to pieces, but she can be a handful. I will not deny when she makes biscuits, we both indulge. Mom has been wonderful helping around the house. There are certain things I love her assistance with and others I prefer to do myself. I want to be able to keep moving. When I slow down, I may not be able to speed up. I can barely keep up with Barry now.
Mom and I just hang back and watch Barry go and go and go……He has turned into the Energizer Bald Bunny with reading glasses. He is so cute.
We made a trip to Emory for a follow-up mammogram. Scheduled my thyroid scan for the first week in August. I will be radioactive for a bit, but hopefully they will get this taken care of and I can get a little rest. Barry and I both deserve it. Two other appointments on Monday.
To top our week off, I have pneumonia again. I have got to work on immune system. I can’t seem to shake feeling weak.
Pumphead
In August 2013, my sweet husband passed out cold in our living room. In the process of falling, he struck his head on our front door and appeared to be having a seizure. Later we discovered the seizure-like activity was due to hitting his head. He had a concussion. The Cat scan showed he had swelling in the right lobe of the cerebrum. While I made sure he was safe, I got mom to call 911. The ambulance arrived and swept my sweetheart of to the hospital. We spent the next five months in and out of the hospital. Six months later, he is home, healthy and running circles around me. God is good! Numerous doctors tried to tell me that Barry would not survive. They did not know my hubby. Barry and I are strong-willed people and we do not give up easily. I was not about to let him give up! Once we settled into a routine, I started to notice subtle differences in my sweety. At first, it put it off to what he had been. I then realized his body was full of medications floating around his body. He needed to flush his body with healthy food and fluids. His thought processes were slower. He lost his inhibitions. For the first few weeks, it was like I had married a seventeen year old boy trying to discover the world in 24 hours. It was hard to keep up with him. He is closer to normal now. When I had a chance to speak with his cardiologist, he educated me on “pumphead”. The link below will go into more detail. I will miss the comical antics, but thrilled I am to have my Barry back. We spend our time in the kitchen discovering low-sodium dishes to keep us healthy. Mom lives with us. She needs the low – sodium dishes more than we do. http://www.heartdisease.about.com/cs/bypasssurgery/a/pumphead.htm
A Short Walk Down Memory Lane….the memories you like to forget
The seventh grade threw me for a loop. New kids, new teachers, new courses and a Science that would add points to your grades if you were willing to eat chocolate covered crickets! I enjoyed his course, along with a few grasshoppers. Let’s just say I had Science aced without trying.
But many other things were going on around school that I never had opportunities to try in the my younger years. Mom suggested checking into a few options, try out, then see how it goes. Well, let me tell you…….I picked cheerleading. What a mistake! I faithfully practiced, at school and home. I was ready and would make the squad. My plan did not match the plan Jesus had for me.
When my turn arrived. I nailed the routine. I worked a “split” into my routine. I started the end of my routine. Finished with the best split I had ever accomplished! I felt incredible, until I realized I could not get up! One of the judges helped get me on my feet. Needless to say, I did not make the squad!
Ra Ra Re, Kick them in the knee……..Ra Ra Re, Kick them in the other knee!
Echocardiogram Update
Jill was with me when I saw my Cardiologist “Dr. B” a couple of weeks ago, and he said the echo looked good and in his words “you are cured”, I praise God for that comment. As God is the only reason I am alive today. He also said that doctors get what they call a “save” maybe once every seven to ten years, he considers me as one of those statistics. Well I was so tickled that all the surgical repairs have held up, “Dr.B” also mentioned that there was a time that the Doctors did not know what to do.
Hopefully, no one has forgotten about us!
Life has slowed to a point that I might get a post or two in. Barry gets home from the hospital and settled down, then Mom had a problem that required a hospital.She is home and feeling better. She is actually with one of my sisters for a few days. We hope everyone had a wonderful July 4th. We made it a Pajama day and accomplished nothing at all. My health is stable. I wasn’t happy with my last MRI, but God has a plan…I take one day at a time….Oooooooops, I forgot our Maggie. Our treasured family pet has joined the rest of our happy home, with health issues. Our sweet baby has developed an arrhythmia and possibly a brain tumor. The first week Barry was home, Maggie went into Congestive Heart Failure, due to the irregular heartbeat. She has since suffered three seizures and has something making her right cheek protrude. It looks so bad, but she does not appear to be in pain…..Thank Goodness……..
One day at a time, that is the slogan in our home!
More tomorrow. My hands are getting tired. We need to get back in a routine of typing. My kitchen is calling….Have a great weekend all! God Bless!
