Writing through cancer: For the Week of July 28, 2013: What Did You Notice?

I was unable to walk today, I’m not feeling my best, so I stayed close to home. We went to church this morning, but unable to attend tonight. I tell Barry to go without me, but he doesn’t like me home alone. I gave up and quit arguing.

Yesterday,  Barry and I walked the yard and updated our garden journal. I’ll use our stroll around the yard for this post. We started at the front porrch. We have a few Chinese Fringe Flowers that need pruning and a few new spouts have popped up, that need transplanting. A few weeds that need to be handled,  but nothing I cannot do.

My minature butterfly bush has come back out and is almost three feet tall already. I need to work on the decorative well pump by the porch. My butterfly garden is suffering from inattention. The hosta’s have come up beautifully and I have a few that need transplanting this fall. It may take us that long to get the garden back to glory to make room for them. A Sweet Gum Tree has taken root near the water spicket. That needs to go!

On the hill to the right of the house, we have planted two red maples and attempted to handle a bad wash area with monkey grass and lillies. They are filling in nicely. Might take a year or two for it to fill in.
To the left of the new trees, we planted a few Chinese Fringe Flower Shrubs to act as a barrier near the guidewire for the telephone pole. Looking good near the road.

At the drive, I have a combo of old-fashioned lillies, Stella D’odro lillies and knockout roses. We have tons of room to add to this area, I just need to figure out what to add. We recently moved the mailbox to the otherside of the drive. It needs sprucing up.

Down the rightside of the drive, is considered mom’s territory.  We have a couple of things there, we planted prior to mom’s arrival. There are three heavenly Gardenia Shrubs well-established. One blueberry bush is closeby for the local critters to enjoy.

Behind those a Pin Oak is coming in nicely. It is large enough to sit a chair under to enjoy a little shade.  The rest on that side is is mom’s territory. I need to feed her a friendly reminder that she needs to do some weeding.

Under our bedroom window, we discovered a few surprises. Four O’clocks planted a few years ago have come back out and a lantana has popped up thanks to some sweet bird in the yard. It will transplant nicely when the time comes. The Hosta’s have come back out. They are huge and need a new home.

Beside the garage door the Smilix vine and lantana are gorgeous. The ramp and porch are around four feet tall. The lantana has out grown the porch already. The back of the house is more natural. We have two Corkscrew Willow Trees, a beauty berry bush, and one lone Pampas Grass. We need to do more in the back. I’d like to get a few hardscaping projects done. Barry and I will work slowly on those.

There is evidence of unknown wildlife either living or traveling through the yard. We watched a bunny run around for a few minutes. By the driveway, we saw a couple of lizards and salamanders playing aound on the porch. Barry got a wildlife camera for a retirement. We have been attempting to get pictures of what happens in the yard at night. No success yet!

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                                 Gardenias

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                                  Hostas

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                                       Gerber Daisy

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                                   Maggie and Mom’s Iris’s

Am I ready?

Such a simple question for process about to begin. God is watching over me, Barry will be by my side, Emory Winship Hospital will be providing the care and mom will be home waiting to cook a nice healthy meal. I’m hoping my stomach will let me eat. I do not need to worry about daddy, because Kristie is in control. I feel sorry for the nurse assigned to Pop yesterday.

My clothes are laid out and ready to go. My tablet will be charged, allowing me access to books, games, the Bible and whatever else the internet may provide as entertainment while waiting for the infusion to complete. I can do more research on chemotherapy and the type cancer I have. I can write a step by step post on what chemo is like. I would not want to bore you to death.

I have to repeat this process every three weeks for four doses. Then we swich to radiation. Radiation is scheduled to be daily for a certain period of time. I’ll find that out when the time comes.

My cousin has given the inside track on whst to ask for from the goof doctors.  She let me know what worked for her and what she has heard from other people. I believe Barry and I are as ready as we can be. 

There is a thunderstorm brewing here. We can hardly keep up with the grass. We’ve had so much rain, the flowers are h8rgeous and yhe grass is growing like crazy. I’m going to hit the sack. Hope everyone has a beautiful day tomorrow!

Writing through cancer: For the Week of June 23, 2013: How Do You Want to Be Remembered?

Of late, I’m going to be known as the aunt that was turned into a witch after brain surgery. I want to see what I can do to change that. Everyone has so much to do that no one has time to remember what family is and how to treat each other. Everyone also needs to remember that they are not the only ones with full lives. We all have busy, full lives.

My family needs to realize that I will never be the person I used to be before and I cannot be forced backward into that person. My body is not the same and avoiding me is not the way to handle things. Barry is not the same either. We are both different and having mom in the house does not mean AVOID AVOID AVOID. WE ARE PART OF THE FAMILY and always will be. We may just be aunts and uncles, it doesn’t mean put us out of the family.

We would love to be known as a loving couple that welcomed their family with open arms whenever needed. The smart uncle and creative aunt that would fo anything for anyone. Not be isolated and un-notified of family gatherings.

Brain injuries, strokes and dementia cause changes to the brain, as well as the brain chemistry. All the above can cause changes in behavior. They can be managed by medications, but will always be there. This does not mean a person is CRAZY!

Barry and I don’t want to be remembered as the crazy Aunt and Uncle that took care of Me-maw in her later days. We’d like to be known as the full of life couple that participates in everything with the family and greatly enjoyed every minute. We want to be known as abfamily-oriented couple.

We only need to know when something is happening. Telephones work two ways these days. I plan to do better with communication. I’m just hoping pther people reading this do the same. It only takes a second to make a phone call.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowden_syndrome

Daily Prompt: Moment of Kindness

Describe a moment of kindness, between you and someone else — loved one or complete stranger.Photographers, artists, poets: show us KINDNESS.

While driving home from work one evening (at that time I worked the second shift, 3-11pm at a local hospital). I did not like driving home at that hour, but the money was perfect for a low-stress position. I enjoyed the job, making the drive worthwhile.

It felt like a long drive home, due to the main route between the two towns. It was a long country road, through the sticks, in the middle of no where. One gas station stood as the only sign of civilization on the ride.
While driving home one evening, just past midnight. While driving down a big hill, I noticed a car on the side of the road, flashers going. As I drove closer to the car, I realized the car was empty. I made sure no one was laying around the car and continued my ride home.

Approximately, one half a mile from where the broken down car sat, I drove past a man. He was dressed in a suit, walking up a huge hill, carrying four suitcases and sweating bullets. I backed up, opened my window and asked if he needed a ride and if so, to get in.

I then told him that if he intended to kill me and steal my car, I’d get out and let him have it now. If he genuinly needed a ride, to get in and I’d take him to the closest pay phone.

He put his bags in the back, and got in the front seat. He buckled up. I gave him my extra bottle of water snd we headed to the local gas station. I made sure he had help on the way and headed home, myself.

He never said a word, other than “Thank you, ma’am”!
One year later, to date, I received a surprise. It was a dozen pale pink roses from a shop in a smalltown, nearby. The man I picked up, was the mayor of the next town over.

He sent roses on that date for 12 years. There was a small article in their paper, that week, about the kindness of strangers. I kept a copy for years, but he stated what a shame it is that there aren’t more kind strangers still out there. This happened over 20 years ago!

Personal Prayer Request

I believe in the power of prayer. I have seen too many things in my lifetime that proves there is. On this date, I am asking that everyone pray for my father, Lee Van Hayes. He received some extremely bad news from his doctor today. I think we were all expecting it, even dad, but hearing those words are not easy. WordPress Blogs are full of love and kindness, with a few freaky things added in. I’d love it if I could take my computer to Pop and show him all the well wishes received from my fellow bloggers.

WordPress reaches tons of people. It would be such a wondrous thing to get at least half the people, in our blogosphere, saying a little prayer for one special man. I know he is not special to everyone, but he is to my family and his friends. My dad doesn’t meet strangers, he likes everyone. He is just the biggest sweetheart on earth! My family, as well as Barry and I would greatly appreciate any small wish of good health or just a hope you are feeling better soon.

We are to the point that prayer is the answer. Dad is in God‘s hands and he will take care of him. Thank you in advance for anything you say!

If my comments section is not working yet, please use the email available for my blog: geegeebear3@gmail.com.

Have a bless day!

Barry and Jill

and the family of LeeVan Hayes

English: The logo of the blogging software Wor...

English: The logo of the blogging software WordPress. Deutsch: WordPress Logo 中文: WordPress Logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Photo display leading to my wonderful news

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Received wonderful news, Margins are clear….now off to Radiation Oncologist to discuss treatment! Thanks for the prayers and support!

Writing through Cancer for week of June 2, 2013: Hope is a thing with feathers!

This is a continuation of our post earlier this week:

That sweet little boy at the Birthday Party, looking and hoping he could find more presents hidden within the gift wrap piled on the floor. He was frantically searching; he was positive, he would find one more present. he was showing he had total faith in his situation. His thoughts alive with the feeling of hope.  He just knew he would find one more present. So adorable searching.

Before we had wrapping paper all over the house, we got a bag and played gift wrap basketball. Making a game out of the cleanup, let him see there were no more presents. he was able to focus on the gifts he received and the house full of people who came to celebrate with him and his sister.

Hope covers many aspects of  our lives.Dealing with a serious illness brings hope into your life in several ways. you hope the illness will not get bad, you hope to live through whatever illness you are going through, you hope your families will be there for you and not change their minds as you get worse, you hope the people you have called friends for years will be there when you need them.

There is so much hope involved in illnesses. It is hard to deal with hope, when you are fighting so hard to stay healthy and you find yourself surrounded by people you cannot count on. You need to remember that God is always there. Giving your troubles and burdens to God must be done with total faith, then we can continue our walk in life with the assurance that when trouble comes; we know God is there and that whatever the new trouble is,God is never surprised, for He is with you.

Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the middle of the sea. If your faith is not strong, we lose hope and start looking for a quick fix.

Psalm 46:1-God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble

Psalm 31:24-Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord

Psalm 33:18-Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;

Psalm 33:22-Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.

Psalm 38:15-For in thee, O Lord, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.

                 King James Version (KJV)     

It is that faith,  is our Hope and knowledge that God knows when we are on this rocky bumpy road, and holding that faith is when God puts his loving arms around us and smooths out the road ahead.

Though we may never know the why, but really do we need to know, because this is where we gain Wisdom as we talk to God and, no matter what comes our way, you know God will see you through it.

Through my illness, I have struggled with worry, stress, and anything else that made me worry. It wasn’t until I started praying for hope, mercy and understanding that I was able to but my health in God’s hands. I recently went through a breast cancer ordeal that I had no worries about I knew it would be ok. God was doing the hard work for me.

I am currently struggling with another issue. I am handing it over to the good Lord tonight hoping he can lead me in the right direction with re-motivating my partner in crime, I’m wearing my husband out. Barry suffered a stroke a few years ago and is doing wonderful, but he’s worn out. I need to see what I can do to give him a break. We both need a break, but that will have to wait a little longer. I do not know what I would do without him.

One day at a time!