by Sharon O | Apr 3, 2020 | Uncategorized
The first week of April and I am remembering this time last year we were moving.
Our older home we lived in for nearly 25 years 2 story and it was becoming more of an issue with stairs.
We started to talk about moving, then we started to look at our options and then we started to work with a realtor.
The homes we saw were very nice, very fresh looking and single level.
We quickly became convinced that we should in fact put our home on the market and sell.
So we did that and it was on the market about a month; and we received and offer from a young couple.
This made our process even more of an urgent issue since we had a buyer and we had a contingent agreement that we needed to find suitable housing.
After many days of looking we finally found one in a senior development and for a very good price.
We prayed and asked for direction and we really do feel this little ‘small’ home is the right one for us.
It was a huge task to move.
We gave away or sold at least 10 pieces of furniture. Boxes of stuff were in a storage unit in the beginning and the single garage at the new place was full.
The couple who purchased our home was a first time buyer, and the lady who we purchased from was a senior moving to a care facility.
It was a win/win for everyone.
It’s been a process for sure during this first year.
The process of unpacking has taken a longer time than I thought it would.
Just this last week I have been going through old photo’s and old boxes of memories.
It is good to move slowly through this stuff.
Oh and now we are on a ‘quarantine’ because of the virus that is over everywhere.
It is a good time for digging through and in old boxes. Why not?
The first week of April and I am remembering that new things take place and new adventures await us someday.
For now, we will clean and unpack more until we are done and until the quarantine is over.
by Sharon O | Mar 17, 2020 | Uncategorized
Yesterday was our daughters birthday.
Hard to believe she is now age 42, where has time gone?
I remember so clearly the days when she was a tiny one, joining our family and completing it.
Our son was 3 years and 6 days older when she was born and he was ever so glad she didn’t interrupt his birthday.
In fact she came early.
I was having contractions all day long but I thought nothing of it.
I have a high pain tolerance and unlike my son’s birth I knew I was having surgery with her.
When I began to realize they were coming closer and more frequent; I remember waking my husband up in the middle of the night and saying to him, “we need to go.”
I had a ultrasound picture in my purse that had just been taken a day before and she was definitely in a breech position.
Her head was completely up and her bottom was down. Her back was to my front and her feet was against her head.
She was as the doctor called it, ‘snug as a bug in a rug.’
My mom arrived at the house and we rushed to the hospital.
I was really feeling it by then and letting the attendants know, she is breech.
They wheeled me in the elevator and told my husband the baby may be born in there.
It was a fast paced rush to get her and I to the point of surgery.
She was born at 5:13am and she was beautiful.
I looked pretty rough but mom’s often do look pretty worked over.
And you have to remember this was 42 years ago.
Not like it is nowadays where everything is more modern and smooth.
Our little baby Sarah was born.
Yesterday was our daughters birthday.
Her name means: Princess and her middle name is Kathleen: which means dear to my heart.
We had a son and now a daughter and we didn’t need anything else.
God blessed us and provided us with safe deliveries and healthy babies.
by Sharon O | Mar 13, 2020 | Uncategorized
The cancer journey continues long after the surgeries are over and the doctors appointments and radiation is done.
They gave me notice that the radiation stays in your system for some time and the fatigue will be with me for months.
I am not as bad as I was early on in the journey but I could still rest quite often and feel the need to nap.
It’s hard to stop and tell myself I need to nap, or rest or just be still.
Naps are not easy for me but I soon will learn to stop and rest as I need to, believe me, the body will let me know.
The after affects are definitely here, along with rashes and some pain and discomfort.
Kind of like the war is continuing.
Then we have a quarantine because of the virus that is creating great turmoil in our world.
I have to stay away from crowds as I am considered fragile in health since radiation.
It really doesn’t bother me as a ‘introvert’ by nature staying home is a gift, and a joy.
I don’t like to be around large crowds.
The biggest disappointment is the NBA cancelling the basketball games.
I am a huge fan of our Portland Trailblazers and now they are not playing.
What will I do with my time now? one can only watch so much HGTV shows.
Soon the spring weather will kick in and we can do a bit of walking.
Today it dusted very light snow in our area. Nothing sticking just a dusting in the air.
Crazy days with crazy weather.
The cancer journey continues and will continue up to six months to a year.
The residual will be with me: so I adapt and I move through each day and enjoy it.
As a gift from God. One more time.
by Sharon O | Mar 11, 2020 | Uncategorized
Yesterday was our son’s birthday.
All day long I remembered back 45 years ago when I was young and so new to this parenting role.
Growing a baby is hard work and when you are little like I was it was a big deal for me.
I started out at about 88 pounds and ended up around 108 pounds when I delivered.
He was a beautiful baby. Our first born.
The hospital was an old one and after our son was born they closed it down for ever.
There were three babies and they were the last to be born in that setting.
My day began as a planned induced birth. The doctor did not want me any bigger.
So after we got there and settled in our room, they set up the IV drip to start labor.
I didn’t do anything most of the day. Just hanging out in the bed and visiting with my husband.
When the shift changed I do remember a new nurse coming into the room.
She reminded me of an army nurse who was always taking charge of things.
Her first reaction when seeing me was, “why are you not in labor?”.
I of course knew nothing as a young mom who never had a baby before.
She said, “well I think you need to have this baby sooner than later and on my shift.”
So she turned to IV drip UP.
Imagine yourself on a bed, moving from no contractions, NO labor to movement every few minutes.
I was fully in labor and had him in less than two hours.
From no labor at all to full labor and pushing.
She came into the room on her shift at 3:00 and our son was born at 5:35 pm.
YES now that I’m older I realize how crazy that was for her to do that.
She wanted that baby born before dinner.
And of course even though he was; I was not in any mood for food at that time.
Our son, Christopher was born and he weighed 6 pounds 3 3/4 ounces.
A beautiful little guy we both fell in love with.
Yesterday was our son’s birthday. A lot has changed since that first ‘birth’ day.
He has three boys of his own now. He’s a dad, a husband and a professional man.
We are super proud of him and we are very blessed to call him our son.
by Sharon O | Mar 5, 2020 | Uncategorized
The other day I was thinking about this crazy journey we have been on.
I checked my calendar dates and wrote them down.
Beginning in December 2019
Dec 9th, mammogram extended plus ultrasound
Dec 12th biopsy
Dec 16th cancer diagnosis
Dec 19th first visit with surgeon
Dec 20th MRI
Dec 26th sick with upper bronchial illness
Dec 30th 2nd visit with surgeon
Jan 7th new year surgery day
Jan 16th told the margins were clear
Jan 20th two week check up
Jan 21st radiation appointment
Jan 29th oncologist appointment
Feb 3rd CT scan and tattoo’s
Feb 5th bone scan
Feb 10th radiation began for 16 days ending
March 2nd
No wonder I have been tired.
Actually we both have been very tired; it takes a lot out of someone to do so much and even though I was the patient my husband was the driver and doing a lot of waiting.
The other day I was doing some thinking and although the journey is not over; the hard parts of the beginning phase is.
When you first drive up to a cancer center, it makes you feel changed.
You are at that moment entering into a new phase, a new chapter, a new set of experiences.
The world of radiation. (as I jokingly shared on my facebook page, beam me up scotty)
This room, this machine, not only creates change within you for good, it will also change you forever
I am not the same as I was in the beginning.
This room is a bit scary and also a bit overwhelming.
There is no relaxing. It is a choice to breathe and trust in this process.
This is how it is when the radiation is given; only in the treatment time I did not have a gown on.
It is YOU and this big machine. Alone in your thoughts, for just about 6 minutes.
There are large steel doors and lights that flash telling others the radiation is on.
For 16 days I was here, doing this treatment.
And then the day came and I was able to leave earlier than planned.
The doctor released me 4 days early.
When this happens you thank God for the blessing of a shorter session time but you are going to miss the technicians.
I honestly could be friends with them they were so kind and nice.
I wanted to show the man in this picture standing beside me, his smile is amazing; but I don’t have permission and I don’t feel like I can put him on my public blog without him knowing it.
At first I tapped it very carefully and it didn’t ring so then I really hit it and it set off a glorious sound telling me I was done.
Recovery is not finished but that part of my work is done.
The other day I was doing some thinking about this long and different journey.
And I promised myself that I will help another one who enters into this so they are not alone.
