December 31, 2011 - WOW - what a huge day of REFLECTION!! A reflection of the past year - where I have been - what I have done and where I am headed! I have been so BLESSED. I have also been diagnosed with CANCER which I know will turn out to be a BLESSING in my life and in the lives of others! Already I can list SEVEN people who had not yet had colonoscopies - but scheduled them at the end of the year. I amTHANKFUL these all turned out to be normal.
We just returned from Salt Lake City where we had brunch with ALL of our children and with Simone, Lukas and Stella on this beautiful Saturday morning. Our daughter Kamie and her husband Mike Snure came last week from their home in Dayton, Ohio. Kelsi and her husband John Mellor returned last evening from their vacation in Honduras. This was the only time we were ALL together. I treasured the moments today. Parting was incrediby sad as Kamie gave me a hug and told me I would be OKAY! I LOVE my children dearly. I am so THANKFUL for them in my life! I LOVED those couple of hours together.
Simone, Lukas and Stella spent the night at our home last night. They are such a HUGE BLESSING in our lives. In my life! I love them to the moon and back!! I love them to pieces!! Their energy is so incredibly infectious! They laugh at the silliest things! Their laughter permeates our home. Stella went to sleep at a DECENT hour! Simone and Lukas then decided we needed to make PENGUINS of all things! Simone had made a penguin in school during December and instructed me how we could do it. I had all the items necessary with the exception of the little moving eyes. We used sequins which were great substitutes! When it was finally time for them to settle down we said the prayer and grandpa had the task of helping them quiet down. I laid down on my bed with the excitement of quietly watching the 10 o'clock news. I could hear grandpa getting more and more frustrated with the increased amount of laughter coming from the bedroom. They laugh over anything and everything! Simone is 8, Lukas is 6. Stella 3 1/2. Simone and Lukas are on a FARTING kick. I know that may sound graphic but to hear it from my bedroom across the hallway is so incredibly hillarious! I was laughing so hard the tears were streaming down my face. Grandpa had had ENOUGH!!! I went into the room and immediately sent him back to his!! The fun was OVER!! We laughed and laughed a little more and they finally settled down. I love love love them!! They make my life worth ALL the hard times!!
We will settle in tonight after dinner with whoever can go with us. We will quietly welcome in the NEW YEAR! Each year I reflect and hope and wish and assume it will be a great year. I have no reason to think any differently this year. I am HOPEFUL for a MIRACLE and for a CURE!
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I will work hard at doing my spring cleaning. I can hardly wait to get it done and settle in for six weeks of treatment. We have had ONLY an inch or two of snow in Utah so far this year. I am hoping for many FEET of snow so I can build a fire in the wood burning stove and enjoy my days watching the snowy beauty outside. Thursday January 5, 2012 I will have a procedure at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake to STAGE my disease for sure! I have been waiting for that patiently and now is it almost here. I do not truly know what I am up against. I know I have cancer. I know I have treatment in front of me. I do not know to what extent - YET - I will find that out Thursday. I go straight from the procedure back to Provo to the Radiation Oncology Department to start my radiation. The chemo will start immediately. Thursday evening I will go to bed with a clear understanding of where I am and the JOURNEY I will take to get to where I need to be. Please Please Please continue to Pray for Me and My Family! Wherever you are please put my name in the Temples! Bubba and I frequent the Mt. Timpanogos Temple. I am THANKFUL for that BLESSING!
I wake up each morning and feel NORMAL - UNTIL I turn over and feel the Portacath that is implanted about 3 inches underneath my left collarbone. I look in the mirror and look NORMAL. I used to worry about new wrinkles - not anymore. I love and cherish all of them! They tell a story - They tell MY STORY!! I have FAITH and HOPE and BELIEF! I am anxious to get ON WITH IT! BUBBA turned 60 December 26th. Our children gave him a gift certificate - Two nights at the WYNN in Las Vegas - March 2-3 with tickets to GARTH BROOKS March 3rd. We LOVE Garth Brooks. It is something to truly look forward to - I need to be finished with treatment and hopefully surgery by then and be well on my road to recovery. It was a GREAT idea to help us look ahead and have something exciting to do! Like I said before - I love love love my children! They are all amazing!
At the end of 2011 I have been reflecting on EVERYTHING - my LIFE- my RELATIONSHIPS - my FAMILY! I have a saying by Phillip Brooks which I have spoken about before while motivating others. I would like to SHARE it with ALL of YOU!
"Dear Friends,
You who are letting miserable misunderstandings run on from year to year, meaning to clear them up some day.... You who are passing man sullenly upon the street, not speaking out of some silly spite, and yet knowing that it would fill you with great remorse if you heard that one of these men were dead tomorrow morning; You who are.... letting your friend's heart ache for a word of appreciation or sympathy, which you mean to give him some day.... if you could only know... that "The Time Is Short", how it would break the spell! How you would go instantly and do the thing which you might never have another chance to do".
I have no idea how much time I have left upon this earth. I will tell you that I do NOT take my time for granted. I have ALWAYS spent my life trying to HELP others. I will continue that practice! I am so BLESSED and so THANKFUL for each minute. None of us has a guarantee on how long we may journey upon this earth. I would PRAY that all of US will do the things each day that bring GLORY and HONOR to the CREATOR of all of us!
HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR!
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: "Be at War with your Vices, at PEACE with your Neighbors, and let every NEW YEAR find you a Better Man". .... Benjamin Franklin
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
MERRY CHRISTMAS
MERRY CHRISTMAS to ALL my family and friends! This has certainly been a YEAR TO REMEMBER for my FAMILY! I am truly GRATEFUL and feel very BLESSED to be able to spend this next week with ALL of my CHILDREN and GRANDCHILDREN before I start treatment at the beginning of the year.
At the suggestion of my daughter Kelsi and her husband John Mellor, we are doing things differently this year. I will share her post on facebook with you. They passed out this message along with Yellow Bracelets to family, friends and John's colleagues at ADOBE.
At the suggestion of my daughter Kelsi and her husband John Mellor, we are doing things differently this year. I will share her post on facebook with you. They passed out this message along with Yellow Bracelets to family, friends and John's colleagues at ADOBE.
We are all wearing YELLOW LIVESTRONG bracelets this year and will continue to wear them until I am cured. I feel very BLESSED with the response this has generated and I am truly GRATEFUL!! I have HOPE and FAITH that I will be CURED!
At this Christmas Time I would like to share a message from President Howard W. Hunter during a Christmas Devotional in 1994.
"Be Gentle. Be Kind. Apologize. Write a Letter. Keep a Promise. Try to Understand. Give a Soft Answer. Laugh a Little More. Express Your Gratitude. Think First of Someone Else. Seek Out a Forgotten Friend. Gladden the Heart of a Child. Examine your Demands on Others. Speak your Love, Then Speak it AGAIN. Manifest Your Loyalty in Word and Deed. Dismiss Suspicion and Replace it with Trust. Take Pleasure in the Beauty and Wonder of the Earth. Forgo a Grudge. Mend a Quarrel. Forgive an Enemy. Encourage a Youth. Welcome a Stranger".
If our need had been Information, God would have sent us an Educator.
If our need had been Technology, God would have sent us a Scientist.
If our need had been Money, God would have sent us an Economist.
If our need had been Pleasure, God would have sent us an Entertainer.
But our Greatest need was Forgiveness - So God sent us a SAVIOR!!
I am so GRATEFUL for the Birth of OUR SAVIOR Jesus Christ. I am THANKFUL for HIS Atonement in my behalf and in behalf of ALL of us. I feel very BLESSED! I would ask that you continue to pray for me and my family. We need your prayers and your faith in our behalf! Thank you Thank you Thank you! Love and Hugs to ALL of you! GOD BLESS US EVERYONE!!
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Always Leave a Little Room in Your Holidays for MIRACLES!! I believe in MIRACLES!
Monday, December 19, 2011
BUBBA
I am so excited to write about my husband today!! I cannot tell you exactly when I started calling him BUBBA - it has been years! I find it so incredibly comforting calling him Bubba! I LOVE him to pieces!!
December 19, 1975 I married Kerm S. Jackson in the Provo, Utah LDS Temple in a ceremony that we as Mormons call for TIME AND ALL ETERNITY. It was a beautiful cold, crisp day and the snow was deep! We walked out for pictures around 4:30 as the sun was slowly setting. The sky was ablaze with pink and golden hues against the blue background. The sun glistened on the snow - a completely magical scene. It has been 36 years today! Happy Anniversary to my most Wonderful Husband - Kerm!
I started college at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah in the spring of 1972. I worked part-time as a secretary in the Student Health Center on Campus in the Medical Records Department. I went to school full-time and worked part-time which was a perfect scenario for me. In December of 1974 I was called into the Director's Office who told me help was needed in the Medical Transcription Department. Because I had a fast typing speed (130 WPM) I was offered full-time work. I was able to continue school with SIX free credit hours each semester. I would be TRAINED on-the-job. It was an offer I could not refuse! Little did I know at that time that I would eventually own and operate a very successful Medical Transcription Business out of my own home. This has been a HUGE BLESSING in my life.
I met a fellow who I shall call M.H. in the winter of 1972. He also was working part-time at the Student Health Center - He was a pre-med major. We dated off and on for about 3 1/2 years. In June of 1975 on a Saturday evening he asked me to marry him. I did not immediately say yes - I said I would have to think about it! WHO does that???? He was a wonderful man - a great guy with a great major! There COULD be a great future! This was the start of the Summer session 1975 at BYU. He invited me to his apartment Monday evening, July 1, 1975 for FHE. That is Family Home Evening - something we Mormons TRY to accomplish each Monday evening. When the family gets together and spends quality time with each other. His roomates invited a few girls and decided to make homemade ice cream. I had previously met some of his roomates but there was a NEW ONE who had just moved in. When I arrived at the house (they rented the whole house) and knocked on the door - Kerm Jackson - the NEW roommate answered the door. To be completely honest - the rest is HISTORY! There he was - filling the whole doorway with his broad shoulders. He had jeans and a T-shirt on - a Teal Green T-shirt that made his big blue eyes stand out even more! He had blond, curly hair! I was smitten! I introduced myself - M.H. was not there yet but showed up soon. We had a great time and made the ice cream. I volunteered to do the dishes but M.H. had to STUDY! He went to the back of the house and left Kerm to do dishes with me. 3 1/2 hours later M.H. appeared from his studying - surprised I was still there talking to Kerm. BIG MISTAKE - NEVER leave to go study when there is a girl around!
Kerm and I had our first date July 4, 1975. We were engaged August 28, 1975. Our relationship grew quickly and I basically had the FEELING from the beginning. I remember going home that Monday evening and my mom asked if I had had a good time! I told her YES - I met his new roommate and I liked him BETTER!! My mom said "STICK WITH A SURE THING". I did just that and 36 years later it has been a wonderful, amazing RIDE!! HUGE BLESSINGS!
Today we celebrate 36 years together. My goal is at least 50 years but I hope for MORE! My Bubba has been my EVERYTHING. He is my Best Friend. He is my Partner. He is my Lover. He is my Soul Mate. He is ALL that and MORE! He has worked consistently as a Mechanical/Chemical/Environmental Engineer but has ALWAYS supported me in my businesses. He has held my hand and walked by my side - never in front and never behind - ALWAYS by my side supporting me, lovingly encouraging me, never pushing or even ANNOYING me!! I love him with all my Heart! Ours has been a TRUE LOVE STORY - We have been happy and have enjoyed a beautiful life. We were blessed with FOUR children in 5 1/2 years. They are OUR everything. They are HUGE BLESSINGS in our lives! They are successful and each contribute in their own ways. They are BLESSINGS to hunanity and we are VERY LUCKY - We are VERY BLESSED. Our Grandchildren are LOVED just as much! True BONUSES! True BLESSINGS!
Happy Happy Anniversary Bubba! I LOVE you to pieces, to the MOON and BACK with ALL MY HEART!! THANK YOU for 36 WONDERFUL years! I HONESTLY cannot think of ANYONE I would rather walk with during the next part of OUR journey! I love holding your HAND!!
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: TIME is.... Too Slow for those who Wait, Too Swift for those who Fear, Too Long for those who Grieve, Too Short for those who Rejoice , But for THOSE WHO LOVE ....... TIME IS ETERNITY!
December 19, 1975 I married Kerm S. Jackson in the Provo, Utah LDS Temple in a ceremony that we as Mormons call for TIME AND ALL ETERNITY. It was a beautiful cold, crisp day and the snow was deep! We walked out for pictures around 4:30 as the sun was slowly setting. The sky was ablaze with pink and golden hues against the blue background. The sun glistened on the snow - a completely magical scene. It has been 36 years today! Happy Anniversary to my most Wonderful Husband - Kerm!
I started college at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah in the spring of 1972. I worked part-time as a secretary in the Student Health Center on Campus in the Medical Records Department. I went to school full-time and worked part-time which was a perfect scenario for me. In December of 1974 I was called into the Director's Office who told me help was needed in the Medical Transcription Department. Because I had a fast typing speed (130 WPM) I was offered full-time work. I was able to continue school with SIX free credit hours each semester. I would be TRAINED on-the-job. It was an offer I could not refuse! Little did I know at that time that I would eventually own and operate a very successful Medical Transcription Business out of my own home. This has been a HUGE BLESSING in my life.
I met a fellow who I shall call M.H. in the winter of 1972. He also was working part-time at the Student Health Center - He was a pre-med major. We dated off and on for about 3 1/2 years. In June of 1975 on a Saturday evening he asked me to marry him. I did not immediately say yes - I said I would have to think about it! WHO does that???? He was a wonderful man - a great guy with a great major! There COULD be a great future! This was the start of the Summer session 1975 at BYU. He invited me to his apartment Monday evening, July 1, 1975 for FHE. That is Family Home Evening - something we Mormons TRY to accomplish each Monday evening. When the family gets together and spends quality time with each other. His roomates invited a few girls and decided to make homemade ice cream. I had previously met some of his roomates but there was a NEW ONE who had just moved in. When I arrived at the house (they rented the whole house) and knocked on the door - Kerm Jackson - the NEW roommate answered the door. To be completely honest - the rest is HISTORY! There he was - filling the whole doorway with his broad shoulders. He had jeans and a T-shirt on - a Teal Green T-shirt that made his big blue eyes stand out even more! He had blond, curly hair! I was smitten! I introduced myself - M.H. was not there yet but showed up soon. We had a great time and made the ice cream. I volunteered to do the dishes but M.H. had to STUDY! He went to the back of the house and left Kerm to do dishes with me. 3 1/2 hours later M.H. appeared from his studying - surprised I was still there talking to Kerm. BIG MISTAKE - NEVER leave to go study when there is a girl around!
Kerm and I had our first date July 4, 1975. We were engaged August 28, 1975. Our relationship grew quickly and I basically had the FEELING from the beginning. I remember going home that Monday evening and my mom asked if I had had a good time! I told her YES - I met his new roommate and I liked him BETTER!! My mom said "STICK WITH A SURE THING". I did just that and 36 years later it has been a wonderful, amazing RIDE!! HUGE BLESSINGS!
Today we celebrate 36 years together. My goal is at least 50 years but I hope for MORE! My Bubba has been my EVERYTHING. He is my Best Friend. He is my Partner. He is my Lover. He is my Soul Mate. He is ALL that and MORE! He has worked consistently as a Mechanical/Chemical/Environmental Engineer but has ALWAYS supported me in my businesses. He has held my hand and walked by my side - never in front and never behind - ALWAYS by my side supporting me, lovingly encouraging me, never pushing or even ANNOYING me!! I love him with all my Heart! Ours has been a TRUE LOVE STORY - We have been happy and have enjoyed a beautiful life. We were blessed with FOUR children in 5 1/2 years. They are OUR everything. They are HUGE BLESSINGS in our lives! They are successful and each contribute in their own ways. They are BLESSINGS to hunanity and we are VERY LUCKY - We are VERY BLESSED. Our Grandchildren are LOVED just as much! True BONUSES! True BLESSINGS!
Happy Happy Anniversary Bubba! I LOVE you to pieces, to the MOON and BACK with ALL MY HEART!! THANK YOU for 36 WONDERFUL years! I HONESTLY cannot think of ANYONE I would rather walk with during the next part of OUR journey! I love holding your HAND!!
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: TIME is.... Too Slow for those who Wait, Too Swift for those who Fear, Too Long for those who Grieve, Too Short for those who Rejoice , But for THOSE WHO LOVE ....... TIME IS ETERNITY!
Friday, December 16, 2011
The Next Step!
December 1, 2011 - Thursday morning early - Jill called me with the CT scan reports. Dr. Thorpe had come to the Surgical Center and together they reviewed the results. I had been told Wednesday that the biopsy results would take about a week. All scans were CLEAR and not even the problem area had been identified on the CT scan. Jill had scheduled an appointment for me to meet with my surgeon, Dr. Craig Cook on Thursday afternoon. Dr. Cook had reviewed the CT scan results and while I was in his office Dr. Thorpe called to speak with him. They had put a rush on the biopsy testing. The results came back as INVASIVE ADENOCARCINOMA. That is CANCER! Because Dr. Cook did not know exactly WHERE the problem area was, a new procedure was scheduled for Wednesday December 7th. I was to go through the same preparation as I had the week previous for the colonoscopy. Clear liquids the day before, drinking the NASTY stuff the evening before! I had previously scheduled a bridal shower at my home Tuesday, December 6h. We had soups, rolls and brownies - such GREAT food. You would have been proud of me - I did not even sneak a bite!
Wednesday morning December 7th I was at the Surgical Center at 5 am. This time it was not in the endoscopy lab - this was for the operating room. Dr. Cook needed to see the area for himself. He forewarned me that depending on his findings including the position of the lesion, I would either awaken with a Portacath underneath my left clavicle OR I would be scheduled for surgery immediately. If I awoke with the Portacath it would mean that I would need chemotherapy FIRST and perhaps radiation to shrink the area - and then I would be scheduled for surgery. Upon awakening I was vaguely aware of a slight PAIN in my left clavicle area. I knew the Portacath had been installed. For those of you who do not know - a Portacath is a round device which is about 1 1/2 inches in circumference with a tube which is sewn into the subclavian vein. Through this blood can be drawn - thus preventing STICKING me a million times AND chemotherapy can be administered directly into the vein there. SUPPOSEDLY it won't really bother me- once it has healed.
I was to meet with Dr. Cook again Thursday afternoon December 8th. At that time he told me the lesion was a little bigger than they first thought. Dr. Cook advised a course of chemotherapy and radiation first - then we will schedule surgery. An appointment had already been made with Dr. Bott - the Oncologist - for Monday December 12th. A BLESSING once again. The doctors were conversing and moving quickly in my behalf.
My feelings from the very beginning have been very POSITIVE. I want to meet this CANCER head-on as I have always met problems I have encountered. There is no other way around it. I have more faith than most people I know. I believe in miracles. I AM a miracle. That will be a blog for later but in short - I was hit by a car two weeks before my 5th birthday. I AM a living miracle. I also KNOW what my job is upon this earth. It has NOT been completed. It is my belief that we are on this earth for a reason. It is up to each of us to determine exactly what our purpose is here on earth. We are not here by chance. I am so thankful for my earthly journey and for the paths I have explored and will continue to explore along the way! No two of us have the same experiences. That is the BEAUTY of this earth life and it is indeed a HUGE Blessing to be here!
I met with Dr. Bott Monday December 12th. What you need to know is this - I have owned and operated a medical transcription business for over 25 years. Years ago I worked with the physicians at the Central Utah Surgical Center. They are my friends. Dr. Bott came in and it was so great to see him again! He told his staff that I am FRIEND first - PATIENT second! That is a BLESSING! He outlined the course of action we will take. Six weeks of chemotherapy in conjunction with six weeks of radiation therapy. The chemotherapy MAY thin my hair. I have always kept my hair quite short and each time I get it trimmed - it is thinned for me because it is thick! That is a BLESSING. I can handle a little thinning. I may get sick - there are a lot of things that MAY happen to me. This is what you need to know!!! I have faith that I will be FINE! There MAY be bad days but that will be up to ME! My husband will give me a BLESSING asking Heavenly Father that I might be EQUAL to the medications and radiation. I have FAITH that I will get through this. This is my NEW journey and I am up for it. I will need you ALL to help me get through it.
Friday December 15th I will meet with the Radiation Department to start the process of getting TATOOED and ready for the radiation. I have done research. I believe in modern medicine. I believe in the course that has been decided for me - it was MY decision. I am drinking some different things that people have brought to me. I am open to everything really.
The BLESSINGS I have experienced have been NUMEROUS. I am so BLESSED with a loving, wonderful husband. He is also a story for a different blog but in short - He is my EVERYTHING. He has ALWAYS stood by my side and encouraged me to be my very best! He has supported me in my adventures and has literally been the wind beneath my wings. He is a HUGE BLESSING. I am incredibly thankful for him. I give thanks every day to my Heavenly Father for Bubba!
Dear Friends - Life is a HUGE BLESSING. I CHOOSE TO LIVE!! I am so excited to get through with the next few weeks of this new journey. I am so excited to get better and be cured! I believe I will be. I believe they have caught this soon enough and that I will be FINE! AND AND AND - My daughter Kelsi will be having her FIRST baby in March. Kelsi is MY baby! I need to be in tip top shape to be able to help her with this new little baby girl she is expecting. Please continue to pray for me. Pray for Bubba. He needs support to be able to help me through this. I believe in PRAYER!! Prayer is a BLESSING!
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: There is no medicine like HOPE - no incentive so great and no tonic so powerful as the expectation of something better tomorrow! May you ALL be BLESSED by the LORD - the maker of Heaven and Earth! LOVE AND HUGS TO EVERYONE!!
Wednesday morning December 7th I was at the Surgical Center at 5 am. This time it was not in the endoscopy lab - this was for the operating room. Dr. Cook needed to see the area for himself. He forewarned me that depending on his findings including the position of the lesion, I would either awaken with a Portacath underneath my left clavicle OR I would be scheduled for surgery immediately. If I awoke with the Portacath it would mean that I would need chemotherapy FIRST and perhaps radiation to shrink the area - and then I would be scheduled for surgery. Upon awakening I was vaguely aware of a slight PAIN in my left clavicle area. I knew the Portacath had been installed. For those of you who do not know - a Portacath is a round device which is about 1 1/2 inches in circumference with a tube which is sewn into the subclavian vein. Through this blood can be drawn - thus preventing STICKING me a million times AND chemotherapy can be administered directly into the vein there. SUPPOSEDLY it won't really bother me- once it has healed.
I was to meet with Dr. Cook again Thursday afternoon December 8th. At that time he told me the lesion was a little bigger than they first thought. Dr. Cook advised a course of chemotherapy and radiation first - then we will schedule surgery. An appointment had already been made with Dr. Bott - the Oncologist - for Monday December 12th. A BLESSING once again. The doctors were conversing and moving quickly in my behalf.
My feelings from the very beginning have been very POSITIVE. I want to meet this CANCER head-on as I have always met problems I have encountered. There is no other way around it. I have more faith than most people I know. I believe in miracles. I AM a miracle. That will be a blog for later but in short - I was hit by a car two weeks before my 5th birthday. I AM a living miracle. I also KNOW what my job is upon this earth. It has NOT been completed. It is my belief that we are on this earth for a reason. It is up to each of us to determine exactly what our purpose is here on earth. We are not here by chance. I am so thankful for my earthly journey and for the paths I have explored and will continue to explore along the way! No two of us have the same experiences. That is the BEAUTY of this earth life and it is indeed a HUGE Blessing to be here!
I met with Dr. Bott Monday December 12th. What you need to know is this - I have owned and operated a medical transcription business for over 25 years. Years ago I worked with the physicians at the Central Utah Surgical Center. They are my friends. Dr. Bott came in and it was so great to see him again! He told his staff that I am FRIEND first - PATIENT second! That is a BLESSING! He outlined the course of action we will take. Six weeks of chemotherapy in conjunction with six weeks of radiation therapy. The chemotherapy MAY thin my hair. I have always kept my hair quite short and each time I get it trimmed - it is thinned for me because it is thick! That is a BLESSING. I can handle a little thinning. I may get sick - there are a lot of things that MAY happen to me. This is what you need to know!!! I have faith that I will be FINE! There MAY be bad days but that will be up to ME! My husband will give me a BLESSING asking Heavenly Father that I might be EQUAL to the medications and radiation. I have FAITH that I will get through this. This is my NEW journey and I am up for it. I will need you ALL to help me get through it.
Friday December 15th I will meet with the Radiation Department to start the process of getting TATOOED and ready for the radiation. I have done research. I believe in modern medicine. I believe in the course that has been decided for me - it was MY decision. I am drinking some different things that people have brought to me. I am open to everything really.
The BLESSINGS I have experienced have been NUMEROUS. I am so BLESSED with a loving, wonderful husband. He is also a story for a different blog but in short - He is my EVERYTHING. He has ALWAYS stood by my side and encouraged me to be my very best! He has supported me in my adventures and has literally been the wind beneath my wings. He is a HUGE BLESSING. I am incredibly thankful for him. I give thanks every day to my Heavenly Father for Bubba!
Dear Friends - Life is a HUGE BLESSING. I CHOOSE TO LIVE!! I am so excited to get through with the next few weeks of this new journey. I am so excited to get better and be cured! I believe I will be. I believe they have caught this soon enough and that I will be FINE! AND AND AND - My daughter Kelsi will be having her FIRST baby in March. Kelsi is MY baby! I need to be in tip top shape to be able to help her with this new little baby girl she is expecting. Please continue to pray for me. Pray for Bubba. He needs support to be able to help me through this. I believe in PRAYER!! Prayer is a BLESSING!
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: There is no medicine like HOPE - no incentive so great and no tonic so powerful as the expectation of something better tomorrow! May you ALL be BLESSED by the LORD - the maker of Heaven and Earth! LOVE AND HUGS TO EVERYONE!!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
WELCOME!!
This is the first of many posts about my JOURNEY and the BLESSINGS I have been blessed with and continue to be blessed with! I will try to update each day. My purpose in blogging is to count my Blessings and hopefully inspire others to do the same! I am THANKFUL - I feel so much GRATITUDE and HOPE that all people will strive diligently to become the best person each one could possibly be!! I BELIEVE in my SAVIOR Jesus Christ! I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that HE is there for ME - I know HE is there for YOU!! Please help me ENJOY my JOURNEY!!
On November 30, 2011 I was diagnosed with colon cancer during a routine colonoscopy. I would certainly URGE each and every one of you - if you are OF AGE - to schedule a routine colonoscopy. Colonoscopies save lives!
I had NO idea at the beginning of that Wednesday morning that my life would FOREVER change. My husband Kerm (i.e. BUBBA) was scheduled for his routine colonoscopy the same day and was scheduled first. He was taken from the waiting room and it was 15-20 minutes before they came for me!
As I awakened I heard the whispers and voices quietly trying to convey the news to my husband. I heard "mass" and the other whisperings going on. My sister, Jill Andrews, is the Administrator of Central Utah Surgical Center where the procedure was done. She of course was present and knew immediately the findings of the physician. It was Jill who contacted some of my children and asked them to get to the Surgical Center. I was vaguely aware that my bed had been placed next to Bubba's. At some point Jill wheeled his bed to a quieter place. I heard him on the phone talking to my daughter Kelsi. I was trying to clear the FOG (anesthesia) and called out saying "I know what is going on". Dr. Thorpe came by and explained to me that he had found what he believed to be cancer! Kerm was then sitting on a chair next to my bed and we held hands and shared a tender moment with tears. The next thing I knew there was beautiful Kelsi. She cried as she hugged me and I cried a little then. Kasey soon appeared and the four of us were there talking. Kurt called on my phone and Kerm tried to talk to him but was moved to tears so I believe Kasey and Kelsi spoke with him. My beloved daughter Kamie lives in Dayton, Ohio where she too is an R.N. and is a manager at the Hospital where she works. I was aware she had called at some point.
Before I even got dressed I was bundled up and was wheeled to the building across the road to the imaging department. I had to drink more NASTY stuff and they prepared me for CT scanning. I was injected with dye and my brain, liver, pelvic area and lungs were scanned to see if there were more findings. An appointment was made for Thursday, December 1st with Dr. Craig Cook - the surgeon who will guide my JOURNEY!!
The blessings of November 30, 2011 are MANY!! It was a HUGE blessing that I was in the presence of people who know and love me! People who care about ME!! It was a HUGE blessing that my PRECIOUS husband was by my side - literally. It was a HUGE blessing that my Sister Jill has the contacts and the CLOUT that it took to get me scheduled so quickly to begin my JOURNEY!! I love that girl!! It was a HUGE blessing that I was amongst my precious family and FRIENDS at the Surgical Center.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: COUNT YOUR MANY BLESSINGS - NAME THEM ONE BY ONE!!
On November 30, 2011 I was diagnosed with colon cancer during a routine colonoscopy. I would certainly URGE each and every one of you - if you are OF AGE - to schedule a routine colonoscopy. Colonoscopies save lives!
I had NO idea at the beginning of that Wednesday morning that my life would FOREVER change. My husband Kerm (i.e. BUBBA) was scheduled for his routine colonoscopy the same day and was scheduled first. He was taken from the waiting room and it was 15-20 minutes before they came for me!
As I awakened I heard the whispers and voices quietly trying to convey the news to my husband. I heard "mass" and the other whisperings going on. My sister, Jill Andrews, is the Administrator of Central Utah Surgical Center where the procedure was done. She of course was present and knew immediately the findings of the physician. It was Jill who contacted some of my children and asked them to get to the Surgical Center. I was vaguely aware that my bed had been placed next to Bubba's. At some point Jill wheeled his bed to a quieter place. I heard him on the phone talking to my daughter Kelsi. I was trying to clear the FOG (anesthesia) and called out saying "I know what is going on". Dr. Thorpe came by and explained to me that he had found what he believed to be cancer! Kerm was then sitting on a chair next to my bed and we held hands and shared a tender moment with tears. The next thing I knew there was beautiful Kelsi. She cried as she hugged me and I cried a little then. Kasey soon appeared and the four of us were there talking. Kurt called on my phone and Kerm tried to talk to him but was moved to tears so I believe Kasey and Kelsi spoke with him. My beloved daughter Kamie lives in Dayton, Ohio where she too is an R.N. and is a manager at the Hospital where she works. I was aware she had called at some point.
Before I even got dressed I was bundled up and was wheeled to the building across the road to the imaging department. I had to drink more NASTY stuff and they prepared me for CT scanning. I was injected with dye and my brain, liver, pelvic area and lungs were scanned to see if there were more findings. An appointment was made for Thursday, December 1st with Dr. Craig Cook - the surgeon who will guide my JOURNEY!!
The blessings of November 30, 2011 are MANY!! It was a HUGE blessing that I was in the presence of people who know and love me! People who care about ME!! It was a HUGE blessing that my PRECIOUS husband was by my side - literally. It was a HUGE blessing that my Sister Jill has the contacts and the CLOUT that it took to get me scheduled so quickly to begin my JOURNEY!! I love that girl!! It was a HUGE blessing that I was amongst my precious family and FRIENDS at the Surgical Center.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: COUNT YOUR MANY BLESSINGS - NAME THEM ONE BY ONE!!
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