Welcome, gentle readers, and thank you for stopping by. So much has happened since my last post. First of all, I am in remission for now--and how amazing that is! I am so thankful for that, and want to enjoy the feeling as long as I can! Knowing that I have fought like my Cancer Warrior Sisters (like Mary, Lorri, Robin and so many others on FB) taught me shows that my Lord is here, gently guiding me to whatever path He has for me. My responsibility is also to the ones who fought to the end, never giving up, no matter the obstacles or the pain. Their experience, strength, and hope paved the way for me to be here today, and because of their trials and tribulations, I can now walk a wider path. Granted, the path has not been easy, but with their help, the support of my family, my husband by my side, and the Lord as my guide, I have made it to 2017. Hallelujah! I thank you, dear friends and family, and above all, I thank you, Lord, for that. What a gift! What a treasure! Not to be taken lightly--ever. One thing I have been reminded of: Blessings continue to abound, but sometimes we have to look through the turmoil and confusion in order to see them, but they are there dear readers...they are there.
What a year it will be, huh? We will have a billionaire reality star as the next president, and he is friends with Russia...it will be interesting in the political arena. In the national news, Isis is still out there, but our military, along with those of our allies, is strong, and I believe they will keep us safe. We must pray for the world, however. So much division. We must work together to fight the forces that threaten our unions with other countries, as well as our democracy itself. This is where our faith needs to be strong and we have to hold on to HOPE. No matter what religion (Muslim, Christian, Shahid, Jewish)...we all believe, and we must keep our unity and our faith in others during this tumultuous time.
News on the home front: My husband and I were given the privilege of becoming guardians and caring for my little granddaughter, Isabelle (we call her Isa) while my daughter was going through a crisis situation. Even though I was working at the time, I dove headfirst into the challenge. What a joy it was!
Let's back up a bit so I can update you on the work situation. After my last recurrence and subsequent recovery, my mind began to contemplate the idea of returning to work. The key to returning to work successfully, I reasoned, was to start with work that was relatively stress-free to get my strength back. This was a way for me to "test the waters" before jumping back into a high stress working environment. My first application was a fairly simple online process, and just a day or so after applying, I received a call. Within a week I was hired as a Customer Service Manager because the Assistant Manager told me it would be a better fit for me within the company. Even though my intention was to start part -time and with a less stressful position, I found myself accepting the full-time position offered to me, and jumping in with both feet.
While I loved the people I worked with and all of the customers, it wasn't long before I realized that this was "too much, too soon". I found out fairly quickly that the hectic and stressful position required me to be "on my game" at all times. Assisting in helping with customer requests (sometimes requiring going from one end of the store to the other quickly--especially if no one else was available), dealing with cashier complaints and issues, and verifying any and all transactions at the service desk, were just a few of the job responsibilities. To me, the work was fun and exhilarating, but my body was fighting back. I ended up in the emergency room several times, and because of the surgery on my lungs my capacity was not as good, and my immune system was compromised. This meant every time I had a cold, it was worse and usually ended up with bronchitis. Sometimes I wound up in the hospital with pneumonia.
The final blow to me was in the spring of last year. I was taking my lunch break, eating a steak sandwich in my car when I started choking on the sandwich. Swallowing water and trying to cough had no effect. I could feel my throat closing up on me. I staggered out of the car, clutching my throat. I knew I had to get help quickly, but I couldn't talk, and by that time I was finding it hard to focus on anything but trying to breathe. Several customers rushed up to me, but it was my dear friend Kathy (a greeter from Walmart who had seen me through several other breathing incidents) who knelt down near me and tried to calm me. Shortly afterward I lost consciousness.
I am told that when the paramedics arrived, they immediately performed the Heimlich maneuver on me, and I don't remember much until I was at the hospital. The doctors kept me overnight, and after taking xrays of my chest (my ribs had been cracked) they also noticed there were spots on my lungs. I found out later that these were pneumonia, and once again I had to get my rest and recover. My doctor advised me to stop working, period. My health had been declining again since I started working, and in order to heal properly I would have to just not work for awhile, so this is what I am doing. Funny how God puts things in our life, though...It was around this time when Isa came to stay with us, and she has been such an inspiration...a blessing from God.
She returned to her mother in October, but we are working to get time with her again--whether that be in a guardianship or custody role or visitation only is what we have been working on. It's been a rollercoaster ride, but I know that this year will be interesting. Our president-elect, Mr. Trump, will make politics exciting (but I hope safe), and the focus of this family will be our health, safety, and happiness. So much to do, and so little time to do it...because we don't know how much time we have..:) Blessings to you and yours for a tremendous year!
Linda
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