Well, most people dread the BIG 40 - but I was excited! The way I see it - I earned it! I lived those 40 years, and I'm still kickin'. People tend to think that I am in my late 20's or early 30's (or worse, when I was pregnant they thought I was a teen-mom).
After getting the kids off to school, Esther and I met Tanya and Cheri at Starbucks, for a little breakfast, and then went to the Bali Outlet in Folsom for some bra shopping! What a great experience there! They come and measure you, find out what you are wanting and not wanting in a bra, and bring them to you. They even have a little doorbell inside the dressing room, so you can just ring it when you need more bras, or a different size. Jan was our salesperson, and she was fabulous! I felt so badly for the workers there, looking at the HUGE pile of bras that were a "no". We lost track of time, and so I raced off to my massage with Heidi! She is so amazing, knowledgeable and talented! That was heavenly (except when she was working on some deeper spots - ouch, but good!!).
I had planned on going to the temple after that, but Heidi worked on me for almost two hours (yes - awesome!), so I didn't have enough time to go and get back to the Hulbert's house by 6pm. I had last minute agreed to doing a get together of family and friends (who could make it on such short notice). We had it at the Hulbert's house, and Gary even made the cake! It was amazing - death by chocolate! He uses tons of cocoa, and makes the frosting from scratch! It was wonderful! We also had some delicious L&L Hawaiian BBQ, and all the wonderful munchies that Cheri brought. Some played Pickleball, while the rest of us just visited and enjoyed each other's company.
So, I think most people have a hard time turning 40, because they aren't where they thought they should be in life. But I had that "crisis" at 25! I know, 25 is so young to have that crisis. But I hadn't finished college, served a mission, or had kids yet (all I thought I would have done by then). I was newly married, and feeling like I was way behind on my carefully planned life schedule!
Over the years, I have learned that we are not on our own schedule - but on God's schedule! Proven by the fact that we couldn't get pregnant on fertility treatments, it took 3 years between each child - and then when we thought we were done, I got pregnant on Birth Control!
I have learned that when we let go of our own will, and trust in God's will - we are blessed beyond measure. Proven by the fact that as our finances fell with the economy, and we lost jobs and our home - and I was crying, asking God why! Why us, when we worked so hard, tried to do our best, paid our tithes, and served Him as best we could - why were we losing our home and struggling so hard! God saw the big picture, and that was that only by having a lower income - would we qualify for the insurance that covered Lucy's tests and brain surgery - saving her life! He knew what was on our road ahead, when we couldn't see that far!
I've learned that life is too short to be stressed and grumpy! OK, so I am still a work in progress on this one - but I'm working on it! Don't stress over the little things, or even the big things! Stress doesn't solve anything.
I won't turn this into an "I've learned" list, that we have all seen before - but I have learned so much in the last 40 years, that I look forward to the next 40 years of more learning, growing, and becoming!
So I am proud to accept my "40 year" virtual trophy! So bring it on 50, I'm not scared of you either!!!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Mom's update
OK, so I kept waiting for a pause in Mom's status to do an update - but that doesn't look like it is happening soon, so here goes.
They did a biopsy on her liver mass, and now are confirming that it is cancerous. This bumped Mom up on the list, and so we have to be ready at any time to drop and go to San Francisco for a liver. They could call today, or not for another 6 months - so this is the waiting game. Since she isn't as sick as a lot of people, that means she isn't as high on the list - but it also means that she can take an Extended Criteria Donor liver (one from an older donor, overweight donor, or donor who had Hep. B - but the liver is clear from Hep B), whereas a sicker patient higher on the list wouldn't be able to take one of these livers - so she could get a liver any day!
Tanya is coming over today so we can brainstorm how to raise the money for the things that her insurance doesn't cover (their financial clearance person said that we needed to have $5,000 - $10,000 raised). So we are going to get that rolling now.
Mom is doing fairly well since her surgery, except she is still very bloated (they are checking her labs, and had us do some more tests to figure our what is going on with that). She looks like she is 8 months pregnant, and gets "cankles" easily now. They think she is just retaining fluids, but checking to make sure it isn't something more serious (like her liver isn't functioning well anymore). So we will keep you updated as we have more information.
Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers! We are truly blessed!
They did a biopsy on her liver mass, and now are confirming that it is cancerous. This bumped Mom up on the list, and so we have to be ready at any time to drop and go to San Francisco for a liver. They could call today, or not for another 6 months - so this is the waiting game. Since she isn't as sick as a lot of people, that means she isn't as high on the list - but it also means that she can take an Extended Criteria Donor liver (one from an older donor, overweight donor, or donor who had Hep. B - but the liver is clear from Hep B), whereas a sicker patient higher on the list wouldn't be able to take one of these livers - so she could get a liver any day!
Tanya is coming over today so we can brainstorm how to raise the money for the things that her insurance doesn't cover (their financial clearance person said that we needed to have $5,000 - $10,000 raised). So we are going to get that rolling now.
Mom is doing fairly well since her surgery, except she is still very bloated (they are checking her labs, and had us do some more tests to figure our what is going on with that). She looks like she is 8 months pregnant, and gets "cankles" easily now. They think she is just retaining fluids, but checking to make sure it isn't something more serious (like her liver isn't functioning well anymore). So we will keep you updated as we have more information.
Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers! We are truly blessed!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Best Birthday Gift - EVER!!!!
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to Loretta and Jannealle Frank!! Ryan and I just got home from the best concert ever!
So, Mom and I were visiting the Franks, and explaining about how tired I was - telling them about my completely crazy, up-all-night, obsessively scheming about the Josh Groban concert. Just the usual "my brain won't shut up" so I lie awake all night kind of nights.
Then the next week, I get a call out of the blue, telling me that they had gone and purchased two tickets to the Josh Groban concert for my birthday, and were on their way to bring them over.
I was shocked, and speechless (yes, I know - impossible to believe that I could be speechless, but I was).
So we get to the concert, and it turns out that they didn't sell as many tickets as planned, so everyone in the second tier was being upgraded to the first tier for free. But wait...that's not all! They ended up giving Ryan and I floor tickets. We were sitting in Row W, Section 3, Seats 3 & 4. But wait...there's more. To make it even better, the people who had Seats 1 & 2 (next to us on the isle), didn't show up - so we slid over to those seats! Awesome, I know!!
Then, when I thought I couldn't be more blessed, we find out that Josh Groban starts his concert on the floor, right behind us - and that we can go stand by that little stage! So there I was - standing right below Josh Groban, up front and personal, just a few feet between us - where I could hear his voice directly. I could see the stubble on his face! It was amazing (the perspective, not the stubble)!
He gives a great concert! He is funny, personable, and his voice....oh my goodness, his voice! He is even better in concert than on his CD's (if that is even possible). Talk about a voice straight from heaven!!
It couldn't be a more perfect evening!! Thanks Emmie for babysitting, thanks to Josh for the amazing concert, and an even bigger thanks to Jannealle and Loretta for making it possible!
BEST NIGHT EVER!!!!!!
So, Mom and I were visiting the Franks, and explaining about how tired I was - telling them about my completely crazy, up-all-night, obsessively scheming about the Josh Groban concert. Just the usual "my brain won't shut up" so I lie awake all night kind of nights.
Then the next week, I get a call out of the blue, telling me that they had gone and purchased two tickets to the Josh Groban concert for my birthday, and were on their way to bring them over.
I was shocked, and speechless (yes, I know - impossible to believe that I could be speechless, but I was).
So we get to the concert, and it turns out that they didn't sell as many tickets as planned, so everyone in the second tier was being upgraded to the first tier for free. But wait...that's not all! They ended up giving Ryan and I floor tickets. We were sitting in Row W, Section 3, Seats 3 & 4. But wait...there's more. To make it even better, the people who had Seats 1 & 2 (next to us on the isle), didn't show up - so we slid over to those seats! Awesome, I know!!
Then, when I thought I couldn't be more blessed, we find out that Josh Groban starts his concert on the floor, right behind us - and that we can go stand by that little stage! So there I was - standing right below Josh Groban, up front and personal, just a few feet between us - where I could hear his voice directly. I could see the stubble on his face! It was amazing (the perspective, not the stubble)!
He gives a great concert! He is funny, personable, and his voice....oh my goodness, his voice! He is even better in concert than on his CD's (if that is even possible). Talk about a voice straight from heaven!!
It couldn't be a more perfect evening!! Thanks Emmie for babysitting, thanks to Josh for the amazing concert, and an even bigger thanks to Jannealle and Loretta for making it possible!
BEST NIGHT EVER!!!!!!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Mom's surgey went well
Just a quick update on the past few days with Mom. Thursday was her birthday - and we celebrated by going to San Francisco to have blood work done, and to see the orthopedic surgeon for her hip (fun, fun - we really know how to party!!). Tanya is up in Oregon on vacation, and my van ended up in the shop (still there) - so the trip consisted of Cheri (my sister), Nathan, Esther, Mom and me. We left at o'dark hundred after she opened her present from me. Then her present from the surgeon was that her hip was completely healed, and she did not need a hip replacement. Also, she did not need anything done with her knee, the screws were fine, and the swelling and pain were from arthritis. As far has her leg pain from her hip - she just needs to push it. Eventually it will hurt less and less, the more she pushes it. After we were done with that, we did go to Tartine Bakery - which was featured on Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate", to get their chocolate croissants. I also got Mom a "birthday pie" - her favorite, coconut cream - and a coconut macaroon! We covered the sweet tooth all around! Then we went to her favorite restaurant, Red Lobster, for linner (no typo - lunch and dinner combined - linner). :-)
When she arrived home, she was surprised to find beautiful flowers and gifts from Megan Dold and Cindie Blodgett.
Then the next day, Friday, Mom and I went back to San Francisco for her Microwave Ablation surgery on the mass in her liver. Mom keeps telling everyone that it is cancer, but it has not been diagnosed as cancer. They won't know that, unless they do a biopsy, which they haven't done. The liver doctor is just treating it as if it is cancer, as it is an active mass in her liver, and we need to get her a transplant. Unfortunately Mom's liver disease causes confusion and memory loss, so Mom tends to get her information confused sometimes. You can always ask Tanya or me to get the exact details.
The surgery went very well. They were able to do it lapriscopically as planned, and she did very well. We won't know how successful it was for another 6 weeks - when they repeat the scan to see how the mass looks. I stayed with her until she was in a room and sleeping well, then I got permission from her transplant coordinator to come home for the weekend, and drive back to pick her up on Sunday or Monday when she is ready - with the nurses having my phone numbers to call if there was any change or information that needed to be given.
I called today, and she is dong great. Of course the nurses just love her. She will be up walking around - and they are moving her to a regular room around 1 pm - so she will be able to get calls then.
As far as upcoming items - they want to try some cortisone shots in her knee to see if that helps with the arthritic pain. She needs to be walking every day, and pushing through the pain to get past the pain in her leg. They will be doing an endoscopy and colonoscopy in about 4 weeks as part of the liver transplant screening. And we will have continued visits with her doctors, blood tests and support group / training meetings. Hopefully with an extended criteria donor, she could have a new liver in 5-7months, before the liver disease gets too bad.
We are just grateful to be so blessed with such wonderful doctors, nurses and hospital staff at CPMC - just as Lucy did at UC Davis. We are truly blessed!
When she arrived home, she was surprised to find beautiful flowers and gifts from Megan Dold and Cindie Blodgett.
Then the next day, Friday, Mom and I went back to San Francisco for her Microwave Ablation surgery on the mass in her liver. Mom keeps telling everyone that it is cancer, but it has not been diagnosed as cancer. They won't know that, unless they do a biopsy, which they haven't done. The liver doctor is just treating it as if it is cancer, as it is an active mass in her liver, and we need to get her a transplant. Unfortunately Mom's liver disease causes confusion and memory loss, so Mom tends to get her information confused sometimes. You can always ask Tanya or me to get the exact details.
The surgery went very well. They were able to do it lapriscopically as planned, and she did very well. We won't know how successful it was for another 6 weeks - when they repeat the scan to see how the mass looks. I stayed with her until she was in a room and sleeping well, then I got permission from her transplant coordinator to come home for the weekend, and drive back to pick her up on Sunday or Monday when she is ready - with the nurses having my phone numbers to call if there was any change or information that needed to be given.
I called today, and she is dong great. Of course the nurses just love her. She will be up walking around - and they are moving her to a regular room around 1 pm - so she will be able to get calls then.
As far as upcoming items - they want to try some cortisone shots in her knee to see if that helps with the arthritic pain. She needs to be walking every day, and pushing through the pain to get past the pain in her leg. They will be doing an endoscopy and colonoscopy in about 4 weeks as part of the liver transplant screening. And we will have continued visits with her doctors, blood tests and support group / training meetings. Hopefully with an extended criteria donor, she could have a new liver in 5-7months, before the liver disease gets too bad.
We are just grateful to be so blessed with such wonderful doctors, nurses and hospital staff at CPMC - just as Lucy did at UC Davis. We are truly blessed!
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