Wednesday, November 19, 2014
The life of a 20-something cancer patient: Ava Marie
The life of a 20-something cancer patient: Ava Marie: Today was a festive day at the hospital! One of my precious "kids" celebrated her eighth birthday. It is incredibly depressing h...
Ava Marie
Today was a festive day at the hospital! One of my precious "kids" celebrated her eighth birthday. It is incredibly depressing having to a birthday party at the cancer center. It truly does suck, but we(the parents, nurses, and myself) try to make each child's birthday memorable, unique, and most of all, a happy occasion.
Ava has been dealt a tough hand. She was originally diagnosed at age four. Unfortunately, she was only in remission for a year. She has been trapped in the hospital 24/7 since the age of five. Ava has been a prisoner to a hospital bed, and this lifestyle for far too many years. Occasionally, they have had to restrain her because she gets furiously upset and frustrated by her situation. My hear aches for this you girl.
On her good days, she is an absolute delight. She's cheerful, playful, and silly. She makes me laugh so hard that tears roll down my cheeks. I know, if given the chance, she would change the world. She is wise beyond her years, innovative, and extremely creative. It kills me to see her wasting away in her hospital bed. I have privately talked to her family about her current state of health and condition a few weeks ago. They didn't even have to utter a word. Their faces and eyes told me everything I needed to know. I hugged her family, and made my way to the hallway before breaking down. I couldn't let Ava see me crying. I was hysterically sobbing and prematurely grieving for this adorable little girl I have grown to love. As I sat in the hallway thinking about Ava, a thought came to mind. I knew her birthday was approaching. I would throw her and the other kids an over-the-top birthday party for all the children to enjoy. Ava's parents were on board, so we began to plan. Ava is infatuated with Rainbow Bright and Furbys. It seemed like the most logical party theme, so we ran with it.
Ava's parents, fellow parents, some nurses and myself pitched in to decorate the room and supply gifts. We scrambled to get the room set up before the children came back from their treatments, doctor's appointments and procedures. It was a mad dash, but we accomplished the feat. We were wrapping the last two presents and stuffing the "goodie bags" just as the kids were arriving back to the room. My back was turned when the first child was wheeled back to he bed. All I heard was "wow, our room looks like cotton candy threw up everywhere"! I chuckled to myself. I turned around to see another child being wheeled back to the room. We let everyone know that it was a surprise birthday party for Ava. The floor nurses even asked the treatment nurses to stall, so she would be the last to arrive. That way everyone could join in on saying "surprise"!!
As soon as everyone was in place the floor nurse called to have Ava brought back to the room. We all anxiously waited for her arrival. We hear the elevator door ding and the creeky wheelchair roll closer to the room. As the nurse opened the door was all gently, but enthusiastically yelled "Happy Birthday'!!!! We didn't want to scare to poor girl, but we wanted to make her feel special and loved by all. Her face lit up, and tears welled up in her eyes. She was shocked and so grateful for putting a surprise party together for her. It was a beautiful and heartwarming sight to see. She went around hugging every one of her friends, family, and nurses that were in the room. When it was my turn for a hug, she held me tight and whispered in my ear, "I know you did all of this". I told her it was a collective effort because we all adore her. That was the moment tears started running down her cheeks. She was elated. It was the happiest I had seen her in weeks! My heart melted.
We quickly switched moods to party mode. We play fun dance music, open presents, and shared copious amounts of laughter. All that was left was the cake. Ava's mom made her favorite kind and I brought the number eight candle. Ava's dad brought the cake out and lit the candle. We all sang "Happy Birthday" to her before she mad a wish and blew out the candle. We sliced up the cake, served up some ice cream and enjoyed each other's company, It was an exquisite birthday party, especially considering the setting.
It is a day I will never forget. Of course, mingling with my 'kids", their families and a plethora of nurses was a blast, but it was what happened as we were cleaning up that made my day. Ava walked over to me as I was wiping down a table. She told me that she had a secret. I was intrigued. I stopped wiping the table and knelt down to be eye-level with her. She looked me straight in the eyes before wrapping her arms around my neck. As she hugged me, she whispered in my ear. She told me that her birthday wish was that we would both be cured of our cancers so we can be friends forever. I was immediately filled with love. I choked back the tears and whispered back to her "me too".
Today was one of those "once in a lifetime moments". A moment that will likely never happen again, but will stay with you for the rest of your life. A moment that restores faith in those around us. Whether we know them personally, or only by a smile and a nod. We could all benefit from being a little less cynical and more open-minded. We might just learn a thing, or two. We might even realized the need for change lies within ourselves. Blame is easy to place on others, but virtually impossible to take complete credit for. We live and we learn, but we all too often don't apply what we learned to our daily lives. It's time to make those changes before it's too late.
Ava has been dealt a tough hand. She was originally diagnosed at age four. Unfortunately, she was only in remission for a year. She has been trapped in the hospital 24/7 since the age of five. Ava has been a prisoner to a hospital bed, and this lifestyle for far too many years. Occasionally, they have had to restrain her because she gets furiously upset and frustrated by her situation. My hear aches for this you girl.
On her good days, she is an absolute delight. She's cheerful, playful, and silly. She makes me laugh so hard that tears roll down my cheeks. I know, if given the chance, she would change the world. She is wise beyond her years, innovative, and extremely creative. It kills me to see her wasting away in her hospital bed. I have privately talked to her family about her current state of health and condition a few weeks ago. They didn't even have to utter a word. Their faces and eyes told me everything I needed to know. I hugged her family, and made my way to the hallway before breaking down. I couldn't let Ava see me crying. I was hysterically sobbing and prematurely grieving for this adorable little girl I have grown to love. As I sat in the hallway thinking about Ava, a thought came to mind. I knew her birthday was approaching. I would throw her and the other kids an over-the-top birthday party for all the children to enjoy. Ava's parents were on board, so we began to plan. Ava is infatuated with Rainbow Bright and Furbys. It seemed like the most logical party theme, so we ran with it.
Ava's parents, fellow parents, some nurses and myself pitched in to decorate the room and supply gifts. We scrambled to get the room set up before the children came back from their treatments, doctor's appointments and procedures. It was a mad dash, but we accomplished the feat. We were wrapping the last two presents and stuffing the "goodie bags" just as the kids were arriving back to the room. My back was turned when the first child was wheeled back to he bed. All I heard was "wow, our room looks like cotton candy threw up everywhere"! I chuckled to myself. I turned around to see another child being wheeled back to the room. We let everyone know that it was a surprise birthday party for Ava. The floor nurses even asked the treatment nurses to stall, so she would be the last to arrive. That way everyone could join in on saying "surprise"!!
As soon as everyone was in place the floor nurse called to have Ava brought back to the room. We all anxiously waited for her arrival. We hear the elevator door ding and the creeky wheelchair roll closer to the room. As the nurse opened the door was all gently, but enthusiastically yelled "Happy Birthday'!!!! We didn't want to scare to poor girl, but we wanted to make her feel special and loved by all. Her face lit up, and tears welled up in her eyes. She was shocked and so grateful for putting a surprise party together for her. It was a beautiful and heartwarming sight to see. She went around hugging every one of her friends, family, and nurses that were in the room. When it was my turn for a hug, she held me tight and whispered in my ear, "I know you did all of this". I told her it was a collective effort because we all adore her. That was the moment tears started running down her cheeks. She was elated. It was the happiest I had seen her in weeks! My heart melted.
We quickly switched moods to party mode. We play fun dance music, open presents, and shared copious amounts of laughter. All that was left was the cake. Ava's mom made her favorite kind and I brought the number eight candle. Ava's dad brought the cake out and lit the candle. We all sang "Happy Birthday" to her before she mad a wish and blew out the candle. We sliced up the cake, served up some ice cream and enjoyed each other's company, It was an exquisite birthday party, especially considering the setting.
It is a day I will never forget. Of course, mingling with my 'kids", their families and a plethora of nurses was a blast, but it was what happened as we were cleaning up that made my day. Ava walked over to me as I was wiping down a table. She told me that she had a secret. I was intrigued. I stopped wiping the table and knelt down to be eye-level with her. She looked me straight in the eyes before wrapping her arms around my neck. As she hugged me, she whispered in my ear. She told me that her birthday wish was that we would both be cured of our cancers so we can be friends forever. I was immediately filled with love. I choked back the tears and whispered back to her "me too".
Today was one of those "once in a lifetime moments". A moment that will likely never happen again, but will stay with you for the rest of your life. A moment that restores faith in those around us. Whether we know them personally, or only by a smile and a nod. We could all benefit from being a little less cynical and more open-minded. We might just learn a thing, or two. We might even realized the need for change lies within ourselves. Blame is easy to place on others, but virtually impossible to take complete credit for. We live and we learn, but we all too often don't apply what we learned to our daily lives. It's time to make those changes before it's too late.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Spreading holiday cheer 🎄❄️🍗🎅🎁🎆
This campaign is raising money for "Holiday Cheer for Cancer Kids"
http://www.gofundme.com/gnfaa4
Please donate if you can. With help from the donations, I plan on giving my friends and their families at the cancer center a holiday season they can enjoy, and will never forget!
Your generosity will not go unrecognized. My appreciate is endless.
Thank you!
The Fundraiser will continue until December 20th 2014. Please be a part of giving these children as holiday season they so very much deserve! Thanks again!
http://www.gofundme.com/gnfaa4
Please donate if you can. With help from the donations, I plan on giving my friends and their families at the cancer center a holiday season they can enjoy, and will never forget!
Your generosity will not go unrecognized. My appreciate is endless.
Thank you!
The Fundraiser will continue until December 20th 2014. Please be a part of giving these children as holiday season they so very much deserve! Thanks again!
Friday, November 7, 2014
The life of a 20-something cancer patient: Millicent
The life of a 20-something cancer patient: Millicent: I am incredibly fortunate to meet such interesting, intriguing, delightful, and hilarious patients on a daily basis. Their families are, mo...
Millicent
I am incredibly fortunate to meet such interesting, intriguing, delightful, and hilarious patients on a daily basis. Their families are, most of the time, just as pleasant. I have recently met the most extraordinary lady. She is on the higher end of the age scale. She is an absolutely "classic beauty". She is always "dressed to the nines", her make-up is flawless, and her hair is always in a perfect bun. Quite simply, she is the most statuesque woman I have ever crossed paths with. She is elegant, filled with knowledge, always following proper manners, but never comes off as arrogant, or self-absorbed. Most of the time she is very "buttoned-up" and chic. In fact no one(even her doctors) know her true age. She maintains the thought that a "true lady" never discloses her age. On the other hand, she can let her hair down and even get a get a little risqué at times. She swears like a sailor, drinks like a fish, and lives life on her time. She is a truly dynamic woman. "Millicent the magnificent", as I like to call her. :)
Everyone at the hospital calls her Millie, but I only call her by her given name. She never matters, either way, how people addressed her. She once told me that someone could throw a bottle of scotch at her head and she would happily respond with a "Howdy"! I couldn't help but chuckle when she said that. She is certainly one-of-a-kind, and I just eat it up! I was surprised the other day when she asked me why I only call her Millicent. My reasoning was because Millicent sounds so distinguished, debonaire and classy. I feel that name suits her perfectly. Her eyes welled up with tears as she listened to my explanation. I was confused. I wrapped my arms around her and told her I didn't mean to upset her. She said she wasn't upset, rather she was appreciative. She grew up very poor. The lack of wealth made her feel like people degraded her because of her financial situation. She worked hard her entire life to become wealthy and successful. She never made it to wealthy, but she married, had children and they were financially comfortable. When I told her the reasoning behind me calling her Millicent, it made her feel like she finally achieved her goal. I reassured her that she more than achieved her goal many years ago. She supported herself, married the man of her dreams, and raised four lovely children.
Millicent surpassed her goal without even realizing it. I told her that she should feel like the richest woman in the world because she always strived to be and do the best she could while she traveled the "road of life". She is, and will always be an exceptionally loving, caring, and generous lady. She devoted her life to her family and that is worth more than all the money in the world.
I would be lost, alone, terrified, and even more anxious than I already am, if I had to navigate through life without the outstanding support system around me. I have been fortunate to have loved ones I could lean on when all I saw was darkness and all I felt was pain. The most precious gift in life is sharing experiences with family and friends. We have all taken these relationships for granted at times, but we must learn from past behavior. We all need to let the ones we love know they are appreciated from time-to-time instead of assuming they know. Everyone needs to know they are loved for nothing other than being a part of your life.
Everyone at the hospital calls her Millie, but I only call her by her given name. She never matters, either way, how people addressed her. She once told me that someone could throw a bottle of scotch at her head and she would happily respond with a "Howdy"! I couldn't help but chuckle when she said that. She is certainly one-of-a-kind, and I just eat it up! I was surprised the other day when she asked me why I only call her Millicent. My reasoning was because Millicent sounds so distinguished, debonaire and classy. I feel that name suits her perfectly. Her eyes welled up with tears as she listened to my explanation. I was confused. I wrapped my arms around her and told her I didn't mean to upset her. She said she wasn't upset, rather she was appreciative. She grew up very poor. The lack of wealth made her feel like people degraded her because of her financial situation. She worked hard her entire life to become wealthy and successful. She never made it to wealthy, but she married, had children and they were financially comfortable. When I told her the reasoning behind me calling her Millicent, it made her feel like she finally achieved her goal. I reassured her that she more than achieved her goal many years ago. She supported herself, married the man of her dreams, and raised four lovely children.
Millicent surpassed her goal without even realizing it. I told her that she should feel like the richest woman in the world because she always strived to be and do the best she could while she traveled the "road of life". She is, and will always be an exceptionally loving, caring, and generous lady. She devoted her life to her family and that is worth more than all the money in the world.
I would be lost, alone, terrified, and even more anxious than I already am, if I had to navigate through life without the outstanding support system around me. I have been fortunate to have loved ones I could lean on when all I saw was darkness and all I felt was pain. The most precious gift in life is sharing experiences with family and friends. We have all taken these relationships for granted at times, but we must learn from past behavior. We all need to let the ones we love know they are appreciated from time-to-time instead of assuming they know. Everyone needs to know they are loved for nothing other than being a part of your life.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
The life of a 20-something cancer patient: Food for Thought
The life of a 20-something cancer patient: Food for Thought: My day-to-day life is not ordinary, to say the least. There are many days I wish I was able to go to work, hit up a happy hour with friend...
Food for Thought
My day-to-day life is not ordinary, to say the least. There are many days I wish I was able to go to work, hit up a happy hour with friends occasionally, and spend the evenings relaxing before settling into bed for the night. I ache for that sense of routine and comfort. Having a second income in my household would be extremely helpful, as well. I think what I miss the most is conversing with fellow employees, and hearing all the stories of their lives. I am extremely grateful for the wonderful friends I have at the cancer center, but we all live a pretty conservative lifestyle. We don't have many other options.
As you can imagine, I have a lot of time on my hands to stew over the many thoughts that enter my mind. As a self proclaimed "writer", I enjoy writing, telling stories, playing word games, etc, to keep me busy. More often than not, I get completely enamored in my own thoughts. I slip into my own little world(often leaving me looking stoned with a strange look on my face). I consider myself lucky to be able to entertain myself so easily...ha! As a matter of fact, many people have asked me how I can remain happy and keep a smile on my face while enduring such difficult times.
Allow me to let you in on my secret to my senseless moments of bliss. The truth is, I'm just kinda crazy. I don't know how to turn off all of my wild thoughts scrambling around in my head, but at times I can manipulate the "hamster" running my brain into spinning his wheel in a certain direction. ;) Instead of becoming consumed with the pain, discomfort and suffering all around me, I think of a word and put it into a "six degrees of Kevin Bacon" type thought.
Here's a little sample of how I play the game. I think of any interesting word. One of my favorite words is derrière, so I'll use it in this example. It's a funny word to pronounce and it's a fancy way to say tushy! Ha! I love it! After picking out a word I plug in as my starting word. Derrière is the "trunk" of my "word tree". The next word is the first similar sounding word I think of. In this case it makes me think of dairy. Dairy is the second word. Dairy makes me think of farm. Farm turns into the next word. Then I turn that word into a phrase. My mind pops up with fat farm which makes me think of a big fat booty. That leads my thoughts to Sir Mix-a-lot's Classic "Baby Got Back". Before ya know it a big goofy grin slaps across my face, and I'm humming the tune of "Baby Got Back" to myself. Even if it only lasts for a moment, the ability to escape seemingly horrific surroundings comes with ease. Excuse me for sounding dreadfully "corny", but it's a simple way to "turn that frown upside down"! I'm sure the majority of you reading this must think I'm crazy. I may very well be, but I prefer to think of it as clever.
Well, I have fittingly titled this post. All this "thinking" has made me hungry. Time for a snack. Anything but Jello! They always try to force that dreadful substance down your throat at hospitals! Just thinking about it gives me the heebie-jeebies...yuck! I'll stick to the soda crackers. ;)
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