Have you missed me???? I have missed all of you!!!

Hello, my Kindred Spirits!!!

So much has been going on in my little corner of the universe~ wish that most of it was good...I apologize for not posting regularly~ seems like foerver since I have been on the boards.

A BRIEF re-cap of just the last 2 weeks or so...I continue to fight a respiratory "somthing" of unknown origin~ and after repeated visits and testing by an amazing pulmonologist, we are no further ahead than when I started with the chronic cough. It does not seem to be cancer-related ( whew!) nor is it allergies, constricted airways, or asthma. It may be acid reflux, and it's only symptom is a chronic cough. Sadly, thre is no test, blood or otherwise for acid~ it is a clinical diagnosis. I have lost about 10 pounds in the last 8 weeks~the coughing sadly makes me vomit ( TMI???) so food is a problem for me. I have now taken to juicing rather than eating solid food~ at least I am getting the nutrition I need. I hope, as does my Dr, that this will eventually resolve itself. That would be wonderful! :-)

I fired my oncologist after being his patient for 8 long years! I got a recommendation for an oncologist who will actually care about me, and make me part of a TEAM! I see him for the first time on Monday aternoon~ I am already in love with his office staff!

So, here is my Big Sigh~Reggie and I had a close family friend who spent every holiday and special family occasion with us. Aside from that, he pretty much ate with us 3 meals a day~ and defiitely had coffee with us every day~ for the past 5 years! He was the guy who would watch the house when we were out of town, feed the pets, put the trash-cans on the street~a lot of you have a family friend like that, I am sure. On June 24, as always, he came in the house from our garden ( oh yes, he also lovingly tended our garden EVERY DAY!)after having coffee, to tell me he didn't feel well. Reggie wasn't home, as he had just left to take our granddaughter to daycare. Our friend Jim was having a massive heart attack!!!! I called 911~ followed the instructions of the operator, Reggie came home and took over, and within 30 seconds, the paramedics arrived too. They tried unsuccessfully to revive him for over 40 minutes...but he lost his battle. Skipping ahead to the hospital portion of the story~ after the county coronor did whatever it is he does, Reggie, his brother and I got permission to go into the room with our friend Jim and "sing him home" with songs in the Chumash language. So much of that morning was a shock and sooooo difficult~all of Jim's family lives in NY or FL ( we are in California) and you can imagine how difficult it was to take his cell phone and scroll through the names/numbers ( OMG incuding the number for MOM) and calling her and his children~ Jim was only 52 years old. Jim was a retired from NYFD ( injured on the job) a former Marine, a Yankee fan and Irish as the day is long. On Sunday afternoon we are having a memorial here for him at the house~ I found St Patrick's Day decorations, also little American Flags. baseball stuff, etc etc. At 6PM we are raising a glass to him~ his family on the East Coast is doing the same at 9..so we will be in unison.

The shock, the sadness, coupled with some unavoidable plane travel and my regular health issues landed me in urgent care TWICE in one day! I am better...but tired, as you all
might imagine.

Tomorrow is the Relay For Life...Sunday Jim's memorial, Monday my new oncologist. I trust, knowing these few things, that you all will forgive me for not checking in and welcoming new ones, and of course, encouraging my fellow Kindreds. I promise to be back in the fold as soon as I can~ I have missed you all sooooo much!

Hugs,
Chen♥