Everyday Mom

Wow, has it really been nearly 3 months since my last post?  The last quarter of 2008 was a whirlwind.  Time was flying by, and it felt like I was dragging.  I was so ready to see 2009!  And, I know we are only a few days in, but it’s looking good already. 

I wanted to take a couple of minutes and update you on my Daddy.  He was diagnosed in January of 2008 with Stage IV colon cancer just after undergoing surgery to remove a large portion of his colon.  His physical health and mental spirit quickly took a turn for the worse.  I was so scared that I was going to lose him.  It was horrible.  Not only did he have to recover from surgery but he also had to endure a very rough radiation and chemotherapy regimen.  He became so weak.  At his lightest, he weighed only 106 lbs.  He was in and out of the hospital a couple of times just to receive IV nourishment.  He was in pain–it was so hard to watch the process and be unable to help.  BUT, I am happy to report that he made it through.  Chemo ended at the end of 2008, and all scans indicate that cancer growth has stopped.  He will certainly need to be monitored every three months, and it is likely that we will have to encounter chemotherapy again soon.  But for now he is feeling better and building strength.  We enjoyed a wonderful holiday celebration with little talk or worry of cancer.  It was so special to see Daddy enjoy his grandchildren and for them to have those special moments with him. 

We are praying for good health for a few more months all the time being realistic and knowing that Stage IV cancer rarely lies dormant for long.  If all goes well in January, he will be strong enough to endure surgery to reconnect his colon and have the colostomy removed.  That would give his spirit a giant boost.  We have no idea what 2009 holds for us, but we are thrilled that it got off to an encouraging start! 

I hope your New Year got off to a good start as well.  Prayers and good wishes to all of you throughout the entire year!

I haven’t posted in a while about my Dad because things have been pretty much the same.  He’s in the final third of his chemotherapy regimen and has pretty much learned to deal with the ups and downs that come with each passing day.  He has only had a couple of set backs since I last posted.  The biggest of those being a change in the chemo cocktail that has required his therapy to be extended by two treatments.  The doctors had to remove one of the chemical poisons in the mix because Daddy just wasn’t able to recover from its effects on his body.  He is feeling much better with the new mixture and because of that doesn’t seem to mind going a bit longer than scheduled. 

I’m writing today, however, to share with you a much more serious issue.  Daddy is no longer insured.  That’s right, Stage IV Colon Cancer, limited life expectency, sole provider for his family, limited resources, very expensive treatment regimen, and NO insurance.  At the beginning of the process we helped him get things in order including starting the process for social security benefits and medicaid.  He was approved for social security which took the weight off financially, and up until about sixty days ago, we was still covered under his employer’s insurance program.  Unfortunately, those benefits don’t last forever.  We had hoped to have medicaid kick in when the employer program expired; however, he was denied medicaid benefits and has been without coverage since September 14th.  Sadly, he was too proud to tell anyone and get help with an appeal to the denial.  The appeal needed to be completed within 30 days in order to get review.  It has been well beyond that now.  I don’t know what we’ll do at this point, but I have to believe everything will work out.   I’m praying that he will continue to get treatment.  Surely they wouldn’t stop treating him.  That really scares me.  Would they just let him suffer, even die?

So, for now his physical condition is not good, but at least stable.  I’m not so sure I can say the same about how he’s feeling mentally.  Say a prayer that things will work out, somehow.

Oh another question in the minds of thousands as they contemplate the scary and often tragic news they received via email.  Supposedly, according to research done by a University of Idaho student during the master’s thesis process, there is proof that plastic water bottles can breakdown into carcinogenic compounds when reused or frozen.  This information was supported in the thesis and then started making its way around the world via email.  According to one version of the email, repeated washing and reusing of plastic water bottles causes an element of the plastic called PET or polyethylene terephthalate to break down and release DEHA or diethylhydroxylamine, a carcinogen.  Water drinkers are encouraged to use water bottles only once or at least not more than a couple of days. 

Another version retells the story of a woman whose friend was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.  Apparently her doctor assured her that the cause was likely due to the carcinogenic elements that leached into her drinking water from the repeated use of disposable plastic water bottles.  This same story is told in yet another version where Sheryl Crow claims to have traced her breast cancer to plastic water  bottles as well. 

Have you heard this, received the email, repeated it or shared it with a loved one?  Did you mass forward the email to all of your friends?  Do you really believe this?  Some people do and have done one or all of the things I just suggested in order to share the word with others, but I hate to break the news to you, the rumor is likely false.  I’m a huge skeptic when it comes to stuff like this.  I head right over to Snopes if someone tells me a tragic story and wants me to modify my behavior in some way to stay out of danger.  There you will be able to find information on almost every mass email out there.  They’re not all false, but it’s better to check it out before forwarding it to everyone in your address book!

Check out the water bottle story on Snopes.  You’ll find that the student at U of I didn’t do good research and started a rumor based on bad facts.  You’ll also find that more than water bottles are made with the same materials everyone is up in arms about!  If you need more information, get online and do some research.  Don’t always believe everything you read.  If you really want to have a reason to stop using water bottles, try not filling our landfills with them.  That makes much more sense to me. 

If you are looking for great drinking water and bottles, check out Pure Water 2Go.  Or if you just want a good bottle to reuse with your water from home, pick up a water bottle at Eastern Mountain Sports.

Did you hear about this?  Apparently a  family that lived in a rented home in Indianapolis, just down the street from a registered sex offender, were the victims of a break in over the weekend.  In a sad twist, the home was rented from the sex offender’s uncle.  During the night around 3:20 a.m. a 52-year-old man came in through the window of a 17-year-old girl asleep in her bed.  He was naked with the exception of a mask and latex gloves.  He had rope, condoms, and a knife in his possession.  Clearly his intentions were to threaten, secure, and rape this young women.  Her father, hearing her screams, entered the room and began to struggle with the intruder.  He got his arm around the sex offender’s neck and subdued him.  The intruder later died.  The cause of death was asphyxia by strangulation.  There are not expected to be any charges filed against the father.  The authorities are completing their investigation, but firmly believe that the father used reasonable force in protecting his daughter, his home, and himself. 

 Can you believe that?  That is so scary to me.  At first, I thought “Way to go Dad!”, but then I felt convicted that I was cheering the death of another human being.  I don’t know how to feel about it really.  I’m sure my husband would have reacted the same way.  There are crazy people living in this world.  It is a known fact, and it is easy to say.  But do we believe it and act on it?  I’m just really reminded how important it is to take measures to ensure that we are safe, that our families are safe.   I’ve often wondered if we need to get a security system.  I grew up in a time and place where we didn’t even lock our doors some nights!  My mother used to say that locks were for honest people and that if somebody wanted in our house, a lock wouldn’t stop them.  That to an extent is true, but would taking it a step further with a security system deter them?  I think it might be time to do some research.  I know that I’ve seen easy to install systems at Radio Shack.  I’m starting to feel that anything would be better than nothing. 

 Do you have a security system in your home? 

Oh my word!  There are only 91 days left until Christmas.  How in the world does it sneak up on me every single year.  I tell myself about January 2nd every year that I am going to be prepared next year.  I’m going to make detailed shopping lists, preschedule parties and gatherings, bake cookies, preaddress by photo greeting cards, blah, blah, blah.  Does any of that ever happen?  Well, mostly, but unfortunately, the vision of the beautiful housewife in her white apron organizing the season perfectly down to the last detail quickly fades into a frazzled mother of two running through the days at 90 miles per hour with her hair on fire trying to make sure everything gets done at the last minute.  Oh, I know there are some of you that will it off with style and class, but I also know that I am not alone.  This blessed season is a time to celebrate and enjoy the blessings around us.  I will do just that, and with luck, I’ll get it done on time, LOL!!

I’m going to start this year by sticking to my list.  The best way to do that is to make a list in the first place!  So, my goal this weekend is to outline the gatherings and gifts that I know are on the horizon.  I know without a doubt that there is a group of people that I want to remember this season.  In order to stay on a budget and stick to a schedule, as soon as I get a gift or decide on a gift idea, I am going to write it down and move on to the next thing. 

I’m going to make a picture appointment.  This will get those holiday smiles on paper and ready for greeting cards ahead of the Christmas rush in December.  I think I’ll check out the selection at Shutterfly this year.  I’ve never used them for greeting cards, but I hear they are wonderful.  I may even have to put together some photo books or calendars for gifts.  That would be something really special for my Daddy this year.  Hmm. . .progress!

I’m also going to get my family on the phone and choose dates for our Christmas get togethers.  I hate waiting until Dec. 1st when the season is upon us and days are filling fast to have to rearrange and make room for something else.  I also hate to feel rushed from place to place when we really should be enjoying our time together.  Get out those calendars and get your holiday season scheduled.  Hurry, it’s coming fast!

I love homemade cookies and candies for the holidays, but it seems most years we end up missing out because there just wasn’t a free day get it done.  I think this year I pick an afternoon in November and December to get my sister and our kids in the kitchen to have some fun.  Or maybe I’ll see if my best girlfriend wants to plan a day to bake.  It will be fun quality time together, and between the two of us we should have enough goodies to share.  I’ll still have to order a few things to take as thank you gifts to parties hosted by others, but homemade is the way to go for your closest family and friends.  If you are ordering online this season, you should check out David’s Cookies or Cheryl and Co.

 Are you ready?  Well, you better get that way, because it is coming fast.  91 days to go!