Category: My Life

Two years ago, I was in the middle of having my face rearranged due to cancer. They had operated on me a month before, and left me looking like this, while the skin graft took.

The biggest problem was, that the doctor basically maimed me, when he didn’t have to, and his idea of reconstruction would have left me looking like this, for a very long time.

OK, that is when depression set in, and I stopped going out, started eating (chocolate) to sooth my depression (trust me, that never works) and felt as though I would be hideous for the rest of my life.

After a couple of months, a friend gave me the name of her doctor in Boston, and I went down to meet him, and get a second opinion.

Dr. P. told me he couldn’t make my nose look the same, but he could definitely improve what the other doctor had left me with.

So, starting in July, I had my first surgery with him. After the first surgery with Dr. P. I could already see the improvement.

After that, we waited a few weeks for healing, then more surgery and the improvement  was remarkable.

Dr. P. was not only a gifted plastic surgeon, but a wonderful man. Finally in November of 2013 he finished my reconstruction.

Now we wait, until the scars fade and I somehow forget what my face looked like before and get used to what it looks like now.

I will be honest. The way you look in the mirror to yourself, is something most of us never think about. We get up, shower, comb our hair and never really think that the person you are seeing may change.

And so it was with me. One day I looked like the person I always have know. And then, I wasn’t. I have really struggled with depression about this, and this spring I decided to fight back!

I am, who I am. The person inside is the same.

Now, it’s time for me to work on getting rid of all that chocolate that I ate to soothe myself during the surgery and after. Let me tell you, gaining weight, never helps with how you see yourself.

It’s hard, losing weight. And oh, so easy to gain it!!!

Life is as good as you chose to make it!

Game on!

For those of you that know me well, you know I have been vowing to clean the office for sometime. It’s been years months, but finally I decided to get all the filing items together and sort those, and slowly, but surely just do it.

I worked all day on Friday, and will be working on this again tomorrow. I discovered a box of old photo’s (the real kind) and I will have some fun in the future, scanning those.

I want to be done with it by mid-week because we are finally getting the VCR, DVD, and Satellite and cable all hooked up and working correctly on our family room TV.

This means a lot of working on the floor, on my hands and knees which isn’t always easy for me, as middle age has set in.

Friday was a beautiful day. It was actually 62 degrees here for most of the day with sunshine! How great is that!

My day started early, as I got up at 6:30, so I could walk the dogs, and shower, do my hair and dress. Once all that was done, I made breakfast for Hubby and myself. Then I gathered up all my documents, and my purse and off I went.
Driving over I was about half way there, when a man came up behind my car and was driving so close he scared me. When it was safe, I pulled over and let him pass by. A little further up the road, he was tail-gating an oil truck. This was terrible! Then he passed the oil truck in a no passing zone! The oil truck turned off down a road, and there in the distance I could see this same car tail-gating another car. I decided to get his license plate number. I drove up, read the plate number to Melodie (who I was talking to on the phone). Then in a mile or so, I saw a police car. So I stopped and carefully walked up to the police car. I explained it all to him, and gave him the plate number, and make and model and color of the car. It was then I realized the car driving recklessly was a policeman in an unmarked car. (Similar strange plate number) I explained my concern to the nice policeman, and he took down all the information. I hope that the other policeman who was driving crazy, was spoken to.
I arrived at Dr. J’s office, and the nurse was not so friendly. She had a real sour face. I just did not say another word, and allowed her to weigh me, and take my blood pressure. Then I waited for the doctor.
He was so kind, and he spent over an hour taking a medical history from me. He asked questions, and really spoke to me. For the first time, I felt as if someone was listening to me about feeling so ill. He looked over the blood tests I had already had, and said he is very concerned about the test that showed the high inflammation in my body. Then he did a complete physical examination and he was able to pin point the pain I have and we spoke about, how it feels, where it is, etc. The thing is that this sort of inflammation can be many things.
Dr. J promised me he will work to find out what it is. And he will not quit until he diagnoses me.
After I saw him I had a chest x-ray, and x-rays of my hands. Then I went to have a massive amount of blood taken to test.

After that I felt a little light headed, so I grabbed a sandwich and then started to come home. It was such a pretty day, and I stopped to take pictures of Cardigan Mountain. It is a beautiful mountain not to far from us.

Now the ride home was also event filled. I was driving behind another oil truck when all of a sudden he veered off into the breakdown lane! I followed him because, there was an insane woman driving right toward us, in our lane! Oh my God! I yelled to God reminding him that it is not allowed that I should die in a car!
I got home, and just wanted a cup of tea and some rest. I just have to warm up some leftovers and then toss the dishes in the dishwasher. I think bedtime will bean early one.

Thursday was the last appointment for my root canal. I now have a molar tooth that cost me more than my last two cruises!

To be certain, I would rather have gone on the cruises, for I found this particular root canal, not only tooth painful, but jaw painful!

Today wasn’t bad. He just fit the crown and glued it in, and then jokingly said I should stay away from candied apples and taffy!

Ha-Ha! I have literally paid for several dentists to retire on all of my root canals and dental procedures. Somehow making a joke about sticky yummy foods, did not inspire me to laugh.

But, it’s over and done with, and tonight when I go to bed, it’s with the realization, that tomorrow, I do not have a dental appointment!

I found this great list online that guarantees it will help you Spring Clean and organize you house! Well, I could sure use that this year, as I am forced to admit that this winter found me hunkered down, with dogs and blankets, letting the deep cleaning go for the winter.

Now is the time to start in one room and work until it is finished and then move on to the next.

Anyone who has been reading me very long will be aware of the fact that I need to clean my office. I have stated this year after year, but 2015 will be the year that I actually get it done.

And God willing, I will also get a little painting done as well, although I am not going to freak myself out too much with over planning.

I go today to have my eyes examined for new glasses, and then I need to pick out new frames. I also need to select the lightest weight lenses, as the bridge of glasses cut right smack dab into my scars. Very uncomfortable!

Hubby is starting to feel better, and he wants to go with me to the shop, but I have told him he is still grounded until the cough is better.

For now, off I go. It will be nice to have a little quiet time away from dog world! LOL!

I woke today to find that a dear man who I had known as a child had passed from this life to the next. He was 88 years old.

Dr. D. was the father of my childhood pal, and he was always including me in fun things. My first camping trip to Maine was with his family. I recall sitting in the back of the family Jeep on our way to the camp. We also took a walk early one morning there and I saw my first moose!

There was a time that I was up in the tree house with a few kids, and they got down, took the ladder and left me there, and pulled the ladder away. This was a pretty high tree house, and I was stuck. I sat there crying my eyes out, as the sun set.

Then there was a flash light, and there he was. Dr. D. put the ladder up to the tree house, and helped me down. Then he took my hand and walked me home.

As I grew up, and got married, and was in the hospital having my second child, Dr. D. was the on call anesthesiologist, and he came in to give me an epidural. Then he asked if it was ok to stay to watch our baby being born. Absolutely!

Each time I returned to my hometown on the Cape, I would pop in to see him and his wife. They were always gracious and happy to see me.

Now he is gone, and I am sad that I will not see him again in this life. I never got to thank him for all that he did to make my childhood a happy one. So I send off these feelings in a prayer and hope that they will reach him in Heaven.

For he was a good man. Rest in Peace, Dr. D.

Today I went to see my retinal surgeon. I go every six months to make sure my retinas are okay, and have been seeing Dr. C. since that fateful day when my first retina detached in 2002. You can go here and read about the first detachment.

My second retina detached in 2009. You can read about that one here. Anyway, today was my 6 month check up with him. Today I planned to tell him some very important information.

You see in the years since I first met Dr. C. I have learned a lot about retinas, a lot about his work, and how for every success like mine there are just as many people who lose their vision. Some weeks are good weeks for him. Others are weeks when no matter what he does, people go blind.

Today when I arrived I spoke with his physicians assistant. I asked how his week was going? She said, it had been a tough one for him.

So, I took out my Savannah picture book, selected this picture, and waited.

When he came in, I told him, “I know that in your line of work, some days are good and some days are bad. I know you don’t always have the best outcomes. But I wanted to tell you that I thank God every day for giving you the gift to restore my vision. Every time I look at my granddaughter and see her beautiful face I feel so lucky. Thank you!”

He took the booklet from my hands and looked at each Savannah picture. Then he thanked me. He said he’d had a tough week.

I knew then that I’d picked the right time to thank him, in a very sincere way. I felt like at that moment, after all these years, we had become friends.

On Wednesday I went to get my tooth ready for a crown. I had not anticipated such an ordeal, but it sure was. I was under the assumption that the worst was behind me. You know, the root canal and such, but the prepping for this crown on that tooth was brutal!

I have had root canals before, but not on a molar, and perhaps that is what caused the problem. The Endodontist did the root canal work, and then put a temporary closure on that. My own dentist had to grind down the tooth, make molds of it, etc, and then make a temporary tooth. The entire thing took from 11:10 AM until almost 12:30 PM!

My jaw is probably the most problematic. It does not handle being wide open for long periods of time. The actual jaw joint is really sore!

I came home and as the Novocaine wore off, I was in agony. I’d mentioned to the Dentist that I don’t do pain well, and his answer was, that I should take Motrin! Got to say, taking Motrin was like chewing a Gummy Bear. It did absolutely nothing for the pain!

So, here I am two day past the event, still hurting, and mostly eating soft foods. I hope by the end of the weekend I can be back to eating normal foods. I know I won’t be eating anything really chewy for a while, but at least normal meal foods.

On the bright side, this is really good for my diet!

This weeks TBT are pictures of me at one and a half years old. I cannot believe that I am sitting still, as I have heard stories about me being a very active, climbing baby! In any case, here I am, in the front yard of our house on Clipper Lane in Falmouth.

And this one Dad took. I can see my hands are moving, so I know this picture was a real challenge for him!