Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Scan results

still stable....
Now I am officially on that quarterly scan schedule and have added that news to my list of things to celebrate!
As I was complaining about the taste of that triple berry smoothie, Sue G was kind enough to mention that if I thought the triple berry was bad, wait till they hand me the banana or apple joy. Obviously, the hospital was on some psychic schedule with Sue and handed me the banana. Thanks Sue!

Last Tuesday, I had an appointment with a student advisor at the local community college. We had a great meeting and I was handed loads and loads of information about classes, pre-req's, scholarships and grants. I need to be a CNA and take Anatomy, Physiology and Algebra then take the NLN. I have been searching frantically for a CNA class that would satisfy the school requirement that I take the State licensing exam and be placed on the registry. Classes this semester at the community college are full but I had my name on a list for the Americare Institute's classes offered in October. My goal was to have this done before the Spring Semester as I am still working full time. Unfortunately, Americare only offers classes during the day and with a full time schedule at Ma Bell, that didn't work. I was disappointed with this news and decided that maybe I can buy extra vacation days and take two classes during the Spring semester. But, through chance, I found another vocational school that offers CNA classes at different times of the day. The paperwork has just been faxed and I stand to be very busy from Oct 26 - Dec 15 but I can then focus on the Anatomy class during the Spring and Physiology during the Summer. I am excited to start! This CNA class meets M-W from 6-10 with 5 clinical sessions on Sundays. I predict that I'll be going "gas can" on the kids more often than not during those 8 weeks.
As I was driving home today, I was just immersed in guilt, survivors guilt. I am extremely happy about the results of this trial so far, though I think I will forever be holding my breath. But I can't help thinking of those that are not quite as lucky. In my Sarcoma community, I see so much suffering in adults and children. The Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative motto "Sarcoma knows no borders" aptly describes this disease but children seem to be hardest hit. Right now, I know of 3 children under the age of 18 that are home on Hospice with no options. I know countless others, mothers, fathers, grandparents and college students living with horrible pain. Right now, I'm lucky. It's a gift but not one I feel I deserve sometimes. I can only drive forward and try to make my life mean something. I feel very strongly that this is the way to go...

4 comments:

Sue G said...

Oops. Sorry to have caused the psychic network to work overtime on your behalf. But, I do love being right. Guess I will do almost anything for a second opinion???

I'm thrilled your scans are stable. God is good.

Stay well, and try to keep your gas can from running over, or worse from spontaneously combusting. Stress isn't good for the immune system. So, if you're going to accomplish all that you set out to do, let the smaller things go.

Your health is number one.

Erin said...

My recipe for getting through school and work:
1.)Buy paper goods in bulk.
2.)Do not, I repeat, do NOT open your children's bedroom doors.
3.)Saturday becomes family cooking day...three recipes, tripled and frozen.
4.)Learn this: all foods can be eaten for any meal, i.e. salad for breakfast or Cheerios for dinner.
5.)Go to sleep by midnight-You don't have to get an A...you just have to get your CNA
6.)When the kids are behaving unbelievably selfishly while you are juggling job/school/home/cancer, try to remember that they also wish for things to be "the way they were" and are just acting out..and then go ahead and give them extra chores and take away their TV privileges!

Nonalee said...

Go Erin! I agree wholeheartedly with your guidelines!

Kris said...

Me too. The kids will learn the lessons the hard way. Eventually they have to grow up. TV and driving priveleges are good to withhold.