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Tell us what's
happened to you since high school
(Feel free to tell us THE WHOLE STORY):
Just after high school I
stupidly got married and was divorced within a year. That was a
rough year. Then I met Robert and we married on June 5, 1976 and on
June 6, 1977 our first daughter, Brandy was born. We purchased our
home, then we had our second daughter, Amber on June 6, 1980. I did
the normal things moms do with daughters. They both started Dance
lessons at 3 yrs. old. There were annual recitals and they danced at
the LA County Fair every year. I was a Pixie (kindergarteners) Girl
Scout Leader, team mom for soccer and softball., assistant coach for
softball, scorekeeper for High School softball, attended all my
girls games in high school; Brandy played softball and Amber played
Volleyball. Robert worked at G.E. as an Jet Engine Mechanic, AA
Certified. He worked long hours and I worked full time also. He
worked nights and I worked days and the girls had one of us there
with them the majority of the time. When Robert was 36yrs. old he
had 2 major heart attacks which slowed us all down quickly.
Eventually, everything got back to normal for us and our lives
continued. Brandy went to Cabo for her high school graduation and we
took Amber to Maui, Hawaii for hers. That's when we fell in love
with Maui and we purchased a Time Share Condo before we came home.
We were able to use it twice before we found out Robert's ticker was
not ticking very well at all, about 15% and in 1996 the doctor
retired him immediately. It was a total shock to us, our lifestyle
and especially our pocketbook. So we sold our condo in Maui and
started taking care of business...... medical business. I accepted a
part time position at a Private Country Club as Office Manager for
the golf course management department because they offered me more
money and less hours. About that time we found out Robert was going
to need a heart transplant. So we discussed all our options and
decided Cedars-Sinai was the closest and most convenient hospital
that had a good reputation and success rate. That is when I became
Roberts caregiver/wife. There are many tests, x-ray/scans and labs
just to get qualified for a transplant program with lots of
appointments. We did them all and he was accepted into the Heart
Transplant program at Cedars and was placed on the national list.
Now we just wait.... more tests and wait...... he had to have an
emergency surgery to remove his gall bladder and with his weak
heart, very scary not just to us but the doctors too. He did well.
About a year of waiting for a heart, Robert was very weak and bed
ridden; so I called the hospital and told them. A week later, at 1am
we received the phone call that a heart was on it's way for Robert
and to get to the hospital. On June 30, 2002 he had the transplant
surgery and all went very well. He should be good as new as long as
he takes 56 pills a day for anti-rejection, infection, etc. He came
home, all was going well, the routine at home was back for about a
year. Robert started to decline again, but it wasn't his heart, it
was something else nobody could figure out, all the tests were done.
So we went to a local doctor, and since Robert hadn't had a
colostomy they decided to do one at which I was present. They found
the problem and when Robert woke up from the procedure I had to tell
him he had Colon Cancer. So June 2004 we went back to Cedars for
surgery with the finest specialist they had. The tumor was so large
(softball sized) it took 2 surgeons to remove it and said it was the
toughest surgery of his career. It had spread outside the Colon, but
had not hit the lymph nodes. So Robert underwent massive radiation
and 6 mos, 3x weekly of chemo and was sick, sick, sick, once again.
In 2006 his kidney's started to fail and I had to go to work for the
same company full time as the Club Secretary just to make up for the
medical that wasn't covered by insurance. Robert started losing
weight, I started to worry. My big burley husband of 280 was now at
210, then 180 so I requested a PET scan and they found lesions in
his colon and liver; I asked them to biopsy them and they refused.
Then 160, so the doctor put him in hospital to do a procedure to
save his kidneys, he was in the hospital 10 days per month for the
last year. His last hospital stay was just before Thanksgiving 2008
at Cedars for a simple procedure but because he was so weak, 140
lbs. he contacted bacterial infections and was in the hospital for 6
weeks, now at 130 lbs. I was placed on disability for stress at that
time. He passed away at home on December 18, 2008 from brain cancer
at 110 lbs. Thank God he is finally at peace and home with him.
Robert was a good man, he worked hard, played hard and joked around
all the time. I didn't stray far from home for those 11 years, which
is why I missed the last 2 reunions. I'm still on disability and
working on Deb now and spending time with my grandchildren. I am
planning a move to Victorville early next year (even though in our
hearts we belong in Maui). I look forward to attending the next
class reunion and have some fun with all my fellow classmates once
again!
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