The blogs I publish to my WOW! Travel Club website are dedicated to sharing stories about my journeys. This particular journey was unexpected. And, while I love surprises and taking roads-less-travelled, I hadn’t quite counted on this detour!
The blessings, joys, unexpected consequences and silver linings have been profound. In this post, I’ll share some of them with you. Thanks for reading!
On blog titles:
My husband, Scott, has the dubious privilege of reading the final draft of my blog every Thursday night – usually very late at night. He’s a great editor, a walking dictionary and always suggests great titles. I was going to title it “A Slight Change of Plans,” but his suggestion: Poop! was absolutely perfect. Only trouble is that, for some people, Poop went straight to their Spam folder!
It does make for an interesting display on my inbox when I sort by title!
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And, there’s a funny story about poop (or at least I think it’s funny). Since I was not in Europe and therefore able to spend unexpected time with my stepkids and grandkids (more on that below), we ended up in Venice Beach on Sunday afternoon. After a long and fun day, I was walking back to my car when I spotted a mannequin at one of those sidewalk t-shirt shops. They customized a shirt just for me!
On first impressions:
Decisions, decisions. What to wear to the initial appointment with my gyno/oncologist? I wanted to make a good first impression – and let her know that I am not my CT scan. I’m a healthy, vibrant woman with places to go and stuff to do!
So I pulled out one of my favorite dresses in my spring colors, custom-made for me in one of my favorite places, HoiAn, Vietnam. Because I have a dream to go back to India in November, I put on a little gold elephant necklace I bought there. And, symbolically, the traditional Irish Claddagh design of my earrings was a perfect choice: the hands represent friendship, the heart represents love and the crown represents loyalty. I looked like a million bucks!
And, since I am enrolling everyone in my journey, I bought a 2-pound box of See’s chocolates and affixed my photo to the top of the box with a note, thanking my medical “dream team” in advance of the excellent care I know I will be receiving.
On Kaiser:
Another blessing – I have excellent insurance coverage. Aside from routine check-ups and tests, (and a couple of recent fractures), I’ve never really tested the Kaiser system. I must say, on a scale from 1 to 10, I’d rate them a 12! Everyone – and I mean everyone – who we encountered this week gave us the “CTP treatment:” courteous, caring, competent and quick.
For example, Gwendolyn, the affable woman who checked me in for my appointment had several certificates prominently placed in on the wall above her computer terminal, commending her for 45 years of service with Kaiser.
“Forty-five years! You don’t look old enough to have been here 45 years,” I remarked.
“Thanks, sweetie,” she laughed. “Kaiser has been really, really good to me.”
“Well, that’s good news. If they take good care of you, that means that y’all will take good care of me!”
“You betcha!” she said brightly.
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Always a positive indicator: they have a good selection of magazine titles in the waiting room, but every appointment was was so fast, I never had time to read any of them!
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I don’t believe in coincidence. My doctors at Kaiser on Sunset are Axtell and Avila. The doctor who is overseeing my case file is Dr Ziebell. So, I’m covered from “A” to “Z!”
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They even validated our parking! How great is that? Now, if they could only do something about the traffic on the Hollywood Freeway . . .
On staff:
Last week, I recounted the story of how Gabriel rose to the challenge and jetted off to Europe to take over for me to operate a program for a beloved association client with whom I started doing business in 1989. There was never a doubt that Howard, who had been collaborating with me on this project from the start, and Gabriel – who was jumping in with less than six hours’ notice – would pull it off perfectly without me.
But these two are like bickering sisters. They are constantly squabbling, which causes us girls no shortage of laughs. If they hadn’t already done a series about the Office, CTP could be a sequel to that crew from Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company. Case in point – this email from Gabriel:
Subject: HR Complaint
Dear CTP Group HR Department,
I, Gabriel Haigazian, a long time & good-standing employee of The CTP Group would like to officially lodge a complaint and open an investigation about the happenings between previously stated employee (me) and a Mr. Howard Lawrence Wise, also employed by The CTP Group.
I just completed a detailed Skype call with Mr. Wise, which lasted well over an hour. During the course of that conversation, I was called the following:
1) #2
2) The “Help”
3) Staff
And I’ve been assigned a room the size of a shoe box. I have 6 pair of shoes (and oversized feet). Please tell me – what am I supposed to do?
I have no choice but to go on a 24-hour work strike, or, until such time as work conditions improve. I thought about going on a hunger strike but I can’t. I’m in Belgium; they invented chocolate.
I shall await word from HR about how to proceed with this matter. I thank you for your attention and your deep concern for my well being.
Sincerely,
Gabriel Haigazian, Vice President Operations
On customers:
Gabriel texted me a video of the group at their final night dinner in Amsterdam – which I had planned down to the most minute detail. I’ve got many years of history with these folks – and I have to ‘wow’ them each and every time. I broke down bawling when I heard the President of the association lead the group in a prayer – for me!
“She’s precious to all of us. My prayer would be for her to have a fast recovery. I don’t want to cast a pall on it, but I want us all to keep warm thoughts for her. Enjoy the evening, which she worked so hard to create – and as you know she would want.”
OMG . . . ! What an incredible blessing is this!
On coincidence (if you believe in such things):
I detest graffiti, but saw the one of the most profound statements scrawled on the side of a building in downtown Ljubljana, Slovenia several years ago. It read, “Coincidence is God’s way of getting you to pay attention.”
Last week, I wrote about my puzzlement on imagining a Nerf ball, of all things, when the doctor read the dimensions of the tumor as recorded on the CAT scan. On Saturday, I went to the Anaheim Convention Center to have lunch with my step-daughter, Sandy, who was attending her company’s conference. She is a Distributor for LifeVantage, which sells an all-natural nutritional supplement called Protandim. After lunch, I sat through part of an educational presentation by one of the company’s medical experts, explaining how the product reduces oxidative stress through, “NRF activation.”
Hmmmmm . . . coincidence?
On next steps:
I have surgery scheduled for this coming Wednesday. While I have always feared O.P.C. (other people’s cancer), I have no fear of my own. I feel strong and resolute in the knowledge that this manifestation is an opportunity to slow down and take time to do some of the things I’ve been talking about doing for years. “I’ll finish my memoir . . . one of these days. I’ll start a yoga practice . . . one of these days. I’ll launch my charitable foundation . . . one of these days.”
“Some day” is here!
Thank you in advance for your well wishes and care. I ask this: whatever nice thing you want to do for me – extend that kindness to a stranger. Whatever casserole you were going to bring over for us to put in our freezer – give to a food bank. Whatever you might have spent on flowers – contribute to my favorite charity, Dining for Women. Thanks for spreading goodness – it makes my heart happy.
There’s a blessing in this – and I know it.
