~Globetrotter. Survivor. Blogger. Aries. Lover of-Food, Smiles, Arts, Books, Music, & all things Minecraft. Living life one song at a time. Affiliate streamer @Twitch ~
Happy April! Happy Spring! And yay, Happy Birthday to meeee! I get pretty excited when it comes to my birthday. The weather gets pretty and the blooms come out. The early birds are out and loud in the mornings. Easter was a nice, fun, filled, and yummy time. And of course my allergies are in full effect. But I do hope you are all having fun and had a great time for Spring Break and for Easter. And enjoying the coming of Spring and all the wonderful events and activities as the weather warms up.
I know I missed February update or post so I just kind of include it in this update. April update and a bit of life update is short this month.
March my son and I decided to take a sabbatical from online and basically unplug for the whole month of March. It felt good and gave me more time to connect with IRL friends and people. I was mostly busy with school and working those side-hustles. Also had to revamp a bunch of art and work related items and things. The rain was nice for a bit there. Great part of living in California. We also set some short-term life goals (at least some new ones). I had my 6 month check-up and everything seems pretty good so far. I have to return or reschedule my MRI since I was sick the day of my appointment. The MRI is not my favorite procedure. I yoga pretty much everyday so that part is nice. I am eating healthy too. With the occasional cravings for brownies or chocolate. Lol. But I do my best to eat good, fresh, and healthy things.
What else? Oh the whole dating thing. I kind of gave up on it or have put it on hold. But after I deleted all my online dating apps, in February, I popped onto Tinder to see what everyone was talking about. I really just wanted to get a Valentine’s Day date. And of course I got all the Likes and a bunch of matches. And as always, some were just really not great matches. I did have a good Valentine’s date of coffee and sunrise. He was nice enough but that was the end of it. I did get to talking with a few more matches and one in particular I had a lot in common with so I am still talking with him, as of late. He was 2nd guy to buy me flowers before a date! He’s super cute and super sweet. Also really close so it’s nice I can just text him when I want to hang out. He is also a parent so that helps since I am a parent. I think it was a bit difficult for most of my matches to understand that I am a parent and also am dating. We hang out a few times a week and go out to eat a lot. Which is good since you all know, I LOVE FOOD! Lol. But yes we are getting along great and he seems intent on staying for awhile. I am just enjoying sharing new experiences and cute moments again, and with him. Oh cute thing that I was missing, he does. He likes putting his hand on the small of my back when we are walking AND he holds my hand too. Like OMG right? It’s super cute! But yes, it is a new thing so moments are amazing with him. It’s nice to be with a good guy again. We compliment each other. Like when I give he receives and vice versa. We are also both Fire signs so that should tell you something about our dynamics. I am still just enjoying each moment and really am present when we are spending time together. It’s not a new thing, but it’s definitely a good thing. Hehe.
Ok so back to my birthday month, I am currently a happy girl and loving all the highs and lows. Trying to have a great birthday month as I do each year since beating breast cancer. I am always in gratitude to have another birthday to celebrate. Thankful to have more time to enjoy all the little things that I use to take for granted. I know it’s bit cliche, but I really do try to live each day like it could be my last. Not to say that I don’t have moments where a bad day is an understatement, but I am better and able to reflect and see the better side of the situation. I mean bad days are a plenty, I just am able to deal with them a bit better this year. This year is all about health and doing or engaging in things that help me and my son to move forward. I feel we are on track so far. He still needs a bit of guidance but is doing all the good things. I am being a lot more hands off and letting him be and do what he needs to do to feel good about himself and his surroundings. I have taught him all that I can and now its just time to watch him learn and explore on his own. He, too, has started dating or at least downloaded some online dating apps. His experience is not quite like mine but he is finding some enjoyment in the process. Like I said, all things that are healthy and help us to feel good and keeps us moving forward.
30 minutes til it’s officially my birthday. I hope that you are all doing well in 2024 so far. Thank you for all your support and as always, thank you for joining me on my adventures!
See you all for cake soon!
xoxo
Sushi ❤
P.S. If any of you would like to join on my Twitch Birthday Stream do come by and say Hiyee! I’d love to chat with you all in real time. 🙂
Happy Love Month! Happy Heart Month! Happy Black History Month! I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine’s Day and a good February so far. Staying out of the cold storms that have been on and off this month. Are keeping to your list of 2024 resolutions or in my case, healthy goals. Reading up on Black History Month must read books. I am rereading the classic Maya Angelou, ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’. I remember reading it back in high school and watching the movie adaptation of it later on in my adult life. Very moving and inspirational of how much the human condition can suffer but can overcome the ugliness of others to find a way to self love. It is true that what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. It sucks, but true. What other books are you reading this month? What movies are you currently watching to learn about Black History Month?
As always I’ve been fortunate in my dating life this month. I had another Valentine’s date. And like last year, I had met someone (but on Tinder this time) and it was chemistry. I am grateful to always meet kind guys. We met up for coffee and morning walk. It was nice to have someone to enjoy the sunrise with on Valentine’s Day. Then the rest of the day was my other forever Valentine’s, my son of course. He got me an edible arrangement, an orchid, and heart shaped chocolate box. Which has been our Valentine’s tradition My sweet Valentine’s. Such a good boy. I made him my French toast and fruits. And I also got him a heart shaped SpongeBob box with crabby patties. We always just make dinner but he ended up ordering sushi for me instead since I was craving it. He made steak and veggies. And we watched Valentine’s Day movie. Perfect ending to a pretty perfect day.
I also streamed on Twitch with my annual 3rd Show Me Ur Heart event on Minecraft. I have been building hearts and ended up giving a hearts tour on my Minecraft server PinkCraftSMP. I took a heart build request and ended up building one that was red and pink. I enjoy this event and have encouraged our Pink members to build many hearts along our railway from spawn to the stronghold. Hopefully this will become a continued tradition each season. And what a fun way to show some creative juices by building and designing different hearts. I have been building my hearts in honor of people in my life (mostly of the guys I have dated) since I started online dating. What a great way to show my love. I will hopefully get a quick fun tour of each heart and put it on my YouTube. One of these days.
As of now, I have been busy with school this semester. I have 3 classes; Economics, US History, and Business Math. I am trying to focus and stay on top of my classes to pass with good grades. Wish me luck.
It is 10:09pm in California and raining cats and dogs so I will definitely sleep well. Wishing you all love for the rest of the month and some fun exploring.
As always, thank you for joining me on my adventures!
Happy 2024! I sure hope that you all had wonderful holidays and a fun, safe New Year’s! Ours was as festive as can be and we had a chance to take fun, cheerful family pictures as the clock hit 12! We also wish my Dad a happy birthday each New Year’s Day. We spent the next few hours just listening to music, eating snacks, and playing some fun drinking games. These moments are ones I cherish with my family. We were all so tired and as we got to our hotel, I think I might have blinked and it was morning. I got ready and woke up my son to go get the free continental breakfast. Waffles. Scrabbled eggs. Sausages. Fruits. Juices. Hot coco. And Coffee! Then my son and I hugged everyone and headed home.
With each new year, as many of us do, we try to set a few goals for ourselves. Things to do to better our lives. Things that will help us move forward. Things that will help us heal and become healthier. I try each new year to do just that, become a bit better, healthier and achieve a few little goals. Instead of resolutions I come up with themed goals for the year. Year 2024 will be a better year since it’s an even year! I seem to do better in an even year or make better sense, can’t explain it but always feels better with an even year. Okay, with a few exception, i.e. 2020.
2024 Healthy Growth Goals:
Mind: 1. Read more books. 2. Learn Khmer, Spanish, and French, or as many languages I can. 3. Listen to Self Awareness podcasts to improve how I learn and think. 4. Learn Digital Marketing and Online Marketing
Emotional: 1. Be more secure. 2. Be more confident. 3. Improve my emotional intelligence. 4. Self kindness.
Other ways: 1. Build healthy, new, long relationships. 2. Improve communication skills. 3. Change mindset to help with growth. 4. Become more responsible.
Below are some Amazon Affiliate links for some books or items I am using to achieve some of my 2024 goals. Let me know if any of these items helped you or comment with any other suggestions you might have to help better yourself.
Happy December! Happy Holidays! Happy to each and every one of you! During this time of the year, I am reminded how important every moment can be. It’s a time to remember. It’s a time to count your blessings. It’s a time to appreciate your family and friends more. It’s a time to forgive. And most definitely, it’s a time to heal yourself, mind, body, soul, and heart. It’s also a time to believe in miracles and a time to believe in love. I love how we are all a bit happier and a bit more kind to ourselves and others during this time of year. That’s why Christmas is my favorite holiday! Not only for all the usual things that make it magical or wonderful, but it’s my reminder to be grateful. December 18th was the day I received a clean bill of health from breast cancer. And this year is a huge “golden” year because it’s my first 5 years in remission! Yay! Add epic music here! I will definitely celebrate this milestone with all the people that are special in my life, because I am able to. What about you? Are there anything special during this time of year that makes you believe in something better or the goodness we all strive for in life?
“Let light and love into your life.”- I heard this during my Pink Year or the year I was fighting breast cancer. When the day was tough, I always had someone there to be my light and I always felt loved. So it stuck in the back of my mind and I’ve carried it with me. I believe I have done the best I can to do, just to do that, since that year. If I can do one good thing or have one good thought a day, it’s one good thing sent out into the world. Someone recently told me that life has a balance, whether we see it or not. I believe this to be true. We all end up exactly where we are suppose to be. And most importantly, we all get what we need even though it might come to us in unexpected ways. Life will always keep ticking, sometimes it’s nice to slow down and actually enjoy it. We might forget to be thankful or grateful some days, that’s okay. Just as long as we remember that we are all looking and searching for the same things, to love and to be loved in this thing called Life.
So I wish you all the best things in life. I hope you find joy. I hope you find what you need. I hope you find happiness. I hope you find success. I hope you find good health. I hope you find peace of mind. And I hope you find love.
All right, enough of my feels. Let me get to some life updates. First off, family and friends are great. I learned that some connections are not meant to be, but no matter what family is family. Friends may come in different ways. And sometimes it’s okay to let go of toxic things or people. I learn that I can only change what I can change, the rest will just be what it will be. Life is too short to worry about the wrong things.
Secondly, dating is hard in 2023. As most of you that have followed me know, I started dating last December. I was in a hard spot and just really wanted to have some adult connections especially during Christmas. I woke up at my usual 3:00 AM (it was actually 2ish something AM) and stayed up researching online dating apps. I ended up finding two free-to-use ones, Bumble and EHarmony. So I started swiping and was quite overwhelmed by all of it. Matches were not the problem, it was the matches that I was getting. So I had to really filter down. After that, I was meeting some really great guys that I wouldn’t have ever met otherwise. Of course, there were many not- so -great- guys but that is just the luck of the draw lol. You just move on and say, “Next?” I have a few special guys that have been there since last Christmas. I have met most of my matches except one, which is pretty darn good. I, like most women, are just looking for a person that is kind, honest, has a pretty good moral compass, can learn from, good conversations, and well not-too-bad- on-the-eyes. And of course, someone you have a connection or chemistry with. I think I have found a few guys that fit that list. I figure if there is not a real connection or chemistry, it’s just one more new friend that I made. And that is okay with me. I hope to find my person that will want to spend time with me, share adventures, share moments, and share their love. Wish me luck.
And lastly, some fun adventures or new things I learned. After 18 years of living in or around the Bay Area, I finally took the tourist cable car in San Francisco. I was able to take my Mom to see the Golden Gate Bridge, close up or underneath. I took a long awaited road trip to Colorado. I visited my land that I bought many years ago. I kind of learned to play the ukulele, You Are My Sunshine. I learned some more Spanish phrases. I learned some more French or rather relearned some French. I came in 3rd for the FabOver40 contest. I reached the charity goals I was fundraising. Started a new online shop for my Heartism artwork. I reviewed so much this year that I got my Local Guide Star on Google Maps. I made it through my first year of shots for new pain management treatment. And still passed all my business classes with B’s! I’m sure there are more things that I have forgotten ,but it was a pretty good year!
Well it’s about 8:00 PM California time. I’m sitting on our couch watching a Hallmark Christmas movie on Day 16th on our Christmas Movie List. Our Christmas tree is lite. All the Christmas decorations are put up to make it festive. My son and I have fun traditions that we do every Christmas so it’s nice to have those. We went to Christmas Loop in Rocklin to see all the festive Christmas light while sipping on hot coco and listening to Christmas songs on the radio. He has had to work a bit more this year but we should be able to head down south to be with my family for Christmas until New Year’s Day. What more could I ask for from Santa? I’m sure there are a few things I want, but I think I have all that I need.
Wishing you all the wonderful things that this time of year brings. May you Christmas be merry and bright. All I want for Christmas is you. Hehe.
To the rest of December, make it as memorable as possible. As always, thank you for joining me on all my adventures this year! Remember to be kind to each other and make those loving moments!
And if I don’t get a chance to write another blog by then, Merry Christmas and happy healthy New Year’s!
Photo by Anna Tukhfatullina Food Photographer/Stylist on Pexels.com
Hiyee everyone!
Happy November! Can you believe it’s the holidays already?? Like wow right? I think this year has flown by much more quickly than any other year by far. Or it might just seem like it has. What are you more excited for during November? This time of year, I’m excited for family, food, and festivities. Oh how I love the foods! Pumpkin. Cranberry. Sweet potatoes. Apple cider. Turkey. And all the other yummy foods!
In our family, we try to give each holiday its own true time for us to enjoy its moments. So we never take any moment for granted. Halloween is just that, fun, spooky Halloween. Thanksgiving is our time for gathering and giving thanks to what we have in life. Finally Christmas, the best time of year! For the cozy, warm, family, fun, and festive gathering. A fun tradition that just happened is the rule for watching Christmas movies. I love Christmas movies! I love them so much that my son noticed that I was watching Christmas movies even before December started and then would run out of Christmas movies in December. One year, my son stated that if I happen to watch a Christmas movie outside of December, I would LOSE one movie in December. I think I’m down to only 20 Christmas movies so far this year. Lol. It’s a good rule to make me take it slow and enjoy Christmas’s wintery holidays. We also have the heated debate of what is considered a Christmas movie, i.e. Die Hard, Red, etc. I think we agreed that if the movie takes place during Christmas, the movie is considered a holiday movie. What are your thoughts about what makes a Christmas movie a Christmas movie?
Another thing that I normally do or prep for in November is Thanksgiving dinner. How fun it has been each year to plan out what we will have and try to throw in healthy recipes since most of my family has some sort of aliment or health issues. Like many Americans, it really is hard to feel like we are able to be healthy and enjoy the foods we love around the holidays. What alternatives do you make to have recipes be more healthy? Please share your favorites! I’d love to hear how you keep recipes yummy and make them healthy as well.
After Thanksgiving, we draw our Christmas Secret Santa person. It’s been nice and less hectic than trying to get everyone a Christmas present. Especially being how tough its been on everyone the past few years, financially. We don’t want this time of year to be about money. We want to make memories and share happy family times. I do focus on stocking stuffers though. And each year as far as I can remember, we also have White Elephant gifts so it makes it fun to get some sort of wonky or good gift.
AND of course we part take in Black Friday, which has come earlier and earlier each year. We still try to run out to make list of good things that is needed (ONLY). My sisters and I will grab a Starbucks hot chocolate and head out to our favorite spots, Kohl’s, Target, Old Navy, Macy’s, and Wal-Mart. But as many of you out there, we order early through Amazon for the best deals and support Small Business at the same time. Giving back during this time of year really makes a difference for those getting help and you get those happy shivers of doing your part to be a good human. We also put up our Christmas tree after Thanksgiving so that we can plan out our theme (mostly me and my little sister) and get birthdays for both my sisters and then my Dad, New Years Day.
How do you do the holidays? Do you plan out the holidays and try to get things done by December-ish? Or just go with the flow and wing it?
Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving of making moments with your loved ones! As always, thank you for joining me on my journeys and adventures!
Please use my Amazon Affiliated Link for all your shopping this holiday! It helps me out.
Happy October! Happy Breast Cancer Awareness! The weather is starting to feel like Fall. And I am loving the changes of the leaves in our neighborhood trees. I already have been switching out and bring the cozy wears. Lol. How about you? What’s something about the changing season makes you feel good?
Speaking of feeling good. Today is the start for voting for one FABULOUS woman over 40! I am in the running in NewBeauty Magazine to have a chance to tell my story. What a great way to tell my cancer story and hopefully help other women out there. I love the feeling of community and being able to find other wonderful, amazing women out there and their stories of empowerment.
Please help me get the chance to tell my story by voting and sharing this link with everyone! Thank you as always for joining me on my journey! Take care. Be kind to each other and make those moments!
My new happy song! “Fabulous” by Ally Brooke.
“I woke up feeling fabulous. Don’t wait on me I’m fabulous.” ❤
Happy September! Here we are with the summer winding down and cooling off. I am excited that Fall will soon be here. I love the cooler weather and the rain. Driving in the rain is another story. Who is excited? I am! How have you been? Are you all enjoying this year so far? What are some of the highlights about 2023 you’d like to remember? If you had only one word to describe 2023, what would that word be? Mule over these questions as I get to the update part of my post.
August was ok. As far as I can remember, I had a bunch of doctors appointments. I also started a new pain management regiment; epidural shots and cortisone shots every few months to help ease some of the pain in my upper body and help with mobility issues with both of my arms. I can’t say that it’s been my favorite time, but it has helped a bit to make my daily life more bearable. The monthly drives to Folsom is always fun. We get coffee , go to my appointment, wait at my appointment, get follow up or shots, grab lunch, and head home to take a much needed nap.
I don’t know about you, but during these hot months, I am a melting puddle of sweat if I am doing too much. Hence the naps. I also got put on a blood pressure medicine that doesn’t help with all my hormone issues. So every day I am hot, cold, hot, cold, and hot all over again. After chemotherapy I became post-menopausal. I guess there are more fun times ahead. I still hope to have one more child by the time I turn 50 years of age. Cross fingers that I will find a nice, decent guy by then. If not, my son will still be the only child. We will see either way.
Dating has cease or is non-existent at the moment. I did write about one particular guy (he wanted me to call him Clarence in my blogs) that I matched with in May 2023 after getting off of the dating application Bumble. He lives really close to me so that was a plus for getting to meet up or hang out with him. He is not bad on the eyes. Smart. Funny. Focused on what he wants in life, advancement in his career at the moment. Gentle. Unselfish in the bedroom. Great kisser. Warm cuddler. Just a well rounded, kind, sweet, decent man. I am so grateful to have met him and to be able to spend time with him when we can. I love our talks about whatever comes to mind or how our days went. I have found myself missing him when we can’t get together due to life and stuff. It has been 4 months today of talking to him and getting to know him. Like I said in the last paragraph, cross fingers that I find a nice, decent guy to have another child with. Clarence is by far the closest to what I never knew I wanted in a guy. I could possibly see myself with him long term. But I have been known to self sabotage these nice “relationships”. So I want to take it slow with him and make sure nether of us get hurt if it doesn’t work out down the line. But I am keeping hopeful.
School started for Spring semester. I only have 2 classes to focus on. It is nice to be able to do well again. I feel bad when I am not a good student because I usually am. My son has 3 classes this semester. He is having fun with his design classes and all the other video game related classes he needs to take. He also is still working at Beta testing video games when he gets called to do so. So fun trips to the Bay Area. We are both doing well this semester. I am actually getting some much needed support during my new pain management regiment through the school. It basically helps me with giving me needed breaks from sitting too long in front of the computer for each class. Gives me print outs of the lessons each week. Gives me double time to complete my homework assignments and special circumstances when I take quizzes or exams that last more than an hour (splitting the test up to 2 or more part). It has helped with my anxiety issues of worrying about if I will finish in time for each week’s deadline. I am grateful.
Speaking of adventures and the Bay Area. My sister, my son, and myself took my mom to see the Golden Gate Bridge. She had been wanting all of us to go as a family and maybe walk the 8 mile bridge but she and my dad are both getting older so it is hard to travel with them. Plus all of my mom’s heat issues due to her nerves. We had a nice lunch picnic at Crissy Fields not to far from the beach. We could see the bridge, Sausalito, Alcatraz, Bay Bridge, and the city of course. The weather was predicating rain but it just sprinkled and slightly over casted. As we sat at the picnic table to eat, it got warmer and the sun came out. We also made a few bird friends. We took tons of pictures and walked along the water’s edge to get close to Fort Point under the bridge. We then headed to the Palace of Fine Arts and took tons of pictures of the dome and the garden and water areas. There were no swans this time, but we did see ducks. My mom enjoyed it. We all had a nice time. All and all, August was beautiful and we made good moments as a family.
September has been good so far. I came home for the week for doctors appointments. So I have had the house all to myself. I was hoping to have Clarence visit but he has not come around as of late. Bit worried but life is what it is. Sometimes you get what you want. Other times, you don’t.
So I bought myself flowers, a dozen roses to cheer me up. And taking small breaks to play Minecraft with my sister has help keep my mind off of him.
It is 10:00PM. I have Superman vs Batman in the background while working on reading in Econ and writing this lovely short update.
Thank you as always, for being part of my journey and joining me on all my many adventures!
Until next time, be kind to each other and go out to make all those wonderful moments!
How are you all? Can’t believe that it’s the last day of July… I think that once Halloween comes around, the year will be moving so quickly that 2023 will be over before we can even blink. Lol.
This post will be a bit different. I will have a quick life update then a nice short story I wrote awhile ago. I plan to compile all my short stories into a book. It really is to showcase my creative writing ideas with a dash of random dreams just for fun. I hope you enjoy it!
Summer update.
For the most part, we have just been trying to stay cool since there were weeks that it got to triple digits. But that’s part of California living. As much as I love the sunshine, it has been hard for me to stay cool. Drinking water is difficult since I often forget to sip on some. And eating has been a process. My appetite has gotten weird the last few month, probably from medicine changes. I hope my body will settle in and the current shot treatment will help with my pain, eventually. Cross fingers…
Dating update.
I have been off any dating site, including Bumble and EHarmony. I started it as a joke (kinda), when I restarted Facebook and set up a Sushi account. From the day I started it in February, I have not posted, answered, interacted with my page. I did want to grow the account to see if I can hit 5000 followers before the end of 2023, as a social experiment. I am currently at 959 followers. Haha.
I have cease talking or texting most of the guys I matched with from Bumble, except one really. I changed his name, so Clarence is the only guy I have been spending my time talking, texting, and hanging out with. Last time we cuddles was July 5, as I got back from the 4th of July weekend with my family down in Modesto. He’s a sweet, smart, sexy, handsome and kind man. It seemed that he missed me and has just been working and staying busy with his outdoor adventures with friends. He also was training for a full San Francisco marathon. I was actually in the Bay Area too since my son had to work in Palo Alto that same weekend. It has been hard not seeing him or spending time with him. It’s been almost a month. I hope that we will get to have coffee or dinner together soon.
Rest if IRL update.
I have been getting some shot treatments for about 4 months now. My next treatment will be a radio something treatment. I hope the procedure will be less painful than the shot one. I have been without PT for the last month due to scheduling issues. So to maintain some peace, I have been on 2 types of pain medicine. Taking it one day at a time. Getting my yoga in each morning. And been losing weight so that’s a good thing. 🙂
The sun was bright and the clouds were fluffy enough to form cloud rabbits and heart shapes, if you looked close enough. The warm sunlight touched her rosy pink face. She closed her eyes and tilted her face up towards the sky as she took in a nice deep breathe. Even though her eyes were closed, she could see the sun’s bright halo, a bright round ball.
She could make out the tweet of birds in the trees not too far from where she was sitting, through the loud roars of the cars passing by. In the distance, a plane was flying overhead, probably carrying passengers going about their business to still travel during these uncertain times. She took in the last deep breathe and slowly open her eyes. She didn’t wear her mask since she was far enough away from others. She unlocked her phone to check out what time it was. She had a few minutes to sit there in peace.
Minutes later, she positioned her mask on her face and took a sip of water to settle the dryness in her mouth. Getting out of the car and making sure she had everything in her purse and locked the car. It was not too busy today so it was nice to find parking close without going through the valet parking. She had not been in this part of the building before so was a bit early to make sure she was not late for her appointment.
The sign on the door told her she was in the right place. She opened the door and walking inside, going down a long hallway. Something about the smell of doctor’s offices that made her heart beat a bit faster. Maybe going through what she has been through the last year was still not sinking in yet. She was nervous. Wiping her brow as sweat was forming as she got to the open checking in and seating area. She smiled at a lady that was sitting near by as their eyes met. A year ago she would have never thought anything of it being around other patients. But since all the many events that have gone on, she started to notice that most of the other patients were much older than she was. Her doctor did state once that she was one of the youngest to go through what she was going through.
There was no-one in line so she waiting for the nurse to call her up from behind the plastic glass window at the counter. She grabbed her wallet to get drivers license and insurance cards. The older nurse asked her, ” How may I help you today?”
She gave her her name and told her what time her appointment was. The nurse smiled and asked for her driver’s license and insurance cards. She then asked if all the information they had on record was still correct. She nodded yes. The nurse then typed in some information into her computer. Once she was done, she grabbed a clip board with some forms attached and asked her to have a seat and fill out a few forms. The nurse handed her her driver’s license and insurance cards along with pen for the forms.
Looking around, she found a seat close to the wall. She sat down and placed her purse next to her on the seat. It took her a few minutes to fill out the forms that she was given. These were familiar since she had filled out dozens the past year. Most were just basic information about her. Then the next pages asked about her health history. She was always confused on how she has had to fill out the same forms for the many doctor’s offices that she had to visit in the last year. It’s a wonder how far we are with technology, yet every day we have to fill out dozens of paperwork. She shook her head to herself thinking about this. She finally finished the last page and signed her signature and dated the form. She went back to the counter to give the clip board to the nurse. The nurse said thank you and told her to have a seat, she would be called back as soon as they were ready for her. She smiled and asked if she could have a mint. The nurse smiled back and told her, ” Help yourself.”
Near the door to the back room of the office was a coffee and tea area. She wanted to grab a hot cocoa but didn’t want to have to carry the hot liquid into the back office. She found the seat next to the wall to wait. She pulled out her phone to check if there were any texts or emails she needed to read just to fill the wait time. She has gotten in the habit to documenting her doctor’s visit, for one; to keep track of her timeline, and two; share her journey with the online world.
A nurse opened the door and called her name. She had put her nickname on most forms so that it would be easier for the nurses to pronounce. So most of her health documents had her nickname on them along with her legal name.
She placed her phone back in her purse and walked through the door. The new nurse told her her name and asked how she was feeling today. She smiled and told her that she was a bit tired but feeling okay today. The nurse then proceeded to ask her to verify her name and date of birth. She answered. The nurse then had her place her purse down and step on the scale to get her weight. She had gain weight since she found out her diagnose. So it read, 160 pounds.
The nurse then had her follow her into a doctor’s room to wait for the radiologist. She explained that this appointment would be about 2 hours long since it was her very first visit. She nodded yes to let the nurse know she understood. Once in the room she sat in a chair and placed her purse next to her. The nurse then explained that she would be taking her vitals, blood pressure, temperature, and heart rate. The nurse noted everything and told her that her blood pressure was a bit high, then asked if she had a history of high blood pressure. She told her that it just started to get high since all the stressful events that has lead her to today. She explained that it happens now every time she visits any doctor’s offices. The nurse smiled and nodded that she totally understood. She then told her that it would be a few minute for the doctor to come see her. She said okay and sat quietly waiting.
There was a knock at the door and the doctor entered with the nurse following behind him. He introduced himself and shook her hand. He sat down on his stool that was in front of a computer holding her file. As he looked down, he spoke to her softly and asked her how she was feeling. Telling her that this must be a highly stressful time for her but to not worry, this part of the treatment is straight forward and he and nurses were there for her every step of the way. She smiled and nodded to let the doctor understand that she was listening. He looked at her file and went over her health history asking confirmation with certain things that came up. The doctor then went on to ask about her schedule to see when they could start the treatment. He told her that once they start the treatment they can not stop until the 32 days of treatment was complete. She said that she was ready and did not have too much going on. He said that they will focus on each treatment at the time of each treatment. He then asked if she had any questions. She just asked to see if there will be any side effects from the treatments. He explained matter -of -factly that each patient will go through the treatment differently, so have any side effects and some will not. The main consistent side effects were redness, swelling, and some aching in the treated area. He said it feels like having really bad sunburn and to make sure to use the creams they will give her as needed. She felt good about the answer and smile at the doctor as he smiled at her. He patted her on the hand and told her that they will take care of her.
The doctor said that the nurse will take her to the changing room and explain every step of the process for the remainder of the appointment. He stood up and headed for the door and said he would see her in the procedure room in a few. The nurse then had her follow to the changing room that was door the hall. She told her to use any of the rooms and take off everything above her waist then put on the blue or green exam gown. She was told to remove any metals or jewelry and to use the lockers for her personal belongings. And to make sure to lock and take the key with her.
She did what she was told. She stopped a moment to look in the mirror at her reflection. She smiled to herself and took a deep breathe. She took a selfie for the moment. Day 1 of 32, check. She put her belongings int he locker and texted her family her selfie and let them know she was going into her first appointment.
There was another woman waiting in the sitting area. She smiled at her and sat down to wait. A few minute later the nurse opened the door and called her name. She lead her to the examing area with a table and some x-ray like huge machine. The nurse explained that they had to fit her with her own foam forming mold for the rest of her treatment days. This way they make sure to get the correct spot for radiation. She was asked to step up onto the table bed and lay down face up. She was nervous even though there were not painful procedure at the moment. She looked up to the ceiling and there was a sunshine, nature skyline above her. This helped to calm her down and she took in a nice slow breathe. The nurse went to grab the foam and came back to start placing it under her arms, up over her head, and down under the other arm. Before the nurse did anything, she explained it before the process. The nurse told her to lay perfectly still so that the foam and adjust to her body. It felt nice like she was being cradled, and felt secure. Minutes later the foam harden. The nurse told her that she will have this foam for every treatment.
Next, another nurse came in to help her nurse. She introduced herself and told her that she was there to measure and place tattoo makers area the area that was for radiation. She said there will be 4 tiny tattoos of dots to make the area around her breast. She jokingly said, “If you ever wanted to get tattoos, here you go, you get 4.” And they all smiled. The 2nd nurse had a needle and some radiation ink. She marked the four spots and then went over the marks with the tattoo ink. It was like getting a small prick in the finger. Her nurse told her that the next step is to measure her breast section for the radiation machine. They have to set it specifically for her treatments so they won’t have to adjust it each time she came for the treatments. Both nurses moved outside the room. It was quiet and they communicated with her through a microphone from the other room.
The radiologist came on the speaker and asked if she was okay. She said she was fine. The doctor told her to lay still that the machine was going to measure and set four times. Once that was all set the first treatment would start. Each treatment was about 30 minutes long. The time passed quickly listening to the buzzing and movement of the machine. She focused on the calm ceiling. She tried to not think about anything to stressful laying there on the exam bed. Moments later the radiologist came on the speaker and said that we were about done. To lay still and the nurse will come help her off the bed. The red radiation light over the door went off and the door opened. Her nurses came in and asked if she was feeling okay. Her nurse helped her sit up on the bed and helped her with the exam gown to cover her up. They removed the foam form and placed it in a shelf against the wall with other foams. She was helped off the bed and stepped down feeling a bit lightheaded. The nurse held her arm to steady her for a moment. They told her she was done for the day and to check out with the nurse at the desk to get the next appointment time for tomorrow. The desk nurse smiled and asked her how it went. She told her that it was fast and simple. The nurse said that is good to hear. The desk nurse bend down and opened a file drawer to grab a light pink bag with the hospital’s name and the department. She told her that inside the welcome bag was some reading material, contact information, maps, her next appointment time card (which she was going to show her how to check-in for each treatment after she finished changing back into her regular clothes), and some lotions and creams to use for the treatment area.
After changing, she met the nurse at the door and followed her to the check-in keypad that was close to the coffee and tea area next to the door to the back offices. She took out the card and showed her how to swipe the card and then enter her birthdate to check-in. Then the door should open and she could go the the changing room to get into the blue or green gowns to wait for her treatment. The nurse asked if she had any questions. She smiled and nodded no. She said, “Okay, you are all set for today. We will see you tomorrow.” She said thank you and good bye.
As she was leaving the office, she stopped by the front desk to grab a few more mints (because her little sister asked if she could grab a few for her). She walked down the long hall and pushed open the door to reach the outside parking area. She stopped a moment and took a deep breathe before heading towards her car.
She thought to herself, ” You are going to be fine.” She looked at her reflection in the rearview mirror and smiled. Nice that she was in her light pink top. It was another journey that she has embarked on. Like the past year, she will be strong and get through it.
She turned on the radio and her song came on,
“When my mind says I’m not good enough God, You’re enough for me I’ve decided I’m not giving up You won’t give up on me”…..
As always, thank you for joining me on my adventures!
Welcome Summer! To kick off the summer, we decided to take a long awaited road trip. What better way to start the summer with a family road trip to Colorado. And to take advantage of the state’s free fishing weekend. Since this will be my first ever fishing experience.
I planned out our trip like a good responsible road-tripper. I think I got all the details and some flexible things thrown in to give us a little buffer along the long driving road trip. We rented a SUV, mapped out our stops for each state that we would stop at, prepped clothes, camp items, food items, snack items, sunscreen, bug repellent, etc. It took a lot of lists, lol. But by the time start day came, I felt pretty comfortable that we would have a safe and fun road trip.
The Sunday before, I had to pick up my brother who would be there to be a support and alterative driver. It also was nice to have him come along to see the property in Colorado, plus his friend lived in Colorado so visiting was a good thing.
May 31st was the start of our trip. Got up at 8:00am to pick up our rental. We got there a bit late and there was a bit of wait even with a reservation. Luckily I had called night before to make sure we got the correct size vehicle since we had so much stuff even when I parred down a bit with some items that we could buy along the way. The Hertz person saved us a Toyota Highlander which was nice with off road options etc. The trunk was nice and would barely fit all our things. So with a bit of Tetris-ing, everything fit snug and we were on our way at about 11:30am.
My son was the navigator. Funny thing about Google Maps, some days you don’t get the same route so we actually had a few mapped out. The middle route that we originally mapped and planned our stops, had so many more interesting sites to visit. Our route we ended on didn’t have much to see or do. So we winged it.
Our route started on 80 going towards Tahoe and Reno. First state we went through was Nevada. I know that with the elevation change it would be a bit hard on my body. We took a few pit stops to get gas and bathroom breaks. One of the interesting cities that we would stop at was Lovelock, Nevada. It was known for the lovelocks that people could place their locks on with names of their loved ones or lovers. We didn’t have a chance to get a lock but did get a photo of one of the hearts with locks on it. We also found Big Wood at the gas station pit stop. It was a fun quick stop to get gas and also see a fun site. Next on our stop for the night was Elko, Nevada. We had planned to make reservations along the way but was unsure of the drive times and didn’t want to pay for hotel if we ended up not staying. So just walk-ins to stay for the night. It was a Best Western Inn. The price was one thing when we looked it up online. It went up by $30 when we got to the property. It was fine. Got settled and tried to sleep for night. Breakfast was nice since it had waffles! Hung out for a bit then packed up the car again to check out.
The drive to Utah was very mountain. There were some really dark skies and even rain as we went through. We we wanted to site see in Salt Lake City so the drive was super flat with all the salt lakes. There was not much to see but it was nice to be able to say that we drove through the salt lakes lol. Salt Lake City was very busy since it was a city. We wanted to find something to do and found a butte garden on top of a hill near the university. But my son didn’t realize we had to pay to go through the botanical gardens. It was ok. We visited the gift shop and took pictures from high up on the hill that we were at. It was very beautiful with another thunderstorm on its way. The pit stop in Utah was Lehi for the night. I was not use to the traffic and felt a bit overwhelmed. So the Days Inn it was for the night. Unfortunately, it was a very outdated property and didn’t have breakfast. We were on the 2nd floor and there was not view since there was a building blocking it. We did get a bit of the freeway. Sleep was ok. It was a very unpleasant morning since housekeeping kept coming by every 30 minute since 8:00am… We finally headed out and grabbed some lunch at McDonalds. The rest of Utah drive was pretty good. We did have some more gas stops on the way into Colorado.
The flat drive turned into mountain, single lanes, some unpaved, and winding roads. For the most part it was fine. There were hour stretches of the winding that I was not used to. But we finally got to our hotel in Alamosa Colorado by 8:00pm. It was dark and kind of in the middle of now where. Check in was fine and getting all of our stuff into the room was challenging since so many mosquitoes. We picked up dinner at the Burger King down the way and then waited for our laundry to finish. My brother’s friend had gotten there a bit after us. My son, my brother and his friend hung out at the computers playing video games. I just kept busy with my phone. Bedtime was nice and I slept pretty good that night. It was pretty warm but the air helped out.
The weekend plan was to visit our land property which was about an hour away from the hotel. We had also planned to fish since that was one of the reasons for the trip, free fishing weekend. We had breakfast which had a very nice spread. There were the yummy waffles. My son really enjoyed the scrambled eggs. We stopped at the store to grab a few items and snacks and headed out to finally see our land that I purchased so many years back but had never visited or seen in person. The drive was pretty direct until we got the the property area. We had a chance to go off roading! Fun with the AWD of the highlander. We found our plot and we took lots of pictures. Most of it was full of short bushes and tall grass. It looked like there were some neighbors that lived in RVs. We didn’t stay too long but wanted to get the feel of the land before we headed out to the Sand Dunes. The park was pretty far and again on a single road. The Oasis pit stop had gas and all kinds of snacks, foods, and restrooms. This was also the place to rent some boards to slide down the sand dunes. I was not feeling well so I tried to encourage my son and my brother to go without me so that they can experience it. They both did not want to. So we ended up just taking a picture of the sand dunes. Maybe on our next trip we will do it then.
Now for the frustrating fishing expedition. We did not realize how many water ways were closed due to low fish. We drove a couple of places to find the same signs of closure before we just took a break back at the hotel. To regroup and try to research out some areas near the hotel. It was getting dark by this time so we ended up just getting dinner and staying in for the night.
We decided to leave a bit early Sunday so that we could get home soon and also have some time to explore the sites along the way. To let my son and brother some extra sleep, I got up , got ready, and went to grab breakfast for us all. I packed and made sure to not forget anything. After packing and getting ready for the day, we packed the car and headed out. We waved good bye to Alamosa and mapped our way out of Colorado.
Our route back to California was a different way. It would take us down and through Utah and Arizona. I drove to the half mark which was about 8 or so hours. We tried to see if there were any camp sites near our route so that we could camp under the stars for the night since we didn’t get to fish or camp over the weekend. No such luck. Most were reservation required or tours which were very pricey. We got to Big Lake to stop off for restrooms and gas. We also got another Burger King. This one had a historic site about Indians that lived in that area. It was a fun exploring. I loved the huts and we took pictures of it all. My brother volunteer to take up the driving since it was getting dark. We were going to drive the whole way through but decided to pit stop in Vegas, Nevada. Since both my son and brother had never been. We looked up some of the hotels and they were cheap but had huge sur charges or booking charges. We ended up at a Super 8…. Weirdest and most unsafe I felt in a very long time being at any type of hotel or motel. Our room was just very used feeling and although the sheets and towels were white, they were unclean, if you know what I mean. It was just for the next 5 or so hours of sleep. We decided to wake up as early as possible to get a chance to visit Circus Circus. It was the only free-ish casino that allowed children. I remember going there once but in Reno and how fun it was to play for M&Ms. The arcade and gaming was nice for my son and brother. They played a few games and tried to get as much tickets as possible in the few hours we hung out. At the end of it all, my son got a Lemondrops and a toy car. He had fun with his uncle though. I was having fun but the smoke was getting to me and I felt sluggish as my allergies kicked in. I didn’t realize how many other states still allow smoking indoors. I am glad that I live in California for that reason.
Heading out as it turned 98 degrees, the rental was hot. But thank goodness for air conditioning. We waved good bye to Vegas and my brother drove again. I had a good time sitting and being a passenger. As we got into Arizona the landscape changed to these mesa like patterns in the rocks along the way. So many big holes and strange mountain shapes. Tons of rock formations and lots of dirt things to see. Then we started to go into New Mexico for a bit then Utah and Arizona a few times before we saw the California entrance.
Hello California! We drove through Joshua Tree and a bunch of towns that were just dirt. One town was so much dirt cloud we could barely see the roads. As we got to the 99 highway, we stop for a bathroom break and gas. I took over driving to get to Modesto. We made it there before it got too dark. We decided to stay the night since I was exhausted for the whole trip. It was good to hang out with my parents before we headed home early in the morning.
After driving about 40 hours total, I was ready to get home. We got home at 10:00am and unpacked the car. We had the rental for another day so one less thing to rush over.
The trip is definitely one I would take again. Since we plan to try and build something on the land in Colorado. I will research it further before then.
All and all, fun interesting, exploring road tip! My only advise is to either take more night sleep breaks with just me and my son or have a few more drivers on the trip with us. Only thing about more people is the possible annoyance or getting on each others nerves being in the same small space that whole time. But it was an experience that I would want to do again. Maybe even try to visit every state in our U.S. of A. Some day.
As always, thank you for joining me on my adventures!
Get out there and explore this summer if you get a chance. The moments you get to make and share with family or friends is an experience worth taking. Just saying.
Sushi's Sensible Spouts 