I have reached an important six year anniversary. Oddly, I was reminded of this vital
milestone while cleaning out the guest bathroom. The bathroom needed to be
cleaned in preparation for our next visitors scheduled to arrive sometime in
November. My daughter, having left for graduate school at Appalachian State
University, abandoned a number of bottles of lotion, body wash, conditioner,
and shampoo. Some bottles I just tossed
others I sniffed to see if they were worth keeping for my own use.
There it was a near empty bottle of Coconut-Lime Shampoo. The scent struck me with a vivid array of
sensations and images. I realized that
it has been six years since I finished cancer treatment and a series of
biopsies showed that the tumor was gone.
My youngest sister’s gift to me just as I was starting cancer treatment
in the summer of 2007 was a set of bathing products including Coconut-Lime
Shampoo from Bath and Body Works.
Because I would not be able to get adequate treatment for my
particular brand of cancer in Anchorage, Alaska I had to leave behind my home
and family so I could be treated at Huntsman Cancer Center. During that summer my husband and children
pampered me and worried over me. My two older sisters housed me, cared for me, and
watched over me as I endured chemotherapy and radiation treatment for a tumor
in my tongue (a saliva gland gone wrong.)
Daily I was bathed in coconut-lime.
It is remarkable how powerfully a scent can infuse
and even give more significance to our memories.
The scent of coconut-lime brings to mind the
loving care I experienced from so many people and the relief I felt over the
next six years as I gradually recovered from the devastating side-effects of
radiation.
Cancer treatment was wretched. But mostly I don’t think of
the awful times at all. I catch a whiff
of coconut-lime and I feel a sense of wellbeing that comes from being carried
along by powers above and beyond me. I’m also reminded of the importance of gently
and aggressively caring for myself so that I can have the energy and wellness
to enjoy life and help others enjoy life.
This is a crucial reminder for the “retirement” phase of
life. I have been an active person:
dancing, hiking, water-skiing, yoga, biking, boating, golfing and more. I want to keep being active well into my old
age, to stay as young as possible for as long as possible, able to enjoy
activities of all kinds with my children and grandchildren. However, I have realized in the last couple
of years that I have a stubborn resistance to getting to the doctor in a timely
manner. With health issues great and
small this can easily lead to crippling or even life threatening problems
In the spring of 2012, I had a two month bout of bronchitis
that I neglected until it became pneumonia.
I finally got to the doctor and was treated with antibiotics but it was
too late. Within a week the pneumonia
exploded in my lung. I ended up in the
hospital with a high temperature, racing pulse, crushing pain in my chest and
sepsis; all because I was just too busy to take time to get to the doctor early
on.
We don’t need to be hypochondriacs but we do need to take
better care of ourselves. We all eat too
much, move to little, and wait too long to take care of symptoms that would be
much easier taken care of early. Thank
goodness I didn’t do that with cancer, if I had, I would be dead.
Many of you may have followed my husband’s experience with
carpal tunnel surgery. It is a
condition that is pretty common. I don’t know when exactly the right time for
any one individual to have carpal tunnel surgery is, but I do know that once it
starts eroding your quality of life it is not going to get any better without
serious treatment. Interestingly, Ralph
has now found that he has a pinched ulnar nerve in his right arm and this very
likely could not have been discovered without first resolving the carpal tunnel
problems.
Much of this first year of retirement has been spent
addressing a number of health issues that have been a drag on our quality of
life. I am so grateful for the excellent
healthcare professionals we’ve found who have compassionately and aggressively
addressed our needs. I’ve also learned
to be more articulate and assertive when discussing my health issues. In the long run prevention, early treatment,
and good communication with our healthcare providers reduces our suffering and
saves us money.
There is nothing noble
about suffering unnecessarily or stubbornly avoiding doctor visits.
I’m going to restock my supply of Coconut-Lime bath products
to be a sweet and vivid reminder of how good it feels to take care of myself,
to be cared for, and to care for those around me. Whatever inspires a sense of wellbeing for
you, get it, and get as well as you possibly can as soon as you can. It will make you and everyone around you
happier.
Now that we have relocated to Idaho to be closer to grandkids, and I am sufficiently recovered from my surgeries, my time has loosened up so I am reinstating my online businesses. The sordid details including income potential will be shared with my email group so sensitive information is protected. To join the email group sign up in the box beside this post. Jeannie and I hope you will join us in this retirement income adventure.
