We are looking forward to our next vacation adventure. Next week I'll be turning 40. To celebrate, we are flying to CA to spend it with family and friends for a few days. Michael has some surprises planned as his response to questions about what we are doing is "leave it alone." Hmmm. But he has be encouraging me to skydive while in CA. Lordy, that scares me to death. I won't do it alone and I requested someone equally as scared. Not sure if Dennis is, but he has said he'd do it with me. So we'll see. Stay tuned...
Afterwards, we are heading on to Puerto Vallarta for a week. I hope the warm weather will help relax my left hand again like our last trip to Cabo. I was able to swim again (wasn't able to in Cozumel - too soon).
We are going to try snorkling too since we have not been able to on any of our last trips. Michael used to scuba dive so this is elementary to him. But he is willing to do this for me. I love him :)
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Monday, January 4, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
Happy New Year! Another decade gone by. So much has happened over the years. It's been fun walking down Memory Lane...
Let's see, I've moved a few times - from La Puente, CA to Corona, CA back to La Puente, CA then to Graham, WA.
I changed jobs a few times - from Walt Disney Travel to The Disneyland Resort in Special Events where I was on the grand opening team with Lori for both Disney's California Adventure (DCA) and Downtown Disney (DTD), to First American Real Estate Solutions, to Pacific Palms Conference Resort, then to Allied Home Mortgage.
I even got my AAS degree in Medical Real-time transcription from South Coast College.
I had the privilege of spending the day at CA Speedway with my friend Kristen Rossow doing a Marlboro sponsored Hot Laps event. We rode laps in a Nascar, did a road course track and burned rubber drafting. Even got to sit in an open wheel Formula race car. It was a blast!
It was here that I got to meet Rick Mears. He is one of three men to win the Indianapolis 500 four times (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991). Mears is also a 3-time Champcar national champion (1979, 1981 and 1982). He holds the record for pole positions at the Indy 500 (6).
That day sparked an idea in Michael for my 36th birthday present. This was 40 laps of me driving my own Nascar at Irwindale Speedway. It was so fun and lots of hard work!
Recreationally, I learned to golf and play tennis. I also played co-ed softball with my favorite team - Last Chance. My calculations show that I was on that team for 14 years. Softball came to an end in March 2007. Tennis I have not tried in a while, except for Wii.
Golf has come to a halt - Although I've played 9 holes since March 2007 with Curtis and Alanna.
Then, my life suddenly changed in an instant. I suffered a terrible hemorrhagic stroke in March 2007 which left me with paralysis on my entire left side. My first ride in a helicopter was when I was air-lifted to ICU to a trauma hospital in Seattle, WA - Harborview Medical. I was in a wheel chair for a couple of weeks, then used a walker for a few days, then a four-point cane, then a single-point cane, then had to learn to walk again without the use of any assistance. It's been almost three years now, my gait is ok but not great, I walk with a limp which I can't seem to control due to pain, and I still cannot use my left hand with any fine motor skills. I used to type 80wpm, now I type with one hand, my right.
I got married on July 7, 2007 to Michael four months post-stroke. I was able to "walk down the aisle" with aid on the arm of my brother Randy.
I walked my first 5K for Revlon Womens Cancers with Lori, Cindy, Tracy and Alanna. I raised over $2,100 to help find a cure.
A road trip with Michael down the WA and OR coastline back up to visit Mt Saint Helens 4 days before it started to bubble again after being dormant for 26 years (1980 vs 2006)
A road trip with Dave and Curtis from Redlands to Oklahoma City, OK to see Randy and swap motorcycles (we made it there and back in just under 48 hours swaping drivers every two hours).
Another road trip from La Puente, CA to Glasgow, KY with Randy and Cindy so Randy could have Mom's 4-door white Honda Accord (she bought a new 2-door blue Honda Accord)
Another road trip from La Puente, CA to Glasgow, KY with Michael to deliver that 2-door blue Honda Accord to Randy so Mom could buy a newer 4-door Honda Accord. We visited Beale Street in Memphis, TN (loved it!) and Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN (loved it!) with Randy and his family.
Many wonderful trips to the Roundhouse in San Felipe, MX. Never get enough of those.
A roadtrip home with Michael from San Felipe, MX through Ensenada and Tijuana with Steve and Olivia Jirsa.
A road trip to La Paz, MX chasing Dave in the Baja 1000. That was an awesome trip with the exception of Dave's truck motor blowing up in Baja on the return trip home (had to be towed), and Blackie the racetruck motor blowing up just as we crossed the border into CA (had to be towed).
Another road trip from Seattle, WA to Plaster City, CA for Dave's off-road race 31Dec2008. We are so sorry to have missed him take the championship 31Dec2009. We got stuck in a snow/ice storm in Portland, OR and the pass at the Siskiyou mountain range was closed.
Michael surprised me with our honeymoon trip to Cozumel, MX. He told me we were going to Antartica.
Let's see, I've moved a few times - from La Puente, CA to Corona, CA back to La Puente, CA then to Graham, WA.
I changed jobs a few times - from Walt Disney Travel to The Disneyland Resort in Special Events where I was on the grand opening team with Lori for both Disney's California Adventure (DCA) and Downtown Disney (DTD), to First American Real Estate Solutions, to Pacific Palms Conference Resort, then to Allied Home Mortgage.
I even got my AAS degree in Medical Real-time transcription from South Coast College.
I had the privilege of spending the day at CA Speedway with my friend Kristen Rossow doing a Marlboro sponsored Hot Laps event. We rode laps in a Nascar, did a road course track and burned rubber drafting. Even got to sit in an open wheel Formula race car. It was a blast!
It was here that I got to meet Rick Mears. He is one of three men to win the Indianapolis 500 four times (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991). Mears is also a 3-time Champcar national champion (1979, 1981 and 1982). He holds the record for pole positions at the Indy 500 (6).
That day sparked an idea in Michael for my 36th birthday present. This was 40 laps of me driving my own Nascar at Irwindale Speedway. It was so fun and lots of hard work!
Recreationally, I learned to golf and play tennis. I also played co-ed softball with my favorite team - Last Chance. My calculations show that I was on that team for 14 years. Softball came to an end in March 2007. Tennis I have not tried in a while, except for Wii.
Golf has come to a halt - Although I've played 9 holes since March 2007 with Curtis and Alanna.
Then, my life suddenly changed in an instant. I suffered a terrible hemorrhagic stroke in March 2007 which left me with paralysis on my entire left side. My first ride in a helicopter was when I was air-lifted to ICU to a trauma hospital in Seattle, WA - Harborview Medical. I was in a wheel chair for a couple of weeks, then used a walker for a few days, then a four-point cane, then a single-point cane, then had to learn to walk again without the use of any assistance. It's been almost three years now, my gait is ok but not great, I walk with a limp which I can't seem to control due to pain, and I still cannot use my left hand with any fine motor skills. I used to type 80wpm, now I type with one hand, my right.
I got married on July 7, 2007 to Michael four months post-stroke. I was able to "walk down the aisle" with aid on the arm of my brother Randy.
I walked my first 5K for Revlon Womens Cancers with Lori, Cindy, Tracy and Alanna. I raised over $2,100 to help find a cure.
I've been blessed to travel a lot. Destinations and trips in no particular order include:
- Glasgow, KY a few times this decade. One was in 2002 shown below with Sammy, Jacob and Matt.
- Cabo San Lucas for my 35th birthday (thank you for that surprise Michael!)
Many trips flying back and forth from CA to Seattle. I saw some amazing things from the plane. Here is one shot of Mt Rainier, WA.
A roadtrip home with Michael from San Felipe, MX through Ensenada and Tijuana with Steve and Olivia Jirsa.
- We even went on a cruise to Alaska for our 2nd wedding anniversary. Michael's parents took the entire family for a week. It was also their 50th wedding anniversary July 10, 2007.
But my favorite memory this decade was when Michael and I drove from Seattle to La Puente for Easter to surprise Mom only 4 weeks after my stroke. Flying was not an option says my neurologist due to the swelling in my brain caused by the excess blood. She said driving would be ok. I figured if I was going to have another stroke it could happen anywhere and I wanted to see Mom so we drove. We arrived in Riverside Friday night to stay with Curtis and Sharyl. The next morning we went to Mom's. We pulled into her driveway. She started to stir in the house wondering who was there. Michael got out and walked around the car and opened the passenger side door. I struggled to get out of the car since I was still learning to walk again. I had to use my cane. My left hand was still curled like a gorilla claw. One slow step at a time I walked into 1309. Mom greeted me with a strong hug like never before. Tears were in both our eyes. I think we both realized at that moment just how bad things were for both of us. She couldn't take care of me and I couldn't take care of her anymore. Sadly, she was diagnosed with breast cancer on March 1, 2007 one day before my stroke. She felt her devestating diagnosis caused my stroke. She would loose her battle with cancer only 4 months later on Aug 11, 2007.
We visited all day at her house. The next morning was Easter so we all went to church with Mom. After church we visited with Mom's friends. Seeing the family in Redlands was next. So we drove up the driveway in Redlands. People were millowing around in the garage area. We pulled up and I remember seeing Uncle Don first. He came over to the passenger side to open my door. I've never seen him look so surprised and happy to see me. He gave me the biggest hug ever. Tears were in both our eyes and he looked at me in disbelief. I got out of the car using my cane again. This time, I'm getting tired easily due to the long car ride down plus seeing Mom plus church so I needed to sit down. We stayed and visited for the day knowing we needed to head home the next day. Like I said, it was my favorite trip ever and I wouldn't change a moment of it.
Goodbye 2009. I look forward to the start of 2010 and a new decade of memories!
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