What a Hellava Year!!

[JimF]

What a Hellava Year!!

Before my selection of title offends anyone let me do a little Frolick Family year in review. Now I have been thought a few years, more that some, less than a few of you good people, but in my 68 there has never been one to quite stack up like this. Not when I went to Viet Nam or when the kids were born or loved ones died.

Almost exactly one year ago today the wife and I were planning on pulling out of our RV winter over location in South Texas to head to Dallas to assist our son when he had a hip replacement, one of two planned for the year and it had been needed for the past 30 years. I guess you could make a whole other book out of that one but it is where this story starts.

On March 3d the mother in law fell on the ice in Marshfield MA and broke her hip and shoulder, being the only retired sibling and feeling free to make the decision the wife would fly to Boston while I went to Dallas to help the kid. Whoever was free first would join the other at their location. The plan was engaged and Joan flew away to stay at her sisters and take care of grandma.

I went to do the Dallas thing and it all worked out until about the end of April. Joan had flown to Dallas to visit the son and we were heading back to Boston to hang out for the summer while her mother healed. The troubling thing was Joan had gotten sick and complained of left side chest pains. (No, not heart she had a quadruple bypass at 43 so we knew what that was.)

When we arrived in the Boston area we stay at Hanscom AFB FamCamp, on arrival Joan wanted to go to a doctor, now this is alarming if you know Joan. She doesn’t go to the Doctor for any reason if not totally forced and she is volunteering, wow. On a visit to the base we went to the clinic and an Air Force doctor examined her, she ruled out what Joan “thought” she had, Joan’s a great self doctor you understand, Dr Joan.

As a precaution a chest x-ray was ordered and that is were it all went to hell. The next day, a Tuesday we had a call from the base to come see the doctor right away and we had that real gut wrenching feeling. Arrived at the doctor’s office at 9 AM, by 9:15 we knew Joan had lung cancer in the right center lobe of her lungs. We also had an appointment at 12:00 with several specialist at Lahey Clinic in Bedford MA.

At this point let me say that I have a daily journal of our “activities” for the next several months, all the tests, surgery, recovery and final good news that we had an ”apparent” cure to be verified by semi-annual checks for the next 5 years, but hell that is good news.

The end of October, after another CT Scan we left for Dallas and the son’s other hip replacement then on to Houston to visit my Mother who is just to turn 92. Joe had a successful surgery and we arrived in Houston on November 14th as planed. We did have to make a much slower trip than previously due to the recent surgery but Joan is a trooper and we made our planed trip on schedule

“My normal routine is to have a physical when we return south and this year was no exception. I had my normal visit, received the normal prescription refills and testing orders, this time I asked for a x-ray, the Doctor couldn’t understand why but said ok since it’s been a long time. The x-ray was taken and I was scheduled for blood work the next morning. Nine AM the next morning I am in the blood lab when the Doctor calls and wants to see me fast. OH CRAP! He shows me the x-ray and bigger than hell a tumor in my upper left lobe of the left lung. Of course I get the referrals for more testing, oncology, etc., as with Joan.

Now understand this, we had not told my mother about Joan’s illness and were planning on telling her “at the right time” when this came up and it’s a “now what” situation. I had my scans and a surgery date set, etc., and thought we would tell her just before my surgery.

On December 5 in the early AM mother is rushed by ambulance to emergency with a brain hemorrhage. This stops the world in the Frolick household and it’s endless hours of hospital vigil until December 12 when she passed. With the affairs of burial and family estate my health situation was slipping out weeks by week.

Finally in January we had had enough and my lung lobe removal was scheduled for February 8 at 10:30 in the morning, and we did it.

It is now almost a year since this all started in exactly the same RV space in the same RV park. We have really had a lot of family bonding and lasting friendship formed during this journey, I wouldn‘t want to make this trip again but if I had too I would sure want all these people this has touched to be there with me, they are all the best.

Thanks, Jim, yep, one HELLVA year.

[jimcol]

Jim,
Life can sure be pretty tough at times. Our thoughts and prayers that you will have a more better years than the last.

[Art-n-Marge]

Wow, all in one year. That would be a tough year for several families and this was all in the same family. Our condolences and best wishes are included in our prayers towards your family's recovery. Your family has certainly been tested. Thanks for sharing because this can sure remind us not to fret the simple stuff nor take everyone for granted.

Take care and God Bless.

[Parrothead]

Jim
Very glad to hear all is well now. They say things come in threes but it sounds like your using the "new" math! Four years ago yesterday our family had a "threesome" and we refer to it as our soap opera! Stay well.
Happy trails..................

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Appropriate title for a post, me thinks.

Agree with Sue, and by the way, I HATE that new math!

On the other hand, maybe it is all up hill from here. Lets hope so.

[TheCoachPotatoes]

You have certainly had one hellava year!!! Sorry for all the health issues for both you and your wife! Let's hope 2010 is much better!

[sreigle]

Jim, that's one tough year. Let's hope this upcoming year is one of your best. We're looking forward to getting together with you soon as you feel up to it. You have my email address so just let us know.

[boylanag]

Jim and Joan, you both are in our thoughts and prayers for a more manageable year.

[Katja_and_Michael]

Jim & Joan,

We are so sorry to hear of your problems, and thank you for sharing your troubles. We hope that your story will inspire others to have check-ups, including x-rays.

Thanks so much for replying to my e-mail when you had so much stuff going on - that's going way above and beyond.

We both wish the best for you and yours, and hope that the coming years will be better that the past one.

Take care,

Katja & Michael