It was a week of waking up extremely early so that my mother could get ready and then to get me ready as well (since I had no strength at this time), before we found a solution. A nurse mentioned to my mother to try staying in the Ronald McDonald house when I was in the hospital.
The Ronald McDonald houses, are the houses that they ask for donations in front of the cashiers at McDonald's. I never really put much thought into the connection between McDonald's and the houses but these houses are a godsend. They are full of the nicest people that always there and open to helping you out and making your need to go to the hospital all the time a pleasant one.
My mother and I stayed at Ronald McDonald house for about two months. They give you a room that has its own bathroom and TV. Sometimes we would just stay in the room all day watching TV. It was very useful in helping me recover. I was able to walk around the room, the floor we were on, lay in the living room that they had for the floor and even just chill on the porch in some wooden rocking chairs. I really loved my stay there and I'm very grateful that we got to stay there during my time with radiation.
The Ronald McDonald house is only a 2 min walk to the hospital. This made it very affordable and easy for my mother to just push my wheelchair to the cancer institute instead of spending so much gas to get to my appointments. Especially since I had radiation Monday through Friday, every day of the week. To me, the best thing was being able to go straight to sleep on a comfortable bed right after my sessions instead of dozing in a uncomfortable car for a while before getting home.
One of the best things, that my mother and I found, was that at 6PM every evening (besides weekends) there was always a volunteer group or organization that would donate dinner to the guests. Free food! Mind you, it was typically always spaghetti and meatballs, but it was free no less. Sometimes if you were lucky (and awake) you could even score some breakfast. We bought snacks for the times that they didn't provide food, but all the guests would share whatever they made with the whole house.
It was really nice. You could forget that you were there because of something at the hospital. Majority of the folks staying at the Ronald McDonald house were from out of town, who had a baby staying at Florida Hospital because of a special condition or because it was born maximum 6 months prematurely. We met a mother who had been staying at the house for 4 months before we got there. Her baby was born 4 months prematurely and had to remain in the hospital until she was fit to leave. She left two days before we did.
The staff also love to help you better your time there by offering free stuff. I went to Seaworld with my mother, nephews, sister, and my sister's mother-in-law for free. I also got to go to an Orlando Magic basketball game, twice. The first time with just my mother and the second with my father. My father is a big Magic, (even though they suck) and he really enjoyed watching the game. They lost both times I went, but the fact that I was at the game for free made my night.
The supremely best thing about the Ronald McDonald house is that its essentially free to stay! Yes, they would prefer if you could make at least a $15 donation per every day that you stay, which is paid when you leave, but they understand that most families can't afford it and they take any donation that you can offer. Most of the time this being nothing. But its all good! They totally understand and they don't treat you any differently.
The Ronald McDonald house was the first place that I started walking without my wheelchair. It was also the first place that I shaved my head. I had already cut my hair short because the place where one of the surgeries was perform was cut close to my head, so I tried making it even. This time it was because my hair was starting to fall out. At first I would wake up with hair all over my pillow which bothered my nose. So I cut it really short. It was similar to Halle Berry. Then one day I went to wash my hair and when I pulled my hand back to wash off the shampoo, it was filled with hair. At this I just told my mom to shave it all off. It was just easier to have no hair. I get easily disgusted by hair in the bath and it bothers me when hair is on my face. To not deal with this anymore I decided to just get rid of it completely.
It didn't bother me to not have hair anymore. Some people can't handle it. I think they're pathetic. Hair is not that important. I would laugh at all the girls that cried during makeover on America's Next Top Model. I personally have dyed and cut my hair millions of time. Hair is what you make of it. I liked my hair, but I hated feeling it on my face when I woke up more. I think it affected my mother more than it affected me. I just kept thinking that I was the next Amber Rose.
People asked me if I wanted a wig, and honestly I never thought of one. I used to cosplay, so I know all about wigs, and they can get really annoying. Besides, I kinda don't want hair. I think I look fine the way I am. Don't get me wrong, there are times that I think my outfit would look better if I had some type of hair-do but majority of the time I'm OK with not having hair. I'm told I have a nicely shaped head.
Our time at Ronald McDonald was about to end. We had received some money from my aunt and we donated it to the house. The staff were so happy, but thought that we had given too much. Honestly, $200 is not enough for what they provided. We even got the two main office girls gift cards to Chili's. They were so sweet and helped us a lot when we were staying there.
Now, I had always prayed that we would leave the Ronald McDonald house into our new home, but that wasn't the case. We still had some days before finding our new home.
And find it we did.
(The next time you go to McDonald's please, please, please, put any spare change in the donation boxes for the Ronald McDonald house! They really help! Also for all you runners out there, they have a 5k event called Color Me Rad. My sister's friend did it for me and all the entrance fees go towards the Ronald McDonald house foundation! Its really cool so check it out!)
Showing posts with label ronald mcdonald. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ronald mcdonald. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Holidays
It was clear to my mother the moment that we arrived, that we needed to find our own place to stay. Soon. Not only was it uncomfortable with two people stuck in a room, but my doctor appointment was in Orlando. Orlando is a 45 minute drive from my side of Kissimmee. These rides sucked. My first appointment with my doctor involved of lot of sitting up that I did not want to do, but did cause they needed to do their assessment on my. I remembered being in my wheelchair (cause I was prescribed one before I left the hospital) with a pillow cause it just sucked to hold my head up myself.
The doctors were all very kind. I don't remember much of their names mainly cause there was 9 doctors there. Each a different kind of neuro (brain) doctor. There was one that was a neuro surgeon and he looked at my stitches to make sure they were nice and in order. There was three neuro psychologists to determine how my feelings and emotions would change after surgery. There were other doctors that didn't step up so I don't really know what they were there for, and finally there was my primary oncologist (cancer doctor), Dr. Fouad Hajjar. He's awesome.
There was all these other paperwork and another social worker to fill and talk to , but I went back to my wheelchair and dozed off. I had no control of my energy at the time so I didn't really do much during the first two months.
It seemed that this was the beginning of my new life. Everything was getting settled. Except one major fact.
We didn't have a home.
Yeah sure, we had my mom's place at her friend's house, but he was planning to move out with his girlfriend in January. It was mid-December at this point and we needed to find a place soon. We looked all over Craigslist trying to find a house or another apartment to rent, but most were in fuckville Poinciana in the middle of nowhere or too pricey for such a small space.
During the search, Christmas and New Years past by us. We celebrated both at the houses of my mother's friends. Christmas day was spent at my sisters for a little bit, I hanged out (to the best of my ability) with my two nephews (one 9 years old, the other 5) and then we went to my mother's friends house to spend with their family. I was mainly asleep in the room that they let me lay in this whole time. Its boring, but I couldn't help it. New Year's evening was again at another of my mom's friend's house. I was in my wheelchair and since it was night time I had taken a nap beforehand so I got to stay awake for most of the activities.
Maybe it was the fact that it was finally hitting me that my life would be different for upcoming new year, but when that clock hit 12:00AM, I just started bawling. I just couldn't believe that this was happening to me. Like it never crossed my mind that I would be in a situation like this. I knew my aunt recently died of throat cancer, but I chalked that up to the fact that her husband smoked a lot. But this was really happening, and I didn't know where it was going to lead me. All my plans for after graduation were completely ruined. There was no possible way of going to Japan. It had been my one and only lifelong dream to go to Japan and to be an interpreter of some kind, living in that country. And now that wasn't an option anymore. I never asked God, "Why?" but at that moment the one thing I could think of was "Why now?". Why did this happened to me right before I was supposed to finish my last semester and graduate? WHY?!
My mother hugged me in my wheelchair and I could feel her tears on my shoulder. I'm sure she was thinking the same things. Wondering what the future of her baby girl was gonna be now. Wondering if she could keep the strength she was showing to me strong even though she wanted to just crumble under the pressure. My mother is a very strong woman, who has faced some incredible odds that I don't know how she acts like they don't affect her sometimes. I have seen my mother cry, but its so rare. She's just too strong to let shit pulled her down, and I admire that soo much about her. I want this experience to give me that same strength, for this is hard and I know cancer is genetic and I pray to God that my children don't experience it, but if that is to be in my path than I wan this to make me strong for it.
(I need a moment)
Anyways, we still hadn't found a place when my radiation sessions started this January. Now it really sucked to live at my mom's friend's place. I was supposed to have radiation Monday thru Friday, every week for six weeks and then a month break before I would have my chemo sessions until next March 2014.
My appointments were so early that we would have to wake up at 6:00AM to get ready (since I was slow paced and needed help from my mother) and then drive to the cancer institute at the hospital. Every damn day. I hated it. My only benefit was that I was the youngest patient at the radiation appointments, and that I could lay on my stomach and catch some Z's since my radiation covered my head, upper and lower back, which made it take 1-1 1/2 hours. But this was not easy on my mom's wallet. With gas prices being so high my mom would have to fill up halfway into the week. But then a solution was presented to us by one of my nurses.
The Ronald McDonald House.
The doctors were all very kind. I don't remember much of their names mainly cause there was 9 doctors there. Each a different kind of neuro (brain) doctor. There was one that was a neuro surgeon and he looked at my stitches to make sure they were nice and in order. There was three neuro psychologists to determine how my feelings and emotions would change after surgery. There were other doctors that didn't step up so I don't really know what they were there for, and finally there was my primary oncologist (cancer doctor), Dr. Fouad Hajjar. He's awesome.
There was all these other paperwork and another social worker to fill and talk to , but I went back to my wheelchair and dozed off. I had no control of my energy at the time so I didn't really do much during the first two months.
It seemed that this was the beginning of my new life. Everything was getting settled. Except one major fact.
We didn't have a home.
Yeah sure, we had my mom's place at her friend's house, but he was planning to move out with his girlfriend in January. It was mid-December at this point and we needed to find a place soon. We looked all over Craigslist trying to find a house or another apartment to rent, but most were in fuckville Poinciana in the middle of nowhere or too pricey for such a small space.
During the search, Christmas and New Years past by us. We celebrated both at the houses of my mother's friends. Christmas day was spent at my sisters for a little bit, I hanged out (to the best of my ability) with my two nephews (one 9 years old, the other 5) and then we went to my mother's friends house to spend with their family. I was mainly asleep in the room that they let me lay in this whole time. Its boring, but I couldn't help it. New Year's evening was again at another of my mom's friend's house. I was in my wheelchair and since it was night time I had taken a nap beforehand so I got to stay awake for most of the activities.
Maybe it was the fact that it was finally hitting me that my life would be different for upcoming new year, but when that clock hit 12:00AM, I just started bawling. I just couldn't believe that this was happening to me. Like it never crossed my mind that I would be in a situation like this. I knew my aunt recently died of throat cancer, but I chalked that up to the fact that her husband smoked a lot. But this was really happening, and I didn't know where it was going to lead me. All my plans for after graduation were completely ruined. There was no possible way of going to Japan. It had been my one and only lifelong dream to go to Japan and to be an interpreter of some kind, living in that country. And now that wasn't an option anymore. I never asked God, "Why?" but at that moment the one thing I could think of was "Why now?". Why did this happened to me right before I was supposed to finish my last semester and graduate? WHY?!
My mother hugged me in my wheelchair and I could feel her tears on my shoulder. I'm sure she was thinking the same things. Wondering what the future of her baby girl was gonna be now. Wondering if she could keep the strength she was showing to me strong even though she wanted to just crumble under the pressure. My mother is a very strong woman, who has faced some incredible odds that I don't know how she acts like they don't affect her sometimes. I have seen my mother cry, but its so rare. She's just too strong to let shit pulled her down, and I admire that soo much about her. I want this experience to give me that same strength, for this is hard and I know cancer is genetic and I pray to God that my children don't experience it, but if that is to be in my path than I wan this to make me strong for it.
(I need a moment)
Anyways, we still hadn't found a place when my radiation sessions started this January. Now it really sucked to live at my mom's friend's place. I was supposed to have radiation Monday thru Friday, every week for six weeks and then a month break before I would have my chemo sessions until next March 2014.
My appointments were so early that we would have to wake up at 6:00AM to get ready (since I was slow paced and needed help from my mother) and then drive to the cancer institute at the hospital. Every damn day. I hated it. My only benefit was that I was the youngest patient at the radiation appointments, and that I could lay on my stomach and catch some Z's since my radiation covered my head, upper and lower back, which made it take 1-1 1/2 hours. But this was not easy on my mom's wallet. With gas prices being so high my mom would have to fill up halfway into the week. But then a solution was presented to us by one of my nurses.
The Ronald McDonald House.
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