Jenny-Gypsies, Interference, and My amazing friends

Remember that cheesy infomercial out in the late "90's??? Set it and forget it?? I think it was for a rotisserie grill or something.  That's what having a pacemaker that is set up correctly is like for the most part!  I've been keeping busy this week helping some fellow heart patients and I was reminded that all of us (Perky, Monique, and Myself) have all survived largely in part to having help. Our families have fully supported all of us. Been there for EVERYTHING. I could write a blog post everyday for the rest of my life and still not get to thank them sufficiently for everything that our families has done.  Because when I call and ask for help.  It could be for months. Taking my children for months.  Stopping your life as you know it within the span of a few hours.  But today I wanted to mention just some of our friends. We all have amazing friends that supported us in the darkest of times and celebrated during the high points.  We've also unfortunately also had friends that couldn't take it or left our lives unexpectedly.

I'm a big believer that some people need to be in your life for a short period of time, others you need around forever.  Sometimes it's best to part ways and leave with the memories you had of what you learned from that person.  I've also left friends too for one reason or another.  We all have our reasons.  I want to be there for my friends during the good and bad times.  We all go through things and we all need support. The people I have in my life now are awesome and deserve much more than words on paper but here it goes.

My neighbor Laura has cooked too many meals to mention for me.  Not just any meals, gluten free, heart healthy meals. She also cooked for my entire family, took me to the hospital when I needed a pacemaker and has all around been incredible.  I'm so lucky that she is my friend.  She's also the most loving, Godly person who is a joy in our lives. She has the face of an angel and she shows up on your doorstep whenever you need her.  Thank you Laura for everything for done for me and my family. She's straight up thebomb.com

Brian, my wonderful NASA Engineer neighbor friend has rehabbed me through ALL of my surgeries.  That's right, all 9 of them!  He has walked with me even when I was too sick to walk further than a block. He was with me when I started to pass out when I got fluid in my lungs and heart.  He's listened to me, congratulated me and pushed me along the way.  He's taken me to the pharmacy, helped me get setup at the house after surgeries, even picked me up from the hospital. I wouldn't be doing as well without Brian.  My family and Jeremy are so grateful to him too because he was always there whenever I needed help.  He's also made hospital runs with me too.  Being my friend is hard work! So lucky that Brian has been so dependable to listen, to help, and to make me feel safe. Something that was really scary after each surgery. I knew I was okay to leave the house because he was with me.

Stacey, my beautiful friend has been with me for going on 12 years. She goes to every hospital stay, every surgery, she has bought crazy items for me like denture glue when a crown came out! She doesn't even act weird when I say stuff like. "Umm, I'm gonna need you to bring denture glue to the hospital, downtown, yes, denture glue." She's all around the most loyal, best go-to girl for just about anything.  She could have bought a small island with the amount she has spent on hospital parking! I hope she stays around forever because I love her like a sister.  Nothing fazes her. No matter what the situation she has your back. Sometimes she even has your lost crown.  Ha Ha.  She's literally been my voice for me when I couldn't speak and she knows my medical history better than Jeremy.  I don't know if I deserve to have friends this amazing but I'm so grateful.  Because the number one thing I hate the most is asking for help.

I was at at Mother's Day Tea today and the mother's of Ava's classmates were saying that she's so resilient, so empathetic, so understanding of what other people need.  The mothers of the children know that Ava has missed months of school and jumped right back in when where she left off. Ava is so grown up that when she used to see me sick she would ask. "How many days do we have before you have to go back to the hospital mom? I know you are going. Please wake me up when you have to leave." I would leave her notes when I'd have to leave.  Hardest damn thing to write.  Not knowing if I would survive. I'd want to write just the right thing to her.  You don't want your last note to say "BRUSH YOUR TEETH WHEN YOU GET UP!"

Let me tell you, no pain I have felt from the surgeries was worse than missing my children. No pain that surpassed seeing the look on their faces when they knew I was leaving. again, and I never knew if I was coming back.  How do you tell your children, your husband, your family goodbye?  It's heartbreaking.  Today Ava's teacher was welcoming us to the Mother's Day event with tears in her eyes telling us these children are a REFLECTION OF THEIR PARENTS.  They show their classmates the same love we give them, they learned it from us.  It was the nicest compliment anyone can give a mom.  All Perky, Monique, and I want is to raise happy, well adjusted, healthy children.  Our friends have helped us so much along the way.

Thank God we have each other to pull each other through the rough times.  We'll all lost jobs due to our medical problems.  All three of us have been laid off while on FMLA.  That's right, left without a job during our weakest points.  Yes, the Family Medical Leave Act that is supposed to protect you doesn't always protect you.  But we will survive. We will get up, brush ourselves off and keep fighting.  Because we don't have another choice and we fought too hard to give up now.  (Love you Monique.)

Last weekend my daughter straight up bawled her eyes out because she asked me when I was getting my pacemaker out.  Umm, it doesn't come out.  In a hushed, wavy voice she said, "So you can't ever take me to Disneyworld and ride with me?  She cried her eyes out. I felt terrible that she thought this was a temporary situation.  I am determined with the help of my friends and family to make sure my children have every opportunity in life.  Even if that means giving my daughter to gypsies.

Okay, so maybe I didn't exactly give her away but I did have to let her ride on an fair amusement park ride with some people who were gypsies because I didn't want to risk turning off my pacemaker.  The gypsies were so incredible because they had to get several gypsies from around the park just so my daughter could ride (which is almost the same thing as GIVING your daughter to gypsies.)  I did get to spread my message because in an odd twist of fate the gypsy lady needs a pacemaker and was scared to get one.  I told her if she got one then she didn't have to ride the crappy rides!  Just kidding.  The ride had a huge engine and it didn't seem smart to turn off my pacemaker AGAIN because I was like trying to be normal and stuff.  No problem, she got to ride the ride and I got to keep my heart beating.  But still feels weird that I couldn't ride with her.  It's a small price to pay considering the freedom I have now!

In other news Chris told me about the apple people!!! They tried to take out all us pacemaker people by making magnetic covers for iPads. They turn off pacemakers. Shit! Add this one to the list of things I'm running from!

As if running from ipads, toothbrushes, and Carnie run amusement park rides isn't funny enough I set off a metal detector this week. I laughed when I said "I'm not a thief, I'm just a robot!" It's hard to look all gansta when you run from appliances! Thug life 4-ever! Just kidding mom! Don't you all want to hang out with me? I'm awesome at parties!

Jenny