Headed to a Dermatologist

 About six years ago, I scratched my face below my left eye. It never bothered me so I did not do anything about it. It would get red, sometimes it felt like a burn, and then it would disappear. Four years ago a friend noticed the red spot and suggested I go to a dermatologist and have it looked it at. Since it did not bother me I tolerated the coming and going of the old scratch. 

When I began to notice that a scab would form, it bothered me because I did not like the scab on my face. Sometimes I would pull the scab off making my wound slightly bleed. I sometimes used Vicks but that made it burn. I then used Arnica and it would soften the scab, yet I noticed that the scab looked sort of bubbly. That is when I decided to make an appointment with a dermatologist at my Kaiser Insurance.

After checking in, the Doctor looked at it and he thought a biopsy should be taken. He asked if anyone in my family had skin cancer. I told him no. He called the sore cancerous and that scared me. What do you mean? Should I worry? Will it hurt? He explained that it looked like it was on the surface and that could be scraped off. The biopsy would let him know if it was deeper (like roots growing into my face) then it might require surgery. He deadened my face, did some scraping, and had the nurse put a white patch over the wound. The biopsy would take a few days to return to him and he thought maybe on Friday. Today was Tuesday so that meant three or more days of waiting and wondering.

After 24 hours, I needed to take off the bandage (gently), wash my face and put some Vaseline on the sore and cover it with a band aid. This was to keep the sore from drying and forming a scab and I have to follow the same procedure for seven days. At this point I am not sure if I should worry or not. There is no pain so that is good!

 "One in five persons

will get skin cancer."

From the Internet

Friday, July 30, 2021 I received a call from Kaiser Permanente letting me know that the biopsy showed that my skin cancer is the least aggressive and all I will need to do is apply a fluorouracil 5% cream twice a day. The cream is a medication that destroys sun-damaged skin and removes pre-cancerous skin growths. Here is the good thing, it also makes the skin smoother and more youthful-looking! I am thankful that the result of the biopsy happened to be good! 

Good Days and Bad Days

 My Friend

 

On a bad day

sees things no one else sees,

can't communicate

mumbles and speaks to herself

converses with characters on t.v.

repeats stories

finds it difficult to eat

cannot swallow

pills not taken

no longer walking

doesn't understand

she tries but is no longer there

my friend seems to have vanished

into her own world

she looks the same

but isn't.

On a good day

she is as sharp as ever

remembers

laughs and jokes

teases

enjoys her daughters

recognizes relatives

knows friends

eats by herself

sips a shake

recalls things I have forgotten

my friend appears

is here present

she knows me

makes me happy

thanks to God

for those lucid moments

before returning to

her cave of darkness.

E. Moscoso

July 25, 2021

Pardon Me?

 Being told that I need hearing aids is not a fun thing to hear. Especially when you think you are hearing everything. I seem to hear well enough but lately I notice I miss or hear something other than what was said. I had my hearing tested a few weeks ago and was told I was a good candidate for hearing aids. Today I went to get information and what a surprise I got! I found out that we hear with our brain and not our ears! Other than lots of information on what happens when we are not hearing I found out that not hearing could contribute to Alzheimer's. That in itself is scary enough to make me want to get hearing aids.

Two sample hearing aids were put in my ears and I had to ask the Audiologist why she was shouting. She said she was speaking in a normal voice but for me it was too loud. When I spoke I sounded like Donald Duck and felt as if I was shouting so I lowered my voice to almost a whisper and she said she could still hear me. Hearing weird sounds, it was explained, would be adjusted on my own hearing aids. 

Then, I was told the price. Beginning with the $800 per ear to the top of the line costing $2400 per ear! I was given a list of hearing aid funding resources because my insurance does not cover hearing aids. I drove from the audiologist office to Costco and made an appointment for August 16,2021 to have my hearing tested and get hearing aids. Two friends highly recommend Costco hearing aids and the cost is less than Kaiser Permanente.

As I explained to my daughter all I had learned about hearing aids she said, "When we were in Carmel, you made a comment about your granddaughter and how she had excellent hearing because she could hear the bees buzzing in the flowers but  you could not hear them. We did not have the heart to tell you that we could all hear the buzzing of the bees!" The other thing I should hear and don't is the turning signal on my car. People with me will let me know that my turning signal is still on, yet I do not hear the clicking.

What I had feared and fought has now become when can I get the hearing aids. I think I will hear much better and they are so small that I may not even realize I have them on. 

"We help you hear

what you have been

missing."

From the Internet

On July 16, 2021, I went to the Costco in Westminster and was able to get a date of August 3, 2021,so I will begin hearing sooner than if I had kept the August 16th date. Never thought I would be looking forward to getting hearing aids, but I am!

Latest Report on My Friend With Alzheimer's

Today, July 9, 2021, I received a phone call from my friend's daughter. She told me that her mother was going down hill fast and that she had been in the hospital. We spoke for over an hour as she relayed what her life has been like this past year as she has been taking care of her mother. My friend's mind and mobility have slowed down to the point that she can no longer walk. My friend still remembers her daughter but some days chooses not to talk. Just sits staring straight ahead. I do not recall the whole conversation but will paraphrase what I do remember.

"When I returned from vacation my mother had been taken to the hospital for some problems with her kidneys and a Urinary Track Infection. She was released and everything seemed to be okay but the next morning she had to be taken back to the hospital because my mother could not move, could not get out of bed, could not walk with the walker and seemed to have pain in her hip. The hospital recommended that I take mom to a rehab place to see if she would get better. When she didn't get better, I began searching for a place for mom and found one about ten minutes from my home called Cherrelyn. The doctor told me that she might have less than a month to live.  Right now they are finalizing paperwork, and if everything is okay, she will be moved tomorrow."

It is hard to understand how fast Alzheimer's works and I can not even picture my friend having that disease. How she went from a more or less healthy body to someone with a brain  that is slowly being destroyed! In my mind she is still the humorous, fun loving, sharp person I used to know. Once she gets settled in a new place I will visit her and hopefully she will remember me. Yet, I have to be ready to accept that she may not know who I am.

"God gives his hardest battles

to his strongest soldiers."

Helen Keller

For other blogs about my friend see:

My Disappearing Friend, May 13, 2021

Rambling Phone Calls, May 13, 2021

Missing My Friend, May 16, 2021

Always Family

 When two people marry, the family is doubled because his family becomes your family and my family becomes his family. And then divorce happens. What happens to the combined family? In my case I was fortunate to be considered part of his family and some of the nieces and nephews continued calling me Auntie Erlinda. For parties or get togethers I was invited and they were invited for anything happening in my family.

One brother, Adolfo, passed away but I do not remember the date. He was the first brother to enter heaven.  In January, 2021, the oldest member of the brothers, Benjamin, passed away at 95 years old.  Last Friday, Alex had his funeral in California and my daughter attended the services.  He lived in Whittier, California and I did not know his children. They may have known of me but to me they are strangers. I do remember when I traveled to Peru with my husband around the early 90's, that Alex was also there visiting his parents. I remember that they called me Queen of the Waves (Reina de las Olas) because the waves tumbled me and I could not get up. When Alex married Teresa, I baked a three tier cake for them and made little birds out of marshmallows to place on the cake for decoration. Soon after getting married they moved to California. I visited them once at a family get together. The last time I saw him was at my eldest granddaughter's high school graduation and he showed us the easiest way to slice a round cake. When he would visit the younger brother, Americo, in Arvada, I was invited along with my children. We also went out to dinner before I took them to the airport. I would say that Alex was the one I felt closest to and his death filled me with a deep sadness. It was good that after the divorce the friendship with the family continued. 

My ex-husband is the only one left of the four brothers. All four of them were soccer players and I recall sitting on the grass and watching them play every Sunday! 

Even though I was not in the immediate family, I felt a sadness for the three at their deaths. May Ben, Adolf, and Alex rest in peace. 

"Once a brother,

always a brother,

no matter the distance,

no matter the difference

and no matter the issue."

Byron Pulsifer

Never Say No To An Invitation

 I was invited to meet some friends on Wednesday, July 7, 2021, around 5:30 p.m. and I said I was unable to join them at Gregorio's Mexican Restaurant in Lakewood. I did not intend to go but at 5:00 p.m. I opened my refrigerator and nothing appealed to me. That is when I decided to drive to the restaurant to meet my friends. I had never been to the restaurant but had passed it many times as I drove south on Wadsworth. They told me that the food was good and that was all I needed to know!

Dinner was great as we ate and chatted. The portions were huge and the Margaritas looked delicious! I guess it could be called a reunion of sorts since some of us had not seen each other for a long time because of Covid. When I saw five mariachis walk in with their instruments, I asked, "Are they going to play for us?" What a surprise that every Wednesday at seven Mariachi America sings for the customers. There is something about the music that I feel in my heart and my feet want to get up to dance!

I was satisfied with the singing when all of a sudden the owner appears in a sparkly red, white and blue outfit, from his hat to his boots, that he said he had decorated because he also sings and loves to entertain!

For the next hour we were serenaded  with some heartfelt songs and all I could think of was that I was happy I had accepted the dinner invitation. Imagine all I would have missed if I had not shown up; good friends, good food and great entertainment!

"Music is my religion,

mariachi is my devotion

and my songs are my prayer."

Juan Gabriel

Inflation Has Hit Heaven

 If you have been reading my blog, you know how I think about finding a penny. I believe my son leaves pennies so I won't forget him or to let me know he is around. Lately, I have not found any pennies but I have found dimes. In California my daughter spotted a dime on the ground and I told her it was to make up for ten times I have not found a penny! Yesterday, while I parked at the grocery store, a shiny spot on the ground drew my attention. It was a dime.

Makes me believe that heaven is now giving dimes to the angels so they can drop them on the ground to remind those penny believers that their loved ones are still around.

"Historically, finding money

 has represented the presence 

of a loved one."

From the Internet

4th of July Celebration

Our "Chicks" group has six members. Somehow, we became friends through our Spirit of Christ Catholic Community book club. Our love of books brought us together and as the years went by we found many similar interests. One of the members has a huge back yard with beautiful greenery and colorful flowers. Lately, some foxes have appeared in her yard to entertain us. One fox acts like a dog and loves to play hide and seek with her dog. She has put videos on Facebook showing the fox playing in her yard!

I put my 4th of July outfit to symbolize the red, white and blue of our flag!

On Saturday July 3, we gathered to celebrate the 4th of July and our feast began with a refreshing glass of gin and tonic. As we sipped the delicious drink we nibbled on a large tray of vegetables. We sat in the patio talking about what ever hit our fancy. When our drinks were finished, we were hungry for the main meal which was set out buffet style. It consisted of Bratwurst, baked beans, corn on the cob, potato salad, sauerkraut, chopped onions and mustard and ketchup. Sliced watermelon, gluten free chocolate cake and sugar free cupcakes were set out for dessert.  In our group there is one who needs to eat gluten free food and another who is diabetic so the desserts were specially purchased and I thought how thoughtful the person who brought dessert to take that into consideration!

It is wonderful having friends to share stories, lives, jokes, information and just enjoy each other's company. The fox entertained us though it was quite elusive. We figured the fox thought there were too many people to entertain and stayed semi-hiden in the greenery. Before long another fox joined the first one and we caught glimpses of the two foxes running around on the hill. Later that evening, after all the company was gone, my friend shared a video on Facebook showing a fox coming almost to her patio and teasing her dog. 

Even if we did not see the foxes up close, the celebration was a great get together with friends in a beautiful location. We all thank the hostess who invites us over to enjoy her yard and to be with our friends!

"There is something sacred in our flag.

Whenever I see our flag flying,

No matter where or when

I feel proud and a bit emotional!"

E. Moscoso

A Surprise At Eight-Thirty Mass

The 4th of July arrived and I woke up thinking I would go to mass somewhere other than my parish. I thought about going to the Shrine of St. Anne, to Mother Cabrini, or drive north where a favorite priest of mine would be celebrating mass at Guardian Angels in Mead, Colorado. I batted the ideas around and came to the conclusion I did not need to driving miles to go to mass and that I would go to the eight-thirty mass at Spirt Of Christ Catholic Community. I sat in the back and placed my purse on the chair next to me to make sure that no one would sit close to me.

I felt an irritation when someone tapped me on the shoulder wanting to know if it was okay to sit next to me. I was ready to tell the lady that the seat was taken when she pulled down her mask and I saw it was a friend I had not seen since May. She had stopped by my house on my birthday, without knowing it was my birthday, just to chat. I always enjoy seeing her and talking to her but thought it was strange that she appeared at SOC because her parish is Holy Family.

After mass I spoke with a family I had not seen since Covid had been around and I was very happy to see them. Another couple that usually goes to the eight-thirty mass was there and we had a nice chat. How good I felt seeing friends, hugging them and talking to them. My girlfriend waited while I socialized and then she and I went out to breakfast where we had a long talk about our lives! The strange thing is that I almost did not go to SOC, that I never go to the early mass, that it was her first time attending mass at 8:30 a.m. and that she had spotted me as she entered the church. I just have to think that God arranged for us to meet! It was as if it was meant to be!

We did not take a picture on the 4th of July but the one shown was taken on May, 2021! One beautiful part of the mass was when it was over, God Bless America was sung and I got all choked up because there is something about living in the USA and loving my country that brings tears to my eyes!  

God bless America, land that I love,

stand beside her and guide her

through the night with a light from above.

From the mountains, to the prairies,

to the oceans white with foam,

God bless America,

my home sweet home.

Irving Berlin

A Day Without My Phone

 

A friend of mine quit school a year before graduating to get married to Ramon Y. Alvarado and today was his funeral after being married for sixty-six years. When I was informed that he had passed away I decided to drive to Greeley and attend the funeral. As I neared Brighton, I realized that I did not have my phone. Little did I know how much I would miss my phone! 

Arriving at the church I noticed a lot of people dressed in yellow and white. The whole family, in memory of Ramon, was dressed in white and yellow because he had been born in Texas and the song, The Yellow Rose of Texas, was represented in yellow outfits, blouses, ties, suspenders, shirts, and hair ribbons. What a great photograph that would have made!

The inside of the church was beautiful and not the simple church I remembered of my youth. The ceiling had been painted like the sky with white clouds. The altar had dark brown screens that made the statues stand out. Another photo missed! Ten Knights of Columbus stood in the aisle as they welcomed the body of their brother Ramon. On the altar was his Knight uniform along with huge bouquets of flowers. 

Mass was about half-way when suddenly a loud alarm sounded like an Amber Alert. It could be heard throughout the church and people looked at each other with puzzled look on their face. I thought it was a tornado warning and envisioned the roof flying off of the church! I asked a young man sitting next to me what it could be and he looked at his phone and said it was a warning about "flash floods." Rumbling thunder seemed to shake the church and someone behind me whispered, "It is really pouring." Through all the upset of the alarm and people looking around, the priests continued with the funeral ceremony, the family followed the casket out, and the rest of the congregation left their pews to face the heavy rain.

A scramble to my car and I was ready to follow the directions I had been given to where the reception would take place. "Get on 11th street and follow it straight out going south." I got on 11th street and noticed how water made small lakes along the streets. After a few blocks there was a detour because the water was rushing down the street like a river. It looked as if it was a foot and a half deep and I slowly seemed to float through the deep water along with all the rest of the cars. Red flashing lights seemed to be on every corner directing people to detour. I prayed that I would not get stuck in the water. A car passed me going faster than I was and a stream of water, six feet tall, splashed on my car. Slowly, I creeped along the middle of the street for about five blocks. The gutters had overflowed and some cars were stalled in the high water. I could see water gushing down the street and I wondered if my car would be washed down the street but with a prayer on my lips I continued moving forward. When I reached higher ground I gave a sigh of relief and thanks to God because now all I had to worry about was the rain slamming into my windshield and my poor wipers moving as fast as they could. The streets were littered with branches and overturned trash cans. I made it to the reception where I met up with some high school friends.

It was nice catching up with friends because Covid had kept us apart and I had not seen them for almost two years. I knew the two priests and it was fun chatting with them. They were priests I knew when I worked at the Archdiocese of Denver: Fr. Bernie Schmidt (retired) and Fr. Steven Siebert (Silverthorne). My friend's daughters and their spouses treat me like family and I enjoy their kindness. 

The food was buffet style and there was plenty from three kinds of tacos, guacamole, ribs, rice, beans, green chile, fried onions with peppers, enchiladas and many other items that I did not try. For dessert they had trays of cookies!

The four "F's, funeral, flood, friends and food "  made for an interesting day. and I knew I had missed many photo opportunities. My drive home was in the rain and I was happy to put my car in the garage and enter my house. What a day!

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 

I will fear no evil, for thou art with me

Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me."

From Psalm 23