My personal Survival Anniversay – Ten Years July 23, 2003-2013 Surviving the Big “A” nuerysm

July 23, 2013

My personal Survival Anniversary – Ten Years July 23, 2003-2013 Surviving the Big “A” neurysm

I share with you an event in my life which has made a huge impact not only on my life but the life of my family and closest friends, and all who have met me after July 23, 2003.  The life altering experience is very dear to me.  I was given a gift which cannot be described by mere words.  I feel compelled to express my deepest fears and my happiest moments.  My rebirth has inspired me to accomplish and I want to offer you inspiration as well.  Remember these 3 words, cope, alter and conquer!

Ten years ago today, I experienced a painful ruptured brain aneurysm which the only way I can explain the pain, is death.  My head, eyes and neck hurt beyond belief and I felt dying would be the only way to escape the awful excruciating pain.  My husband and family saved me, literally saved me.  I collapsed and my husband gave me mouth to mouth and because of his quick thinking he saved me and saved me whole.

I would like to take this time right here and now and say a warm hello and thank you to my family and my dearest friends!  I could not be who I am without you.  Thank you for your love support and prayers, you helped  save me!

I survived the rupture, the brain surgery and I lay in the ICU at Methodist Hospital for 21 days.  No memory loss no paralysis, WOW, I was alive!  Well this awful episode in my life made me think a lot during those long days in ICU.  I had experienced another episode while in ICU, and I just could not stop thinking, why me?  Why did I survive?  Obviously the pain and suffering did not take my life.  It was not written in the stars that I would pass to the next journey leaving this earth suffering the Big “A”.  So why did this happen to me? 

I felt gifted, believe that or not, but yes gifted, that I lived through something I never thought I could ever survive.  For years the thought of having brain surgery scared me into shaking fear.  And I did it!  I started to think what am I going to do?  Every day of my life from that day July 23, 2003, I was thankful every morning and every night that I was able to live another day.

I started making a plan while in ICU; I was going to plan to do things I never thought I could do.  I guess this is what you would call a bucket list, although I never thought of my plan to accomplish a bucket list, I define my plan as a way to cope, alter and conquer!

I had always wanted to have gone to college and acquire a bachelor’s degree.  I had regretted for years after I graduated from high school that I never took the time to go to college.  As time went on not having a degree bothered me.  Especially when I witnessed so many at where I work accomplish higher levels of professionalism due to his or her degrees. 

University of Phoenix would be the choice that I would take in order to acquire my degree.  I had my aneurysm when I was 47 years old and started University of Phoenix one year later.  I chose the University of Phoenix because if I stayed full time in school, I could complete in 4 years, and I would still be able to work full time.  I could not give up working full time and I favored the idea of working and completing the degree in 4 years.  In all, it took me 4 ½ years to complete.

My second dream was to write a cookbook and combine my life experience of survival and the wonders of cooking into a cookbook.  I accomplished this in September 2011.  My cookbook did not make the best sellers list, but my heart and soul is in that book.  I would like to recreate my cookbook with additional recipes and displayed pictures.

My degree has helped in order for me to acquire a promotion.  May 16, 2013, I was given a wonderful opportunity to have been offered from an Executive Assistant to an Administrative Manager.  I am thankful again.

Yes I have learned to cope, alter and conquer.

Do I still get scared of having another Big A?  Of course, any experience that we go through which is painful scares a person to their heart and soul that this pain could come back.

Am I afraid of dying?  YES!  I love life and I love what life has to offer.  I am not ready to not wake up each morning knowing my family and friends are here and I will never see them again.

As time goes on, the pain is further and further away from my direct contact of day to day life, but the near death is with me each day.  Every day of my life I think about and remember July 23, 2003.

Do I feel discomfort from the surgery?  Yes my head is still sore in areas.  I cannot fathom the thought of someone rubbing their hands on my head, especially when I get my hair cut. 

Do I have a scar from my surgery? The scar is not visible until I pull my hair back.  I can see the unevenness of the plates and screws in my head, but I am proud to have them, they define my battle, a battle I won!

Do I still get headaches?  Not often, I rarely take Tylenol for a headache.  I usually take Tylenol when I have the flu which the Tylenol helps with the aches and pain of the fever.  Before my aneurysm I suffered with a headache every day of my life. I had no idea there was a monster possibly growing in my head.

Do I sound perfect?  I hope not!  I am human and I make a lot of mistakes and there are times I get wrapped up in the worry of life and I have to stop and say to myself, girl you have survived you can get through anything in life.  Remember, life’s stresses can always be worse.

Remember; try very hard to never give up.  However life is giving you lemons you can take those lemons and make the best lemon pound cake ever!  Never give up!  Make a plan to cope alter and conquer.  Plan to accomplish what you never thought you could do!  Set your goal, research what your plan will take and surround yourself with family and friends who support you.  You can do it!  And do not be surprised that once you make your plan, you may take a few steps back before going forward, some things just do not work out, but never give up!  NEVER! 

I love you  all, Let’s Have Some Fun~!

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Asian Vegetable Soup

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1 cup sliced carrots
1 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Place the above ingredients in a large pot and sauté on medium heat for 20 minutes

Then add

4 cups thinly sliced green cabbage

8 cups of water
¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
You may add additional salt but taste as you go.
1 vegetable stock bouillon

Simmer on low heat for 45 minutes, add water as needed. 

Cook in a separate pot  6 ounces of wide noodles.  Cook al dente and do not rinse.  Place noodles in soup when ready to serve.  You do not want the noodles to absorb all the liquid in the soup.

Enjoy with hot from the oven cornbread and your favorite glass of wine.  Have some fun!

Shrimp Pasta Salad

8 ounces of shell pasta – cooked, drained and set aside to cool as you prepare the remaining ingredients.

2 pounds of 30 to 40 count boiled shrimp – cook and chill before adding to the pasta salad'

 

1 cup  chopped celery
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 salad green onions chopped
3 ears of fresh corn which have been cut off with a knife directly into the bowl for mixing.  The juice from the corn adds a sweet taste to the pasta salad
8 ounces of cubed sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup sour cream
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 jar 4 ounces of pimento well drained
1 cup of bread and butter pickles chopped
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons of granulated garlic
2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon dried dill

Mix all ingredients, chill before serving.  Enjoy and the main thing just have fun. 

Crab Meat Deviled Eggs with Truffle Oil

I dedicate this recipe to my sister.  She treated me to a wonderful vacation in Sonoma, Napa and San Francisco.  Everywhere we went, if there were deviled eggs she was ordering the deviled eggs. While in San Francisco we were bound and determined to eat Lobster Rolls.  She found a restaurant named Netty’s Crab Shack on Union Street, which served I may add fabulous Lobster Rolls.  I worked for this meal, working by walking  15+ blocks.  We were in China town and decided to walk to Netty’s which was the 2,000 block. The entire walk to Netty’s seemed as though I had to go up the hills to get there. My body ached when I went to bed that night.  The sheets hurt my toes from all of the walking.  We had a blast, and she wanted to order the crab deviled eggs at Netty’s!  So to you my dear sweet sister, these have your name on them!  Enjoy love!
12 boiled eggs – sliced in half and remove yolk, place hard boiled yolk in a bowl
2/3 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons of truffle oil
1/3 cup sour cream
¼ cup of chopped sweet pickles which have been well drained
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh tarragon or 1 tablespoon dried tarragon
3 tablespoon chopped green salad onions
salt and pepper to taste

Mix the above ingredients until smooth and creamy

Gently fold in the crab meat

2/3 cup crab meat

Stuff each hard boiled egg white until full and refrigerate; chilled before serving

Enjoy enjoy enjoy, with a wonderful bottle of Preseco!  Oh you are going to have fun!

Cajun Cole Slaw

Cajun Cole Slaw

 

1 cup  chopped celery

½  cup chopped red onion
1 cup bell pepper
2 cups of grated carrots
4 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
3 cups thinly sliced purple cabbage
1 cup largely chopped bread and butter pickles
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (we like it spicy, I do add more, but again taste as you go, little seasoning at a time.  You can always add but cannot take away)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt add more if you like
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
¼ cup Italian dressing (I use Good Seasons Italian Dressing adding 2 teaspoons of sugar to the dressing mix)
1 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate.  Best served if refrigerated overnight.  Enjoy serving with, fish, hamburgers, or fried chicken.  Get that bottle of wine, have a few friends over or family and have some fun!  Please remember; drink responsibly. 

Cajun Fish

Cajun Fish

6 – 8 ounce Tilapia Filets or Red Fish Fillets.  This recipe works best if the fish are approximately ½” thick

1 ½ sticks of butter - melted
Works best with iron skillet but a Teflon coated skillet will work as well

Seasoning Mix

Place the following ingredients in a small bowl
2 teaspoon of granulated garlic
2 teaspoons of onion powder
1 teaspoon of white pepper
¾ teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning – You can add more, but be careful your fish will be salty if you increase too much.  You can always add but you cannot take away .
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¾ teaspoon of ground thyme
¾ teaspoon of oregano
1 teaspoon of dried sweet basil
1 tablespoon of fresh chopped mint

Heat skillet and melt 2 tablespoons of butter.  Rub and pat by hand coating both sides of a piece of fish.  Place 2 at a time cooking on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes.  Spoon over the top of each piece of fish 2 tablespoons of the butter and turn over, cooking 3 to 4 minutes, until well done. 

This fish is delicious served as fish tacos.  You can use corn or flour tortillas.  Chop thinly red and green cabbage.  Use a sour cream sauce, lightly flavored, wrap and enjoy.  Have some fun with a light chilled white wine!  Enjoy!