Today was a wonderful day.
My mother was able to go to church despite feeling very very tired due to the heavy chemotherapy received earlier this week. To my surprise she agreed to go out for lunch. We haven't had a family lunch out in a while and it was wonderful.
The day was warm, the sun was shining and I was with people that I love very very much. What more could I ask. I guess I could ask that God grant her longer life...yes it's definitely in my daily prayer. I have asked that he extend her life past the originally given six months...he has. She is fighting...but then she has always had this determination and love for life. I pray that God give her the endurance to keep fighting for her life. I pray that he help me do what little I can to help her do that.
Cancer affects the whole family...it's true. The little ones don't understand. They ask "Vo, are you going to die?" "Not today sweetheart".
Who knows when any of us will face that....but hopefully not today.
It's beautiful outside even though it's evening. I can see the sunset from my apartment balcony and I feel good...and I thank God for another day. Another beautiful day of life. Thank you!
Ben
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Phone messages
Phone messages: "This is so and so from so and so office re a patient" (and they proceed to give me the patient's whole bleeping history which is already on the referral form)...and the bottom line is...."to confirm their appointment".
I've been told many times how people dislike my long office message. Some bypass it and leave me a frustrated message asking me the question that is already answered on my message. "Well where exactly is your office?" Did you listen to the message on the voice mail? "Well it's too long." Yes it is...imagine having to give out that information 50 times a day (and you can't flippin hear it once?????). So I tell them to please call back and actually listen to it because I don't have the time to repeat it. (I know the answer to their question is on their because I've written out the message and recorded it many times).
Then there are the myriad of people who say thank you for my message. It's so clear, its informative and "I knew exactly where I needed to go".
I get hang ups too...sighs, frustration, hrmmphs and even a few swear words. People who have not got a clue why they are calling me but are hoping that I am that I have a crystal ball which will answer every question under the sun.
People PLEASE...I beg you...when you call your doctor's office (or anyone's office for that matter), know exactly what you are going to ask. Write it out...practice it if you have to. Don't waste people's time. Also, if you have never listened to their voice mail, listen to it. Yes it's probably very long, and yes it's frustrating to have to wait or press this number and that number to get to what you are wanting to know...but imagine having to answer that question so many times. I promise you the secretary is not sitting at her desk praying that somebody will call her because SHE HAS NOTHING TO DO. I do the billing, I transcribe the medical notes (usually 4-5 pages long), I book the appointments, I fax, I copy, I file, I return my bosses emails, type manuscripts, order supplies, etc...........I don't have enough hours in the day to do my work and believe me I multitask...so because you didn't want to listen to the message (incidentally, if it has voice mail, you can press the number 3 to fast forward the message and the number 1 to rewind it if you need to hear that part of the message again).
Leave a brief detailed message after the beep and don't ask me to call you back if the answer is on my voice mail.
Your friendly medical clinic assistant who works for four specialists and a number of research people and who just does not have the time to listen to your long winded voice figure out what you are calling me about...and no I don't want to hear about all your aches and pain...I don't get paid enough.
Whatever!!
I've been told many times how people dislike my long office message. Some bypass it and leave me a frustrated message asking me the question that is already answered on my message. "Well where exactly is your office?" Did you listen to the message on the voice mail? "Well it's too long." Yes it is...imagine having to give out that information 50 times a day (and you can't flippin hear it once?????). So I tell them to please call back and actually listen to it because I don't have the time to repeat it. (I know the answer to their question is on their because I've written out the message and recorded it many times).
Then there are the myriad of people who say thank you for my message. It's so clear, its informative and "I knew exactly where I needed to go".
I get hang ups too...sighs, frustration, hrmmphs and even a few swear words. People who have not got a clue why they are calling me but are hoping that I am that I have a crystal ball which will answer every question under the sun.
People PLEASE...I beg you...when you call your doctor's office (or anyone's office for that matter), know exactly what you are going to ask. Write it out...practice it if you have to. Don't waste people's time. Also, if you have never listened to their voice mail, listen to it. Yes it's probably very long, and yes it's frustrating to have to wait or press this number and that number to get to what you are wanting to know...but imagine having to answer that question so many times. I promise you the secretary is not sitting at her desk praying that somebody will call her because SHE HAS NOTHING TO DO. I do the billing, I transcribe the medical notes (usually 4-5 pages long), I book the appointments, I fax, I copy, I file, I return my bosses emails, type manuscripts, order supplies, etc...........I don't have enough hours in the day to do my work and believe me I multitask...so because you didn't want to listen to the message (incidentally, if it has voice mail, you can press the number 3 to fast forward the message and the number 1 to rewind it if you need to hear that part of the message again).
Leave a brief detailed message after the beep and don't ask me to call you back if the answer is on my voice mail.
Your friendly medical clinic assistant who works for four specialists and a number of research people and who just does not have the time to listen to your long winded voice figure out what you are calling me about...and no I don't want to hear about all your aches and pain...I don't get paid enough.
Whatever!!
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Make sure of all things!
BELOW IS MY COMMENT TO MY COUSIN LINDA'S BLOG:
Linda, I truly enjoyed your blog today.The question you asked your religion instructor really impressed me. What an insightful and logical question. It was sad that he answered in the way that many do when they haven't a clue as to the answer and simply believe that you must 'do what I say and not do what I do'...which is in complete contrast to what the bible tells us.
It's interesting that we did touch on this in our Watchtower study today. (You know that I am one of Jehovah's Witness here is just an FYI: on Sundays we have a public talk first (sermon) and then we take an article in the Watchtower (one of our bimonthly publications) and study it in depth for an hour. This article was on "Safeguarding our Christian Identity".
There are questions to the paragraphs and we have an opportunity to participate and answer.Anyways, one of the paragraphs brought out the point to "prove bible truth to yourself" which is in harmony with 1 Thessalonians 5:21 which states "Make sure of all things; hold fast to what is fine". The paragraph stated "Every Christian -young and old - needs to prove to his own satisfaction that what he believes is indeed the truth as found in the Bible". "Strong faith is built on knowledge 'Faith follows the things heard' Romans 10:17. Bottom line: "God welcomes honest questions asked with the right motive".
So you were doing nothing wrong in asking the question: again pretty insightful for such a young person.
Regarding the Pope (as a noncatholic): what I admired about him is that he stuck with what he believed in and refused to 'tickle' peoples ears as many others do. He did not believe in abortion and was not wishywashy on that matter. He stated his opinion on other subjects homosexuality, sex before marriage and these opinions were in line with the bible's principles.
You don't have to be a Pope to do that...find out what the bible says and then have the determination to do it, if that is what you choose to do with your God given free will...don't be wishy washy and don't be afraid to ask the question.
Being a churchgoer and giving to charities mean nothing if that is not what is in your heart. So yes, it starts at home and it's every day. "Faithful in the little things, you will be faithful in the greater things".
(Can't remember where that scripture is right now..hey I'm not God you know....look it up yourself!)
Ben
Linda, I truly enjoyed your blog today.The question you asked your religion instructor really impressed me. What an insightful and logical question. It was sad that he answered in the way that many do when they haven't a clue as to the answer and simply believe that you must 'do what I say and not do what I do'...which is in complete contrast to what the bible tells us.
It's interesting that we did touch on this in our Watchtower study today. (You know that I am one of Jehovah's Witness here is just an FYI: on Sundays we have a public talk first (sermon) and then we take an article in the Watchtower (one of our bimonthly publications) and study it in depth for an hour. This article was on "Safeguarding our Christian Identity".
There are questions to the paragraphs and we have an opportunity to participate and answer.Anyways, one of the paragraphs brought out the point to "prove bible truth to yourself" which is in harmony with 1 Thessalonians 5:21 which states "Make sure of all things; hold fast to what is fine". The paragraph stated "Every Christian -young and old - needs to prove to his own satisfaction that what he believes is indeed the truth as found in the Bible". "Strong faith is built on knowledge 'Faith follows the things heard' Romans 10:17. Bottom line: "God welcomes honest questions asked with the right motive".
So you were doing nothing wrong in asking the question: again pretty insightful for such a young person.
Regarding the Pope (as a noncatholic): what I admired about him is that he stuck with what he believed in and refused to 'tickle' peoples ears as many others do. He did not believe in abortion and was not wishywashy on that matter. He stated his opinion on other subjects homosexuality, sex before marriage and these opinions were in line with the bible's principles.
You don't have to be a Pope to do that...find out what the bible says and then have the determination to do it, if that is what you choose to do with your God given free will...don't be wishy washy and don't be afraid to ask the question.
Being a churchgoer and giving to charities mean nothing if that is not what is in your heart. So yes, it starts at home and it's every day. "Faithful in the little things, you will be faithful in the greater things".
(Can't remember where that scripture is right now..hey I'm not God you know....look it up yourself!)
Ben
Saturday, April 02, 2005
My April's Fool Day!!
Well it started off like any other day...traffic...waiting for the elevator to get to my office...work was fine. Then I get a call from the specialist office...the xray that I was scheduled to go for later in the day at a scarborough hospital (which will remain nameless) had been changed to an MRI...hmm it's unusual I thought that an MRI would be booked so quickly, but hey...what the diff...I had already taken the afternoon off as a 1/2 day so off I headed to the hospital for my MRI...get there...go to the MRI located in the bowel of the hospital only to be told that I was supposed to be in xray...okay...that was my first hint that something was definitely amiss...so off I trod to xray..."follow the purple dots to the elevator to the second floor and then follow the yellow dots to the xray department"...so I did. Get to xray only to be told "follow me...Peter will explain this to you"...okay Peter spill it!! "the voiding cystourethergram is no longer the best procedure for this...you will be scheduled for an MRI"..wait a minute...'WILL BE?? YOU MEAN THAT I TOOK A HALF DAY VACATION TO COME HERE TO BE TOLD THAT I WILL BE SCHEDULED?' Needless to say, I was not happy. So 1/2 vacation day gone, and $12...lunch and parking for nothing. Oh and he can't give me a ballpark figure. I'm sure it won't be soon and it's a good thing this is nothing serious. So then I go to my sister's place...at least I can spend the afternoon with family. Mom was having her usual resting period. My sister was gobbling down her lunch standing up...if she sits down for 5 minutes we consider it a miracle...she should be a walking stick the way she runs around! Then the kids inform her that a bulb has shattered in the basement and there is glass on the floor...so off she goes to clean it up before somebody gets cut up..."Ben can you bring down the vacuum"...so I bring down the vacuum and stop three stairs from the bottom as I'm in stocking feet...all of a sudden my feet slip from underneath me and I'm flying down and I knew it was going to hurt and it did. Slammed my back on the stairs and hurt my big toe (apparently on the vacuum and broke a piece off)...OUCH!!!! Talk about STUPID! When I got home later, I soaked in a tub...it helped, but it still hurt. Thank God for Advil. I've been up and down those stairs many a time and this time I decided to take a trip! Aye carumba!!!I'm okay. Just a bit sore...and bruised.So that was my April Fool's Day...but mine started in the afternoon. How was your's??Whatever!!Ben
Friday, April 01, 2005
Whatever!
Well I've jumped on the bandwagon. I now have my OWN blog. Whatever!!
My cousins Nadia and Linda have gone before me in expressing their views on different matters. Wow what a wonderful way of getting to know someone else's thoughts. You see, unlike my sister, I hate talk-radio. I cringe while changing the channel and hearing the myriad of talk shows as well. Yak Yak Yak....oh please there is enough noise in the world and I could care less if you think she stole your man or if he wears your underwear....but write it out...printed word...now that's a different matter.
I love to read. I read while I eat, whether it's the cereal box or anything I can get my hands on.
I love to read while I ...well you know...we all keep something to read in the bathroom
I read while I drive...but only the signs on the road. (Like I'd read a book while I drive..PUHLEZE).
I would rather read than channel surf...so I record my shows and read before I go to bed. Then on weekends when tv is boring (Sunday mornings except for Coronation Street) I watch all my taped shows. CSI(all three), Lost, Alias and JAG.
Whatever!
Bernadette
My cousins Nadia and Linda have gone before me in expressing their views on different matters. Wow what a wonderful way of getting to know someone else's thoughts. You see, unlike my sister, I hate talk-radio. I cringe while changing the channel and hearing the myriad of talk shows as well. Yak Yak Yak....oh please there is enough noise in the world and I could care less if you think she stole your man or if he wears your underwear....but write it out...printed word...now that's a different matter.
I love to read. I read while I eat, whether it's the cereal box or anything I can get my hands on.
I love to read while I ...well you know...we all keep something to read in the bathroom
I read while I drive...but only the signs on the road. (Like I'd read a book while I drive..PUHLEZE).
I would rather read than channel surf...so I record my shows and read before I go to bed. Then on weekends when tv is boring (Sunday mornings except for Coronation Street) I watch all my taped shows. CSI(all three), Lost, Alias and JAG.
Whatever!
Bernadette
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