sharlene's Guestbook

Hi Sharlene, I am sorry for all your troubles and set backs, but what a great outlook you have despite all of it!!! Your faith is definitely keeping you strong and ready to fight. I was so touched by your excitement for the hope and promise of the upcoming holiday season. Your goal is to find YOUR personal best and make each day what you want it to be....your are in total control of at least that. Be well-- Warm regards, Nancy H. (NJ)

Hey Sharlene It was so good to see your journal today. I\'ve often thought of you and wondered how you were faring and am very sorry to hear of your current health plight. You were having bought after bought of lung problems so now you know. Sometimes it\'s easier dealing with a known than an unknown so hopefully you can get on the correct medications and get some of your issues looked after. As Fran pointed out - are you getting the very best health care possible over there? I do hope so. Do your children manage to get to you or do you have to travel to see them? Once the kids have families it\'s always easier for them to have us old folks do the travelling and when you aren\'t feeling just the best, I\'m sure that has been difficult to say the least. I\'m glad to see you still plan on going all out for the upcoming holiday season. Is there a large section of people there who decorate such as you do? We just put our lights up yesterday while it was half-decently warm enough not to freeze while doing so. We don\'t bother turning them on just yet or putting out anything else until December comes. Last year after my surgery we didn\'t put up a single decoration as I was just not up to it so this year I\'m looking forward to dragging out the boxes. My husband is never as keen so it\'s strickly my thing. Peter is still trying to suck up all the golf time he can manage so as long as there isn\'t a lot of snow, he\'ll golf \'till he can\'t see his ball! I\'m so glad you wrote in and will look forward to keeping in touch now and then. Take care and will keep you in my prayers. Cheryl, Ontario

Hi Sharlene I have to admit I lost your name as you can see by the date of my last post to you. I have often wondered how the \"brave woman who lives on the other side of the world\" is doing and now I know. I am so sorry to learn of your current health status. Are you convinced you are getting the best medical care available? I can\'t imagine being so far away from loved ones. You are so special to find the joy in the upcoming season and the hope it brings. You will be in my prayers that you will get some improvement in your health status. Sometimes life is not fair and we wonder why things happen the way they do. I have no answers for you, wish I did. I will not lose your name again and as I said, will pray for improvement for your health. Fran

Sharlene, oh my gosh I have to admit I cried when I read your journal and story. Since I am a 3X open heart congenital now 60 y/o and have faced through the last 25 yrs the bumps after each surgery with recently a collpased lung I sooo feel for you. I really related to your Christmas fantasy as we speak my husband, (as I am not able to assist much) is beginning to decorate our home with our 3 Xmas trees etc. Our children and grandchildren that live in this country but in all 4 corners will be visiting for our Thanksmas in 2 wks where we celebrate Christmas. I Know that once the home is decorated I will feel the peace and hope for the coming year. There are so many helpful folks in HVJ that have encouraged me through my bumps this time that I am grateful everyday. This morning I was lying in bed doing my gratitudes as it is so helpful. I will follow your journal and will pray for you, I am so sorry you are experiencing such setbacks. Susan VandenBussche North Carolina

Hi Sharlene Thank you for your lovely note of encouragement when you are having such a difficult time. Please post an update. Hope there is big improvement over last month.You are an unbelievable lady! Fran Z

Hi Sharlene Hope this finds you feeling so very much better and back to getting your exercise in. You have been in my thoughts and prayers. Keep tough. Happy Easter. Cheryl, Ontario

Hi Sharlene Just trying to get caught up on posts I missed while I was hospitalized. Just got home Sunday evening, Home Sweet Home, can\'t beat it. Hope you have made some recovery so you\'re not back in the hospital. You have an amazing spirit. It\'s always easy to say I\'m alive, it could be worse, but am praying those lungs wake up and start producing air for you. Tough to manage with without good lung saturation. Please post again soon and update us. Prayers continue. Fran Z

Hi Sharlene Just wanting you to know I was thinking of you and wondering how you are making out. I do pray there has been a significant improvement. I hate to see you getting discouraged but can certainly understand. You are in my prayers. Cheryl, Ontario

Hi Sharlene, What a bummer, I don\'t know how you stay so upbeat. I only have a little fluid in my lungs and I feel terrible! Thinking of you and sending love and hugs to you. Penny xxx

Hi Sharlene I\'m just so very sorry to hear you are still battling with pneumonia. You must be beside yourself. Have the doctors told you why this is happening? Is your heart working properly other than the A-fib? Have you spoken with your heart surgeon about the trouble you are having? There has to be a key here that hasn\'t been found. I pray these new stronger drugs will grab this thing and destroy it once and for all. I would have thought the dry climate where you are would be a good thing as opposed to a colder and damper climate such as I am in right now. If you are in an air-conditioned house, is there any way of cleaning that unit in case there are air-borne germs coming from it such as mold? Does that even make sense? I guess I would be wondering if it is my body or my environment that is at the root of this continuing difficulty. Maybe someone reading this might be able to weigh in with something more enlightening. Please try and keep us updated as to how you are faring? Still praying for your full recovery but I\'ll make sure I suggest sooner rather than later. Hugs. Cheryl, Ontario