As some may have noticed I have been absent from the forum for quite sometime.
Unfortunately 2017 was not such a great year. I retired at 62, a little earlier then planned but my mom at 90 was not doing well living in her home and so I brought her to live with me. The caretaker's were not taking good care of her and frankly stealing her blind. She had always wanted to stay in her home but that wasn't a good idea and longer. So I made the choice to retire to take care of her. My kids were all on their own now and I felt this was the right thing to do. I had time to spend with my mom that I hadn't done in years. I ate Breakfast, Lunch and dinner with her. Bathed her, dressed her, did her makeup ( yes she had to have her makeup on after breakfast ) and at night we would lay in her bed and watch old movies and eat popcorn and laugh. I felt like a kid again with my mommy. Well after 7 months she had a seizure and needed a pacemaker. She passed away from complications of that surgery 4 days later. My mom had a long beautiful life and so I had accepted her death as it was just her time and I was grateful for this "extra" time I was able to spend with her everyday. I know she enjoyed it as well.
Well, with her passing, my sister and I had commiserated daily and had become extremely close as we were all we had left. Our parents were gone. She was my older sister and I had always looked up to her. She never married nor had children so frankly my kids and grand kids had now become hers. My sister was disabled and so when it came time to take care of my mom she could not. She had been wheelchair bound for many years with scoliosis. She had ballooned up to close to 400 lbs and had severe asthma. So with her lack of mobility and breathing issues and multiple medical problems, she passed away 5 months after my mom.
In 5 months I had lost my mom and my sister. My core family was gone. And I fell into a deep depression. It was too much for me to bare so soon.
I also had not been feeling well but thought it was just that I had suffered so much loss in such a short time. Well I was rushed to the hospital in January and diagnosed with Stage 4 cirrhosis of the liver! I don't even drink. Its an autoimmune disease called PBC that's the cuprit. Your liver stops making bile and without making bile you cant live. I am now on medication and have had every test in the world over the last few months. I might need a transplant later down the road but for now I'm feeling so much better. So when I say it hasn't been a good year it is really an understatement. I'm grateful to be here. No i didn't need to explain but it was therapeutic nonetheless.
So i come back here to my happy place. Among those who share my soap making passion. I haven't made a bar of soap in 8 months more or less. That's the first break I've taken in years and I have been struggling to get motivated. So I logged in for inspiration and motivation and this in the best place to find it. So here I am.
Lets make some soap!
Sherry <3
Unfortunately 2017 was not such a great year. I retired at 62, a little earlier then planned but my mom at 90 was not doing well living in her home and so I brought her to live with me. The caretaker's were not taking good care of her and frankly stealing her blind. She had always wanted to stay in her home but that wasn't a good idea and longer. So I made the choice to retire to take care of her. My kids were all on their own now and I felt this was the right thing to do. I had time to spend with my mom that I hadn't done in years. I ate Breakfast, Lunch and dinner with her. Bathed her, dressed her, did her makeup ( yes she had to have her makeup on after breakfast ) and at night we would lay in her bed and watch old movies and eat popcorn and laugh. I felt like a kid again with my mommy. Well after 7 months she had a seizure and needed a pacemaker. She passed away from complications of that surgery 4 days later. My mom had a long beautiful life and so I had accepted her death as it was just her time and I was grateful for this "extra" time I was able to spend with her everyday. I know she enjoyed it as well.
Well, with her passing, my sister and I had commiserated daily and had become extremely close as we were all we had left. Our parents were gone. She was my older sister and I had always looked up to her. She never married nor had children so frankly my kids and grand kids had now become hers. My sister was disabled and so when it came time to take care of my mom she could not. She had been wheelchair bound for many years with scoliosis. She had ballooned up to close to 400 lbs and had severe asthma. So with her lack of mobility and breathing issues and multiple medical problems, she passed away 5 months after my mom.
In 5 months I had lost my mom and my sister. My core family was gone. And I fell into a deep depression. It was too much for me to bare so soon.
I also had not been feeling well but thought it was just that I had suffered so much loss in such a short time. Well I was rushed to the hospital in January and diagnosed with Stage 4 cirrhosis of the liver! I don't even drink. Its an autoimmune disease called PBC that's the cuprit. Your liver stops making bile and without making bile you cant live. I am now on medication and have had every test in the world over the last few months. I might need a transplant later down the road but for now I'm feeling so much better. So when I say it hasn't been a good year it is really an understatement. I'm grateful to be here. No i didn't need to explain but it was therapeutic nonetheless.
So i come back here to my happy place. Among those who share my soap making passion. I haven't made a bar of soap in 8 months more or less. That's the first break I've taken in years and I have been struggling to get motivated. So I logged in for inspiration and motivation and this in the best place to find it. So here I am.
Lets make some soap!
Sherry <3
for all you have been through
