Firsts

I have always been interested how people react to things that happen to them for the very first time. I also try to remember when I see someone that is going through something for the first time, not to judge them so quickly. For those of us that are older and now are seasoned in many areas, we now are experiencing our seconds, thirds and fourths of certain situations.

Some firsts that happened to me ....

Being a mom for the first time... my experienced is explained well in this poem.

Getting diagnosed with a cancer for the first time... being overcome with fear and taking awhile before I felt comforted.

Being a grandma for the first time...showing photos to total strangers of my granddaughter.

Having my first teenager...enjoying having a new friend and yet never understanding why I had to repeat myself sooooooo many times?

Having my first child leave home...and me bawling like a baby.

Losing my mom...wondering how to go on with my life without a mother.

Having an empty house more often than not...and wondering how I am going to handle the loneliness?

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Just for laughs: The Evolution of Parenthood

March 23, 2010 by Juggling Motherhood

Your Clothes -

1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.

2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.

3rd baby: Your maternity clothes are your regular clothes.

Preparing for the Birth -

1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.

2nd baby: You don’t bother practicing because you remember that last time, breathing didn’t do a thing.

3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your 8th month.

Pacifier -

1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and boil it.

2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby’s bottle.

3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.

Diapering -

1st baby: You change your baby’s diapers every hour, whether they need it or not.

2nd baby: You change their diaper every 2 to 3 hours, if needed.

3rd baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees.

Worries -

1st baby: At the first sign of distress – a whimper, a frown – you pick up the baby.

2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.

3rd baby: You teach your 3-year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing.

Going Out -

1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home 5 times.

2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.

3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.

Yes, when we experience something for the first time, it is important for us to be patient with ourselves or someone else, who is experiencing one of their firsts!

 

"NOTHING IS A WASTE OF TIME IF YOU USE THE EXPERIENCE WISELY"  ~ Auguste Rodin

"EXPERIENCE IS SOMETHING YOU GET TOO LATE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE MISTAKES YOU MADE WHILE GETTING IT"  ~ Unknown

Make a difference

I was in the hospital for less than 24 hours for my mastectomy, it was way too fast. What this DR mentions here about her patient reaction, is truly how I felt. I didn't comprehend all that was being told to me. I was in a lot of pain, I was scared, medicated and not sure how I was even going to survive this. So if there could be given to the women, at least 2 days that would be a tremendous help. If you feel like helping this bill go through, please do.

Thanks,

Lynn Woodard

Proposed Mastectomy Law Change

(written by a surgeon);

I'll never forget the look in my patients eyes when I had to tell them they had to go home with the drains, new exercises and no breast. I remember begging the doctors to keep these women in the hospital longer, only to hear that they would, but their hands were tied by the insurance companies.

So there I sat with my patient giving them the instructions they needed to take care of themselves, knowing full well they didn't grasp half of what I was saying, because the glazed, hopeless, frightened look spoke louder than the quiet 'Thank you' they muttered.

A mastectomy is when a woman's breast is removed in order to remove cancerous breast cells/tissue. If you know anyone who has had a mastectomy, you may know that there is a lot of discomfort and pain afterwards. Insurance companies are trying to make mastectomies an outpatient procedure. Let's give women the chance to recover properly in the hospital for 2 days after surgery.

This Mastectomy Bill is in Congress now. It takes 2 seconds to do this and is very important. The Breast Cancer Hospitalization Bill is important legislation for all women.

If there was ever a time when our voices and choices should be heard, this is one of those times.

There's a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act which will require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It's about eliminating the 'drive-through mastectomy' where women are forced to go home just a few hours after surgery, against the wishes of their doctor, still groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still attached.

Lifetime Television has put this bill on their web page with a petition drive to show your support.. Last year over half the House signed on. PLEASE! Sign the petition by clicking on the web site below. You need not give more than your name and zip code number.

http://www.mylifetime.com/community/my-lifetime-commitment/breast-cancer/petition/breast-cancer-petition

This only takes a few seconds. Thank you!