Weekly Update

Chemo is kicking me in the rump.  Yes, it's a blunt statement but there is no other way to describe it.  I had chemo (today) Wednesday and it's been down hill ever since.  I am hoping this cycle will end quickly.  I have been blessed in the past with very little side effects from the treatments but it feels like I am making it up with the last two infusions I had.  I have been dealing with nausea, stomach cramping, and some vomiting.  Oh yeah, tiredness as well these past few treatments. If I could I would sleep my life away. It's really getting hard for me to deal with lately. I have always had jobs that I worked hard at and did well and  moved up the ladder frequently.

My first job was at Dog N Suds in Highland at age 15  as a Freshman at Bishop Noll. By 17 I was a manager.I than applied at Shakey's. I was only making 2.40 at Dog N Suds and had to look for better pastures. I  got a job at Shakey's and Dog N Suds closed shortly after (coincidence)  I worked 2 and a half hours( not days) and quit Shakey's cause the manager there said I walk to slow. I was are you kidding me. I am new and learning the job and already on my case. I felt I should have gotten a better chance. So I cut my losses and left. By the way Sally can walk faster than me, so never judge somebody by how fast they walk.(shortly after they closed coincidence, I think not). I than started delivering papers for awhile. I had about 20 papers to deliver and had to walk about 2 miles to get to my route. I earned about 15 dollars every two weeks. I quit just after Christmas and made a lot of money in Christmas bonuses. I had the paper delivered by 7am every morning and in the mail boxes or doors. I would get letters from customer saying how they missed me. The company that I was working for wanted me to train my replacement. I was thinking I never got trained so I had to decline.That company isn't around anymore either. Now its getting weird.  I got a job at Sterk's Super Foods(Sibley Blvd in Hammond) from a friend. I started out as a bagger a few months later stocker a few months after night crew stocker......night crew chief(lead stocker)......Dairy foods manager with store manager resposibilities(opening-closing the store as well as running the store) Later on got Frozen foods added.I was transferred to the Columbus Dr, East Chicago store. Had the same jobs with a little more store management duties.I had to finally look for another job cause I was only making about $9.00 an hour.I really hated to do it cause I did like the job. It wasn't the store managers fault. The owner was very cheap and didn't compensate his employees the way he should have. I won't mention his name though. Needless to say both those stores are now closed or bought out,ummmm. I got a job at the dairy that supplied us. I started as a by products stacker-gallon and quart fillers machine operator-load out crew and a load out foreman. I decided to get off the load out crew because of personnel problems on the other shift that I had no control over. After word got out I was looking for another job business started to slow down drastically until it closed on Halloween,double ummm. After taking a few months off during Christmas time,I started looking hard for job. Avery had a add that I jumped at. I investigated what they did so if I got an interview I would know what to say about them to make me more knowledge savy besides the obvious questions. I got a call after applying twice. The funny thing Is my mother in law said I will get a job in March cause that is St Josephs feast month who is the patron saint of Fathers,Husbands and Workers ect.Sure enough got a call on March 3rd and started working on the 7th or 8th. I had a lot of different jobs there as well finally having to go on disability and being a lead operator.I always liked the challenge of being in charge.

Leaving Avery was very very hard for me. One of the hardest decisions I had to make.That is where I stand now. I liked being in the work force and I miss it tremendously. This not to say that being home with my family is bad, it's great. It's just now I feel like nothing and not being able to support my family the way I should. I am going to stop there because of how long this is getting. I will have a part 2 tomorrow to mention more about what the rest of the family is dealing with. God Bless you all and thank you for taking half your day to read this.