A Funny Jean Story

Many of you may remember my younger sister Jean. Jean is a beautiful, humorous soul who gives the family many instances of laughter. The following took place in the spring of 2006. She is still very much "with us", although the transplant has not taken place. One has to be cancer-free for five years in order to be considered for one. I hope you enjoy this. She would be laughing with you if she were present!

A FUNNY JEAN STORY

My sister Jean recently underwent extensive medical testing to see if she were healthy enough for a lung transplant. She told a story on herself that had me laughing so hard I nearly fell out of my chair. The story goes like this:

Jean had visited a medical professional building for a variety of tests. She had just had blood and sputum (she said she had never heard spit called this before) samples taken and she was directed to the next office where two pulmonary technicians were awaiting her. She went in and said to them, "Well, I've just had a blood test and a scrotum test, now what are you going to do?" The two technicians burst out laughing. After explaining to her what she had said and what it meant, they all had a big laugh and were in good spirits while they conducted the scheduled breathing tests. As she was leaving, Jean, in her inimitable fashion, turned to them and said, "I guess you will always remember me as the sperm lady!" Whereupon, the technicians lost it again!

Later she repeated the story at the beauty salon she goes to, getting the words mixed up again, as Jean often does. Her "nail lady", recognizing a good story, rehearsed Jean over and over on the word "sputum" so she could properly tell her story! 

Unfortunately – or as it turns out, fortunately, one of her tests was a long overdue mammogram. It detected a lump in her breast which has indefinitely postponed consideration for a lung transplant.

Jean called me to tell me that the biopsy showed the lump was malignant and they were going to operate. I asked her if they would have to do a mastectomy. She replied, “Oh, no, the doctor said they definitely weren’t going to do a vasectomy!” No matter how serious the occasion, I could not help laughing at her. When I told her what she said, we both roared. 

Suddenly, she whispered, “You don’t suppose I’m a man inside trying to get out, do you??” 

Gotta love her!

A side note. Jean has since had a lumpectomy and the doctors felt certain they removed the entire malignancy. She did not have to have chemotherapy or radiation. She’s doing quite well, and is very philosophical about the whole experience. She went for the lung transplant series of tests against her better judgment. She really was frightened of the transplant and not sure she wanted one. Now she believes the whole purpose of this experience was to discover the lump in her breast. 

God works in mysterious ways indeed.

Marilyn

2006

June Hash Curry Bio ~ Part II

I was so happy when I received the following from June, but saddened when I read about her painful losses. When I went to the hospital in Midland, Texas to give birth to my daughter Carajean, Bob (Burton) and I dropped off my son Craig at June and Grady's house to play with their son Tommy. That was 47 years ago this November 1st.

"I apologize for not getting back to you, but I have just spent the last most physically painful period of my life during the months preceding and during this summer. I am still recovering from having the three lower discs in my back remade and fused, as they were bone to bone; and the recovery has been both painful and long, and I still have many months to go. Otherwise, I would not have missed this wonderful event and the joy of being there with all of you.

I live in Tulsa right now, but as soon I am well enough and my home is sold, my son, Chris, and I will be moving to Edmond just north of Oklahoma City to be near my son, Scott, his wife Staci and their two children Braden and Morgan. I can no longer work with my current health problems; and it's time to be a "hands on" grandma at last. All my other grandchildren are much too grown up now to really care whether or not I attend their ball games, plays, etc., but these two are not yet that "old and jaded". Ha. Scott went to the University of Oklahoma, and after graduation stayed in that city to marry my wonderful daughter-in-law, who is a special education teacher in the Edmond School District. Anyway, I'm looking forward to a change after 27 years in Tulsa, which I have truly loved. I will hate leaving my Presbyterian Church here (one that is very inclusive) but will soon find another in Oklahoma City where there are several very liberal churches, some Presbyterian, some interdenominational.

My Darling Grady died of melanoma cancer on October 22, 1991, and life has never been the same for me. He was my soulmate and very best friend, and I still miss him every single day.

My son, Tom, died in 2001 of liver failure. He was the divorced father of three daughters: Elizabeth, who is now 27 and has three children of her own; Katie June, 23 years old, and recently returned from Iraq (emotionally if not physically battered) and Danielle, 21, and recently married in St. Louis. Tom's illness was long and very painful, and I could not begrudge him the release after having suffered for so long. 

Martha, who is in Flower Mound just North of Dallas, lives there with her husband, Kerry, and their two daughters, Karen and Kayle, 18 and 14, respectively. They are both employed by Wells Fargo Mortgage Corporation (she, a mortgage broker--he a computer analyst) and have done very well there. My daughter has become a very dear friend to me in every way once we got past the teen conflict years that mothers and daughters sometimes have. 

My darling Kevin has always been closest to me in many ways than any of my children. We have pretty much always been able to communicate even without words and his command of words is pretty awesome. He graduated from Baylor University (where a great deal of his anguish over his sexuality took place). He now also works for Wells Fargo Mortgage in Minneapolis, but is an author and has one published book which targets problems in the gay underground community and is at work on a second one. His journey to Michael, his beloved, has been long and painful. I thank God for protecting him all along this very difficult journey to the joyful life he now has. Michael is a representative for several men designer products to department stores and travels back and forth to New York City quite a lot. They love travel and have been to Europe, Mexico, and many of the islands several times. For my 65th birthday, they gave me a all-expense paid week in Paris, and acted as my escorts and translators. We had such a wonderful time, and I will never forget that wonderful week. 

Christopher, 39, is my youngest son, and is employed as a sergeant with a security firm at the Spirit Plant here is Tulsa. They build segments of the new Boeing Dreamliner airplane. He is divorced and has moved back with me. There were no children in this very troubled marriage, and he is healing at long last. 

I have very aggressive arthritis which resulted finally in my three lower discs being so non-existent that everything was bone on bone, resulting in a kind of agony brand new to me during the first six months of this year. On June 4, my wonderful neurosurgeon rebuilt all three of these lower discs and fused them with screws and rods. I also have a mass on my upper spine which he did not touch at this time, but will watch carefully with MRIs for the next few years. He assured me that if I continue to lose some excess weight (and I have put on quite a bit through pain-enforced inactivity), the surgery should last for 10 to 12 years before the arthritis catches up with me again. That's very good news--I'm a great believer in quality over quantity of life, and I thank God for this surgery. However, it is a long and painful recovery, and I'm trying very hard to be patient and diligent in doing all I can to recover as much mobility as possible. Enough of that! In short--I'm doing great! 

Well, I must stop. You probably are completely exhausted from reading this by now. It was sooooo good to hear from you and about you. Let's please keep contact by emails (I dearly love email, and my computer is the first and last place I go each morning and night).

Have a wonderful day!!"

With love,

June

Thursday Morning Update 10-25-07

Good Morning,

A quick report on Peggy. She did go home from the hospital yesterday. I briefly spoke with her yesterday afternoon. Peggy asked me to tell everyone of you how much she appreciated all of your prayers, good wishes, and visits. Needless to say, she is weak and will need to recover a lot more strength before receiving visitors at home. Maybe next week she will be up to short visits. Right now she says she is not sore at all from the surgery, nor does she have a bandage of any sort! Isn't modern surgery wonderful? Remember, this was open heart surgery! Amazing...

Check out the front page of the Ballinger Ledger this week. Our class picture in all its glory! Doris Stokes White managed to get her picture on the front page twice at one time.

I hope more of you will post comments here on our blog. It is still in the works, and I'm sure we will make changes. I need your input. I appreciate the emails, but if you post a comment, others can read it also. Just click on the "comments" below each new post and follow the directions. If you wish to read the comments, do the same. I want to find a way that they will be visible without your having to click on them.

If you have a long article or story (no copyrighted material, please ~ unless it's yours) you wish to post on here, send it to me via email attachment and I will post it for you. Get creative for me.... or send me things you wish you'd put in your handbook bio. I will also correct any spelling or other errors if you wish.

Bye for now. I am going to post a couple of items now... one from June Hash Curry.

Marilyn

BHS Class of 1957 - September 2007

Classmate June Hash Curry Bio - Part I

June sent the following to me after our class reunion. It was too late to include in our Class Handbook, however, I thought it deserved to be read by everyone anyway. Later I will send Part II, in which she tells us about her children and the painful loss of her husband Grady as well as her oldest child Tom........Marilyn

"You asked what I had been doing personally, and my husband and children were such a major portion of that, I seem to always talk about them. But I have had some really interesting experiences in my own right. Most of the paid positions I have held have been secretarial, except for the two before I finally retired. I worked for several oil companies during and between pregnancies in Midland, always with the intention of staying home with my children when we got out of debt (never happened). Then after moving to Sand Springs (a suburb of Tulsa) in 1980, I worked as a church financial secretary and later a pastor's secretary in the Baptist church that we had joined at that time (big mistake, working in the church where you worship). Later I worked for an attorney and a glass factory (Kerr Glass in Sand Springs) before quitting to travel with Grady, who had become Vice President of Sales for United Bearing Corporation and was traveling a great deal. About a year after that he was diagnosed with melanoma cancer on his head and began 18 months of grueling surgeries, radiation, etc., before his death October 22, 1991. I traveled with him as long as he could work, and stayed home until after his death. I was 53 at that time and had a really terrible time finding another job (who says age discrimination is dead?). Anyway, I finally connected with a part time job at Tulsa Community College before later going to work full time at an "entry level" position with Tulsa Health Department. This position turned into several promotions, including executive secretary in Human Resources, and finally as their Volunteer Coordinator, retiring early because of a great deal of arthritic and fibromyalgia pain at age 62. I was asked to take the Volunteer Program home with me and work from there online; then 18 months later to come back part-time to the Health Department in the same position for another 2-1/2 years (which I did). Pain again drove me home. I did some part-time work which was really economically necessary during this time with Broken Arrow Police Department, before going to work l/2 days for B'nai Emunah Synagogue as an Assistant to the Education Director. I dearly loved this position as I did the one at Tulsa Health Department. They were people-contact positions and in this context I absolutely flourished. Before retiring at Tulsa Health Department I had written two volunteer programs for them and had recruited and trained nearly 700 volunteers which became an absolute nightmare to manage and direct. The synagogue position taught me so much about religious diversity and loving and being loved by people of the Jewish faith unconditionally.

Unfortunately, the three lower discs in my back had completely disintegrated by this point (last Spring) and I had to stop work altogether and have a very large surgery. My doctor tells me it will be a complete year before I will heal from this surgery, and though patience has never been my long suit, I'm trying to develop some at last. In the meantime he will continue to run MRI's on a small mass further up on my spinal cord. He doesn't think this growth is malignant and may even disintegrate on its own; but will continue to watch it for a year or two to decide whether more back surgery is needed. I sincerely hope none is necessary--I'm tired of recovering and fully ready to be RECOVERED.

My youngest son, Chris, and I are preparing to move to Edmond. My house is now in the hands of a realtor, and hopefully will sell quickly so that move can be accomplished."

June Hash Curry,
October 2007

WELCOME TO THE BHS CLASS OF '57 BLOG

Hello Everyone,

This is a first for me, but then the last few months I have experienced a lot of "firsts". I am hoping this one works for all of us so we can keep in touch.

I would like each of you to continue to share your stories from high school as well as the intervening years. Of course, we also want to hear what is currently going on in your life.

The Ballinger Ledger is publishing an article about our recent 50th Class Reunion. I wish there had been room to mention the names of everyone who attended. You are all equally important. If some of you who aren't Ledger subscribers would like to read the article, just let me know and I can send it to you via email or maybe post it on this site.

I especially want to mention other reunion committee members who helped accomplish such a wonderful event for us. Virginia Harral Egan, Patsy Berry Bomar, and Doris Stokes White contributed a lot in the way of time and effort to help from the beginning letters to the final touches on the Community Room. Virginia also has mailed the large class photos to members who were in attendance. Don Simmons, your muscle and assistance in moving the tables and chairs were greatly appreciated. And who could forget such an illustrious cleanup crew? Pictures don't lie. James, Denny, Walter, Jimmie, and even David Batts rolled up their sleeves and went to work with brooms and mops. Thanks to each and everyone of you.

I can't forget to thank our entertainers for the party held here at my house after our class reunion. "The Thoroughbred Three" were all in attendance: Ter Cothran, Walter Thomas, and Jeep Jackson. Jeep didn't bring a musical instrument, so he joined the rest of us who enjoyed performances by Ter and Walter, who played guitar, sang, and kept us rolling with laughter at their "Martin and Lewis" type jokes and patter. I hope you guys continue to play and practice for our next reunion in 2010.

Peggy Virden Sharp and Rosalyn Urbantke Hoelscher are both recovering at home. As both of these gals love to stay active and on the go, having to limit their activities for a few weeks is going to be extremely difficult for both of them. Cards, telephone calls, and even visits may be in order to boost their spirits and send your good wishes.

James Hays, with some sadness and more than a few tears, closed his medical practice of 37 years in Brownwood this past week. However, he intends to continue practicing medicine on a part-time basis two days a week in Coleman. Should you have need of his services, you may call for an appointment at his new telephone number, 325-625-3533. House calls? I don't think he does those, but he still flies his plane. Perhaps?

I have news from June Hash Curry which I will share in a subsequent post. She also is in recovery mode from back surgery she had this past summer, which is why she was unable to attend our reunion. She indicated to me she would love to hear from her former classmates.

I will also try to get an update on Gene Routh's healing foot.

Nancy Thompson Baker and hubby Jake are spending this week in Las Vegas with their daughter Melissa and her husband Bryan Jones. They plan to come home with suitcases full of money. It is wonderful that Jake has recovered so well from the heart surgery he had in August.

Am I the only one who gets all misty-eyed and nostalgic over the Texas theater and the Texas Grill signs still up here in Ballinger? I would so love to see the Texas theater (even though it is located across the street from the original one) renovated. Anyone interested in starting a community theater?

Wow! This has turned into a long communication. I was once labeled a "compulsive communicator". Now we all know why. I love to talk ~ and write. I hope some of you do, too.

I'm going to put this "out there" in the ether now. I'm curious to know if any of you will read it.

'Til next time,
Marilyn