It’s an impromptu Blog Post #51. I was planning to wait until after returning from Japan (now to be Blog #52) to post on all the sushis, blowfishes, and nama birus my wife and I will have. However, things change. Life happens… and so does death.

I find myself travelling on a ferry to a celebration of life for my good friend, Sylvia. Some of you might have read my first ever published article all about Sylvia’s fight with cancer. If you haven’t, you can read it here …and be inspired.

Friendship

Sylvia and I met in nursing school and became fast friends. She enjoyed (and amazingly also understood) my humor and I loved her passion for nursing and life. I am grateful to have been her friend.

The Book

The editing process continues and is moving forward. Sylvia finished reading the final rough draft and had told me to not change a thing. She wrote an amazing Foreword for the book and I look forward (haha) to sharing it with everyone when the book comes out.

“Just be true with yourself and you’ll succeed.” – Sylvia Moreau.

The New Challenge

I continue full time training for my new position in Community Health. I had asked Sylvia if she thought I should take this job. She said, “Yes, it’s a new challenge and it’s good to challenge yourself.”

Well, I’m challenged! You could even say I’m struggling. However, somewhere in there I’m getting better, I’m growing (frustrated?), and feeling grateful for the opportunity I have. They say that learning comes from making mistakes. If that’s so, I can proudly say that I’ve been making a lot of learnings.

Words of Wisdom

1. Enjoy Life! Enjoy every challenge, every opportunity, and every lesson along the way.

2. “Make Lasting Memories.” – how Sylvia would end all her emails.

I decided to share this joke from the book (which will be edited before publishing). It’s not fully mine. It was Sylvia’s and she had a great sense of humor. Enjoy.

“From midway through nursing school, Sylvia has been battling a rare type of cancer called carcinoid neuroendocrine cancer. Despite the challenges this condition presented, Sylvia finished nursing school and worked as a nurse before the condition forced her to retire. One day, she wrote to tell me about how she was doing:

“My bloodwork isn’t good. I’ve had some bad bowel obstructions. I can’t eat much between the episodes of vomiting and pain. Scans show tumorous masses in my intestinal tract, on my liver, and on my pancreas…but at least my prostate is ok!”

Of course, I laughed. It was all I could do to not cry. My wife asked how Sylvia was doing. I replied, “She has masses but says, ‘at least her prostate is ok.”

My wife said, “Well that’s good at least.”

“Umm, women don’t have prostates.”

“They don’t?” And I got to laugh all over again.

Then I told Sylvia about my wife’s response and we laughed and laughed some more.” 

This post is dedicated to my friend, Sylvia Moreau (obviously). She was a special person who fought a rare terminal cancer for over ten years. She was an amazing nurse, a champion for enjoying life, and one of the toughest and most caring people I have ever met. Sylvia will be missed dearly by me and my wife, Lesly as we strive to continue to “Make Lasting Memories”.