Friends of Women After Hours know an incredibly brave individual named Helen Bushey. Helen's recent health issues have made it impossible for her to continue to work and she needs a double masectomy in the near future. We are currently collecting Stop & Shop gift certificates to assist the family in supplying food for their table.

A letter from Helen:

My Dearest Angels,

I cant tell you all enough how blessed I feel having been the recipient of your generosity and kind hearts. I wanted to share a bit more with all of you and have wanted to for a while but as my health issues piled upon me, my time on the computer or phone was extremely limited. For those who wonder if I have forgotten you Let me just say You shall never be forgotten. It is knowing that I had so many angels routing for me that got me through the ordeal. I do not want to bore you with tons of details but I do want you to be aware of all that has been going on for the last few months. So I will try my best to list chronologically. I know I will leave something out because my memory has diminished. But I do know the most important or the most major stuff.

January 2008- Radiation prior to Surgery- Left upper rear thigh to remove a tumor. That surgery turned out to be a nightmare having caused a major infection and landed me in the hospital for a while having the wound operated on three more times to debris it and massive doses of antibiotics. Then home care to have the wound packed and cleaned by visiting nurses and or Tracy.

February 2008- Body tissue and bone scan showed many growths on my ovaries cervix and a pear shaped/ sized mother "growth" on one of my fallopian tube. That led to more test and more scans and more stress to say the least. Finally I was given more radiation and pill form chemo and had a complete hysterectomy. Then more chemo after that surgery.

March 2008- Complete Body scan and exam and MRI of the breast showed small but benign appearing lumps and bumps all over my right breast. Needle aspirations were performed the docs face told me it wasn't good when he saw the color of the fluid. Sure enough the test came back that I had "undefined cellular structures" that had not been seen before. That led to them sending my specimens to two or three cancer centers around the country. By the time all the cards were in the "mysterious" lumps were now in my left breast. That leads me to more radiation and waiting for two insurance companies to duel it out and decide who pays for what. and that leads me to May!

May 2008- I had to have not only both my breast removed but surrounding tissue and nodes and muscle removed . Here comes the fun part they even had to take the skin because it also tested positive. So on the 12th I had all that stuff removed and was left in the hospital with drains and tubes coming from here and there and everywhere. On the 15th they took me from my room and brought me back into surgery to reconstruct using a donor skin from some angel that passed on and left his/her body and organs to be donated. { I like saying that as apposed to "Cadavers" } Well when I woke from that procedure I awoke to my sister and daughter in law looking down my johnny and saying "OH MY GOD LOOK SHE HAS TINY LITTLE BOOBIES!" I was surprised at that to say the least! So I looked down and sure enough there were these two little lumps that were very smooth and tiny about a double A with no nipples. I laughed and said "well they may be tiny and nippleless but at least I got some!" Turns out that what Doc used was called Allerderm {from cadaver} and expansion implants. I went to Doc every week for a "fill" { skin expansion}. I was then up to 450cc and had enough skin to go even larger I was like no lets not do that! So he says ok lets let these skin expanders do their job a while longer and then we will schedule you to go in hospital to have your permanent implants put in. That brings me to August.

Ausust 2008- Docs office called and said they had a date for me but it was a few days before my sons wedding and I begged them to allow me to wait till after. They did... the NEXT day Aug 4th. Having attended my nieces wedding in MAY {the daughter of a cancer patient who passed at 50 years old} with drains and being very weak, I was determined to be well enough to dance at my sons wedding. And I was! So August 4th I went in for surgery and had the expansion breast implants removed and had my permanent implants put in. I am told that I will need two separate surgery's to do the "fine tuning" as the doctor couldn't finish due to the fact the anesthesiologist told him he needed to "wrap it up, we are losing her pressure" Well I have like 600cc breast due to skin expanders really EXPANDING! I am still healing from that slow but sure. So now, brings me to my next venture... after a couple weeks recovering from the reconstruction, I was hit with a stroke. I was talking to my son and all of a sudden my face drooped on the right side and my teeth were clenched and my neck stiffened. I was brought to the hospital and was given medication that combats strokes if given within a certain time it is usually successful. IT WAS! The scan showed a bleed that was absorbed. and I was labeled a "mini stroke" I was hospitalized a couple of days and now I am just left with a few minor annoying remnants of the episode. Now we are in September!

I sadly lost another sibling to cancer she was just diagnosed the week of my mastectomy and went to join God and all our angels already. Her fight was short but strong. Her name is Charlotte and I just know she is going to be helping me continue my fight.

September- I am being monitored closely for pretty much every thing. I am still unable to return to work. Anyone who has had radiation and cancer medications, {even in small dose} will know what I am saying when I say that my body is in complete body and bone pain. Doctors tell me that due to my having so much radiation and medications my bones are that of someone who is twenty years or so older than me. {I am 44 tomorrow} A lot of women might be frightened by that number, I however and happy to see any age come my way! I am praying to see my youngest child Adam become the policeman that he dreams to be, and my twenty year old who is special needs complete his program and be able to live independently . I will not give up or rest until those two events occur. {then,God willing, I will set a new goal} but for now this is all I ask!

I have many, many, many doctor appointments and test and all the other great stuff that goes along with the illness. I now have a rheumatoid doctor as well working on my case. Yep this is my next venture into the cruel and complex world of aging and cancer! My joints and bone pain are making daily life a little difficult, but with the help of some heavy duty medications and many sit down and rest bouts, I am able to get by. Some say so well that one would never know I was ill. { I am grateful to have the ability to hide it} I long to let my children see a healthy mom! I push and push to do as much as I can with them and for them. I am sure it is that which has kept me going!

So my Angels, again I want to thank you for all your help... promise me you will remember to always do your self breast exams at least once a month. and promise me that no matter how much pain you feel or what is troubling you promise me you will all continue to DANCE DANCE DANCE. Don't ever let anything or anyone get in your way of that! I never will! It is dancing that has brought us all together in the first place!! My passion for dance expression is much stronger than the consequences of the pain that is certain to follow.I may not be able to fire up that dance floor for every song but you can bet you will see me up there a few times!

Much Love and Sincerity
Helen Bushey

PS: Please also remember ANN in your hearts and prayers!

Your help can make a world of difference in the quality of someone else's life.

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Recent angel sightings...
  -  Ann Thomas
  -  Lee Cotrona