PattyVapes
Well-Known Member
Second Chances
by Patty
I have said so many times in the past, “one can have all the money, a great career, a wonderful home and your health, but none of it means much if you don’t have someone to share it with.”
October 17, 2006
101 N. Main. Himmell Park Library. I had mapped out my day as a driver for Van Tran, a paramedic service for the disabled. According to my manifest I was to pick up Vitolo and take him to his home. He was waiting at the curb outside of the library. The van was parked, hazard lights flashing as I got out to greet my client. Our attraction was instantaneous! The moment was magical! During our short ride he told me of his catastrophic accident three years earlier. Why he went to the library. Of how he’d been a fighter in the International Freestyle Karate Association. I could barely concentrate on the directions to his house I’d mapped out earlier. I kept looking in the rear view mirror. He kept looking at me. We parked at his house. Something inside me knew I just couldn’t let this meeting pass without trying. I had already given up on men, but I just had to try. I wrote down my number. He said he would call. He did. That evening. We spoke. We both wanted to learn more of each other. It was planned I would visit him the following evening after work.
The following evening he met me at my Ford Explorer. Headlights still blazing as they had not automatically turned off yet. He took me in his arms and kissed me. So full and beautiful. Only a three letter word can describe it. WOW! We visited that night, learned more of each other and became friends.
The following day I went to visit him before work. Our romance began the moment we met, and now our romance had begun to blossom. We became inseparable.
December 14, 2006
Vito & I started sharing one home early in December. My mom had purchased a ‘get away’ for us at Cave Creek. She had rented us a cabin for 2 days, 3 nights nestled in the mountains near Portal, AZ. No phone. No TV. No radio. No cell phone. Two twin beds we pushed together, a kitchen, bath, 2 comfortable chairs facing a wood burning fireplace. We talked, a lot. We learned. We shared. We loved. We played. We continued to fall in love. After our long drive back, neither of us were tired. We wanted to be married. Each of us knew we had finally found our true love. The searching began for wedding bands. Store to store. We returned to the store we started at and Vito purchased our gold bands. Neither of us could wait to wear them to declare our love to the world. That night, even though days later the rings had to be sized down, we wore them and this is the date of our union.
May 11, 2007
Rabbi Shafir married us in the eyes of God on this date in a traditional Jewish ritual. Our family, our friends, witnessed and shared in our celebration. Rabbi declared our ketubah, wrapped us in a blanket and brought us together in the most lovely marriage ritual that ever was. Vito and I drank from the marriage cup, Rabbi sang, Vito smashed the glass and mazel tov was proclaimed. The day was joyous. Our love pure and everlasting.
....before we met
A truck ran over Vito in 2003. He died 3 times. He was to say the least very badly injured. He was in a coma for 5 1/2 weeks. His left side, broken and mangled. Out of the coma he had to learn to talk again. He had become a survivor of TBI. They said he’d never walk again. After rehabilitation he went home alone in a wheel chair. The house he lived in had no hot water. No heat. the roof leaked. The ceiling peeling. During the coma, and the long stay in a rehab hospital, all of the pipes had burst, and the house was damaged. He forced himself to go outside to turn on the water at the meter every day. He turned it off each day too as the leaks in the pipes were pronounced. He taught himself to use a walker and then a cane. The man who had run over him had walked away. Vito waited 2 1/2 years for SSI. He lived in absolute poverty eating meals on wheels. He met wonderful people though, so many to list. Before his accident his doctor was Dr. Garcia and blessed today his doctor is Dr. Garcia. Vito and Rosa have known each other for fifteen years. Dr. and Rosa love Vito as much as he loves them.
June 11, 2007
After suffering 3 days of excruciating pain Vito began a 5 day hospital stay for diverticulitus. Because of his tolerance to pain he’s lucky he didn’t die. Vito healed slowing but surely.
June 22, 2007
After showering that morning I found a lump in my right breast. Vito felt it too. Friday I thought of death. Saturday I thought of death. Saturday evening I wrote a letter to Vito planning to share it with him the following Monday when my mom was scheduled to arrive for a visit from Colorado. The letter expressed that if this is what God wanted then let it be. I didn’t want to know if it was cancerous or not. I didn’t want treatment. I just wanted to let it be. I couldn’t bear it any longer and gave him the letter to read Saturday night. I had wanted to wait till Mom was here but I just couldn’t. Vito was so very strong. He promised to protect me from my greatest fear. To keep me out of pain.
June 24, 2007
This morning I showered and afterwards I sat on the edge of our bed. Vito came to sit next to me. While I showered I remembered what I had always said and realized that I wanted to fight. Vito, my love, I wanted to fight. Again, he stood by my side, caught my tears and just, simply, loved me. At last my true love had come along, I wanted to live.
June 25, 2007
We went to the airport to pick up Mom. Vito already had a scheduled appointment with
Dr. Garcia that afternoon. Just he & I went at 12:30pm. We spoke with Rosa first asking for advice. She gave it soundly and with love.
Dr. Garcia was so kind to check the lump. He arranged for a mammogram the following day!
He also made an appointment for me with
Dr. Atkinson, who ironically, was Vito’s doctor during his recent stay at St. Josephs Hospital. Dr. Garcia scheduled my appointment with Dr. Atkinson Thursday of that same week.
June 26, 2007
Vito took me for the mammogram and ultrasound. I was sure it was cancer, but I wanted to fight. After the mammogram I waited for the ultrasound. They were very busy and the longer I waited, anxiety set in. Vito again came to my rescue and caught my tears. Finally, they took me in for the ultrasound. Pat, the technician began. Then she said she was going to get the radiologist. A man came in and did another ultrasound. He said, it was not cancerous, it was a cyst. I lay there and began to cry tears of joy. I hugged him. I hugged Pat, the technician. I got dressed and hugged my Vito.
Second Chances. Aren’t they somethin’!!!
This account of events is a gift of love to members of the Forums that have made both Vito's and my life a positive fulfilling place. Paying it Forward is a second chance to many-Don't waste your 2nd Chance!
It is a thanks to Dr. Garcia, Rosa and Brenda. This is also for
Dr. Atkinson, Deborah who did my mammogram, Pat the technician, and the man (oh I wish I knew his name) that told me the lump was only a cyst. Something from the heart that
can’t be expressed in a simple thank you card. Lots of feelings, expressions were left out
to try to keep this brief.
But, I wanted you to know how much you all mean to me, and Vito. I knew on June 25th that some serious strings were pulled to take care of not only my body, but my mind too. Oh yes and of course my Vito!
Thank you so very, very much!
Love,
Patty
by Patty
I have said so many times in the past, “one can have all the money, a great career, a wonderful home and your health, but none of it means much if you don’t have someone to share it with.”
October 17, 2006
101 N. Main. Himmell Park Library. I had mapped out my day as a driver for Van Tran, a paramedic service for the disabled. According to my manifest I was to pick up Vitolo and take him to his home. He was waiting at the curb outside of the library. The van was parked, hazard lights flashing as I got out to greet my client. Our attraction was instantaneous! The moment was magical! During our short ride he told me of his catastrophic accident three years earlier. Why he went to the library. Of how he’d been a fighter in the International Freestyle Karate Association. I could barely concentrate on the directions to his house I’d mapped out earlier. I kept looking in the rear view mirror. He kept looking at me. We parked at his house. Something inside me knew I just couldn’t let this meeting pass without trying. I had already given up on men, but I just had to try. I wrote down my number. He said he would call. He did. That evening. We spoke. We both wanted to learn more of each other. It was planned I would visit him the following evening after work.
The following evening he met me at my Ford Explorer. Headlights still blazing as they had not automatically turned off yet. He took me in his arms and kissed me. So full and beautiful. Only a three letter word can describe it. WOW! We visited that night, learned more of each other and became friends.
The following day I went to visit him before work. Our romance began the moment we met, and now our romance had begun to blossom. We became inseparable.
December 14, 2006
Vito & I started sharing one home early in December. My mom had purchased a ‘get away’ for us at Cave Creek. She had rented us a cabin for 2 days, 3 nights nestled in the mountains near Portal, AZ. No phone. No TV. No radio. No cell phone. Two twin beds we pushed together, a kitchen, bath, 2 comfortable chairs facing a wood burning fireplace. We talked, a lot. We learned. We shared. We loved. We played. We continued to fall in love. After our long drive back, neither of us were tired. We wanted to be married. Each of us knew we had finally found our true love. The searching began for wedding bands. Store to store. We returned to the store we started at and Vito purchased our gold bands. Neither of us could wait to wear them to declare our love to the world. That night, even though days later the rings had to be sized down, we wore them and this is the date of our union.
May 11, 2007
Rabbi Shafir married us in the eyes of God on this date in a traditional Jewish ritual. Our family, our friends, witnessed and shared in our celebration. Rabbi declared our ketubah, wrapped us in a blanket and brought us together in the most lovely marriage ritual that ever was. Vito and I drank from the marriage cup, Rabbi sang, Vito smashed the glass and mazel tov was proclaimed. The day was joyous. Our love pure and everlasting.
....before we met
A truck ran over Vito in 2003. He died 3 times. He was to say the least very badly injured. He was in a coma for 5 1/2 weeks. His left side, broken and mangled. Out of the coma he had to learn to talk again. He had become a survivor of TBI. They said he’d never walk again. After rehabilitation he went home alone in a wheel chair. The house he lived in had no hot water. No heat. the roof leaked. The ceiling peeling. During the coma, and the long stay in a rehab hospital, all of the pipes had burst, and the house was damaged. He forced himself to go outside to turn on the water at the meter every day. He turned it off each day too as the leaks in the pipes were pronounced. He taught himself to use a walker and then a cane. The man who had run over him had walked away. Vito waited 2 1/2 years for SSI. He lived in absolute poverty eating meals on wheels. He met wonderful people though, so many to list. Before his accident his doctor was Dr. Garcia and blessed today his doctor is Dr. Garcia. Vito and Rosa have known each other for fifteen years. Dr. and Rosa love Vito as much as he loves them.
June 11, 2007
After suffering 3 days of excruciating pain Vito began a 5 day hospital stay for diverticulitus. Because of his tolerance to pain he’s lucky he didn’t die. Vito healed slowing but surely.
June 22, 2007
After showering that morning I found a lump in my right breast. Vito felt it too. Friday I thought of death. Saturday I thought of death. Saturday evening I wrote a letter to Vito planning to share it with him the following Monday when my mom was scheduled to arrive for a visit from Colorado. The letter expressed that if this is what God wanted then let it be. I didn’t want to know if it was cancerous or not. I didn’t want treatment. I just wanted to let it be. I couldn’t bear it any longer and gave him the letter to read Saturday night. I had wanted to wait till Mom was here but I just couldn’t. Vito was so very strong. He promised to protect me from my greatest fear. To keep me out of pain.
June 24, 2007
This morning I showered and afterwards I sat on the edge of our bed. Vito came to sit next to me. While I showered I remembered what I had always said and realized that I wanted to fight. Vito, my love, I wanted to fight. Again, he stood by my side, caught my tears and just, simply, loved me. At last my true love had come along, I wanted to live.
June 25, 2007
We went to the airport to pick up Mom. Vito already had a scheduled appointment with
Dr. Garcia that afternoon. Just he & I went at 12:30pm. We spoke with Rosa first asking for advice. She gave it soundly and with love.
Dr. Garcia was so kind to check the lump. He arranged for a mammogram the following day!
He also made an appointment for me with
Dr. Atkinson, who ironically, was Vito’s doctor during his recent stay at St. Josephs Hospital. Dr. Garcia scheduled my appointment with Dr. Atkinson Thursday of that same week.
June 26, 2007
Vito took me for the mammogram and ultrasound. I was sure it was cancer, but I wanted to fight. After the mammogram I waited for the ultrasound. They were very busy and the longer I waited, anxiety set in. Vito again came to my rescue and caught my tears. Finally, they took me in for the ultrasound. Pat, the technician began. Then she said she was going to get the radiologist. A man came in and did another ultrasound. He said, it was not cancerous, it was a cyst. I lay there and began to cry tears of joy. I hugged him. I hugged Pat, the technician. I got dressed and hugged my Vito.
Second Chances. Aren’t they somethin’!!!
This account of events is a gift of love to members of the Forums that have made both Vito's and my life a positive fulfilling place. Paying it Forward is a second chance to many-Don't waste your 2nd Chance!
It is a thanks to Dr. Garcia, Rosa and Brenda. This is also for
Dr. Atkinson, Deborah who did my mammogram, Pat the technician, and the man (oh I wish I knew his name) that told me the lump was only a cyst. Something from the heart that
can’t be expressed in a simple thank you card. Lots of feelings, expressions were left out
to try to keep this brief.
But, I wanted you to know how much you all mean to me, and Vito. I knew on June 25th that some serious strings were pulled to take care of not only my body, but my mind too. Oh yes and of course my Vito!
Thank you so very, very much!
Love,
Patty
