Bea Matthews:
CLASS OF 1965
Highline High SchoolClass of 1965
Burien, WA
Glacier High SchoolClass of 1965
Seattle, WA
Kailua Intermediate SchoolClass of 1963
Kailua, HI
Lake Burien Elementary SchoolClass of 1959
Burien, WA
Angle Lake Elementary SchoolClass of 1959
Seattle, WA
Bea's Story
Warning: This is a long update, so grab a coffee or a wine. :)
Update time again. Life continues to offer opportunities and, sometimes, challenging situations, but we learn and grow from both.
In December 2014 I decided that retirement didn't offer me the life I wanted. I love travelling but found myself without the funds to continue doing that. So I made a big decision to sell all my appliances and furniture, save only the things that meant something to me, and put them in storage. I decided to do house/pet sitting, and very quickly, through word of mouth, I had 2015 pretty much filled. I loved it. Most of my pet sitting was for cats, but then I had a farm in South Australia, with a cat, a dog, and 15 sheep - although by the time the owners got home there were 20! That was a new experience for me. :)
The sitting allowed me to save my pension, as I had very few costs. In August I went to Seattle for my 50 year reunion at Highline. What a great experience, and it was so good to reconnect with so many people. I was sorry there wasn't more time to visit with some. After the reunion I went on to Hadrian's Wall in northern England for a few days, a bucket list item, and then ticked off another by spending a month in Scotland. Absolutely fell in love with it. After Scotland I went back to the US, and spent a couple of months back and forth with family, between Texas, Arizona, and California. While there I had the opportunity to apply for a volunteer two week archeological dig on Hadrian's wall in April 2016, and was successful.
However (this is where the curveball comes in) I cam back to Oz on January 2nd, with most of 2016 filled with pet sitting bookings. A week and a half later I found out I have cancer. With nowhere being 'home', I ended up in a really good hospital in Melbourne that excels in that work. I had two major surgeries within two days and spent a couple of weeks there. I then stayed at my son's place, as he lives in the city, not far from the hospital. I started chemo 3 months ago and it is going really well. However, the doctors started me on a new drug to help me stay in remission if I...Expand for more
get there, and I have to have that every three weeks for a year. So that meant settling down again, and having to cancel all my pet sitting for the year .
So I decided to move to the coast where life was less hectic, and I have friends. I found a rental in an over 55s gated community, surrounded by farmland, and moved in a few weeks ago. Of course I have had to go out and buy appliances and furniture again, which has been frustrating, and I am still waiting for some to be delivered. I am still travelling to Melbourne for the remainder of my chemo and staying with my son for the days after when I don't feel 100%, then coming home. Once the chemo is finished, they will move me to a cancer centre down here for the ongoing delivery of the other drug.
The good news is that the chemo seems to be working well, but won't know for a while yet. The most frustrating thing for me has been what they call chemo brain. It makes you very foggy and forgetful, so I have to keep lists, a diary, and have my son keep an eye on my medical things. But I will eventually get over that.
The other good news was that my son ccntacted the people at Hadrian's Wall when I was having my first surgery, as my final payment was due, and they offered to move my deposit to the 2017 dig, and will contact me later this year to find out what time in 2017 that would be good from me to join them. That is fantastic, and the doctors have encouraged me to plan to go - so I am.
I also have plenty to do here in Oz to tick things off my bucket list (I've had a written one for years, and have now learned how importNt they are) so I have plans to keep myself occupied once my chemo finishes in June and I feel ready to go away.
So that's about it. I stay positive. I hope those who read this are also able to try to stay positive with the challenges that come at this point in our lives. Having lost so many of our friends and classmates during Vietnam, at least we have had the opportunity to get to this point.
I wish you well and am always happy to hear from old friends - although with my chemo brain I may not remember you at the moment. LOLOL
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