G is for Gallbladder

It's hard to believe that just three months ago today, I was undergoing emergency surgery in Anchorage.  Long story short, I was traveling on business and developed unusual and intense abdomen pain.  After I tried for hours to shrug off the pain, the hotel concierge sent me to the nearest emergency room at Providence Alaska Medical Center, the state's largest hospital.  After a few blood tests and ultrasounds, doctors discovered my bile duct was blocked by a gallstone, and my gallbladder needed to come out - stat!  After spending the night in the ER, I was transferred the next morning to another facility, Alaska Regional Hospital, and in to the Operating Room I went.

From the speedy diagnosis to the decision on surgery to the wheeling me back to the operating table, everything happened so quickly.  ​My mind raced with countless thoughts and anxieties.  Not only was I scared because of the unexpectedness of the situation, but I didn't feel like I had all my affairs in order - which for a woman who prides herself on organizing and strategizing, this worried me immensely.

But I hadn't reason to worry.  I was surrounded by an outstanding support system of terrific friends and colleagues who jumped at the opportunity to help a friend in need.  I was beyond blessed.  My awesome friend, Sharon, was with me through the ups and downs, through the dizzying nausea when I came out of my anesthesia, through all my pain management.  She spent the night with me, making sure I was comfortable and safe.  In my narcotic-laden state of mind, I probably had numerous obnoxious conversations with Sharon about Grumpy Cat and Paula Deen and Krispy Kreme.  Sharon, with her impeccable bedside manner, tolerated me with a smile, and for that I'm endlessly grateful. 

Sharon cozies up to me and my (unused) bed pan.  I was about three sheets to the wind in this picture.

Photo taken by Sharon, my personal paparazzi and one heckuva friend/nurse.

Also present was my sassy friend, Jenn, who looked after me for quite awhile before I boarded the jet back to Juneau.  Jenn has such a genuinely sweet spirit and infectious laughter.  Plus, she is full of surprises.  She waltzed into my hotel room with a gigantic DVD player and an array of movies - all to entertain me and keep my mind off the four fresh cuts in my belly.  Oh, and she brought hyacinths and Angry Bird graham crackers.  Need I say more?

Am I lucky or what?  I can't imagine better caretakers.  There were so many giggles amongst us, I'm surprised I didn't burst a stitch.

As if all this personal attention didn't put a smile on my face, God knew just what I needed exactly when I needed it!  My post-op stay was at the Sheraton in downtown Anchorage.  The morning after the surgery, I was having a particularly rough time with pain.  I glanced out my window and saw the Fur Rondy International Sled Dog Race happening just a few blocks away.  We had an awesome bird's eye view of the festivities.  And for those of you who know how OBSESSED I am with Alaska dog-sledding and the Iditarod, this was definitely a treat!

While en route to Juneau, I made the following "on the bright side..." list while 20,000 feet in the air:

1) At least this didn't happen last week in Naknek. Thanks be to God!

2) There's so much leftover iodine on my abdomen that it looks like I've spent a week in Mexico.

3) Who needs baked Brie, Costco hotdogs, and Spenard Roadhouse's 'Bacon of the Month' anyway?

4) The average gallbladder weighs about 14 ounces, so I'm thisclose to achieving my newest weight loss goal of 10 pounds by March 10!

5) Surgery has prompted sweet and hilarious messages from friends such as this: "I hope they let you keep your gallbladder so you could make Alaskan jewelry out of it."

​Once back in Juneau, I was spoiled rotten by friends and loved ones.  Plus, I had the best heating pad ever - my 20 pound lap cat, Sonny Bunny.

Cat cuddles make everything better.

Looking back at the list above, three months later, makes me chuckle.  My spirits are still high, I've reintroduced bacon into my diet, and even without the gallbladder, I'm full of gumption and more than ever - ready to take on the world, one day at a time!​

2012 in Review: Alaska Adventures Galore - PART TWO!

Hello there!  If you haven't checked out Part One of my 2012 Alaska Adventures, please mosey on over to see a recap of January - June 2012.  (Pssst, click the "Part One" link above...)  Here's the second installment of my video and photo synopsis of 2012's adventures.  This blog features some of my experiences from July - December 2012.  Enjoy - and know that you, too, can have these awesome adventures if you just put your mind to it!

​Cleared for landing - Juneau, Alaska.

Somewhere in Southeast Alaska (near Juneau).​

Fourth of July Trip to Haines, Alaska

All aboard the Alaska Marine Highway!​

With my buddies, Ben and George.  ​

Pilot approved!

Mom's First Trip to Alaska

No trip to Juneau is complete without a stop at Tracy's Crab Shack.  She's got the best legs in town!​

Commercial fishing near the Shrine of St. Therese.​

​Whale watching with Captain Larry of Orca Enterprises.

Tracy Arm Cruise with Adventure Bound Alaska

BIG splash!

Soulful eyes.​

Quenching my thirst like a real Alaskan.

Mom and I at the Sawyer Glacier.

I love all the action in this sunset shot: cruise ship, fly fisherman, and purse seiner fishing boat.

Summer 2012 was a busy cruise ship season for Juneau.

Seen in downtown Juneau.

​Jumping for joy because I got to take this Cessna 182 from Anchorage to Palmer and back!

Icefield and Dog Sled Tour with Coastal Helicopters


Kodiak Island and a Washed Up Whale

​Saw huge bear tracks up and down the beach near the rotting whale, but the majestic Kodiak Brown Bear was elusive.

Pillar Mountain on Kodiak Island

​And When Back in Juneau...

For ONE SINGLE DAY in 2012, Juneau saw temperatures in the low 80s.  Sonny Bunny was beyond miserable, as was half of Juneau.​

One of the last cruise ships in town for the season.​

2012 was a terrific year because of new friendships shaped and old friendships reconnected.  2012 showed me I am blessed beyond measure!

2012 in Review: Alaska Adventures Galore - PART ONE!

It’s already the third month of a new year, but I find myself still writing 2012 on letters, checks, and postcards.  Perhaps it’s because I’ve just been too busy to notice that little detail.  Or maybe – just maybe – I’m still recovering from all the whirl-wind adventures of 2012. 

At the start of last year, I made the steadfast resolution to make the most of Alaska.  For me, this meant meeting new people, learning new things, deepening my relationship with myself and God, and attempting a new adventure each day. 

2012 was the year to discover that Alaska is both a fairly SMALL state and also a BIG state. We all know Alaska is HUGE (bigger than Texas), so there's countless adventures in every nook and cranny of the state.  And Alaska's small because it's actually easy to get involved in the community and acclimated to the culture.  Making friends up here is a breeze as long as you keep an open mind and show folks just how excited you are about living and playing in the Last Frontier. 

Close friendships with real Alaskans can make all the difference in whether or not you love living here.  In fact, my love affair with Alaska has been spectacular first and foremost because of all the terrific people I have met.  So to the folks who made 2012 so awesome, here's a big THANK YOU for impacting my life, in more ways than one.

Here is a recap of the top adventures, fun introductions, and all around take-your-breath-away moments of my 2012. Because there were so many spectacular experiences, I am sectioning this recap into two parts.  This blog is a synopsis of January - June 2012.  Enjoy!

Above the Arctic Circle in Kotzebue.

Donning ski goggles for my first snowmachine ride in Alaska.

Charlie's Angels on the frozen Chukchi Sea.

Scaling an iceberg at the Mendenhall Glacier.

​Running with the Reindeer, alongside Wonder Woman.

Celebrating survival!  Post-reindeer-run at Humpy's in downtown Anchorage.

And then there was IDITAROD 2012!

​Iditarod 2012 Winner, Dallas Seavey.

No, I did not wet my pants.  This is the "after-shot" from the splash action video ​above!

End of season fun at Eaglecrest Ski Area.

Rogue drivers beware in Homer!​

Kayaking at Echo Cove near Juneau.​

Finding little treasures while tide pooling at Shaman Island off the northern coast of Douglas Island where I live.​

​No wildlife were harmed in the making of this photo.

Rainbow over Juneau - a common sight.

Alaska Buzzin' for Buzz Aldrin

"Exploration is wired into our brains. If we can see the horizon, we want to know what's beyond."  -Buzz Aldrin

One of my passions is exploring Alaska, and I recently met one of the world's foremost explorers, Astronaut Buzz Aldrin.  He's the second person to walk on the Moon, not to mention the inspiration for the Buzz Lightyear character inToy Story.  Oh, and he's 83 years old and has a Twitter account. Pretty remarkable guy if you ask me.

Buzz was in town for a string of events in support of the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP) at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA).  I was blessed to have an invite to two special events - a mid-day on-campus pizza luncheon and a swanky evening banquet - to meet and greet the famed explorer.

The on-campus meet and greet was kicked off by this outstanding dance group and an intro from ANSEP founder, Dr. Herb Schroder:

Buzz relayed some keen advice to the group:

As if Buzz's spiel wasn't electric enough, the lunch meeting ended with this powerful Alaska Native drum sequence:

Meeting THE Buzz Aldrin is such an extraordinary event that it calls for extraordinary attire.  I chose to show off a quintessential Alaska Native fashion - my one-of-a-kind kuspuk handmade for me by my Mom, Betty.  A kuspuk is a traditional Native Alaskan overshirt garment typically worn in northern Alaska.  I coupled my new kuspuk with my qiviut nachaq (muskox wool scarf) and a fossilized ivory hair comb.  And when some of the ANSEP students asked if I was a student from Fairbanks, I blushed and grinned like I was 20 again!

More photos from the ANSEP lunch featuring Buzz Aldrin:

Later that day...

The Dena'ina Center in bustling downtown Anchorage was the site for a special invite-only VIP reception with Buzz himself (sponsored by ExxonMobil). 

To stand alongside a true-blue astronaut and to be in the company of the nation's top oil execs and the state's premier leaders was an intimidating experience. But in Alaska, the key is to take it all in stride. You never know who you're going to meet, and that's an adventure in and of itself.

Here's the Alaska state flag that was carried to the moon and back on Apollo 11.  Above the flag is a fragment of the Moon's surface brought to Earth by the crew of that first manned lunar landing.

Being originally from the Rocket City (Huntsville, Alabama), it was awe-inspiring to hear Buzz's message in person.  I have worked alongside actual rocket scientists, and many of my friends are aerospace engineers, pilots, or combustion scientists.  Needless to say, I was filled with glee to have the opportunity to shake the hand of this legend.

My friend, Sharon, captured this impromptu picture of me and Buzz during the VIP reception.  I think a fun caption could be: "Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce my good friend, Candice."

Following the reception was the major event of the evening, the 2013 ANSEP Celebration and Extravaganza.  The banquet is always a delightful event, complete with traditional Alaska Native dancing, delicious cuisine, the opportunity to network with talented students, and a flurry of awards. I was honored to be called on stage and awarded a beautifully painted elk hide hand drum made by Odin Lonning (Tlingit).  It was a beyond exciting experience and stands as one of the proudest moments of my time in Alaska so far.

With my amazing friend, Sharon, and my beautiful new ANSEP award.

On stage with the other awardees, ANSEP students, and Dr. Herb Schroeder at the podium.

Then came the keynote speaker.  Buzz Aldrin delivered a riveting message coupled with a short film and a slideshow of his lunar adventures.  One of my favorite slides featured the following verse: "When I consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars that thou hast ordained, what is man that thou art mindful of him?" (Psalm 8:3-4).

Buzz Aldrin presents to more than 1,200 attendees at the 2013 ANSEP Annual Banquet.

It was inspiring to hear Buzz's thoughts on a mission to Mars and the importance of a STEAM emphasis in education - Science, Technology, Engineering, ARTS, and Math.  Dr. Aldrin also shared a bit about his background, including his struggles with celebrity and sobriety.  He proudly announced he has been sober since 1978 - a remark which struck a chord with many in the audience as evidenced by their sincere round of supportive applause.

ANSEP continues to outdo themselves - all in part to Dr. Herb Schroeder at the helm along with a team of consumate professionals.  It was, indeed, an evening of inspiration, guidance, and opportunity.  ANSEP is now 1,000 strong - and better than ever.