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Show Volume VII Issue IV THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 7 December 1, 2002 We Made it Mom! By Drienie Hattingh Dr. West came back into the room with the test results. Yes, I did it at last! I went for a total checkup—something that I hadn’t done in two years. “If I’m not ill, why go to the doctor?” I did not have any noticeable problems, and did not have a family history that would have me running to doctors or specialists. My Grandmother lived to be 90, and my mother is also healthy at 75, and still driving her own car. She doesn’t hesitate to get on a plane and travel for two days to come and visit me in this distant land. The only thing that I was anticipating was the dreaded “change” (menopause), and then there is the fact that I am overweight. Coming to live in Utah, I could add my reasons for not going to the doctor. I hated the fact that I had to look for a new doctor, knowing that it would probably be a male doctor too. And there weren’t doctors in Ogden Valley. I would have to go all the way to Ogden! Then my arguments lost their punch when a doctor’s office opened right here in “downtown” Eden, and . . . Dr. West turned out to be a woman! I liked her the moment I met her. She was easy to talk to, and I found out that she had a sense of humor—something I might be in need of at this stage of my life. She asked me if there was a specific reason for my appointment. I told her that I needed a general check up, and I asked her about my weight problem. She told me that if she had an easy answer for that, she would be thin and rich with a couple of books out in print. As I said, I liked this woman doctor right from the start. The last thing I wanted was a super thin, business like doctor, looking down her nose at me—the over fifty, over weight, short female—proclaiming that I needed to “eat proper and exercise!” And, I know that is exactly what this chocolate loving, exercise hating individual needs to do, but I wanted to be reminded of it in a nice way, and that is exactly what Dr. West did. But there I was, waiting to hear what the results of the tests were. “Well!” Dr West proclaimed, “You are done with menopause!” “What do you mean?” I asked in shock. “You went through that during the last two years.” She answered. “You mean, it wasn’t my teenager?!” I asked in amazement. “No” she replied “The symptoms can be a lot the same, but it wasn’t only your teenager.” She said with her unique wit. With feelings alternating between relief and surfacing regrets, my thoughts went back to the previous two years when my teenager was still living with us before she spread her wings, and found her own little nest. I remembered all the ups and downs, and all the crying and the nights of lying awake agonizing about our youngest. All the time I thought it was typical “mother—teenager daughter” tribulations. I now remember that I did think at the time, that it never was that bad with my 27year-old daughter when she was a teenager. Now I know that the difference was—I was coping with, not only a teenager, but also with “the change.” When I told my husband Johan that I went through “it” the previous year, he said—with some sardonic emphasis—“We ALL went through ‘it’ with you my angel!” The next day we talked to Johan’s brother Gerhard who lives in South Africa, and we kidded about how I thought it was “teenage blues,” and it turned out that it wasn’t. Gerhard replied, “We ALL went through ‘it’ with you my dear sister-in-law!” I detected the same sardonic tone in his voice. I did not laugh as heartily as Johan and Gerhard did. It wasn’t that funny! I could not believe that my antics reached all the way across the oceans! This long-distance-effect on my family was confirmed the next day when I sought sympathy from my sister Elsabe via the Internet, and she replied: “We ALL went through it with you my dearest sister!” Later I continued my quest for sympathy as I talked to Brenda in New York, and I told her about Dr. West’s findings. “Yup!” said my middle child, “We ALL went through ‘it’ with you Mom!” I now thought this sentence was trite and grossly overused. I know they were just kidding now “after the fact,” and I do remember that they were all very supportive during those years, but I couldn’t help feeling a bit taken aback. A couple of days later I received a call from the aforementioned teenager. “How did your doctor’s appointment go Mom?” she wanted to know. I was touched that she remembered, but I dreaded the now familiar, overused, and not funny anymore statement about how everyone dear to me was affected. The guilt, also, now surfaced with a vengeance while I talked to my daughter, who must have suffered more than anyone. She went through changes of her own, from being a teenager to an adult, and during that time she also had to put up with me and my uneven temperament. But, my grownup-not-teenager-anymore-daughter reacted differently than her father, uncle, sister, and aunt, and I had to swallow back tears listening to her. “Yes Mom, it was difficult wasn’t it? You went through your change, and I went through mine. And Mom . . . we made it!” Valley Elementary is Seeking Used Books for Native American Children As a service project, Valley Elementary School will be collecting children’s books to give to Native American children, aged 3 through 16 years, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in Southern Utah. Children will be allowed to select books of their choice to help them develop a reading environment within the home. The book drive is being held during the months of November and December. Please send any books in moderate to good condition to Valley Elementary School in Huntsville. Thank you for your help on this project. For more information contact Jane McVaugh, Coordinator of Book Drive, at 745-3713. 30 Years Experience Moral Atmosphere LDS based - scriptures are used in all aspects of teaching. Patriotic - Gain appreciation and respect for America and its founding fathers. No Home Work - students maintain their love for learning and reach their full academic potential. Core classes are 4 hours a day 3 days a week. Electives taught as you need or want. Daily - Prayer Devotional and Pledge of Allegiance Enrollment is Limited - Call for additional information or plan to attend an open house in your neighborhood NEW LISTING REDUCED $254,900 $449,000 Fantastic 5 BR 3.5 BA Home on landscaped lot overlooking the 9th Fairway with exceptional views! Virtual Tour and Color Brochure at www.KenTurner.org NEW LISTING REDUCED $259,900 Nordic Valley $250,000 Spacious, Immaculate 4BR 2.25BA Rambler on .75 Acres. Virtual Tour and Color Brochure at www.KenTurner.org Beautiful, Secluded 4 BR, 2.5 BA Home on 1 acre with 2-car Garage Virtual Tour and Color Brochure at www.KenTurner.org SOLD REDUCED BUY YOUR SEASON PASS NOW! Huntsville $129,900 Unit #8 Ski Lake Condominium FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL PASSES CAN BE PURCHASED AT: 419 27TH ST. - OGDEN, UTAH Wolf Creek Character & Class! Professionally decorated 5 BR 2.5 BA home on .75 Acres bordering Common Area! MUST SEE! Virtual Tour and Color Brochure at www.KenTurner.org Downtown Huntsville! (801) 392-0900 Snowcrest Junior High School students want to help a boy who is very ill. The school is joining Weber High School again this year for the annual Quarters & Cans Drive. This year, Weber High selected a 10year-old boy who has been afflicted with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The treatment of this illness includes five years of chemotherapy. Unfortunately, the boy’s therapy has been interrupted due to complications of jaundice and pancreatitis. Weber High School officers will give a presentation about the boy at Snowcrest on December 3, 2002 at 10:18 a.m. in the gymnasium. Last year, Snowcrest students collected $3,000 in the Quarters & Cans Drive. This year they would like to surpass that amount. They now have a goal to do at least one service project per quarter, and hope to help some families in Ogden Valley. Their project for the first quarter was collecting stuffed animals for the “Make a Difference Day.” Donations for the Quarters & Cans Drive may be made at Snowcrest Junior High School. For more information, please call Laura Rhees at 745-2608. Are you con cerned a bo ut the educa ti o n you r ch ild ren are g etti ng , o r no t g etti ng ? Eden Hills PRICES THROUGH NOVEMBER 30, 2002: ST U DEN T S: $ 1 0 0 ADU LT S: $ 1 5 0 PRICES STARTING DEC. 1, 2002: STUDENTS: $200 ADULTS: $250 Quarters & Cans Drive at Snowcrest Fairway Oaks Wolf Creek $199,900 Immaculate 4 BR 2.5 BA Newer Home for under $200,000! Virtual Tour and Color Brochure at www.KenTurner.org For these & other properties please visit my website: www.kenturner.org Ken Turner 940-9000 |
