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Andrea Barnett Budin · 10-11-2007, 03:08 PM

Okay, Pinkie... BLACK BEARS?????? On garbage day? Oh, dear.

My friend's mother actually wound up w/a gator in her pool. Cut through her screening and came up from the lake (which is connected to the canals).

Some hang out on the golf courses, minding their own business. They have signs posted -- BEWARE OF ALLIGATORS. Once was Chase was a pup he ran away. My dghtr came w/her kids to help in the search. As darkness fell, and we were frantic, Paul went out in a golf cart w/my then 6 yr old granddghtr, calling for Chase to come. She could read. When she saw the sign, she said, OH MY GOD... And called even louder. CHASE!!! My then 3 yr old grandson stayed w/me at the house, hoping for a call. Mima, what will we do? I said, Have you ever prayed? Yes, he said. LET'S PRAY NOW.

We went out the next morning, Paul and I in 1 car w/Scamper and Ali in her car w/kids and Dibs and Dash. I had a Costco BarBQ chicken cut open in foil hanging out the car window, hoping to entice him w/the scent. Figured, if he survived, he'd be hungry. I PRAYED ALL NIGHT. And we got him! I think he was lost. He was frozen (from the coldest night of the yr, 50's, and/or from fear) in the bushes. Ali saw his big black eyes, pulled off the road (at the entrance to our *village*), put the car in gear and instructed the kids to hold their dogs leashes tight and NOT TO MOVE! She ran across the main road of the community I live in (Broken Sound) and snatched him up. He was shivering. Once in the car Dash (her Maltese cousin) jumped from the back seat and threw his body across Chase, to warm him up. We all cried w/joy!

All night I prayed that no alligator would eat him for dinner...
Andi

10-11-2007, 03:08 PM	#104
Andrea Barnett Budin Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: LAND OF YES! w/home in Boca Raton, Florida Orig from L.I., N.Y. Ever hovering IN THE NOW... Posts: 1,904	Okay, Pinkie... BLACK BEARS?????? On garbage day? Oh, dear. My friend's mother actually wound up w/a gator in her pool. Cut through her screening and came up from the lake (which is connected to the canals). Some hang out on the golf courses, minding their own business. They have signs posted -- BEWARE OF ALLIGATORS. Once was Chase was a pup he ran away. My dghtr came w/her kids to help in the search. As darkness fell, and we were frantic, Paul went out in a golf cart w/my then 6 yr old granddghtr, calling for Chase to come. She could read. When she saw the sign, she said, OH MY GOD... And called even louder. CHASE!!! My then 3 yr old grandson stayed w/me at the house, hoping for a call. Mima, what will we do? I said, Have you ever prayed? Yes, he said. LET'S PRAY NOW. We went out the next morning, Paul and I in 1 car w/Scamper and Ali in her car w/kids and Dibs and Dash. I had a Costco BarBQ chicken cut open in foil hanging out the car window, hoping to entice him w/the scent. Figured, if he survived, he'd be hungry. I PRAYED ALL NIGHT. And we got him! I think he was lost. He was frozen (from the coldest night of the yr, 50's, and/or from fear) in the bushes. Ali saw his big black eyes, pulled off the road (at the entrance to our village), put the car in gear and instructed the kids to hold their dogs leashes tight and NOT TO MOVE! She ran across the main road of the community I live in (Broken Sound) and snatched him up. He was shivering. Once in the car Dash (her Maltese cousin) jumped from the back seat and threw his body across Chase, to warm him up. We all cried w/joy! All night I prayed that no alligator would eat him for dinner... Andi __________________ Andi BB '95 post-meno dx Invasive LOBULAR w/9cm tumor! YIKES + 2/21 nodes. Clear mammo 10 mnths earlier. Mastec/tram flap reconst/PORT/8 mnths chemo (4Adria/8CMF). Borderline ER/PR. Tamoxifen 2 yrs. Felt BLESSED. I could walk and talk, feed and bathe myself! I KNEW I would survive... '98 -- multiple mets to liver. HER2+ 80%. ER/PR- Raging, highly aggressive tumors spreading fast. New PORT. 9 mnths Taxotere Fought fire w/fire! Pronounced in cautious remission 5/99. Taxotere weekly for 6 wks, 2 wks off -- for 9 mnths. TALK ABOUT GRUELING! (I believe they've altered that protocol since those days -- sure hope so!!) + good old Vit H wkly for 1st 3 yrs, then triple dosage ev 3 wks for 7 yrs more... The "easy" chemo, right?! Not a walk in the park, but not a freight train coming at 'ya either... Added Herceptin Nov '98 (6 wks after FDA fast-tracked it for met bc). Stayed w/Vit H till July '08! Now I AM FREE! Humbly and eternally grateful for this life-saving drug! NED since '99 and planning on keeping it that way. To hell w/poor prognosis and nasty stats! STOPPED VIT H JULY '08...! REMAIN STABLE... Eternally grateful...Yes is a world & in this world of yes live (skillfully curled) all worlds ... (e e cummings) EVERY DAY I BEAT MY PREVIOUS RECORD FOR # OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS I'VE STAYED ALIVE. Smile KNOWING you too can be a miracle. Up to me and God now...