A True Story--Tricia McGill

Find links to all my books here on my BWL page.

My latest release, Crying is for Babies, relates the life of one of my sisters. This was the most difficult book to write, as instead of creating my characters as usual all I had to do was use my memory. While going through my past blog posts I found the following that I wrote in November 2016. This was not a good time for my sister or for those who loved her (She passed away the following January). I had forgotten I wrote this post so it was a surprise to me to find it. 

Anyway, this is how it went:

“A few years ago, I encouraged one of my sisters to write her life story. If I live long enough I will edit and finish it for her, as although she tells of her many trials and tribulations in the pages she penned, she in no way told the complete story. Currently this beloved sister is very sick, hence the blockage in my brain. She is not afraid of leaving us, in fact in the last weeks has prayed to go more than a few times rather than spend more days unable to continue in the way she wants to. But, I am afraid of losing my lifelong friend who has been the best sister I could ever wish for. 

I have faced grief many times in my life and perhaps time does heal. I think perhaps this is only half-true as a tiny part of it remains with us forever, but should never be dwelt on, just touched now and then when memories invade the day to day activities. But then again what is life but a serious of memories.

Anyway, to get back to my sister’s story. She has suffered more than any one person should but has always overcome her many health issues stoically. In fact, she has concealed the true extent of her childhood health problems so well that most who know her have no idea of the suffering endured throughout her life.

I re-read her story last week and this is how she ended it (she wrote this in 2009).

“There are a few regrets. I wish my Mother had lived to see me able to drive a car, I think she would have loved to have sat beside me. I also wished she had been able to see what my sister Pat has achieved with her writing. I wish she had heard me play my music, and to have seen my paintings, I think she would have been very proud of us. This has been my life up to now. There have been a lot of tears, but mostly laughter. I have always tried to be nice to people. I have always tried to be kind. Most of all, I always try to smile. I have a beautiful family, and some lovely friends. You can’t ask for more than that.”

And that says it all—if only everyone could live by those words. Just be nice to people, that’s really what it is all about.”

My Web Page

Then and Now by Jude Pittman

December 31, 2008, a date I’ll never forget.  My mom, Lillian, my husband John and myself, spent our usual quiet evening watching the ball drop in Times Square – where it’s 2 hours earlier than it is here in Calgary, Alberta. Then off to bed.  I took a quick shower and when I ran the sponge along my left side, I felt something strange on the side of my breast.  

Mom had breast cancer when she was in her early 50’s, so I’d always been aware of the risks, but at 65 I wasn’t really thinking about it too much – or I hadn’t been until I felt that lump.  It was the size of a golf ball, and when John felt the same sized lump, we both knew life was about to change.  Boy did it ever.  By the end of February I was recovering from the surgery that removed my left breast, and in May I started a rigorous round of very aggressive chemo-therapy.

 (Chemo is not glamorous)

 

Biopsy results had revealed that my cancer was what they call “triple negative” a virulent, fast growing cancer that was very difficult to treat. In fact, if chemo didn’t work there weren’t likely to be any other options.  The good news was that we’d caught it so fast there was no lymph node involvement – a fact that probably saved my life.

I’ve now passed the five year survivor mark, and I’m four years out from having a breast reconstruction – using my own body fat.  I’m one of those who rejects almost anything put onto or into my body that isn’t self-propagated, so an artificial implant was not even to be considered.  We’ll just skip right over that pain and all the nasty little side roads, like stitches that wouldn’t heal and reopening wounds.  The really important thing was I survived and I felt great.  Oh, and I still kept working at my full‑time job as a legal assistant right through it all.  Thanks to the awesome lawyers that I worked for and a husband who took care of anything and everything I needed in order to keep me well.

Fast forward to 2014. Not only am I feeling great, but last month in company with three other awesome women, I’m a proud representative of the Province of Alberta as team provincial ten pin bowling champions.  Considering that five years ago I didn’t expect to ever lift a bowling ball again, this is an amazing experience for me.  I haven’t checked, but at 70 I’m probably one of the oldest 10 pin provincial champions they’ve had, but didn’t want to inquire and draw too much attention to that fact.  I don’t know what the rules are, but wouldn’t want Bowl Canada to decide I was “too old” for the team.

2014 Alberta men’s and women’s provincial ten pin champions.Jude on the far right.

So, as this blog is posted (thanks Jamie) I will be in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan bowling against the other nine provinces for the Canadian National ten pin bowling championship.  Wish me luck, and I’ll be sending Jamie an update.  As long as I play well and don’t let my team down I’ll be smiling like a Cheshire cat just to think what I’ve been able to do in these extra years the Creator saw fit to grant.

Publisher and author

Jude Pittman is part of the publishing team behind the very popular Canadian publisher, Books We Love Ltd.  

Publisher Jude and Marketing Manager Jamie longed to see authors treated like the professionals they were, and after years of acting as promotion agents for a large number of well-known authors, they decided it was time to take Books We Love to the next level.

Both Jude and Jamie are romantic suspense and mystery authors, and they believe in treating authors the way they like to be treated.

Jude's mystery series, Deadly Secrets, Deadly Betrayal and Deadly Consequences (featuring P.I. Kelly McWinter) as well as a special edition, Jude Pittman Triple Threat, have all been published by Books We Love and are currently available at Amazon in electronic or print formats. Jude’s latest work, a novella entitled, Bad Medicine is also available at Amazon. 

Jude Pittman Amazon Author Page ~  
http://www.amazon.com/Jude-Pittman/e/B004XJ6850/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1