TRIBUTE

This is a tribute to my friend Connie. She passed away on Friday the 15th.
Connie and I worked together at the St George Surgical Center and she basically ran the front desk. She did everything from check in patients, to answer phones, call patients prior to surgery, answered questions and solved a lot of problems.

In December about a week before Christmas she was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. She then had chemo and radiation, and then in March she came to Huntsman Cancer Institute and had a "Whipple" done. It is a surgical procedure where they take majority of the pancreas, half of the stomach, and bypass the small intestine and re-route the major arteries and veins of the liver. It is about an 8 hour procedure. Hers was only about 5 hours and they were able to get all of the cancer and she recovered very quickley. I had the oppurtunity to visit her while she was here in Salt Lake in the hospital, and what a blessing it was to be in service to her, and get to know her better.
She then underwent more chemo and her body became weaker and weaker, and on Tuesday she went into cardiac arrest and was without oxygen for about 40 minutes, they were able to revive her but she had no brain function so Friday morning her family chose to take her off life support.

Now I get to add my part of the story. I had no clue as to what went on tuesday, and I obviously don't work with her anymore since she is in St George and I am in Salt Lake. This last weekend thursday thru saturday I had the oppurtunity to staff a Womans Training - "Goddess Retreat," Thursday night I noticed that one of the woman in the training reminded me a lot like Connie, and as this woman danced across the room I had an out of body experience and I was dancing with Connie it only lasted a few seconds and then I came back. Well later that night after the training had ended for the night I went to my car and had a message on my phone from Connie's sister. And the message was that Connie went into cardiac arrest and that the family had made the decision to take her off life support friday morning and she felt that Connie would want me to know all of this and that was why she was calling. I had my moment of tears and then went back into the training to finish cleaning up. On my way home I was telling my friend Kristie about the experience I had had that night and about the phone call, and she said, "well Michelle do not realize what you just experienced," and I said, "well there is no accident that I felt her presance and danced with her," and Kristie said, "by dancing with her that was her way of telling you goodbye." Which I felt was so true. Well the rest of the weekend I felt her presence constantly and feel she was having her own Goddess Retreat.
I feel so blessed and in deep gratitude for her and her friendship and the memories that we shared...
Thank You Connie... I love You and will Miss You Dearly..