Wedding Bells:

The next few months were focused mostly on planning our July wedding. It was surprisingly easy, with the help of a coordinator. One of my good friends from pharmacy school had told me, “The most important things are the venue and the minister.” She was right. Everything else could fall apart and you still could get married. I was determined to make this a nice day for everyone. No sense in being a “bridezilla.” My family and friends are here for this joyous event, let’s make it joyous! There were no cold feet. I was just excited to see everyone and marry my Camron.

About a month before the wedding, I went down to Salem for a Bridal Shower hosted at my very dear friend, Angela’s, house. We had a great time. I tried to keep my mind off of my upcoming MRI. It was a follow up to check the tumor and make sure the surgery had alleviated the fluid and pressure in my brain. I was feeling rather good. My symptoms were completely gone as far as I could tell, and I was thinking much clearer and seeing my usual 20/20.

After staying the night at our friends’ house, Camron and I started our trip back to Vancouver, WA. I don’t know if it was the stress of the upcoming wedding and MRI, or if the coffee Angela’s husband had brewed was too strong, but I had the one and only anxiety attack I can recall right on the freeway. I just got really scared all of a sudden. It was a good thing I was with Camron because I had to have him drive the rest of the way home. I never before knew this feeling of intense anxiety. I’m not sure what to attribute this event to, but at the time it seemed reasonable to believe I was nervous about my MRI and my wedding.

I got through my MRI the following week, and Dr. Shanno informed me that the tumor hadn’t grown and that he was pleased with the way my ventricles were looking. My brain drain seemed to be functioning properly. I was ecstatic. I was starting to feel like this was all going to be behind me. Now I could focus on my wedding and honeymoon plans and be normal again. I was no longer scared. It seemed I had been through the worst of things: the fear, the not knowing, the symptoms, doctors not taking me seriously enough, the surgery. All that was behind me now.

On the Friday before the wedding, most of the bridesmaids and groomsmen met up at our house to caravan East on highway 14 seventy-five miles or so to my future in-laws house. They were hosting a rehearsal dinner for our big event, which would take place on their beautiful lawn the following day. I drove my 4 runner and DeAnn rode with me. DeAnn had been my pharmacy technician, working nights with me off and on since March of 2000. We were really good friends outside of work, too, even though I had changed jobs and no longer worked alongside her. She had a big role in my wedding. Not only would she be a bridesmaid, but she would sing one of Camron’s and my favorite Erasure songs, “Because you’re so sweet.”

DeAnn was an amazing singer. Although rock was more her style, she could sing anything. Some people just have that talent. My husband and I had stumbled upon some music to “Because you’re so sweet,” and decided this was our song. We both loved Erasure, and had even traveled to London to see them perform in 2003. Although they canceled due to illness, we’ve seen them live several times in the U.S. since then. DeAnn and I listened to the music on the way, and she had even changed the melody a little. It sounded amazing, and I was so excited for her to sing it for our big day. Soon we arrived at 11 Dawn Avenue in BZ Corner.

It was the first day of July. Edie, my mother-in-law, had planted endless rows of flowers throughout their yard. She had even made a heart-shaped row of flowers with Cam and Kari spelled out in the center. Our names were actually spelled out in flowers. Everything looked so perfect for our union the following day. Pastor “Skip,” who had grown up in a house just down the street from my father-in-law, was going to join us in holy matrimony the next day. He ran us through the rehearsal.

I had six bridesmaids – two sisters and four of my dearest friends. Camron had four groomsmen. My two nieces would be the flower girls. At the time, Samantha was days from turning 4, and Nicole was a little over 18 months. I wasn’t sure how they would do because they got a little shy at the rehearsal. But I figured a wedding could go on even if the flower girls chickened out. That was nothing to be stressed out about. Everything else seemed to be in line.

I had decided to get a bunch of motel rooms in a town about 20 miles outside of BZ corner the night before the wedding. That way the bridal party wouldn’t have to drive so far on the big day. I stayed in a room with 3 of my bridesmaids, and Camron stayed downstairs with the guys. It was a lot of fun. My last night as a single gal. We were going to all go out, but after getting back I think we were all a little tired and ready to settle in. I wasn’t nervous at the thought of getting married, but I was nervous to be in front of so many people saying my vows. I was never much of a “performer” unless it was in a group.

I probably wouldn’t have slept very well if it wasn’t for the fact that my neurosurgeon had prescribed some Ambien not long before that. I had worked nights for 5 years and never needed anything for sleep, but with the stress accumulated over the past 4 months, I figured I’d give it a try. It worked like a charm, and I felt like I slept better than any future bride in history. I woke up very early, feeling refreshed and ready for the day. No one else was up yet, so I decided to jump in the shower early.

I still had 8 hours or so before our 3 o’clock wedding, but I was eager to get the show on the road. My mom was planning on coming over to fix my hair. She was a beautician for over 20 years before going back to school to become a nurse. I had been growing my hair out for the past year or so, planning on getting it as long as I could for the wedding. It was about to the middle of my back. My mom did it up in a very elegant French roll and curled the strands of hair hanging down.

Not only did I have my own professional hairdresser, but I had my very talented sister do my make up. I was never one to wear much make up other than lip stick. I had no idea how to put on foundation, blush, or eye shadow. This is where my sister’s expertise would come into play. She did a very subtle blend of Mary Kay products. She happened to be selling Mary Kay at the time, so this was handy for both of us.

After hair and make up, it was time to drive to BZ corner to the big event. It was surreal to drive up to my own wedding. The house and flowers were divine. Tables and chairs were getting set up. My mother was organizing the center pieces for the tables. It was kind of windy, but the weather was nice and pleasant. I went upstairs to put on my dress. My sisters helped me with everything. Soon I was ready for pictures. Jonah, our photographer, took endless pictures of me. He did a fabulous job with a shy girl who’s not so photogenic.

The next few hours were a whirlwind of picture taking sessions, while I tried to greet guests in between snaps. A lot of brides don’t want to be seen before they march down the isle, but I was so happy to see everyone, I wandered around, chatting with friends and family, before the event. I was wearing my mother’s wedding dress, sewed specially for her wedding to my father in 1973. It fit like a glove. I was proud to be able to wear her dress.

Three o’clock rolled around and the seats were nearly filled up. We had expected about 125 people, and it looked like they all made the trip. The ceremony was lovely. Pastor Skip told the story of how we met. My younger sister, who was my maid of honor, had forced me to meet Camron in a crowded night club after I had commented on his dancing. DeAnn sang “Because you’re so sweet.” I remember Pastor Skip closing his eyes and swaying to the music. It was beautiful.

After pronouncing us… Camron and Kari, it was time to relax and have fun. I was so happy that so many family members had joined us that day. I had 4 living Aunts on my mom’s side and one uncle who were all there. My aunts and uncles on my father’s side were nearly all there, as well. I had hired a DJ, one of my friends I had met through DeAnn, to play some of our favorite songs. She did a fabulous job. One of the songs I had her play was Tim McGraw’s “Live like you’re dying.” It seemed appropriate, in the light of recent events.

I danced with my father-in-law to the song “Crazy” by Patsy Cline. We had listened to this song during our kitchen remodel, and Bill and I would sing to it all the time. Camron and I danced our first dance as a married couple to a piano version of “Breathe” by Erasure, our all time favorite band.

The day was perfect. I remember people coming up to me saying how much fun they had. Even people who normally didn’t enjoy weddings told me how wonderful it was. This had turned out to be the best day (so far) of my life.

That night we stayed in a cute little log cabin-type room in Stevenson, WA. We would spend two nights there before heading home to host our annual 4^th of July BBQ. We weren’t leaving for our honeymoon till the 5^th, so we invited one and all to enjoy the holiday at our house before we left. We hadn’t planned a very big honeymoon trip due to our circumstances. A week-long trip down the Washington and Oregon coast was plenty for us.

We started out in Long Beach, WA, where we stayed in a cozy suite with a jacuzzi tub. We had a great time, riding our bikes, flying our kite, shopping, relaxing in the tub. We had decided to stay two nights in each place, so our next stop was Netarts, OR.

Camron had taken trips with his family to this small Oregon coastal town. It was right on the bay, a tiny little town close to Tillamook. We rented a small cabin right on the bay. It was beautiful and peaceful there. Although the cabins were a little bit old and run down, we enjoyed being right on the bay and taking walks. We visited the air museum and the Tillamook Cheese Factory while we were in town. It was at this point I started to hear whooshing in my ears again. Oh no, I thought, this isn’t good. I still felt good, though, so I didn’t worry too much.

The 3^rd and final town we stayed in was Newport, OR. It was Saturday by then, and Mr. Bill was doing his traveling trivia show at Port Dock One down on the bay front. Some of our friends traveled to Newport to join us for trivia night. Our friends, Angela and Jeremy, stayed the night in Newport and hung out with us the next day. I remember spending a lot of time on the beach flying kites. What a beautiful day!

Back to life. Back to reality:

Married life was the most natural thing in the world for Camron and I. Nothing really changed except now we referred to each other as husband and wife. We had already been together for five years and had lived together over four. It was an easy transition. I returned to work in late July. Things carried on as usual, except I still was getting some pulsatile tinnitus when lying down.

I decided it was time to go see Dr. Shanno again. I had been in a week or so before my wedding, and Dr. Markham (another neurosurgeon) had adjusted my shunt based on the symptoms I was having. Now Dr. Shanno was concerned there was a malfunction. He said he thought it was clogged at the venticular end of the shunt. A cat scan revealed that my ventricles were indeed inflating again. Dr. Shanno told me that he would need to perform a shunt revision soon. Ok, back under the knife I’ll go. I was a bit shocked that only four months had passed and I was already having problems with this thing.

“How often does this happen?” I asked.

“Rarely,” was Dr. Shanno’s response. I guess I was just one of those difficult cases.

I was planning a camping trip, so after making sure it was ok to be out in the woods with my condition, away from civilization, I continued with my plans. We met up with our friends, Jeremy and Angela, at a camp ground outside of Salem called Shady Cove. It was a small campground, with a nearby river and hiking trails. We hiked up the river to go swimming in the “pools.” The pools were several deep blue areas of water where the river opened up. They were perfect for swimming, diving, inner tubing, and sun bathing. It was relaxing to be out in nature, and it was a beautiful Saturday. I believe it was the weekend before Labor Day weekend, so it wasn’t terribly crowded. I tried to keep my mind off of my next surgery and just enjoy my time with my friends.