Being so young, seeing the reality of people living their lives with broken bodies and brains was extremely mind and soul bending. It took me 2 weeks to assimilate the frightful existences people were living. Being able to help them in my small way, reach their full potential in activities daily living, I realized the calling of my existence on earth was to help others during ill health and wellness.

My Mom was a ‘lead lady’ at a plastics factory lifting heavy bags of plastic chips to pour into machines making Frisbees, poker chips, etc. My siblings and I massaged her back neck and shoulders more than often. I convinced my mother to attend nursing school with me. Though our nursing curricula was heavy, she took part time work as a nurse aide in Kaiser’s newborn nursery and also gift wrapping at an upscale store. At graduation the only job available at Kaiser Foundation Hospital Bellflower Intensive Care Nursery was offered to Mom. So, instead of lifting heavy bags of plastic she lifted and cuddled little bundles of baby for thirty years!

Though offered a position at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, I opted to work at Kaiser Foundation Hospital on Sunset Boulevard around the corner from Children’s because the pay and benefits were significantly higher. Worked in Complicated Obstetrics and Gynecology Surgery, Postpartum and Newborn Nursery Hospital Unit.

Sunset Kaiser is where I met Andy. He did autopsies and worked in the hospital laboratory when not in the hospital morgue. One day Andy sat at our nurse’s station to answer an overhead page years before pagers or cell phones. I looked at his name tag ‘Ashok Anand’ and asked, “What’s your name?” “Just call me Andy.” Just call me Andy doesn’t remember our first meeting, but soon asked me out, the beginning of our life together.

We married in a Hindu Temple in Los Angeles and moved to Walnut Creek California in Northern California the year after. We saved money for our first house going to the $1 matinee movies!
I was fortunate to get employment in Primary Care at Kaiser Permanente Clinic for Adults, Pediatrics, Allergy and Injection Clinics, an Asthma Educator for five years and my last twenty five years Clinical Pediatric Vaccine Research Coordinator testing new vaccines to prevent childhood diseases, disfigurement or death from contagious bacteria and viruses. Work load as a researcher was either ‘feast or famine’ when tasks were minimal I could sit in my office and listen to audiobooks for weeks and get paid!

Retirement has been great! I’m really good at it too! We’ve been fortunate to have traveled to many beautiful places on earth and experience many different peoples, cultures and foods.

Also blessed to live in California and in Nevada across the street from George, Lisa, Brandon, Kaiser and Tilly.

We spend our days trying to keep healthy and well. This crazy Chinese export has put a major damper on our travels and social gatherings. All planned travels have been postponed.

Thanks to Devil’s Backbone we have been greatly entertained. Without it 2020 would have been a total bust!