Reminiscing
There's just no way I could have gotten through 2006 without the prayers, acts of kindness, cards, visits, phone calls, emails, and just plain being who you are. Some may seem trivial and minor, but believe me, every bit gave me hope and the courage to keep on. Looking back, it all helped to numb just how serious things were. It's like you were all there to ease the rawness. Thank you, Everyone!
I'll first talk about the donated leave. Some school district employees who had enough leave banked were able to voluntarily and generously donate one of those leave days for me. One friend tried to donate but didn't have quite enough to do it. It still made a difference for me. This allowed me to concentrate on getting through treatment and getting well. Staff from my school also provided many frozen meals. Another staff member knit a shawl that I will always treasure.
My artsy sister-in-law from New Hampshire sent a VanGogh notebook and a bag that accompanied me to all my chemo treatments. She later sent some Emeraude Dust. (My mother used to get that as presents from her students.) We just saw Judy and her guys in Seattle last week. And yes, Bill & Judy, we will definitely be there for Spencer's graduation in 2009!
A friend had given me all these pink bracelets to give out to family and friends. Those disappeared fast. Former neighbors came by with wine and good conversation. A student I had 15 years ago even brought me flowers and some Almond Roca. My surgeon presented me with a pink beaded bracelet that her son's leadership group had made at their middle school. And my radiologist gave me a copy of Small Wonder after one of our political conversations.
I am still in awe by all the "strangers" who do what they do to support us. Reach to Recovery sent other BC survivors and provided a wig, another bag, a temporary prosthesis, little pillows, and many booklets. There is a "sisterhood" out there that we wouldn't know about unless we've been there. Head coverings and heart pillows are made by the women of the LDS church and Greenbluff Homemakers and left in the oncology and/or radiation waiting rooms for us "bald" patients. The Greenbluff Homemakers do this to honor the memory of one of their members. They are really the best hats around. Believe me, we put them to good use. The wig and most of the hats have just been donated to Cancer Patient Care. I kept a couple plus the flashy ones my sister sent.
I was very impressed and encouraged by the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life. They provided all the survivors with t-shirts, a "survivor" medal, and the Olive Garden fed us plus a guest. A woman gave away jewelry she had beaded for the many survivors, and a very young breast cancer survivor presented me with a pink ribbon pin. I've since gotten to know her, and she's quite the energetic "Survivor Chick." Our "Bosom Buddies" group raised the most money last year for Relay. We might not come in first in 2007, because it looks like we'll be giving some of the funds raised to our local Cancer Patient Care. All monies raised here for Cancer Patient Care stays here. CPC helps fill in the gaps for cancer patients whose disease has caused a financial hardship for them since insurance does not pay for things like Ensure.
In October, the Susan G. Komen Foundation and Providence Cancer Center were among others that celebrated life by sponsoring luncheons for survivors.
My daughters took me clothes shopping, cleaned out our freezer, and sent me note paper, and "flowers you can't kill!" They also conned one of their friends to help while cleaning my bathroom.
Cards and emails from my IA Leadership group, co-workers, Alliance members, family, and postings on this blog helped a lot, too. Thank you, John Wagner, one of my CLL friends. I gotta thank David Arenson for his leading the way for us.
The difference between friends and family have become blurred for me. I consider you all family. Of particular closeness are the 3 other couples who made up our Sunday morning breakfast group. Two of the gals took me to lunch one weekday, and one provided me a day on the Bluff. She and her husband also sneaked in the best huckleberry smoothie I've ever had. Plus a multiple plant--which, I'm sorry, only 2 of the 4 plants still survive. Diann gave me another of my pink ribbon pins.
One of the husbands spent most of the spring and summer in the hospital waiting for his second heart transplant. I had spent a few mornings visiting him after my own appointments downtown. When I came home from my mastectomy, his wife, Karen, brought by a precious "Angel of Hope." Darell got his heart in July and got back to horse riding, etc. Unfortunately, his new heart just quit last month. There's such a huge hole ripped out of our hearts.
Prayer has been a sustaining force for all of us. The world seemed a bit smaller this past year. I know there were people in Australia, UK, Canada, plus LDS prayer groups in Wisconsin praying for me. Not to mention family and friends throughout the US. My friends in the Spokane Alliance seemed to be the ones who started it all when they joined hands around the room to offer a prayer for Wym and me. And the prayers haven't stopped. I felt the embrace of all my CLL friends. Thank you for all the Masses, prayer chains, 23rd Psalm picture, medals, etc.
Finally, I got closer with some Greenbluff friends. We'd have tea or coffee or soup, or whatever. But mostly conversations. And in between, they'd leave muffins, meals, sparkling cider on our anniversary, or run errands. I thought of Jody (anyone who knows her immediately thinks of an angel) as my special angel sent from above. She'd always come up with exactly what I needed. Well, wouldn't you know that in September she was diagnosed with uterine cancer. It had spread to her lungs and liver. I just felt totally inept knowing that I'd have to be back at work when she would be going through her chemos. Her first round was pretty devastating, so I encouraged her husband to ask the doctor about a particular anti-nausea drug. Yes, that one's expensive, but gee whiz....that one WORKS! Jody hasn't had any nausea since. Luckily, I was able to help some. The blood tests show the cancer markers continually going down, down, down. She still has 2 more chemos left, and then they will operate and remove her uterus, perhaps part of her liver and part of her lungs. Please, everyone, add Jody to your prayer intentions.
Thank you for reading this. That, too, has helped.
I'll first talk about the donated leave. Some school district employees who had enough leave banked were able to voluntarily and generously donate one of those leave days for me. One friend tried to donate but didn't have quite enough to do it. It still made a difference for me. This allowed me to concentrate on getting through treatment and getting well. Staff from my school also provided many frozen meals. Another staff member knit a shawl that I will always treasure.
My artsy sister-in-law from New Hampshire sent a VanGogh notebook and a bag that accompanied me to all my chemo treatments. She later sent some Emeraude Dust. (My mother used to get that as presents from her students.) We just saw Judy and her guys in Seattle last week. And yes, Bill & Judy, we will definitely be there for Spencer's graduation in 2009!
A friend had given me all these pink bracelets to give out to family and friends. Those disappeared fast. Former neighbors came by with wine and good conversation. A student I had 15 years ago even brought me flowers and some Almond Roca. My surgeon presented me with a pink beaded bracelet that her son's leadership group had made at their middle school. And my radiologist gave me a copy of Small Wonder after one of our political conversations.
I am still in awe by all the "strangers" who do what they do to support us. Reach to Recovery sent other BC survivors and provided a wig, another bag, a temporary prosthesis, little pillows, and many booklets. There is a "sisterhood" out there that we wouldn't know about unless we've been there. Head coverings and heart pillows are made by the women of the LDS church and Greenbluff Homemakers and left in the oncology and/or radiation waiting rooms for us "bald" patients. The Greenbluff Homemakers do this to honor the memory of one of their members. They are really the best hats around. Believe me, we put them to good use. The wig and most of the hats have just been donated to Cancer Patient Care. I kept a couple plus the flashy ones my sister sent.
I was very impressed and encouraged by the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life. They provided all the survivors with t-shirts, a "survivor" medal, and the Olive Garden fed us plus a guest. A woman gave away jewelry she had beaded for the many survivors, and a very young breast cancer survivor presented me with a pink ribbon pin. I've since gotten to know her, and she's quite the energetic "Survivor Chick." Our "Bosom Buddies" group raised the most money last year for Relay. We might not come in first in 2007, because it looks like we'll be giving some of the funds raised to our local Cancer Patient Care. All monies raised here for Cancer Patient Care stays here. CPC helps fill in the gaps for cancer patients whose disease has caused a financial hardship for them since insurance does not pay for things like Ensure.
In October, the Susan G. Komen Foundation and Providence Cancer Center were among others that celebrated life by sponsoring luncheons for survivors.
My daughters took me clothes shopping, cleaned out our freezer, and sent me note paper, and "flowers you can't kill!" They also conned one of their friends to help while cleaning my bathroom.
Cards and emails from my IA Leadership group, co-workers, Alliance members, family, and postings on this blog helped a lot, too. Thank you, John Wagner, one of my CLL friends. I gotta thank David Arenson for his leading the way for us.
The difference between friends and family have become blurred for me. I consider you all family. Of particular closeness are the 3 other couples who made up our Sunday morning breakfast group. Two of the gals took me to lunch one weekday, and one provided me a day on the Bluff. She and her husband also sneaked in the best huckleberry smoothie I've ever had. Plus a multiple plant--which, I'm sorry, only 2 of the 4 plants still survive. Diann gave me another of my pink ribbon pins.
One of the husbands spent most of the spring and summer in the hospital waiting for his second heart transplant. I had spent a few mornings visiting him after my own appointments downtown. When I came home from my mastectomy, his wife, Karen, brought by a precious "Angel of Hope." Darell got his heart in July and got back to horse riding, etc. Unfortunately, his new heart just quit last month. There's such a huge hole ripped out of our hearts.
Prayer has been a sustaining force for all of us. The world seemed a bit smaller this past year. I know there were people in Australia, UK, Canada, plus LDS prayer groups in Wisconsin praying for me. Not to mention family and friends throughout the US. My friends in the Spokane Alliance seemed to be the ones who started it all when they joined hands around the room to offer a prayer for Wym and me. And the prayers haven't stopped. I felt the embrace of all my CLL friends. Thank you for all the Masses, prayer chains, 23rd Psalm picture, medals, etc.
Finally, I got closer with some Greenbluff friends. We'd have tea or coffee or soup, or whatever. But mostly conversations. And in between, they'd leave muffins, meals, sparkling cider on our anniversary, or run errands. I thought of Jody (anyone who knows her immediately thinks of an angel) as my special angel sent from above. She'd always come up with exactly what I needed. Well, wouldn't you know that in September she was diagnosed with uterine cancer. It had spread to her lungs and liver. I just felt totally inept knowing that I'd have to be back at work when she would be going through her chemos. Her first round was pretty devastating, so I encouraged her husband to ask the doctor about a particular anti-nausea drug. Yes, that one's expensive, but gee whiz....that one WORKS! Jody hasn't had any nausea since. Luckily, I was able to help some. The blood tests show the cancer markers continually going down, down, down. She still has 2 more chemos left, and then they will operate and remove her uterus, perhaps part of her liver and part of her lungs. Please, everyone, add Jody to your prayer intentions.
Thank you for reading this. That, too, has helped.
4 Comments:
Thanks for mentioning me in your list -- I am glad I was able, in some small way, to help such a nice person. And congrats on your excellent report of December -- this is going to be a happier new year!
Cheers,
David
I hope your doing fine. Have not seen an update in almost four months. Say hello to Fred for me. As always, your in my prayers. Sincerely Dan. "Rota Spain Gang"
Really beginning to worry, now. It is 5 1/2 months since you posted. I took a couple of months off from blogging and posting to our support sites, so I know that sometimes you just need a break. However, how about just a quick word to let us know you are OK?
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