Norms Bait and Tackle

[Denver]

I regretfully have to share that Our Michele passed away peacefully last night at 9:30 MDT.

Thank you ALL for the love and support you have shown for our family.  This love and support for our beautiful family will get us through this.....we are @ll doing amazingly well......we are never ready, but we are blessed she went peacefully and did not have to suffer or have her family suffer any longer😩💔🙏

[Tomereader1]

My heartfelt love and condolences to you and all the family.

[Marilyne]

Dear Jenny -  So sorry to hear the bad news, that Michele has passed away, after her long and courageous fight against the relentless, evil cancer.   Too much sadness for your family for such a long time.  Praying that Dave and the three children are doing okay.  It will be a difficult week ahead for them, but I know that you and Bob will be there for them, with your love and support.

[Amy]

Jenny, I am so sorry to read this sad news. Condolences to you ,Bob Dave and children. What an amazing lady Michele was, she has left a great legacy for her family and us too. The perseverance  she has shown all through this is a testimony to her strength. Hold tight all the wonderful memories you shared. God bless.

[MaryPage]

Sad in my heart tonight, Jenny.

[CallieOK]

Jenny, may God bless each of you with His comfort and strength.

[Shirley]

This is the day we all dreaded for your family, Jenny, and in spite of the empty feeling, there is a relief that Michele won't be suffering or facing more pain. I have deep respect for how you and all your family fought to save her and graceously allowed us to follow this journey with you. I do feel such a sadness for Dave and the kids. Her will to live will be in my memory forever, my sincere admiration for all of your family. Prayers that each of you find a way to honor her memory as you share the loss. Shirley

[Vanilla-Jackie]

Oh Jenny, i was not expecting to hear - read this...God bless all family, and may God bless Michele, all suffering taken away, just not the outcome we had been praying for...Such sad sad news to come into this morning...sending big comforting ( HUGS ) to all, with special hugs for the children.

I lost both parents to cancer 44 and 33 years ago, so like many, i had seen first hand when i was 26 and 37, as Marilyne has stated, how EVIL it is...

[MarsGal]

Jenny, my condolences to you and the family. With great courage and determination, Michelle fought long and hard against her cancer as did the family. God bless you all.

[MaryPage]

Cancer is a nasty snake that slithers into our lives and exhibits, in the long run, more strength than we have.  We have come a long, long way in understanding and fighting it, however.  I, myself, am a survivor of breast cancer.  My three husbands each had cancer, and each a different kind.  Bob the First died of prostate cancer.  David died of colon cancer.  Bob the Second had melanoma, skin cancer, but it was congestive heart failure that killed him. We all protest with all of our being; but all any of us can do is the very best we can.  Love with all of your might, and then remember the moments of beautiful Joy we knew.

[Marilyne]

Mary Page - I feel bad for you, losing three husbands  to cancer.  Going through it once, with a family member is so difficult, but three times is just too much to even comprehend!  My Mother and my mother-in- law, both died from ovarian cancer.  MIL was only 56, and my Mom was 65.  Strange, how they seemed old to me at the time, but now I realize how young they both were.   Many others in my family have not survived either, but won't go into all that sadness at this time.

What bothers most, is why so many young people like Michele, are getting cancer at such a young age?  So many of our friends have lost their young adult children to Pancreatic cancer.  Also, my youngest daughter's boy friend died from Esophageal Cancer.  He was only 50.  I could go on and on, with others, but it's just too sad.    What I would like, is a fairly logical explanation, or reasons, why so many young adults are dying, from this deadly disease?

[Sandy]

Jenny ..

Very sad News hearing of Michele's passing.  Her
suffering is over  and now the family will
have to face the long hard task of getting thru
this very sad time in their lives with
out her. 

I wish you all the strength to make this
possible ...    What a fight that young
women pursued .. I hope that she is at peace
now. 

Sandy

[MaryPage]

Marilyne, we obviously do not know the reasons, but we do know it is something or things we do not yet know.  My instincts tell me it is environmental.  We will find out, as long as people support cancer research.

I had sworn to all the Powers that be that I would Never Again be a caregiver.  Then I fell in love with Bob the Second.  We none of us know what tricks Fate has up her ample sleeve to torment us with.

My Mother died of uterine cancer at age 66.  My most hated memory is of her lying in bed in the nursing home with silent tears flowing down her cheeks.  My mother was a nurse, and she fully understood what was happening to her. And yes, she was young; but like you, I had thought of my mother as old All Of My Life.

In those days they would not let you give someone morphine and the like unless you were nurses or of higher rank in the medical hierarchy.  Now Hospice fills your fridge with baggies full of morphine-soaked swabs.  My mother had severe "female problems," as they used to describe them.  This is where I normally mutter "may all males roast in hell," but I won't in this company.  Besides, I have to accompany that curse with all the exceptions I love or have loved, including my 3 sons.  One of them gets the evil eye once in a while, but you know how it goes.

So my mother was in really bad shape.  This was in the nineteen thirties, and she was working for the Public Health Service.  The doctors there wanted to give her a hysterectomy, but she balked.  She said some of them were butchers, and she had seen too many young women carried out of surgery dead.  Her brother-in-law, a rich man in a time when most of our country was poor, offered to pay a private doctor, but Mother was too proud for that.  I don't think I'll ever forgive her. So the 2nd option was X-ray treatments.  She had those, and the problem went away.  For years she was just fine.  And then the cancer that had snuck in reared its nasty head.  It was peppered Everywhere.  She had radiation treatments and chemotherapy.  They had to give up.  I took my five year-old youngest son and my fourteen year-old youngest daughter and went up almost to the Canadian border and cared for her in her home all that summer and early autumn.  David came and fetched them when school bells were ringing again, and his mother, bless her boots, came up from Dallas and looked after the family until I had to go home and let her go. One memory those kids have and David had was of him driving back to Virginia and being held up in traffic by some humongous gathering in a farmer's field by thousands of young music fans in a place called Woodstock. Mother was medi-vaked down to D.C., and then brought to our home.  Finally, the nursing home bed had to be taken in order for her to have the maximum possible care.

We all knew the x-ray was the final culprit, and that was a time of ignorance regarding that.  Remember how as kids we would pop our feet into and out of those x-ray machines that showed the bones in our feet?  Every shoe store had them.  Ignorance.  One day we'll know why we are getting more and more cancer despite our greater knowledge.  Me, I think it is environmental.  Our water, soil and air are saturated with poisons we ourselves have thrown, buried and burned into them.  People actually throw their leftover prescriptions down their toilets!.  We notice, as we have noted in this forum, that sea life is sickening and dying from what we have thrown into our waters, but we do not relate this to us.  Me, you could not PAY me millions to enter those waters today!  Seriously.  But millions of us are frolicking away in them.

[Denver]

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all the special Dads here in our group. 

My sincerest THANK YOU for all of the beautiful words you have shared here for our family.  I have so appreciated the love and support over the past years and the prayers that were said for Our Dear Michele💕 I can not believe her battle is over💔 In my heart I truthfully believed she would be able to beat this monster.......prayers from around the world....and yet it seems God needed her more💔💕

[Vanilla-Jackie]

Jenny...we will never know that answer as to why, " God needed her more " i have asked myself that same question...doesnt He know, they are needed here too...

[FlaJean]

Dear Jenny, my heartfelt condolences to you and your family.  It is so sad to think of all the suffering Michele has gone through.

[CallieOK]

FlaJean,  so glad to see you here.

I exchange texts every morning with a good friend who moved to Santa Rosa Beach in January so I've been checking the national radar for the tropical storm's movement.  Looked as if you might both be hit yesterday.

She texted this morning that the sun is shining and didn't say anything about damage in her area.
Hope there wasn't any in yours, either.

May Everyfriend Everywhere find something to enjoy about today.

[Marilyne]

Jenny - Thank you for taking the time to leave us a message here in B&T.  We are all thinking about you, and knowing that this week will be a difficult one for you and for the entire family.  Please post again whenever you feel like it.  We'll be looking forward to hearing from you.

We had company all weekend . . . daughter and granddaughter have been here since Friday, and just left for home this morning.  Yesterday we all went to son and dil's house for a Father's Day dinner.    Younger daughter was there too, as well as grandson, granddaughter and her boy friend.  It was a delicious dinner, and so nice to see so much family together.  We hope to get together with the rest of the grandkids and families, later in the summer. 

Jean -  it was nice to see a message from you here yesterday.  Hope we hear from you again soon and all others who post here in B&T. 

[FlaJean]

Callie, It rained all Saturday night but yesterday was a beautiful day.

Marilyne, sounds like you had a nice family day.  Our daughter and son-in-law were here for a visit.  Things are very quiet here and not much to post about.  I'm not much of a talker anyway.😊

Our thoughts will be with Jenny and her family.  Have a good day all.

[Tomereader1]

I'm hoping that Jeanne in Illinois didn't get any of the tornadoes that hit there late yesterday.

Jeanne, let us know.

[Amy]

Bubble is feeling a lot better , weak but better . At the moment she is having plumbing  work done in her home.

[Amy]

Another update..

Just heard from Bubble, she has had a bout of pneumonia and as we all know that will knock the socks off a centipede.
Along with that and workers in her home she has a lot to contend with but will be back as soon as she can.

[MarsGal]

Wishing Bubble a speedy recovery with no complications from the pneumonia.

[Vanilla-Jackie]

Got an early booked appointment at the bladder-incontinence-bowel clinic, first time visiting this place....told the appointment will be for 45 minutes...more questionnaires i have had to fill in every time i drink fluids to every time i have a bladder and bowel emptying and as to the shape of it with drawings, and as to whether i leak before, well strangely i happen to leak after, not before so back on the loo for another full emptying within seconds-minutes...another where embarrassment-modesty fly's out the window, my " private parts " aren't private any more...

Edited: i am back, no intimate delving's just gel on my stomach to measure how much urine i still have in my bladder baring in mind she was aware i had visited their loo just a few minutes before being called into her room, and yes, there was a considerable amount inside me...On a plus side she will be putting in a " free " TENA pads regular order which will be delivered to my home, so saving me some considerable amount of money having to buy them online....

[Shirley]

Jackie, no question this is an on-going nightmare for you that most of us had no clue goes along with your condition. I guess each has something new to deal with as we age, although yours did start earlier than the general aging process. I do feel for you and can understand the frustration of not being in control. My being so short winded & knowing that isn't going to get better is my daily fear, knowing they wanted to replace that valve again and that it didn't help at all with all the different procedures so far. BUT, my dear friend, WE are still here and I do find comfort coming in here to let off steam, so let's do what we can, while we can, and hope someone out there learns a tad about what works in our daily life.

I'm glad your move is an improvement over where you lived before and give a "3 cheers" when something goes right in your (and every other friend's) life. Hang in there and enjoy every moment you can. Hardly an hour goes by this week that my mind doesn't flip to the nightmare/reality that Jenny's grands are facing, knowing their supportive & loving mother will never watch their daily activities again, or give them a hug if they had a lousy day. Hugs to you.

Good morning to all. I am sitting by the sliding door, wide open with a nice breeze blowing thru. Going to be returning to the 100° mark the rest of the week so some outside chores to take care of now. Two days this week we have lost power for a short time, early morn. That upsets my routine once I get started, so must take time out to do nothing without electricity and when it comes back on I have clocks all over that must be re-set. I've unplugged some that are hard to get to, so they quit blinking at me!  But right this moment it feels wonderful.

I have fed all 3 cats, must hurry to grab a bite & dress so I can get to work & back inside. I'm not sure what is biting me outside but I got several new bites to scratch yesterday. They actually hurt as well as itch & big red ring around them. After a few days they tame down, at least not getting infected. As soon as I am done/quit outside I will shower & wash my hair to drown any bugs that hop on me to bite. Don't know about the rest of you, but I didn't need one more must do chore (mid-day shower) added to my day! So off we go........I love to come read but not very good about posting so this is it for the week! 

[Marilyne]

Good Morning to all who post here in B&T, and also to those who look in!

Jackie - Glad you're getting the tests that you need, to solve some of your MS health problems.  I know that many of your unpleasant symptoms will continue on, regardless - but at least you are being treated and diagnosed.  I hope you feel better today, and can spend some time outside. 

Shirley - I enjoyed reading your long post this morning.  Like you, I'm grateful that we are all still here, and doing the best we can to stay upright and move forward every day!  Sometimes it's difficult to do the things around this old house that need doing, but I try to pace myself, and eventually most things get done. 

When daughter Shelley, was here this past weekend, she helped me with some of my most hated chores:  Mainly, dusting and cleaning the plantation shutters that we have covering all windows and slider door, in the living and dining room. She also did most of the shopping, cooking and kitchen clean-up for me, during the three days that she was here.  AJ is usually helpful, but he's been sidelined the past five days with extensive squamous cell surgery with skin grafts, on his face and nose.  He has a huge bandage covering his entire ear, nose and side of his face. (Finally will get it removed tomorrow.). After care instructions say, "no lifting, bending over, or exerting yourself for one week". 

How's that for a good excuse to sit in front of the TV, and watch the Stanley Cup Hockey playoff finals!       

[Vanilla-Jackie]

After an almost 3 month wait for my MRI brain scan result, i finally received my letter from my MS Neurologist Consultant, letter is stating " I do feel that there are clear changes, particularly adjacent to the anterior horns of the lateral ventricles and also the higher cervical cord "

Marilyne...
...ha ha, some men will go some lengths to get out of doing there share of the household chores...well you cant blame him for trying...

[Marilyne]

Jackie - Good luck trying to figure out the results of your brain scan!  ha ha!   Maybe there's a number you can call and ask someone to please explain what in the world they are talking about?   

The seemingly endless dermo surgery that AJ has been having, has been done over a span of two weeks.  The first one was the top and right side of his nose.  The second was this past Saturday, and was the left side of the nose, plus the left ear, and left cheek.  This one required skin grafts, and lots of stitches so was more serious.  Fortunately, he takes this sort of thing in stride.  He's perfect happy to watch hockey and basketball, and spend time in his basement shop, working on some of his endless projects.

[Denver]

Just a quick note to say that we are all doing as well as we can expect. I am still having a hard time believing that Michele has passed.  It will be a week tomorrow night and I still feel like this has not really happened.....

All of your special words are so kind and comforting💞 I thank  you very much.

MARILYN, I am holding good thoughts that AJ will heal quickly and not have too bad of scaring.  My hubby has been through a lot of Mose on his face also.

JACKIE, I am sorry you have waited for so long to hear the results of this MRI and that they did not write the results in plain language that you could understand😩

BUBBLE, feel better.  I am sorry you have been under the weather🙏  Pneumonia is indeed bad and can knock the sox's off of a centipede, to quote Amy! 😩🤒

Enjoyed reading the nice posts SHIRLEY, PATRICIA, JANE, AMY, JEAN, MARSGAL

Pleasant dreams to all,

Jenny

[Vanilla-Jackie]

Jenny...it is hard coming to terms that we will never be able to hear their voice, touch them ever again...May Peace be with you all who are left with her ( Michele's ) emptiness and loss...