Memories of Months Gone By....Part 2

Today is Sunday, February 23rd and although it is cold and overcast, I can't help but remember that wonderful Sunday,  just seven months ago, when angels descended upon my home and my heart was filled with joy!  

It was on the morning of July 14th. The weather was sunny but the temperature was already well into the 90s. As I sat on my porch, wondering if anyone should work in that heat, the cars began to pull in!  It was so difficult to accept the generosity of friends working for me. I was always so independent, strong and more comfortable helping others rather than they helping me. Through fellowship and enlightening, however, my friends helped me learn to accept and enjoy their labor of love.   

                                                                                               

Here I am on the porch so comforted to see everyone arrive. 

Within minutes and a loving hello, everyone got right to work. The blackberry patch got raked and weeded, a front walk was laboriously dug and lined with flat stones and the driveway stone wall had finally started to get built. With precise measuring, the cedar fence posts and rails also began getting built and taking shape.   

Here is Sheila Polson and Carolyn May weeding the blackberries.

The amazing Becca Swan who never stopped working, was last to leave that day.  

There was also Brian Bardsley who worked so hard on the front pathway.

   

                                                                                      ☝Libby Simon and Cindy Dunham☝
                                                                                       also worked hard on the front walkway. 

                                            

 The stone wall was worked on by many folks including Chris Beebe and my son Tim Neilson.

  Jim Dunham, Tony Oppersdorff,  Andrew Oliver and Chris Polson worked on building the fence. 

As the day progressed, many friends worked on painting bird feeders, house posts and door steps. They also dug up stones and weeds in the gardens.   

Jane Babbit painted a post and bird 
☜  feeder.



Vicki Doudera 

and Shannon Thompson worked on several different projects. ☞

  Des FitzGerald and his daughter Caitlin FitzGerald, 

cleaned out large rocks and weeds from the vegetable gardens.

Des's sons Ryan and Alex FitzGerald were also there to help me that day.

 
          ☝ Kathleen Oliver & Lucinda Ziesing (Alex's Mom) 
                       worked in the flower gardens.
☜ Marianne Smith painted stairs and also weeded the garden. 


Some folks took a break to cool down and have some lunch. Des FitzGerald and Michael Crockett not only worked hard building but also spent many hours planning and preparing for that day.

       
 
           

☝Des FitzGerald sat on the cooler talking with Stuart Smith (in green) and Chris Beebe (in blue)

 while Michael Crockett used a tool to measure the height and level of the deck boards.☝

                         Lots of measuring, cutting, covering and nailing took place to build a lovely deck off the back of the house. 

                                                                

☝Wyatt Philbrook measured and sawed posts and beams while 

George Wheelwright and Ed Doudera cut and wraped boards.  ☝

Finally after a long, hot and hard-working day, it was time for my friends to say goodbye. As they packed up and waved so long, I began to weep. How beautiful my home had become and how truly blessed I felt for being so well cared for. What a joy to know that there are so many wonderful people in this world who care enough to show their love and support.  

Here is what it looked like at the end of the day........

Here is the new back deck and painted bird post. 

Here is the stone wall and front pathway.... 

                                                                   and here is the wood fence surrounding the front yard. 
Thank you my friends for showing me your love and generosity. I have been truly blessed by each and everyone of you and I will not soon forget it. You have created a "Heaven" for me, one that I cherish each and every day. I pray that THIS is the "Heaven" I get to partake of for many, many years to come.
You are always welcome here.

Memories of Months Gone By..... Part 1

As I gaze out the window this morning and marvel at the deep, white snow that covers the meadow and the yard, I can't help but reminisce on how different this place looked last year at this time.

 

The Cottage late last January, 2013

I remember that after my brain surgery, while recuperating at a friend's house, my cottage was being shingled thanks to the help of my dearest friends Pat and Don McLean. When I returned home, I was so happy!  My son Tim and I started to work outside, digging plants from out back and making new gardens in the front.

                                                 Here is the beginning of May, 2013 with new shingles and new gardens.

 Because I started working outside, I strengthened quickly and was feeling quite good...almost like my normal self again, even during seven weeks of radiation and chemo therapy!

                                                                                                     Brain Radiation Treatments 

I walked four miles each day and mowed the lawn every week. Several weeks later, the McLeans helped me hire a contractor to finish building the front porch and hang the window shutters.

                                                                       Here is the beginning of work on the front porch.

During that same time, I hired a friend to bring over his backhoe and clear a huge pile of rocks from the back of the yard to the front of the house. This was to create a stone wall I had always wanted. I also had him clear the driveway and smooth it with new gravel.

                                                                          This is the front of the house with the porch finished                                                               
                                                                                     but the stone wall still needing to be built. 
                                
At the end of June and finally finishing my radiation and chemo therapy sessions, I got to enjoy my dearest girl Jackie at her wedding. I was able to pick and arrange flower bouquets, take hundreds of photographs and celebrate the joy of this wonderful family, the McLeans!

 

                                            Newlyweds Shawn & Jackie Strack with Don, Wyatt, Pat McLean and me. 

That summer was going beautifully, although it was very hot. One Sunday, on July 14th, I heard that 35 friends would be arriving to help do some work at my home! I will tell you all about it in my next post! I hope you'll join me very soon. Thanks for reading my blog and have a glorious day!

                                                                                         This is my Catch Meadow Cottage today!

                                                   
                                               

Finally Back Again....

An early February day showered fresh, falling snow upon the meadow, while the wild turkeys hid in and under the trees. I sat beside the fire inside my cozy cottage and began to, once again, write in my Blog.

 It has been quite a few months trying to figure out how to get back into my Blog account. I guess the account setup changed, unbeknownst to me. My brain has also had difficulty remembering words or reading, due to the radiation damage. I exercise my brain each day, to strengthen and heal it. The Glioblastoma tumor still exists in my head but continual chemo treatments help to slow and perhaps even eliminate the tumor. It has now been ten months and I am still here and feeling much like my old self again!

When I was at the Duke MRI Center in Durham, North Carolina last week, I met a beautiful woman named Letha. She is just a few years older than me and she too has... Glioblastoma! However, Letha is finally tumor free after two years of her trial chemo treatments! She is a believer in hope, prayers and miracles and was searching for another "Glio Gal." During an unexpected encounter, we met each other and became friends! She was a joy to talk with and an inspiration. She gave me a "rubber ducky" as her happy, good luck charm! I am so glad she and I know each other now.

                                                                          Deborah Newman

 I also found another new friend...a "Glio Guy" named Peter. He was casually standing in line at an airport several weeks ago. My traveling brother in-law, standing beside him, casually introduced himself to Peter and discovered that, like me, he also has Glioblastoma! My shocked brother in-law gave him my email address and now Pete and I have been communicating ever since. Not only that, but we discovered that we have the same doctor, the same chemo, the same State in which we grew up and are the same age!  I believe these "Unexpected Encounters" are often "Amazing Miracles!                        
                                                  I am so very grateful and blessed.
                          Someday soon I will share the most "Amazing Miracle" in my life yet!!

                                                             Beauty after the big storm!

 

April Fools' Day......It Was No Joke!

So here begins my new story. I must first say how sorry I am that I was unable to continue writing my Blog for seven months. I am doing my very best to continue with my Blog now.

I had celebrated and posted my birthday on March 16th this year but have not written anything since that day. On Easter Sunday March 31, 2013, I spent the day with my son Tim again and walked the trail close to my Cottage and near the house that Tim was going to buy.

We had such a lovely day but that night around 11:30 PM, I woke up and had an unbearable headache and nausea! I was so bad off that I phoned Tim and asked him to rush me to the emergency room. Tim drove over to my house from 15 minutes away and raced me to the hospital. Heavy pain meds. were administered and I was taken to the Xray room. 

It was then discovered that I had a very large brain tumor. After the doctors looked at the Xray, they decided an MRI was necessary. The MRI was confirmed. A large, nectarine sized tumor, found on the left temple side of my brain, was identified as a "Glioblastoma Multiforme," the same tumor as Mr. Ted Kennedy.

  

                  Here you can see the original MRI. The large tumor can be seen in the top and 
                                                     bottom photos at different angles.

I was immediately sent to Portland, Maine where a wonderful and highly regarded brain neurologist by the name of Dr. Jeffrey Florman, told me that I needed surgery right away to remove the tumor.

                                                                   Here is Dr. Jeffrey Florman

Four days later on April 5th, I was driven back to Portland Maine Medical Center by my daughter,    
                                                     son, sister, McLean family and friends.

Here is the picture of me just before I left.

Within hours I was operated on where 98% of the tumor was removed. Unfortunately, the diagnosis was not so good. Dr. Florman confronted everyone in the waiting room and told them I had 6 to 18 months to live based on the significance of this type of tumor.

  Here is the brain area after most of the tumor had been removed. Dr. Jeff did a beautiful job don't you think? Regardless of my diagnosis, I was so at peace and comfortable because I was surrounded by the most wonderful doctors, physician assistants, nurses and hospital caretakers. I was extremely well cared for. 

    

Here is Owen a wonderful, compassionate nurse on the left and Jeffrey Hamm P. A., a warm and sensitive doctor on the right, who extracted an 8 inch long tube (much looking like a grenade) from the inside of my brain. 

Anyway, I stayed in the hospital for several days and when I felt stronger (and hungry) we headed to my friends house, Frank and Libby Simon's place. Tim, Bekah and Joanne my sister stayed with me at their house by the lake so there were plenty of lovely bedrooms for all of us.

     
This is Tim and I after leaving the hospital.     This is Tim and Bekah who came all the way from CO.

                 This is my sister Joanne who came for several weeks from Maryland to care for me.

I will enter my journal and information in my Blog soon again. I am finally able to write, however, because my brain has been severely affected by radiation and chemo (which I will discuss in the future) it is often difficult to think, write and use words that I remember. Please forgive any mistakes I may make. I will get better at it...I truly believe and am very hopeful for a long and happy life ahead. I have been so very blessed and I look forward to being able to help others some day.

                                    Thank you for reading my Blog and being patient with me.
                                                    True health and happiness to you all.

Birthday Blessings!

I celebrated my birthday over the weekend and had a wonderful day! My daughter Bekah sent me the most beautiful bouquet of spring flowers as a gift from Colorado. I miss her so much but we got to talk for a long while.      

Lucky for me, my son Tim spent the entire day with me. 

We went shopping, enjoyed a delicious lunch in town, took a long walk around a breezy, ocean point and ate a homemade corned-beef and cabbage dinner. Later we took a walk to the new home Tim is buying. He just went under contract the other day and his home is only three houses up from mine. Talk about a Mom's dream!!! 

Tim is really excited too. He'll have 2.5 acres of lawn, woods and even a stream. He will also enjoy a three bedroom home with two baths and a two car garage. I'm so proud of him (and envious because I don't even have a garage!). We live on a dead end road. At the end of the road is a woodsy path that leads right to the Vineyard where he works as the property manager. He'll be able to walk to work or snowmobile and snow-shoe there in the winter if he wants.

Here is the backyard.

Here is a sweet little greenhouse on his new property. 

There is also a small barn which you can't see in this photo.

 

                                              This is the dining room with lovely wood floors.


                          After dinner Tim surprised me with two adorable cupcakes he brought. 

                                                             With lit candles of course!

Such a terrific Birthday I had. I am a very lucky Mom!

In this photo you can see where I set up a temporary office in my bedroom. I placed the birthday flowers that Bekah sent me, on my desk to add a little color and scent to the room. In the spring when I can finally open all the windows and doors, I'll paint the walls, hang the drapes, lay down new rugs and create a comfortable sitting area. It works nicely for now though.

It's really snowing again today. We are supposed to get 10 to 16 inches before the storm ends tomorrow morning. And to think that yesterday I was out pruning and cleaning all the blackberry canes. I have high hopes for spring! Hope you do too.