For Rita and Chantal

ritawaite13 said:

Thank you Angie,
Thanks for your kind words Angie. While this is such a hard path to walk, I know I am not alone. God has my hand every step of the way and I have an amazing family and many wonderful friends too. I miss Greg every day but it helps me to feel that he's still with me, watching me and holding my hand. I have signed on to the Mourning Dawns (spouses of guys who've passed from EC). I have had phone conversations with some and am having lunch with a group from Minnesota this Friday. I'm looking forward to actually meeting some of these gals who truly "get it". I wish I were geographically closer to Chantal so we could shore each other up. Lee was such an inspiration to so many on here, as is Chantal. My guess is that Lee and Greg and others are in Heaven chatting about all the good times. Again, thanks for your support and prayers.
Hugs to you,
Rita

Thanks Angie
Thanks so much Angie for thinking of myself, as well as Rita. When I heard that Greg had passed, I just knew that Lee would be joining him soon, so I have felt a special bond with Rita. I never dreamt that it would be this way for us, and I'm sure all of you feel the same. Rita, you are right, Lee is probably cracking cancer jokes to Greg and trying to come up with ways to make his loved ones here on earth laugh from afar.

I have so many wonderful friends in the 'real world' who have been bringing me giant baskets of treats, food, candies, magazines and other goodies. People have been dropping by with coffee and checking in on me. I am so blessed to have so many fantastic people in my life. I have learned that when people say "if you need anything, just call" they really do mean it. At first it was so hard to call on these friends for help, but if I have taken anything positive from Lee's passing, it's that my fellow humans are loving, compassionate and kind. My parents were here for 2 weeks, and they were so helpful, there is no way I could have managed without them. They worked endlessly to make my last days with Lee as easy as possible. They took care of Daisy, cooked, cleaned, did my laundry and all the thousand other things that need to be done in a day. I spent day and night at Lee's side, which would not have been possible without them. I am truly blessed.

I have to continue counting my blessings by including all of you. You have all been here for me, and just 'get it' when no one else possibly could. You have all been so supportive, caring and loving. I have said this before, but had it not been for this group, Lee would have passed away much sooner than he did. You were all my source of information and I feel that amongst us, we had so much more knowledge, more than our doctors even. I thank you all so much for sharing your wisdom with me.

Lee's last few days were the saddest of my life, watching him suffer was unbearable for me. I miss him terribly, but also am thankful that he does not have to live that way anymore. I know that Lee and all the others that have gone before him are at peace now, and we have taken over their suffering. I always wished that I could 'share' in his physical pain. I wish that I could have taken all the needles, iv's, and nausea. My saddest memory is that when Lee was on his last few days, he had so many tubes, wires, butterfly ports and bandages on him, I could barely find a spot on him to caress. (his nurse jokingly said that he looked like a Christmas tree, he had so many 'decorations') Now I know that he is free of all the pain and misery that this beast has caused, and for that I am grateful.

Anyways, again Angie, thank you for the kind words.
Chantal