Hey there... I just posted the link to Camp Kesem. It's on the right under "These Sites Mean Mucho to Shan". I put it up for a couple of reasons... first of all, my boys are featured prominently on the new flyer. Verrry cool. Second, there is a place on their page to click if you'd like to donate. Remember that both Camp Kesem and Comfort Zone are supported completely by donations, and all campers get to attend for free. Both are non-profit organizations that will supply you with documentation for your tax records. So if you're feeling generous, head on over and toss 'em a few bucks, will ya?
The other things I wanted to mention are the ads placed around my site. Again, I'm not telling them what to advertise... they read the content and put up ads that they believe are relevant. The program I'm using now is one designated as 'pay per click'. That means, every time one of my readers clicks an ad, I get a lil somethin'. You don't have to buy anything.... just click on the ads. As Rory would say, "easy peasy, lemon squeezy".
Gotta put the munchkin to bed. He's REALLY struggling and could use your thoughts and prayers. His grief group is finally meeting again tomorrow night, and he needs it more than you can imagine.
Later...
S
xoxo
Trying to survive and thrive, through the most difficult time in my life.
Welcome!
So here's the Reader's Digest version for those of you who are new to my blog.... My 39 year old husband, David, was diagnosed with a hideous and deadly cancer in April of '08. We were told he'd likely die in less than 4 months. Obviously, that diagnosis turned us inside out and shook us to the core. At the time, our boys were 12 and 4... can you say 'fucking nightmare'??? I spent the next 14 months being his 24/7 caregiver and advocate... never leaving his side unless it was to get the boys to or from therapy or their cancer support groups. Cancer and the hell that it brings became our universe. And yet, I was able to get myself to a place where I was depending on my faith.... existing on a plane of pure gratitude. I focused my energies on recognizing the blessings that cancer had brought to our lives... yes, there ARE blessings that come with such a dire diagnosis.
Things were good. David miraculously entered remission in April of '09. I was looking forward to the next few months being our 'summer of healing' as a family. And then my world stopped. He left me... left US... on 6 June 2009. And FYI... he told me he was ending our 18 year marriage in a note. As if that wasn't bad enough, he had left me for a 'friend' who also happened to be married. Nice. The next few months are a blur... I descended into a deep, dark depression, and David's vicious treatment of me didn't help. He was running as fast as he could from everything associated with cancer, and that included me... our family, our home and the entire life we had built together. Things went from bad to worse when his cancer returned with a vengeance. He began treatment once again, and I had to dig deep to help him and make things as easy on him as possible. I even offered to have him move home so I could care for him through his treatment. As it turns out, it was a good thing he didn't take me up on that. The hateful way that he treated me during that time would have made caregiving for him an unbearable situation. I KNEW he was dying... nobody else did, because he fed them all kinds of bullshit... but I knew. Because of that, I focused on the boys and made sure they were with their daddy as much as possible.
His final months were a living nightmare... a kind of pain and darkness for which there are no words. No human being, no matter who they are or how they lived their lives, should have to suffer the horrific pain and endless indignities that David did. In spite of everything, I was with him constantly, much to the chagrin of his girlfriend and his mother. 'Too fuckin bad' was my theory. I wanted my boys to see that I NEVER turned my back on their dad. And I didn't. I continued to advocate for him in the hospital... fighting to get him the meds and the specialists he needed. I was there during his final moments of consciousness. I took Reilly to say goodbye to his dad, just before he slipped into that state. I was there when he died. I ID'd his body at the funeral home. I planned his funeral and his Celebration of Life. I placed his ashes in the wall of the Columbarium at the Naval Academy. We had spent half of our lives together, and though I was no longer in love with him, I did those things out of respect for the life that we shared and the family that we created.The 6 months since he died have brought more changes. I struggle daily to untangle the financial disaster he left me, and I'm fighting like hell to keep our home. The boys are now 15 and 7 and trying to learn how to move forward in their lives without their daddy. I had to get a part-time job after spending 15 years as a full-time mother, and I'm doing everything I can to trim the fat so we can afford to stay where we are. My boys NEED the stability and comfort that come with remaining in our home and community, and staying in their schools. To that end, I will fight with every fiber of my soul to ensure that those things happen.My greatest blessing is that I now have an incredible man in my life... a man who is thoughtful and loving, strong and sensitive, hilariously funny, and who loves me just the way I am. He is authentic. He knows who he is and is completely comfortable in his own skin. It certainly doesn't hurt that he's 11 years younger than I am and sexy as hell. :0)Yes, my boys are struggling in many ways... the therapy and support groups continue... and I still have MUCHO 'death business' to handle. That said, I am starting to believe that there might be a happy future ahead... for all of us.The past almost 3 years have been quite an emotional roller coaster, to say the least. Writing has been the most important part of my day, every day, since this journey began. I am once again being put in a position where I have to learn to survive... spiritually, emotionally, physically, financially... you get the picture. My hope is that I can hold on to my faith, find a moment of joy in every day, be the best mother I can possibly be, and hopefully... one day... emerge back into the light.December 2010
Hi Honey, Just read your last two posts........I am impressed by how you just take life as is comes and deal with everything so wonderfully....God Bless your Finn and his kids...Little guys pictures are so cute! I am very happy that you hang in there and try to get the most out of everyday.....I had a great camping trip and look forward to doing that more often........praying for your whole family!!
ReplyDeleteaot,t
Hey Shanny....
ReplyDeleteSo any add that is on your page, we just click on it and you'll get some $mu-lah$?!! That's easy enough. I clicked on everything I could find. I will try to do that a couple times a day!
Just want you to know that you mean the world to me. I'm so glad we get to share in each others lives everyday. Thanks for the support ;) Thank God for internet!! Oh maybe I should say Thank BillGates for internet! ;)
Lots to do today so I better run!!
XoXo's,
Bon
Make that "AD" (I hate when I make myself look dumb!)
ReplyDeleteAnd I have discovered that if I sign in before I try to post, my comment goes through the first time. If I'm not signed in, it takes three times before it gives me the option to sign in in order to post.
So as I suspected....it was OPERATOR ERROR!!! Now if I can just figure out the problem with doing it on my cell!
Ciao!