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

04 January 2011

Day 2 As a Workin' Stiff...

Scrubbin' it!!!

Good morning doodle bugs. Happy now? A pic of me in my scrubs. Not the greatest shot... had to rely on Rory at 7 a.m. :0) I'm not nearly as nervous today, though I know I'm going to have to start scheduling appointments, & that's scary! Me no want to fuck up!!! Thanks again for all of the love.... I really do appreciate it. It would be FAB if everything was just lookin' up... yes, I'm moving in the right direction in many ways, but the death biz is no where NEAR being over. I got a lovely letter from the IRS yesterday.... it seems they don't appreciate it when your idiot husband doesn't file taxes for 3 years. And they could give a fat fuck that the moron is dead. They want my ass and they want it NOW. Awesome. That's one I can't WAIT to tackle. Eew. I'm also still trying to complete my application for the Loan Modification Program. You'd think they send you a list of what they need, you fax it over and that's that, right? Not quite that simple. There are at least elevendy billion people and institutions that I have to contact, and actually obtaining the required info is no easy feat. Case in point... even for things as stupid as the tv and power companies, it took until NOVEMBER for them to send me my bills. I went to them in person.... I called on the phone... I provided them with all of the documentation they needed, and they STILL wouldn't even release my own billing info to me. Asshats. 

Please say a prayer for my lil Rory.... he is having SUCH a hard time missing his Daddy. So sad... so many tears... the poor munchkin. I HATE that he has to suffer through this shit. Fuckin' cancer.

Gots to go. Wish me luck for day #2. 

Smooches!
S

***FYI... I would LOVE to change the address of this site from the justus3 thing, but there's really no way to do that. I started trying to get this thing up last August, so that's when I set up the address. Oh well!
Oh yeah.... I rocked it yesterday...
Feelin' pretty good about myself right now. :0)
I did it!!!
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3 comments:

  1. ToniTuesday, January 04, 2011 10:27:00 AM

    Oh my goodness, I cracked up this morning when I saw your little bit of photo-journalism!!!!!!!!Hahahahahahaha!! Thanx for the laugh to start the day. And I must say, you do look smart in your srubs. Though it is not constructive in any way.................fuck the IRS in the neck. On a more serious note, I am so sorry Rory is feeling such pain. My thoughts and prayers are with that tiny soulja. Take it easy on yourself. L. To

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  2. BonnieTuesday, January 04, 2011 12:18:00 PM

    Shan....
    So glad to hear you rocked it yesterday! I'm not the least bit suprised :)
    I saw a comment in one of your past posts that you would like to change the name of your url. I found something on Blogger to do that. Here is the link:

    http://www.google.com/support/blogger/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=41402

    I hope that helps. It seems easy but what do I know about this kind of stuff!!

    Finn is soooo amazing! (I know I don't need to tell you that!) What a sweetheart. You deserve it, baby girl!

    Ok better run and get my day going.

    Love ya lots,
    Bon

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  3. ~Mom~Tuesday, January 04, 2011 12:40:00 PM

    You look positively adorable! I wish we all could wear scrubs all day. They look like PJs.

    There is an IRS attorney who is ALWAYS on the radio in our area named Steve Maskowitz (sp?). Anyway, I would bet my excess blubber that you have the same type of service in VA. There are so many IRS problems out there, I am sure you can get some deal. At least they can write a letter to get them off your back.

    By the way, wasn't D's business handling all that shit? ICK is all I can say.

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