I have wanted to share with you the events leading to the deaths of Charlie and Sandy, my wonderful friends. So many of you cared for them and have asked about them. It has just been so hard to, to think about it so deeply when I do, it makes me so sad still.
Sandy was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March of 2004. She had an emergency whipple surgery followed with about 12 - 14 months of chemo and radiation as best I remember. She went into remission for about the same amount of time and really seemed to be doing so much better. We had gotten her a wig of human hair and it was styled just like the cut she wore so long in high school and we laughed because it looked so much like her back them, we had to get that one.
In December of 2006 her cancer returned and it just ravished her body. It had invaded her spine, left lung, right breast and then the brain. She entered Hospice in Tyler on December 5th and passed away on Wednesday afternoon December 20th. I cannot even put it into words what it was like to watch this cancer take her and watch her body dying before me each day. She was only in pain once that I remember, before they ended up giving her pain medicine through a drip. Pills at first, later a patch that released medication all the time and then the drip. What a relief it was to me that she was never in pain, her body dying each day before me. We talked, reminisced and laughed at times together and times we shared with our friends as married couples. I don't know how much she knew was going on around her towards the end, I don't know if she could hear what was said around her or when someone came to visit her or the doctors to check on her, etc.... or that she just could not respond to anything. All I know is when I knew she would be leaving this world very shortly I sat close to her on her right side and leaned close to her ear and spoke to her of certain times and incidents we experienced together and things we did that made us laugh. I told her how much I loved her and thanked her for being the best friend I ever had. This lifeless, practically comotose person, whose feet and lower legs had become cold as ice and the coldness was creeping further up her legs as her body was dying, threw her left arm across my shoulder and lay it there. I knew then that we had said our goodbyes to each other. She passed away early that morning.
Like Charlie, she was such a kind hearted person. Some Saturdays I still wake up and wish I could call her and ask her to be thinking of where we can go and what we can see and do today. Maybe go to the new tea house in the next town. When we would just get in the car and choose a direction till we came somewhere or to something we wanted to check out. We had breakfast together almost every Saturday for many many years. All the experiences, good and bad we shared together, there for each other through them all. Did I tell you how much I miss them ????????????????????????????????????????????????
Susan Hall (Calley)
I have wanted to share with you the events leading to the deaths of Charlie and Sandy, my wonderful friends. So many of you cared for them and have asked about them. It has just been so hard to, to think about it so deeply when I do, it makes me so sad still.
Sandy was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March of 2004. She had an emergency whipple surgery followed with about 12 - 14 months of chemo and radiation as best I remember. She went into remission for about the same amount of time and really seemed to be doing so much better. We had gotten her a wig of human hair and it was styled just like the cut she wore so long in high school and we laughed because it looked so much like her back them, we had to get that one.
In December of 2006 her cancer returned and it just ravished her body. It had invaded her spine, left lung, right breast and then the brain. She entered Hospice in Tyler on December 5th and passed away on Wednesday afternoon December 20th. I cannot even put it into words what it was like to watch this cancer take her and watch her body dying before me each day. She was only in pain once that I remember, before they ended up giving her pain medicine through a drip. Pills at first, later a patch that released medication all the time and then the drip. What a relief it was to me that she was never in pain, her body dying each day before me. We talked, reminisced and laughed at times together and times we shared with our friends as married couples. I don't know how much she knew was going on around her towards the end, I don't know if she could hear what was said around her or when someone came to visit her or the doctors to check on her, etc.... or that she just could not respond to anything. All I know is when I knew she would be leaving this world very shortly I sat close to her on her right side and leaned close to her ear and spoke to her of certain times and incidents we experienced together and things we did that made us laugh. I told her how much I loved her and thanked her for being the best friend I ever had. This lifeless, practically comotose person, whose feet and lower legs had become cold as ice and the coldness was creeping further up her legs as her body was dying, threw her left arm across my shoulder and lay it there. I knew then that we had said our goodbyes to each other. She passed away early that morning.
Like Charlie, she was such a kind hearted person. Some Saturdays I still wake up and wish I could call her and ask her to be thinking of where we can go and what we can see and do today. Maybe go to the new tea house in the next town. When we would just get in the car and choose a direction till we came somewhere or to something we wanted to check out. We had breakfast together almost every Saturday for many many years. All the experiences, good and bad we shared together, there for each other through them all. Did I tell you how much I miss them ????????????????????????????????????????????????