Greetings everybody from an increasingly autumnal New York City. The weather is still warm and sunny but the trees appear to know something if their falling leaves are any indicator. Brooklynites are sweeping them into little piles each day as we walk up to the subway en route to see Beverley. So the leaves are 'leaving' and so are we.
Our job here is done as someone famous probably said, and we are homeward-bound on 1 Oct (Matthew and John's birthday incidentally, but that's not the reason we're fleeing the scene). Following our 30 days trekking uptown each day to the hospital, we've shopped, cooked, cleaned, cheered, dog walked and attended a total of six weekly hospital check-up appointments. All things considered Beverley (and Tom) are on their way to something like a normal life again (whatever the hell that is!).
Beverley is still somewhat housebound but the fact that she is fed up with her incarceration is a good sign to us that she'll soon be out of here. She has her bouts of nauseau still, but less frequently we all agree, and she walks out around the block with us to put strength back in those leg muscles on a more regular basis. Cooking gourmet meals for Tom may not be on her agenda quite yet but we'll stock the fridge before we leave, promise.
The medics up at Sloan are happy with Beverley's rate of progress, so we are too. We said goodbye to them all yesterday with very mixed feelings and more than a touch of regret. They are all incredible in their skill, expertise and empathy, so God bless them all, we say.
We will be in Philadelphia from next Wednesday catching up with the family there, so this is our last weekend in New York. We'll close by thanking all of you out there for your unfailing support for Beverley (and Tom) and plead with you to please keep in touch. She needs all of you and is grateful for any and all contact you make.
4 comments:
To The Mom and The Dad,
Greetings from an unusually warm Chicago.
I am here for the Motivation Show, held annually at this time in the Windy City. Catching up on e-mail this evening, I thought I would check the blog and happily found your message from Saturday.
It means so much to Jenny and I that you have been there for Beverley and Tom for the past several weeks. All you have done is soooo appreciated. Thank you, thank you so much. We enjoyed our visit with you in August. Can't wait until we can all be together once again.
I know that our children have emerged as stronger individuals, having gone through this long, strange trip. That they have endured it is a testament to the stock from which they were formed.
Tom could not have been more blessed than to have married Beverley.
We will continue to keep a watch over them from afar, and look forward to visiting with them again in November.
Best wishes for a safe trip home, and please give our best to Jen.
With love,
Mike (Dad Self)
P.S. Hope to catch up with Matthew tomorrow evening.
M.
Hi Bev. So good to hear that you are doing well! When the hell are we going to get to see you?
Tom said I can breath all over you as soon as you're better. I've been practicing all summer long!
Love,
Pete
Hello and goodbye- must be a strange to be leaving but a strong testament to us out here that Bev and Tom are getting stronger every day. I wish you a safe trip home! Bev, hope you and Tom are enjoying the seasons beginning to change- autumn is sooo olovely there. We are slipping into a beasutiful balmy spring and I am hopelessly in love with australia once again. I don't know if you are up for phone calls etc... email me when you feel like it and I will call when is good for you- no hurry of course! WOuld just love to hear your voice... don't know if you will get his (are you still checking it?) so will drop an email as well... think of you so often and sending lots of healing sunny rays babe! Trina
I haven't checked the blog in a while. I've been keeping in touch via email and phone calls. I know from experience how hard it is to leave your children and go back home, which is so far away. That never gets easy. Especially at those times when you feel so needed. I read somewhere that being a parent is like having a piece of your heart floating out there somewhere. We want to take a string and pull the pieces back. Heartstrings!
Like, Mike, I am so grateful that you were able to be there for Tom as well as Bev. And we wish you well until we're all together again. Happy times and better health are just around the corner. Many prayers are going up all over the world for Bev and Tom during this bit of a set back.
Hang in there, kids. The best is yet to be.
Love you gobs!
;-) xoxoxo
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