Holiday Season 2017

It's been a very long time  since I posted and so much has happened since Daniel passed away last July.
 To begin in February of this year I put our house on the market so that I could move "back east" closer to my family.  It was a shock  that the house was only on the market for 2 weeks and an offer was made for the asking price.  I thought I would have at least a year from the time it was on the market to get through grieving and decide what I was going to do with the rest of my life...but life never seems to work out as planned. 

After that I started looking for  a home  in New York via the net  as well as moving arrangements,  not only household goods but my five dogs and three cats.
To make a long story short my kids helped  me with finding a new home in their area and I  found a moving company for my stuff and a pet livery company for my pets.'

My youngest son flew out to drive Daniels Jeep back east, and right after the pets were picked up the next morning, we were on the road.  I love road trips and it was fantastic.  We have such a beautiful country.  We left on  Thursday and arrive Saturday morning.

Three days after arriving here the pets arrived and they were  very travel weary. They were suspicious of the new smells and all the greenery.  It took them quite a while to adjust but in November they decided  they belonged here  and  our back yard is their playground. Thank God.

Our house is located in the Catskill Mountains and it feels good to be back home.  It just so happens that the pastor of my church here, was the assistant pastor at the church  in NY when I left 17 yrs. ago.  I really like the parish here.
I think I finally can say I'm 90% settled in and am beginning to feel like a New York resident.
I loved my life with Daniel in Three Points but am beginning to accept the fact that I need to move forward and I am only at the beginning of flying solo.
Grief is not something that people can relate to unless they have experienced it and we each handle it differently. I do know that Daniel will never be replaced by someone else but I need to look forward to each new day God has given me. God and Daniel are right here with me I just cant see them. :0) For that I am thankful and hope to keep taking time to appreciate all of Gods gifts

This past week I enjoyed the first snowfall of the season and have decorated this year for Christmas.
I wish all of you a blessed Holiday Season filld with love and beautiful memories to treasure.

Cherie

Journey's End

Journey's End

Thank you all for your prayers. 

 This morning after a year of trying to fight cancer, Daniel has earned his wings and moved on to a far better place where there is no suffering or weakness just joy and love in the presence of God.

It was an honor to be his wife and I hope someday I will be as kind and good as Daniel .

Again, thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers.

                                             -Cherie

The Never Ending Journey

On February 23rd  Daniel experienced abdominal pain and was admitted to the hospital to  have an obstruction removed from his abdomen.  We thought that  it would be just an overnight stay and then we could return to our daily lives.
 Unfortunately the surgeon reported that cancer tumors had spread on to the wall of his abdomen, so there was no obstruction removal, and he was closed up.
We met with the oncologist and his team this past week. Right  now they feel that chemo is not an option, it would be too difficult for him and now focused on his comfort.
The doctor's feel he may have 6 months to live but as you know the number is just based on statistics.
Daniel is being fed through an IV in his port used previously for chemo.  He does experience pain but that is being controlled by morphine and oxycodone.
We are still praying for a miracle but we thank God for the time given to us.   Thank you for all your support and prayers.

Prayers for Daniel Please

Daniel was admitted to the hospital yesterday. He had an infection in his abdomen.  Last night the doctors lanced it and his fever is down but they are concerned because his blood pressure is low and heart rate is 112..  Please pray for him and I will post later.   

Thank you

"Bumpy Road Ahead But Signs of Hope Not to be Ignored"

This past week we visited the oncologist  for an overview of the outcome of the surgery.  He told us that the surgeons had removed the organs affected but after receiving the pathology report there still remains cancer cells in different spots in the abdomen.
 We now have a meeting scheduled with a radiologist and if after reviewing Daniels reports and speaking with us she determines that Daniel  is a candidate for radiation therapy he will have daily sessions of radiation for 6 weeks (no weekends), followed by chemotherapy. That news was a bummer.
However, during this "adventure" there have been signs of hope I cling to.  The first was when the Doctor at UMC who performed the sonogram  told me that Daniel had advanced stomach cancer.  I was in shock  and very upset.  He looked at me and said "There is always hope".   I will never forget that moment or what he said.  The next  was when I had to go to  a different parish for Mass on Sunday morning and there was a priest celebrating the Mass that I had never seen there before.  His sermon was on how in this day and age fewer people believe in miracles  but miracles still happen even with cancer, we just don't hear about them.  I felt as if  he were speaking directly to me.
The next time was when Daniel and I were sitting in an examining room waiting for a follow up visit with the surgeon. While  I waited I was just looking around the room and there right on the wall across from where we were sitting was a sign with the word HOPE all in caps and with a message written underneath but I couldn't read it from where I was sitting.  However, the word HOPE stood out.
This past week I went to a Board meeting,  only two Board members were present when I arrived , Gary and Les.  They asked how Daniel was doing and I told them okay but that we were not looking forward to the rounds of radiation.  Les told me his church members are still praying for Daniel's recovery. Gary then said to remember not everyone responds to treatments  the same way, and Daniel did fine with the chemo. They don't know how much I needed to hear those words right at that moment.  It gave me hope. Thank you Les and Gary. You were God's messengers that night.
 I can't begin  express to all of how much your prayers and kindness during this time have meant to us.  You may not realize that maybe at the moment when you express your caring or concern to someone, the person hearing  those words  may need to hear them right at that moment.  I did and it gave me hope to believe in the miracle we are praying for.


That is it for now, please keep praying.

The Yellow Brick Road

Of course the path we are travelling will not always be smooth but it is an adventure! :0)

Daniel was released from the hospital on Wednesday afternoon following our lesson on  I V feeding through a "J" tube in his abdomen.  We were told he would have to be hooked up to this 24/7 for a couple of months.There is a back pack provided to carry the food and little computer that measures out the amount he receives. This allows him access to the outside world. The formula would be his main nourishment  while introducing clear liquids then over time graduating to solid foods. In the hospital he had already started on gelatin and broth with no problems.
The next morning when we went to add another bag of formula to the IV but it seemed that the J tube was blocked and off we went to ER. Fortunately Daniel's records were still in the system as he released the night before, and he was seen right away. The ER doctor then contacted  the surgical team that cared for Daniel. One of his doctors came down and was able to clear the tube.  They gave us  a list of the next level of foods to try since he seemed to be handling the clear liquid without problems.  We were told that if the IV blocked up again, just discontinue it and continue with the foods recommended.  If he was able to tolerate the foods introduced at this level, the IV could become a supplement not the main source of nourishment. Thank God!
So far he is now eating strained soups, a meal substitute(Shakeology), and Jello.  Today we will add Ensure to his diet.  So far, so good. When I arrived home yesterday  from work,we walked around our acre and although still a little weak, Daniel is doing great!
Next week Daniel has a follow up visit with the surgeon and then we look forward to the staples being removed from his abdomen and back incision sites.
That is it for now my friends. Our hopes are high and we look forward to continuing down the road to recovery.
Keep smiling and have a beautiful weekend.

9 Days After Surgery

 Just a note to update you on our journey.
Daniel has had tubes removed from his back and abdomen.  The one remaining, is a tube that gives him nourishment.  The doctors say he is healing quickly and one  referred to him as a" healing machine".
Daniel has been up and walking around the floor of the hospital wing and yesterday for the first time he walked without help of a walker.  He was also taking sips of water during the day and he did fine with that.  He is now beginning a clear liquid diet.
The surgeon said he will be released this week and we really are looking forward to that.
The transition from liquid to food is another step to recovery and we are more than ready for the challenge.
Thank you again for the prayers and good thoughts. We know they have helped his healing.
Cherie