Special Thank You's and Shout Outs......

Just like they say "It takes a Village to raise a Child", it also takes many many people to assist in the recovery of a person with Cancer. I first want to thank......and thank is such a pitiful little word.......when it comes to talking about my Mom and Kate and Lindsay and the multitude of ways they contributed to my BMT process. I truly could not have done it without them. They were the major contributors to my healing process, taking care of the endless day to day duties in the life of a Transplant patient. I also want to thank all of the nameless and faceless folks who prayed for me, people I will never know or meet who were kind enough to pray for me and my recovery. You know who you are, and I thank you so very much for "paying it forward" on my behalf. Then there are those people I will mention by name as they also played a role in my recovery, although they may not think they did. First of all, my wonderful ex-husband Kevin was a true and loyal supporter of mine. Kevin came to Tampa to share in my BMT experience from the first weekend there before I went in for my first chemo treatment until I was discharged from Moffitt. He came to Tampa EVERY weekend to do whatever he could (ie. setting up the DVD player and putting in a hand held shower unit for me) as well as just be there for me physically and emotionally. We would play scrabble with Lindsay, visit and laugh with the family and just generally talk and be together. We're talking an almost 5 hour drive from where he lives to Tampa, so this is a pretty big deal to do this every Friday thru Sunday for 6 weeks and he also came up to my house after I was discharged for the first 2 weekends after I was home. During this time too, he built the dog "corral" for me (I think the dogs call it Attica) and also played a big part as a parent to our daughters, helping to alleviate some of their fears about what I was going through in Tampa. He continues to play a huge part of all our lives and for this I am truly grateful. Kevin, you will never really know how much I appreciate all you have you have done for me all this time. I also mentioned in a past blog how I became interested in glass bead making and wanted to start this new art form when I got home. Well Kevin, on one of his weekend visits to me here at home brought me the most gorgeous hard cover beading books to read and learn from. I mean wonderful wonderful books about his craft. Not only did I appreciate the books themselves, but to know Kevin went into a beading/jewelry (girlie) store to buy them for me.....well, if you know my husband you'll appreciate the visual that brings! Thanks again for all you have done. I also want to thank my daughter Ashley for "holding down the fort" at home while I was gone this entire time. Ashley called at least twice a day to check on me and to talk to Kate or Mom about how I was doing. She thinks she did not contribute much to me being in Tampa because she was not physically there, but I truly needed her at home to make sure all was well and to take care of both the house and the dogs. To have that piece of mind and not have to worry WAS taking care of me. Thanks for all you did, Ashley. Another special shout out is to my niece Sarah, who came up to Tampa twice to see me. She took the time to make the long drive to see her Aunt Jan, and bring only Sarah's warmth and special sense of humor. She also bought me a gorgeous dress so I would feel like a "pretty" bald woman and gave me an awesome pedicure which is just now needing to be done!! I love you Baby Sawah. Others on my list for shout outs is Kathy my ex-sister in law who called several times while we were in Tampa to check on me and who was also clearing her schedule for when I came home to "babysit" me for 2 weeks, which it turns out I didn't need, but she would have been there doing everything for me in a heartbeat, and has also made the time to visit me since I've been home. I also want to thank Pepper, my niece for sending my many cards over the last few months that always cheered me up and left me feeling loved. I want to thank Patty and Tom, my relatives from Wichita who sent us all gifts to keep us occupied. They sent us all Starbucks gift cards (yes.....Moffitt has a Starbucks inside the building) and a bunch of just "fun" stuff to play with like chiming meditation balls (which I love using), some lip balm (which was needed), a how to book on palm reading and a how to belly dance book with the finger clackers!! We laughed so hard and had fun with all these things. How creative a "care package" was that?? Thanks Tom and Patty for all your love, prayers and thoughtfulness you have shown throughout this ordeal. They even made a trip down to Florida to see me before I went in for my BMT. I also want to thank Anthony, Lindsay's boyfriend who lives in Las Vegas, for sending a beautiful touching and thoughtful card along with the promise of tickets to see the Cirque de Soliel show with the Beatles soundtrack that I have been wanting to see since it started just over a year or so ago. When I get the clearance to travel, I'll take you up on it. Vegas is one of my favorite places ever!! Now I want to thank one of my oldest and dearest friends Wendy for a beautiful card with her special words of comfort and for sending me the book "Eat,Pray,Love" which I hear is wonderful. And lastly, I want to thank all of my friends who have emailed me blessings and special thoughts and prayers since this journey has begun. Please know that all of you have contributed to my healing, and for friends I had lost track of like Jan and Colleen.....well....I am so glad to have reconnected and look forward to seeing you in the near future......I am thankful for each and every one of you.