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Post by Sara on May 17, 2011 23:10:34 GMT -5
Yuck. Some days chemo doesn't seem to hit me all that hard but I'm following a bit of the same track as last month on Tuesday. Less nausea but a 100 degree fever and so just felt crappish all day. I mean, not nearly so bad as chemo might be but still nothing like the normal of last week. Not getting much of anything done. Jim made himself cereal for dinner, bless him. and good vibes.
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Post by Vlad on May 18, 2011 3:52:35 GMT -5
Hiya folks. I want to thank Spring, Karen, Lola, Sara and anyone else I missed for the good thoughts. My mom passed last Monday (a week ago) after a week and a half in hospice. She passed in her sleep and was as pain free as possible for the end. We were able to have her in home at my brother's house and I think the familiar voices talking and even laughing at times were more soothing to her than any hospital stay could have been. I got to talk to her for quite a bit on the phone the night they brought her home and I made it to Kokomo in time to have her conscious enough to know I was there and talk a bit before she slipped into what basically amounted to a week long sleep. She was 77 and had a good life. My father passed away nearly 20 years ago (after 40 years of a great marriage.) They were high school sweethearts and he was the love of her life. She never had a relationship with another, saying that no one could ever replace my father. There at the end, that is what was on her mind the most. She said to us that it was time to go be with her Howard and our sister Ruth (who passed away back in 2005, about a month after our own Patti. ) My mom was an amazing woman. Of course, what moms aren't? But honestly, I never met a person that knew her that didn't like her: for her wit, her honesty and her compassion. She truly was the most genuine, honest person that I ever knew and I know that the few times she ever had to perpetuate some sort of mis-truth for me, it distressed her. She loved kids and managed to have a very long career teaching. And not jsut any children, but the ones with problems. It was a common occurrence when I would go out somewhere to shop or dine with her that some grown adult, frequently a man, would see her and rush up and give her a big hug, exclaiming to his companions, "THIS is Mrs. Mote!" My mom sometimes would recognize the adults for the children they once were; sometimes she wouldn't have a clue. But once she heard their name, she would recall them, remembering specific things they did and so on. Without fail. They so often would thank her for teaching them to read and for all the special time she spent with them, crediting her for allowing them to be the adults they are now, for their careers and for being the parents they are to their own children. My mom made a difference in so many people's lives. She told me on more than one occasion that growing up she always wanted to be a teacher or a nurse. In many ways, she managed to be both. She was a caretaker. I am content in the knowledge that my mom loved me and that she knew I loved her. Unlike many people, I never had a huge disconnect with my mom. Sure, I was a teenager once and was rebellious... and no, I don't do everything with Shan's kids as she did with me or my siblings. But she gave me a very solid core of tools to work with, a set that I frequently rely on to deal with the ever changing hiccups that occur in raising children. The biggest thing I guess is patience. With love and patience nearly any circumstance can be navigated. My mom had oodles of both. She said not long before she passed away that she felt like my brother and I were both in good places now, stable happy families of our own and that she could go in peace. And, as usual concerning the important stuff, she was right. LaDawna Lucille Mote (Conley) October 6, 1933-May 9, 2011 Mother, sister, daughter, teacher and good at it all. Born, raised, lived and died in Kokomo, In. She will be sorely missed by so many. Mitchel Oh, and she watched Buffy regularly and Spike was her favorite. M
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Post by Karen on May 18, 2011 10:05:47 GMT -5
I am sad to hear about your mom's passing, Vlad. She sounds like a lovely woman, and I'm sorry you lost her and will miss her being in this world.
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Post by Sara on May 18, 2011 10:31:37 GMT -5
Mitchel.
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Post by Queen E on May 18, 2011 11:17:06 GMT -5
Mitchel: I'm so sorry. She sounds like an extraordinary person.
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Post by Julia, wrought iron-y on May 18, 2011 11:24:46 GMT -5
Mitchel, there's never a good way to lose a parent, but it sounds as if she had a good life and knew she was loved at the end.
Julia, to love is to open onself to the possibility of loss
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Post by Michelle on May 18, 2011 13:08:25 GMT -5
Mitchel, there's never a good way to lose a parent, but it sounds as if she had a good life and knew she was loved at the end. Julia, to love is to open onself to the possibility of loss ITA with Julia. Thanks for updating us about your mother, Mitchel. She sounds like a great role model.
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Post by Michelle on May 18, 2011 13:11:13 GMT -5
I'd like to recommend this very interesting article written by Roseanne Barr, comparing the issues she had as the lead on a sitcom with Charlie Sheen's recent troubles. I don't agree with some of the things Roseanne said or did, but the article gives a fascinating look behind the scenes of a ground-breaking show. She briefly mentions Joss Whedon. nymag.com/arts/tv/upfronts/2011/roseanne-barr-2011-5/
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Post by Anne, Old S'cubie Cat on May 18, 2011 14:39:31 GMT -5
Mitchel, there's never a good way to lose a parent, but it sounds as if she had a good life and knew she was loved at the end. Julia, to love is to open onself to the possibility of loss ITA with Julia. Thanks for updating us about your mother, Mitchel. She sounds like a great role model.
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Post by Anne, Old S'cubie Cat on May 18, 2011 16:20:06 GMT -5
Well, I done went and did it, I bought myself a new little camera. It's an Olympus VR-320, which I got at Staples when I was there buying printer cartridges with my 15%-off coupon (which also applied to the camera and the memory card, yay). I got the black one (it was all they had, but that's okay). I have fourteen days to change my mind, but so far, I think it's as close to my ideal purse camera as I can get, as it has both a zoom and a macro setting, and even some in-camera image editing my old camera lacked. The buttons are teeny-weeny, but I think I can get used to them. New baby didn't come with a battery charger, but it uses the same battery as Kitty's, so I'll just borrow her charger for now. I'll have to order a spare battery anyway; I'll just get a charger at the same time and maybe an extra USB cord while I'm at it, if I can figure out which one . But not from Olympus, as they charge way too much. Fortunately I have a good mailorder camera shop already. So happy belated DIY M-day to me. Anne, still rather meeping and also coughing and sneezing, alas
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on May 18, 2011 17:40:04 GMT -5
Hiya folks. I want to thank Spring, Karen, Lola, Sara and anyone else I missed for the good thoughts. My mom passed last Monday (a week ago) after a week and a half in hospice. She passed in her sleep and was as pain free as possible for the end. We were able to have her in home at my brother's house and I think the familiar voices talking and even laughing at times were more soothing to her than any hospital stay could have been. I got to talk to her for quite a bit on the phone the night they brought her home and I made it to Kokomo in time to have her conscious enough to know I was there and talk a bit before she slipped into what basically amounted to a week long sleep. She was 77 and had a good life. My father passed away nearly 20 years ago (after 40 years of a great marriage.) They were high school sweethearts and he was the love of her life. She never had a relationship with another, saying that no one could ever replace my father. There at the end, that is what was on her mind the most. She said to us that it was time to go be with her Howard and our sister Ruth (who passed away back in 2005, about a month after our own Patti. ) My mom was an amazing woman. Of course, what moms aren't? But honestly, I never met a person that knew her that didn't like her: for her wit, her honesty and her compassion. She truly was the most genuine, honest person that I ever knew and I know that the few times she ever had to perpetuate some sort of mis-truth for me, it distressed her. She loved kids and managed to have a very long career teaching. And not jsut any children, but the ones with problems. It was a common occurrence when I would go out somewhere to shop or dine with her that some grown adult, frequently a man, would see her and rush up and give her a big hug, exclaiming to his companions, "THIS is Mrs. Mote!" My mom sometimes would recognize the adults for the children they once were; sometimes she wouldn't have a clue. But once she heard their name, she would recall them, remembering specific things they did and so on. Without fail. They so often would thank her for teaching them to read and for all the special time she spent with them, crediting her for allowing them to be the adults they are now, for their careers and for being the parents they are to their own children. My mom made a difference in so many people's lives. She told me on more than one occasion that growing up she always wanted to be a teacher or a nurse. In many ways, she managed to be both. She was a caretaker. I am content in the knowledge that my mom loved me and that she knew I loved her. Unlike many people, I never had a huge disconnect with my mom. Sure, I was a teenager once and was rebellious... and no, I don't do everything with Shan's kids as she did with me or my siblings. But she gave me a very solid core of tools to work with, a set that I frequently rely on to deal with the ever changing hiccups that occur in raising children. The biggest thing I guess is patience. With love and patience nearly any circumstance can be navigated. My mom had oodles of both. She said not long before she passed away that she felt like my brother and I were both in good places now, stable happy families of our own and that she could go in peace. And, as usual concerning the important stuff, she was right. LaDawna Lucille Mote (Conley) October 6, 1933-May 9, 2011 Mother, sister, daughter, teacher and good at it all. Born, raised, lived and died in Kokomo, In. She will be sorely missed by so many. Mitchel Oh, and she watched Buffy regularly and Spike was her favorite. M She does sound like she was an amazing woman.
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Post by SpringSummers on May 18, 2011 21:10:58 GMT -5
Yuck. Some days chemo doesn't seem to hit me all that hard but I'm following a bit of the same track as last month on Tuesday. Less nausea but a 100 degree fever and so just felt crappish all day. I mean, not nearly so bad as chemo might be but still nothing like the normal of last week. Not getting much of anything done. Jim made himself cereal for dinner, bless him. Sorry to hear the chemo got you so down. Hang in, Suzie Q (Or Sue P, as the case may be).
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Post by SpringSummers on May 18, 2011 21:16:19 GMT -5
Hiya folks. I want to thank Spring, Karen, Lola, Sara and anyone else I missed for the good thoughts. My mom passed last Monday (a week ago) after a week and a half in hospice. She passed in her sleep and was as pain free as possible for the end. We were able to have her in home at my brother's house and I think the familiar voices talking and even laughing at times were more soothing to her than any hospital stay could have been. I got to talk to her for quite a bit on the phone the night they brought her home and I made it to Kokomo in time to have her conscious enough to know I was there and talk a bit before she slipped into what basically amounted to a week long sleep. <snip> Thanks for sharing these thoughts about your mom. I know it hurts to lose her, but my, how lucky you were to have had her in your life. Sympathies to you and your loved ones.
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Post by SpringSummers on May 18, 2011 21:17:31 GMT -5
I'd like to recommend this very interesting article written by Roseanne Barr, comparing the issues she had as the lead on a sitcom with Charlie Sheen's recent troubles. I don't agree with some of the things Roseanne said or did, but the article gives a fascinating look behind the scenes of a ground-breaking show. She briefly mentions Joss Whedon. nymag.com/arts/tv/upfronts/2011/roseanne-barr-2011-5/She did a great job on the article, not making excuses for herself or anyone else. Really interesting read.
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Post by beccaelizabeth on May 19, 2011 3:39:51 GMT -5
Vlad: #grouphug#
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