Thanksgiving Day 2013

This is Thanksgiving, Nov. 28, 2013. It is a hard day to face, another first in the line of important days without our Dad, our Tom. But, we will do what he would want us to do.
A year ago, we had just been released from Rehab Institute of Chicago. Dad was strengthened by their staff, he was walking with a walker, and he was so very happy to be back home. We had a good Thanksgiving. And, it truly was a blessed day.
This year, I will make a wish as I break the turkey's wishbone, but my wish will not come true. I will wish for Tom to come back. Silly. I know. But, what is a wish if you cannot wish for something special?  And that would be special.
I am going to Kevin's house in New Troy. Linda and I have been busy preparing a unique dinner, for which I am pleased to be busy preparing. A turkey, yes, and many veggie side dish delights. I do not want to be home for this day. I see Tom everywhere I look. He was just such a big presence in our lives. 
He would want us to move on; he would not want us to dwell on his leaving us. But, that is easier said than done.
So, I pledge to try and be ever so thankful for what we had....all 49 years of knowing him....and for what we have today: beautiful kids and kidlets! And, I am thankful, for without having known him, I would not have this family today.
My wish for today: have a good holiday. And love my family......
love all of you.
mom

This is how I like to remember our Tom. This was the year before the transplant. He was strong, happy, thrilled to be visited by all his grandchildren. He was a retired Schuyler County Deputy, having lived a life with no regrets, having done what he wanted to do when he wanted to do it. He was a good guy! I love remembering him this way.

Lost my best friend, the love of my life!

Whew. It is now November 24, 2013. Long time since my last post. I was not able to write before this, but now I think I owe this blog an update!
May 6, 2013 was a fateful day. Our dear father, dad, husband, friend, grandpa, Papa, neighbor, buddy, Gunnabe Cowboy and the love of my life....met his Maker. Tom died at Lakeland Hospital. His fight was gallant. His determination was strong. He almost made it! I thought he would. But, his blood counts were nil, the bone marrow transplant was not kicking in very quickly, and a nasty E Coli infection caused his demise. In one long day, he came down with a horrible fever, was taken to ER, given everything known to try to help him, but E Coli won the fight.
It has been a long spring and summer and fall. As we are about to embrace the Holiday season, I cannot help but think back on last year, when we were released from the Rehab Institute of Chicago where they had helped Tom rehabilitate after his bout with the transplant at University of Chicago. He had lost 80#, was not able to eat, could not walk or transfer. Still he was besieged with diarrhea from Graft Versus Host Disease, a consequence of the transplanted stem cells. He was so happy to go home to his own home, bed, recliner, TV. We thought we had made it....we thought we were good! But we had many more returns to the hospital. I think back on how happy he was to have family, grandchildren, friends here. He loved people...his people. I wish I could time travel back a year.....!

I will continue to pound the keys here. It is therapeutic. I finally could write this without crying....it has been a long 7 months since I lost my best friend. I am learning how to live each day.....because he would want me to!

Much has happened in the past year!Papa went into University of Chicago for a bone marrow transplant on July 10, 2012. Many things went awry, and now it is February 9, 2013, and we are still in hospital. At one point, he was in for 179 days before discharge! He is a very sick cookie.
We are holding on, praying for miracles, and hoping for a discharge soon so we can return to our home in Michigan. Hopefully, before spring?????