Summer in YOUR neck of the woods, come chat :-)

ok - thank you.........

I called the Hospice and I'll be visiting Carol this afternoon.

Cancer is indeed an evil thing!! Can any of us say we haven't been touched with the death of a family member or friend!!!

Just feel sick about this..she sure has gone through a lot.

Susan, know she will be ill, no big hugs from all of us but tell her she is in our prayers..

I imagine Carol's pretty emaciated...... she was never a big person.
I will certainly pass on your prayers for her.

Tomorrow I'm doing the first of my pastoral care visits to a 90 yo lady from our congregation. She doesn't get to come to Church anymore because she's so frail. funny - when our Pastoral Care coordinator called to "introduce" me and let her know she will be getting a visit from me, she asked "will this cost me anything?" lol Mary told her "no, this is a visit from one of our Church members"

Something to do that will be so gratifying for both

Joanne for those of us who have yet to get our cards in the mail for Carol, should we use a different address?

I was wondering about that....... wonder if someone could re-direct her mail to the Hospice? I'm sure they know about such things there, as people would "suddenly" be there, instead of at their home.
Perhaps her neighbours/friends in the area are going to bring her mail to her?
I'll ask at the Hospice to see if anyone's made those arrangements.

I called the Hospice, and her friend Wilma is looking after her mail arrangements.

I just came from visiting Carol - she's on heavy morphine, and is not expected to last the night, as per a nurse I spoke to. She said that Carol had been falling alot and has really gone down-hill quickly.
Two of her friends from Sheltie Rescue were there, too. One of them is caring for Carol's sheltie Abby.
I told her that we sent our prayers for her, and she said "thank you". I took her my first blooming rose (just bloomed this morning).
I'm feeling so sad. When I hear any further I will let you know.......

Oh my goodness, what distressing and depressing news re Carol ..
YES .. cancer SUX !!!
Having looked after so many victims, i cherish the survivors and support them all that I can.
I feel just awful ..
Carol is certainly in my thoughts and prayers ..

~M~

I hope all her friends in Calgary know how loved she is here..........
Who all has met Carol in person? I wonder if our Iris Lady (Inanda who came to Carol's Garden Party/RU one year) knows........ I haven't heard Carol mention her for quite awhile, so maybe not.

Joannabanana - thanks again for letting us know where Carol is staying.

A few pictures from the past years that I've known Carol

A few more of Carol.

I so appreciate your sharing photo's of Carol, sure will miss opening this thread and not seeing Carol post..it's difficult to comprehend within a week or so how she's lost ground.

Susan thanks for going over, couldn't have been easy.

Here's a pic from last year - Carol's winning peonies
Thank you, Joanne - I remember being at the RU at Carol's (last pic on right) - think it was in 2009.........
What a gracious hostess she is, and such a lovely garden.
Here's a pic of when my Mom visited, and Carol gave us a tour of Lougheed House. What a gorgeous costume, eh?

No, it wasn't easy, but these things never are.
She was coherent but so heavily medicated that she was sleeping a lot.
I was stunned when the nurse said it wasn't much longer.
She's still with us, and I know your prayers and knowing friends (from Sheltie Rescue) were there pleased her.
They said, when she was at home, that there was a positive "flow" of people coming through the house, caring for her, her furries, her house and garden. I'm really glad of that.

Remember when we had "The Boys" (garden gnomes and a Moose!) and Carol hosted them at her house?
Check Dec 28th's posting (scroll waaaaaaaaay down) when Carol was "hosting"
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1064160/
She's a funny lady!

Joanne and Susan, thank you both for being so kind and caring ..
Shedding a few tears here while looking at the pics .. beautiful pics I might add.
Like you Betty, I am so shocked at how quickly she has deteriorated. Cancer does do that though .. sneaky disease that it is.

I know all of us have lumps in our throats ...

~M~

Joanne knows Carol a lot better than I - I was someone she saw maybe once a year in the 5 years I've "known" her.
But still....... it was obvious what a gracious lady she is, at all times.

I just called the Hospice, and they say that Carol is calm, and resting comfortably - ie: sleeping a lot.

Just sick to my stomach, best we can do is pray!

Just came back to look at the photo's!

Thank you for the very sad news and pictures. As you said, Cancer sux! Susan - so glad you were able to visit with her. I had hoped that one of these days I'd get to Calgary and get to meet her and now it may be too late. Praying here.

yes, please everyone keep Carol in your prayers.....
actually Ann - she's in the hospice on the same property as Grace Lutheran Church........ I was thinking that you would be able to see her when you came to Calgary, but it looks like this isn't to be.

I don't know whether to pray that she'll still be around or not. At this stage, she may need the release from pain. If the end is imminent, usually the quicker, the better. I pray that she will not be in pain at the end.

She's on morphine, so isn't feeling pain, the nurse said. I believe they increase the dosage near the end so they will pass peacefully. The nurse also said that the end IS imminent and they're just trying to make her comfortable. She hasn't been eating much lately (the meds were making food taste bad).

Early morning prayers being said this morning for Carol!

Up early .. thoughts of Carol in my head as we just rec'd a call that Gordon's cousin Tom has passed. Like Carol, Tom has battled cancer for years .. and.. inevitably, IT won.
His sister passed in January .. and, sad to say, their Mom "Aunt Pearl' still is alive at the age of 94. Spoke with her and you have to envy her pragmatism. But, at 94 I would imagine she has about seen it all and is able to cope with these loses.
Like Ann I would hope that Carol passes quickly and without pain .. Fancy is going to LOVE seeing her once again.

~M~

Ahhh "M" life is cruel, shedding a tear! Sorry for your loss..we come to love our dg friends and is a loss to many of us here...

good morning
I just called the Hospice and the nurse said "Carol's much the same and I'm getting her her morning drink - she's very weak".

~M~ life does indeed have its ups and downs and yes, she's going to love seeing her Fancy again. Abby will miss her, but as Shirley (?) her friend from Sheltie Rescue says, "Abby is a princess - the only female in our household of male shelties"

Almost hate opening this thread today..thank you again, both of you for photo's and updates!

She's resting comfortably, as she was yesterday, Betty - no change.
She's not "eating" but is getting a breakfast drink.

I'm like Betty .. I hesitate to open the thread ..
Glad to hear things with Carol are status quo ..

Last huge meal with 'the folks' is done here .. will be up at 3:30am in order to get them to the airport for 5am .. bedtime will come early here that's for sure. They'll land in Toronto at about 8am and be home in King City around 9am ..
Nice visit .. but .. I;m tired thanks ..

Off to play some Scrabble, keeping Carol close in thought

~M~

Always nice to have company but when you are used to being alone it throws schedule off..you'll enjoy our bed tomorrow night for sure.

Thought I'd check in to see if there was news of Carol.

I just called, and Carol didn't have a good day today. She's requiring more pain meds and isn't breathing too well.
If she's still with us, I will go to visit tomorrow. Felt bad about not going today...........

Morning,

The most beautiful sunrise this morning, as red as red could be! Sat at Roger's grave cutting grass around tombstone, put a floral arrangement I made on the top and let him know how very proud he'd have been seeing his boys and grandsons grow not fine men!

Then dropped into Foodland, how could they open at 6:30 rather than 6:00am. Lol

I've got grass cutting to do today so hoping rain they are calling for waits till evening time.

imagine "M" you will shortly be back from the airport looking to have a nap!

Susan, thanks for the updates

All living so far away we feel helpless....

Enjoy the day everyone!

Our day here in Murillo started at 3am with an 'over the chainlink fence' wake up call from Mr or Mrs Black Bear .. the 2 dogs were just going wild .. there he sat under the bird feeder munching seeds, and there was the west side of the dogs enclosure all bent.
Scared him off with shouts and the flood lights .. called the 'BearLine' and was told that the feeders HAVE to go .. including the HUMMINGBIRD feeders !! That'll be a toughie as we have quite a few Hummies this year.
Parents were taken to the airport before 5 .. pulled up to Tim Hotons at 4:55am, asked for porridge, told me breakfast is not served until 5am, by the time I picked up my tea and 2 coffee it was 4:59am .. ah well ..
Did manage an hours more sleep, but up now with thoughts of Carol .. more meds, most specifically morphine, depress breathing .. I would imagine she is very poor.
Bless you Susan for going to see her if you are able. Like Betty, I feel so helpless living in Ontario.

It WAS a beautiful morning, but a big cloud just rolled over the area .. off to check the weather report ..

~M~

This message was edited Jun 17, 2012 10:50 AM

Carol:
much the same, waking/sleeping, breathing not good, and pain meds not being increased anymore. She's having "her drink" one sip at a time.
She said, should anyone call, she's welcoming visitors so I will go this afternoon after Church.
Please say prayers for her.

Hello friends. I am in Ohio visiting my mother in law and feeling so very sad to be unable to go see Carol. If any of you visits her, will you please tell her I am thinking of her and of her beautiful garden, and the lovely gatherings she hosted for all of us fellow gardeners! Please tell her that I know she will be greeted into the next world with flowers, music, and shelties.

I saw her at Joanne's hanging baskets class on the first weekend in May and she looked so well that day. I am finding it hard to accept how fragile life is.

Theresa

Theresa - I am visiting her this afternoon, and will let her know of your thoughts, and wishes.
I think what I'll do is create a printed copy of people's wishes for her, and take it with me.
So, Theresa has voiced her wishes - does anyone else have well wishes, thoughts and prayers for Carol?

Susan, already likely missed you going, just tell her how much I enjoyed her telling us of the sheltie rescues, her finding a home for most and her posting of her wonderful gardens..