Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Thank you, thank you, thank you

Since getting sick 2 months ago, I have learned to rely on the kindness of my friends and family to help my family out.  I have been a bit remiss in getting proper thank you notes out in the mail, which I will.  But for now, I feel like everyone who has helped deserves a shout out from a very grateful family.

Thank you to the countless friends who have brought over meal after meal.  Some bringing multiple meals.  Being on the low iodine diet presents challenges to cooking, I have friends who embraced that challenge and brought delicious food we could all eat.  Thank you to the Lex, Sciortino, Christ, Magoon and Banda families!  Everything was so delicious and so appreciated.  A great big thank you to my mom who left us with her famous Potato Leek Soup (Maeghan's favorite). Thank you to my mother in law, Karen Schley for the Chicken Enchillada Casseroles that she know Eric loves.  Thank you to my sister in law Amy for knowing that the one thing in life that will always make Eric happy is knowing that the freezer has an adequate number of frozen pizzas.  You made his day Amy!

Thank you to the countless friends who have driven my kids to their never ending rotation of activities.  My son's soccer schedule alone is enough to make someone's head spin.  The Schneider Family proved to be a God send in the arena.  Thank you so much Patti for all the driving you have done for us.  Thank you Krista Nelson for always being able to drive Maeghan to every Girl Scout activity I was too tired to take her to.  Thank you Susan Campbell for saving the day on a huge assignment for Hannah!  She got an A on it by the way!

Thank you to all the friends who have stepped forward now to drive me around.  Yesterday's news that I am much further into hypothyroidism than they would prefer felt like a step back.  It takes everything I have to get out of bed and the muscle and joint pain is unbearable at this point.  Driving is no longer an option for me.  But, so many friends have already stepped forward to drive me around.  I have a body scan today that will detect cancer that got away.  My husband who has already missed so much work just couldn't swing it today, but my dear friend Amy was ready, willing and able to get the job done.  Thank you.

An early thank you to the Schneider and Christ families who will be taking care of my kids when I go into isolation next week.  It means the world to me that I know my kids will be having a great time with friends.  This is all hard enough without having to worry about that my kids are sad, scared and God forbid bored.  Thank you!

Thank you Palmer, Lex and Ullrich families for already stepping forward and taking Maeghan for play dates in a few weeks so that I can get through final recovery from my RAI.  It may not seem like much, but it really is to us.  To know that she has someplace to go everyday means that it is one less thing for me to worry about.

Thank you to my mother, Linda Bartlett, for taking a week out of her busy schedule to stay with us.  Make us meals, drive the kids around, take care of me and be the support we all needed when I got out of surgery.

Thank you to all my friends who have given me much need support.  A shoulder to cry on when I found out I was sick and someone to be grateful with when I realized that this IS curable.   I am so very lucky that I got a cancer that has a cure!  What a relief.  But with that, I still have days of fear and doubt.  Days when the treatment is still very hard to deal with.  Knowing that it could still come back will always be in the back of my mind.

Thank you to a never ending stream of friends who brought over lunches that we could enjoy together before this damn low iodine diet started!  Lisa Pochmara, the first meal I am getting when I have the go ahead to eat what I want is that Culvers Pub Burger and fries.  Eric is already on stand by.

Thank you Amy Bernstrom for taking over my business when you knew that I needed the time away to recover, I will forever be grateful.

Thank you to any friends or family that I did not mean to miss!  Your emails, cards, text messages, plants and phone calls have meant the world to me.

Finally, thank you to my very supportive and fantastic husband Eric.  It has been quite a year.  We thought that when I had a little gall bladder surgery that would be the end.  But, as life proves over and over again, there is always something else waiting.  I have been grateful for that gall bladder attack many times, as that is what  found this.  But, I digress.  Thank you Eric for being patient with me.  Being the full time parent for several weeks (excluding those couple weeks between surgery and being taken off my meds) to 3 great kids!  Thank you for missing more work than anyone should have to just to drive.  Thank you for continuing to coach your daughter's soccer team, help your son get through Algebra and continue to be Hannah's IT department.  But most importantly, on this day, thank you for baking me homemade bread that is low iodine.  That act alone, scores a lot of points for you:)

1 comment:

  1. Heather, all these people that have stepped up just shows what a wonderful person YOU are. I'm sure every one of us knows you would do exactly the same or more if the situation was reversed. I'll come and visit again in a few weeks. Last week Gavin got the rotovirus vaccine and he's not supposed to be around anyone with a compromised immune system for 3 weeks after.

    Please do NOT send me a thank you note - this is thanks enough. After 3 showers, a wedding, and a baby all in one year I know very well what a stress they can be!

    <3, Lisa

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