My room in which to heal.
First: it is beautiful. I couldn't be any more pleased with the way the back room has come out. The walls are a light blue above the chair-rail, darker blue below, and all the trim is white. Quite the transformation from dingy white walls and sage green trim. The neighbors don't think it has been painted since the addition was constructed in the 1980s. Now, it is clean and cheerful and makes me feel happy.
Second: what an amazing turnout of help! The McDonnells started this juggernaut on Monday and Tuesday, getting two coats on the top, one on the bottom, and one on the trim. Michaela put another coat on the trim on Thursday. My sister, brother, mom, & dad added the final coat to the bottom, did all the trim, AND finished the built-in shelving unit on Saturday and Sunday. (Labor Day weekend for Gazleys often lives up to the name).
I am completely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of willing help we've received throughout this whole process - and I don't just mean painting my room. The rides everywhere, returning books to NU library, the food, the company, washing dishes, spreading mulch, calling and saying hello... It amazes me. Thank you.
6 comments:
Hi Lynn & Zach,
Scott Beveridge gave me this link. I work with Scott at MSI and have been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. He said he mentionned me to you and gave me your phone number at blog site info.
Right now, we have done many tests and a couple biopsies (my blog although not quite ready for prime time is andyzupdate.blogspot.com if you would like the details) but we don't know the stage (possibly 4) and what the treatment will be.
I, like you, have been reading everything that I can find in paper version or on line. It is a little scary but it's encouraging that others are making it through this. I have read through your blogs and am impressed by your courage and perserverence to get this done and out of the way. Right now, Terry (my wife) and I have the same feelings.
I know we'll be up and down emotionally over the next many months, and I probably will call some time for another shoulder to lean on. Scott said you begin round 3 tomorrow. I don't even know when round 1 will be for me, but hopefully soon, so at least I can feel like something is happenening other than just tests, surgeries and biopsies. I feel like we should know enough by now.
I wish you the best. I'll keep reading your blog for inspiration.
Andy Z
The room looks absolutely AMAZING - what a difference from the old!! I'm happy to have been a part of it - fabulous job everyone!
Wow, the room looks fantastic, barely recognizable from the last time I saw it. Boy, that built in unit just cries out for a big screen, don't it Zack.....right?
Nice to see the finished product. Yea!! What a sexy blue room you have. The red couch looks particularly smart against the new wall...
The room looks beautiful. I'm so glad that we'll be leaving behind some physical presence in the healing process even when we're in africa.
Andy, you couldnt have been introduced to two more loving and caring people. This is always a hard and scary time, and nothing makes that better like people who can personalize and demystify what can otherwise be a very clinical experience. My heart goes out to you as you begin your journey through.
Andy
Welcome to our site. I am glad you are here and have even announced yourself to share yourself with all of us dealing with this. It is, of course scary, but the thing that moves us forward is hope. I will leave it to Lynn to speak more to you about the experience, as I only have my own to call on. Take care of yourself and take care of your primary caretaker. Everything else is living day to day.
Terry
Also welcome! You I have much more to say to as you are in my shoes (ok, maybe smaller than mine---I have big feet). Feel free to post here if you have questions or whatever. We have a loving community here who all are very present to the situation you both are in.
Keep in mind that you are going through something difficult as well---call on your friends and family. If they are anything like ours, they are willing to help well beyond your wildest ideas of what you'd ever expect. Use it.
Take a break for yourself. Take a break from taking care of Andy. He'll be fine if you do. You need recharge to continue taking care of him. He may not always have his best face forward, but we rarely do. Love does heal.
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