Misguided friends and plastic flowers

IMPORTANT NEWS FLASH: I DID NOT MAKE MS a martini last night! He told his lovely pregnant wife that I forced his hand in drinking yet another martini and that is simply NOT TRUE!!!!! He drank his martini all by himself.

One of my friends who will remain "anon" just to protect her dignity has a Mother who has done something very strange. She stole the plastic flowers off of several graves at the cemetary and took them home. She PLANTED the stinkin flowers in her white rock garden - each individual stem. I think she evens waters them! I am more than serious and that in itself is scary. For that very reason Gary will not be buried. He will be cremated so there will be no plastic flower stealing from his gracesite from any of you!

Back to business - One of Zach's wishes before Gary passes away was that he watched him surf. SM and MS took Gary to the beach today and parked Gary on the SC Pier so that he could watch! Gary had a good time and they even had fish and chips and fried clams together! It was somewhat of a good morning.

I am so sorry. It has been too long since I have blogged. To be completely honest with you I have not known what to say. Things have been sketchy and we have been wavering with decisions. I did not want to blog information and it change the next day and so on.

I know many of you have been patiently waiting for any kind of update and I wish I had blogged sooner. Even today things have changed - information and decisions - so many things to think about every moment of every day.

I just want you to know that Gary is speaking in church tomorrow if anyone would like to come. Church starts at 9:30 AM at Tesoro High School off Oso Parkway by the Toll Road.

Well, we had our appointment with Dr. Barth. Monday was the day that we really started making hard decisions. Monday was the turning point. Gary has made the decision to go on Hospice.

Hospice, for those of you who are not familiar, is a company that provides care to people with terminal illnesses who are dying. Hospice comes in usually at the end of someones life to help keep them comfortable and to aid and assist the family with anything needed.

Tuesday we went to USC and then on Wednesday we went over to Bette's house (our neighbor with lung cancer) to say goodbye to her as she was in a medical coma. We were sitting by her bedside and we were talking to her and I looked over at Gary and asked him if this is what he was ready for. At that very moment Gary told me that he was ready to be out of pain and peaceful. What a reality check for both of us.

We have spent days crying and talking to friends and family and in essence Gary has been saying goodbye to so many people. Tomorrow at church he wants to talk to everyone in one venue and this is one of the last hings he wants to do before we really medicate him and get him completely comfortable.

We are making arrangements for the Memorial Service and for the reception to follow. We have written letters and his obituary and we are getting everything lined up.

Please know that you are all so important to us. I am really sorry I have not written sooner. Gary's pain is out of control. There is nothing any doctor can do for him. His cancer on the left side is progressing and he has been struggling with fevers and infections and of course the pain in his left leg. Unless God gives us a miracle Gary will not be long for this world.

We are in awe of all of you. You have rallied around us for such a long time and we have been so blessed! Don't leave us now! Don;t even think about going anywhere! We will hunt you down!!!

I hope everyone gets a chance to see Gary speak at church. I hope he has something really good to say!

I will give you all the gory details of what we have been going through on Monday. Hold on until then and just pray for us.

Loads of Love,
L