Susan

Oh Lynne- what a beautiful poem- it brings tears to my eyes. Rachel has only been gone a few weeks and I feel so empty- so sad- I know that next July 26th , her 51st birthday I too will feel what you are feeling today. But I will hoist a brandy and toast my lifelong friend who made such a difference in my life. these special people in our lives will live on foever in our hearts- and our lives will never be the same, will they? I love what you say at the end of you signature- about him knowing he was loved- it certainly comes through in your post- I say make that chocolate cake- that special dinner and enjoy it with those who were close to him and who along with you,are missing him on this day. Big hugs to you dear Lynne-

Dear Pat, I am so sorry to hear that Brian is feeling so poorly and that you are having such a difficult time. Your pain comes through loud and clear in your post- As many have said, sometimes it is a matter of not giving choices- I found that with Rachel when I asked if she wanted to go to town with me she often opted not to- if I simply showed up and announced I was taking her to town she would most often agree and come along.Of course, there were times when she procrastenated.......and she always commented on how happy she was that she decided to come along. I know how difficult it is to feel that your loved one is losing hope and in response to that withdrawing from you. I wish I could make you feel better, but I know I can't just as others could not help me with how I felt- Just know that we are all praying for both you and Brian and hope that you can continue to have strength knowing that we are all out here for you. I know that you all have made a huge difference for me. My prayers are with you-and of course Brian. I can tell from your posts that you are a compassionate, strong woman- and I thank you for all you have done for me. There is a book that I read- "Final Gifts" that helped me understand more what Rachel was going through- if you do not already have it you might want to pick it up- it is very insightful.

Oh Donna- I wish I could make it, I know that Rachel enjoyed meeting everyone in Michigan last year- I will be thinking of you all-Have a GREAT time!!!

trying to send them to you but seems the file is too large....have sent them to you in two emails- let's see if it works......HELP !!!!

Hi All! What a wonderful morning we have had! Uncle Doug and his brother Don arrived on the Norwegian Star (cruise ship) this morning and met Stan (Rachel's husband) & I to go fishing.The sun was shining,and the waters calm- It was so wonderful to meet them both- and more wonderful that they took time from the cruise to meet us and go fishing! I know that Uncle DOug is planning on posting when he gets back so all I will say is they each caught a salmon at the same time........we only had a few hours before they had to get back on board so it was PERFECT !!!! Rachel was certainly with us !!!! What wonderful people they are and FUNNY ! It was like watching a comedy act !!! (I also posted a hall pass for him...shame, shame,shame on him for not doing so before leaving for his cruise!!!!)

Born Lewisotn, Maine North COnway N.H. Lake Havasu, AZ Monmouth, Maine Ketchikan, Alaska spend a lot of time in Fountain Hills, AZ and Columbia,CT.....but still live in beautiful Southeast Alaska.....

Faye- good luck to you- positive thoghts and prayers heading your way!

I heard a good one yesterday..."My wife insisted taht I take her someplace expensive......so I took her to the gas station".........

Hi everyone! Well, we got through the memorial service for Rachel and it was a beautiful day- We all gathered on teh beach as she had requested and Sister Betty Kane officiated and did a beautiful job- That evening we had a big bon fire and set off fireworks with all of her family, Stan's family and close friends- she wanted a small funeral and a BIG party- that is what we did- it was a very difficult day but we all had a wonderful time knowing that we did it just the way she asked us to- Stan and I are very excited- Uncle Doug and his brother are on an Alaskan cruise and will be in Ketchikan on Friday- we are going to take them fishing aboard the "Miss Claire"- I know that Rachel would have done the same- I can't wait to meet them- Thank you all again for the wonderful comments about my best friend and her obituary-she did indeed have a wonderful although short life- I miss her terribly Love,

You and your family are in my prayers at this difficult time- I am sure that you will find hospice to be wonderful support-as I recently did- they are there for all of you so if you find you are having a difficult time with anything-emotions, family dynamics...anything- they can help you through this trying time.

Thank you Addie- yes I did write it and of course, hind sight is 20-20, there was so much more I could have said but I am just not thinking straight these days......I would like to post the picture that we ran with it but do not know how to post a photo...anyone...help....... Thank you all again (do I KEEP saying that......well, I mean it THANK YOU !!!!!!)

Hi everyone- Thank you so much for all of the condolences we have received- I wanted to post a copy of Rachels obit- as you will see she thouht so much of this group that her wish was for donations to be made the LCSC- Bless you all . Rachel Veilleux Stromme, of Ketchikan died peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones on August 25th, following a courageous battle with cancer. She was 50 years young. Rachel was born on July 26, 1955 in Lewiston Maine to Norman and Madeline (Nadeau) Veilleux. She attended Lewiston schools and graduated in 1973 from The Hinckley School , Hinckley Maine. Having a sense of adventurer, she moved from Maine to Alaska in 1980 where she was able to experience life in the wilderness as a trail builder for the US Forest Service and a cook on the Boyer Towing tugs, as well as on the Alaska Range- Bonnefield for R.A.A Geology . It was cooking on the tugs and destiny where Rachel found her “True North” Stan Stromme. The tug she was cooking on in 1984 answered a distress call from another tug on which Stan was working that had gone aground on Ignace Island at Point San Rafael. They were married in Ketchikan on December 21, 1985. Rachel will be remembered by her friends and loved ones as a beautiful, sincere, outgoing, loving woman. They will remember her wonderful dinner parties with deliciously prepared meals, her generous hospitality, and her beautiful flower gardens. More than any other pastime she loved the time spent on the “Miss Claire” exploring Southeast with her “True North” and friends. Rachel was also known for her way with animals and along with Stan, raised three beautiful dogs, Balou, Akela and Ole, and a wonderful cat, Mama B. She was a person who listened with her heart, lived with compassion and followed her dreams. She will be sadly missed by all whose lives she has touched. Rachel is survived by her husband Stan of Ketchikan, parents Norman and Madeline Veilleux, brother Pierre Veilleux, sister Marie Murphy all of Lewiston, Maine , life long friend Susan Angelides Leeman, Ketchikan and thirteen nieces and nephews. A memorial gathering for family and friends will be held Bugge’s Beach on Saturday, Sept. 3 at 10 am. Followed with a potluck at Holy Family Church hall from 1:00 pm until 4:pm in Ketchikan, Alaska. A memorial service will be held at a later date in Lewiston Maine, place, date and time will be announced In lieu of flowers, Rachel requested that donations be sent to: Lung cancer Support Community PO Box 1205 Euless, TX 76039-1205 Or by logging on to: LCHelp.org

Hi Uncle Doug ! We have missed you- I do hope that when your ship stops in Ketchikan that you will let us know you are here so we can meet you !!!

Pat & Brian, My thoughts and prayers to you both-

Rachel passed today at 1555 Alaska time- at home surrounded by her family and her PCP who walked in 2 seconds after her last breath- it was a very special moment for everyone and I know that she is happy about how it all went- The house is filling with friends as word gets out- oh, how she is loved- Thank you all again and again and again- Susan, Stan and family

thank you Katie and Cindy- Yes, this is a very emotional time for all of us and I pray that she will soon be at peace. and thanks Katie for making this a new thread-( I assume you did this..... makes it easier to read the new posts.

Hello all- Just a quick update. Our sweet Rachel is not doing well- she has been unresponsive for two days now and I think (and pray) that it is just a matter of time before she takes the final step of her journey. I know that whatever is waiting for her on the"otherside" is better than what is presently here. Stan continues to be absolutely fantastic- What a guy! She is getting cared for very well right here in her home, jsut the way she wanted and this is because he has been able to do such a fantastic job in dealing with it all. Ole is being the dedicated loving companion as always and does not roam far from her- when he is outside he sits atop the hot tub cover and can see her through the sliding glass doors. When he is inside, he is by her bed- Her family is doing as well as can be expected and being very strong -how I hope I never have to watch one of my children go through something like this- I don't know if I have already expressed the "good" (if we can find any...) that comes from all of this and that is that we have all had the chance to let her know how much she is loved by all of us and by all of you- The more important piece to it all is that she appears to be comfortable- I have been blessed with a very special friendship for many, many years and look forward to meeting up with her on the "otherside" and lifting our glasses to our loved ones (make mine a Cosmo and hers a Brandy please...) and to all of our friends that we have made via this list. Thank you again, so very much for all the comfort and support that you have all offered to us all over these past two years. You made a difference and I have made it a point to give this website address to several of the physicians I have worked with here and to friends who have friends who have friends that need our support- I will try to update again in a few days-

Dear Addie, So well said- I must admit, I wasted a lot of time reading the initial post and all the responses- yours was wonderful and I thank you for taking the time to post it- All of the responses were wonderful and I appreciate you all taking the time to "fight back"- Some people will just never get it will they- My prayers to you Miss Addie-

Hi Addie- thank you for asking about rachel- here is what I posted the 11th but it doesn't seem anyone has seen it- i posted it under one of the previous topics- rachel update....I will start a new thread next time: Hello everyone- We continue to read your thoughtful postings - Stan wanted to be sure that you all know how thankful he and the rest of the family are of for your continued support. Rachel remains comfortable and still blessing us all with her love and sense of humor. Her most lucid times are in the morning- that is when I share your posts with her and assure her that I am trying to keep you all posted regarding her condition- this makes her happy- I feel badly that I have not been able to log in on daily but am sure that you understand- thank you all again for the warm thoughts and prayers- more later... nothing much has changed since this posting- the home health nurse and aide come in three times a week- Rachel spends most of her time in bed now as she does not have much strength- Stan continues to be a pillar considering he has had the family and I underfoot for the past two weeks....Thank you all again for all of your heartfelt support.

Hi sandy! Welcome - I am sorry that you have to be here with us but believe me, this is the place to be-I am sure you will find comfort and support as I have since joining a few weeks ago-

Hello everyone- We continue to read your thoughtful postings - Stan wanted to be sure that you all know how thankful he and the rest of the family are of for your continued support. Rachel remains comfortable and still blessing us all with her love and sense of humor. Her most lucid times are in the morning- that is when I share your posts with her and assure her that I am trying to keep you all posted regarding her condition- this makes her happy- I feel badly that I have not been able to log in on daily but am sure that you understand- thank you all again for the warm thoughts and prayers- more later...

I am so sorry for your loss

I am so very sorry for your loss-

I am so sorry to hear this news- Prayers and healing thoughts to you both-

Good Morning- Home Health came out to the house for visit yesterday- Rachel was happy to see them - they were the same nurses who helped her after she finished her first round of radiation. They will come three days a week starting on Monday. They hooked us up with a walker, shower seat, wheechair and commode.Which will all be so helpful for her. I am overwhelmed with how much she seems to slip everyday- Her "True North", Stan,is doing such a great job at keeping a smile on her face and loving her and Ole (her pup) snuggles right up close to her when she is on the couch or in bed- She seems to be pretty comfortable right now- I know it has to do with all those prayers you are all sending her way- thank you for that- Keep those prayers coming !!!