Dear All,
I've not posted for a few weeks and you probably know that means one of two things: either everything's hunkydory and one's getting on with life too busy to post or everything's not so good. We've had a bit of both. DH died on 22nd November at 4 p.m. with just our lovely parish priest and me holding a hand each, in his own bed at home. He was only really ill for the last 48 hours and only in bed for 4 days. He managed to say goodbye to several old friends, his mother, siblings, my parents, all the children and me in the 24 hours before he died. 7 days before he died we'd been out to dinner just the two of us and he went to Tottenham to see our third daughter score a hat trick (3 goals) in a key mid table soccer match against Tottenham B 4 days before he died. In a way we both got what we wanted, he was terrified of liver mets - having seen his father die horribly of liver cancer in the 70's - and I was terrified of brain mets. He couldn't have died better - though it was terribly hard, he struggled and fought for a couple of hours. Fit as an ox apart from his lungs! We only had a nurse for the last night, but the support from the professionals was always just a quick call away.
We had the most wonderful funeral yesterday (30th November), which he planned himself (though I did most of the music - Libera Me from Faure's Requiem sung by our great friend Charbel Mattar of the Royal Opera House amongst the best bits) and buried him in a nearby consecrated woodland burial site. Then we celebrated his memory in Crozes Hermitage (long story why that is significant) at home with many of the over 400 who attended his funeral.
This site has been the most amazing source of information - the people here are wonderful and I've lurked about gaining lots of useful tips and reminders. If I can return any favours or offer any help, you know where to reach me: pipparogerson@hotmail.com.
With the best of good wishes to you all,
Pippa