Rosemary

Four years ago today, I said goodbye to my first chair buddy.  Her name was Rosemary and through my first nine months of IVIG  she was always sat beside me while the chemo dripped through her veins.  It was not her first rodeo in those big green chairs, but she always had a smile and a hug for me and encouraging words.  Her daughter and her son were there for her support.

After a few months it became evident that she was losing the battle and she was tired of the fight.  We called each other, I sent her cards and notes, she knew there was a place in my heart for her.
And then I got the call, she made her final transition, her final transformation and while we, her friends and family mourned, she suffered no more.

I think of her so often.  I was terrified those first few months and the side effects from the treatments just got worse, but Rosemary always told me I was in her prayers and that she loved me.

Her funeral was a heartbreaker, I saw the grief on her children's faces and knew how broken their hearts were.  A few years before, I had lost my own mother and knew the hole of emptiness would never fill.  I hope Rosemary knew and understood how much she meant to me, how much she helped me.  I will never forget her.

Four years ago today, RIP Rosemary.