“…And that’s all there is. There isn’t any more. ”
When thinking about how I wanted to start this, the last post on Get Out Gertrude, the thing that kept jumping into my mind was one of my favourite stories when I was young, Madeleine. At the end, the narrator says the line above as Miss Clavel says good night to the girls and it was one of the first lines of the story I knew off by heart.
Knowing that Mum and I share the same faith I think has helped a lot on this journey – I know that even though she isn’t here right now (and believe me, that sucks big time sometimes), her passing away was less of a goodbye and more of a “See You Later”. Two months have gone by now and we have survived – we’ve even had our first family emergency (MD fractured two vertebrae in her back – she is fine but needs to wear a brace for a couple of weeks until the bone knits back together) and we supported each other and got through it. As a lovely girl I met at a baking class told me, having lost her father ten years ago, “It’s always going to suck, but it will get less painful”.
Mum left a legacy that is huge. The information on this blog is so useful to people that find themselves in similar places with cancer diagnoses – whether it be IBC or metastatic breast cancer. I hope to fulfill her dream of editing the content into a book and ensuring that all this useful information endures. Mum was super-organised (like mother, like daughter) and in her will, entrusted me with the legal rights to her intellectual property, including this blog. On that note, if any other bloggers or organisations would like to use information, posts or pictures incorporated in this blog, please contact me via email here.
I appreciate that for some of you, this is the end of the line – you loved Mum and you read her story because her cancer diagnoses and the information that she shared helped you through your own dark times. Please know that you meant the world to her – she loved the fact that she was helping others. Some of you may have been reading because you knew her as a friend and you were interested in the family aspect of her blog. You may be interested to keep following what is going on with our family through my blog, but please don’t feel obligated to do so. Whatever brought you here, thank you so much for your support over the years and, in particular, the last few months. Your words of love from around the world have meant so much.
This is OD, turning off the lights and closing the door.
Get Out Gertrude! 
Ruth Coates
/ September 30, 2012Thank you so much for sharing this with us. I know my friends and I here in the states have enjoyed reading and comparing stories with your Mom and we miss her terribly. Your mom and I shred our treatments together when I was just beginning and she already into chemotherapy. We also played some games together on facebook. We had fun and comradierie along the way. I miss her very much. But as you say, its just “see you later”. take care, Ruth C from Michigan, US
chemobrainfog
/ September 30, 2012I’m sitting here with tears in my eyes. I miss your mom, too. I had the HONOR of getting those “traveling pants” from the girl in the UK. Your mom was part of a grand scheme to get the pants to her friend Suzanne in Canada. It’s a whole long and winding story which you can find on my blog. I posted it on August 31st…. here is the link:
http://chemo-brain.blogspot.com/2012/08/celebration-of-extra-ordinary.html
I connected with you mom about a year ago. I’m sure there are hundreds more who can say the same. She is missed all over the globe.
With love,
AnneMarie
New York
Nancy's Point (@NancysPoint)
/ October 1, 2012Your mom left a huge legacy for sure. We will not forget. Thanks for this poignant post.
Helena Fache
/ October 2, 2012Dear OD you are doing an amazing job in carrying out you dear mum’s legacy with grace and courage. I don’t have IBF or metastatic breast cancer, but I do have a rare form of Metastatic endometreal Cancer, which is terminal. It has been a long and hard journey but it has been a priviledge to meet some amazing people on the way. You mum was one of those special women who have made a difference. Although we never met I felt such empathy with her and it has been such a loss to lose her. God Bless dear and keep up the good fight.
Helena 🙂
________________________________
mabelrae80
/ March 3, 2014early detection is not a cure by any stretch, but it sure can save your life
Cancer Stricken
breast cancer
/ March 27, 2018Breast cancer follows this classic progression though it often becomes systemic or widespread early in the course of the disease. By the time one can feel a lump in the breast it is often 0.4 inches, or one centimeter, in size and contains roughly a million cells. It is estimated that a tumor of this size may take one to five years to develop. During that time, the cancer may metastasize, or spread by lymphatics or blood to areas elsewhere in the body. women’s health