I am a Victorian Soul, who lives in a small townhouse that was built in the mid 1970's, not a huge Mega Mansion!! I just recently lost my Hubby Joe, who was a Retired Letter Carrier. I worked night shift as an RN on a Hospital based Rehabilitation( Physical Medicine) Unit for 37 years before I had Knee Replacement Surgery and officially Retired in 2019 after 41 years working in Direct Patient Care ... I am so glad that we retired at 62 years of age and got to spend that time together before he passed....I still do love Retirement!!!!

I DABBLE IN A BIT OF THIS AND THAT!!!!

" IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO BE WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN"
George Eliot
George Eliot was actually a pen name for a woman named Mary Anne Evans......

BLOGGING FOR FUN AND FRIENDSHIP!!!!!!

Monday, January 27, 2025

Heaven Gained Another Angel

 

God took my dear friend, Anne Marie, home to Heaven yesterday....

Heaven gained another Angel....

She put up a good fight but it was a fight that she could not win....

Over the past few months, I asked for prayers for Anne Marie , both here, and on my FB page...

I respected her privacy, not divulging what was going on....

But now that she is gone, I can tell you why I asked for prayers for her....

 

Anne Marie was one of the few people that I invited to Joe's Funeral Service on May 13th, 2024...

I even invited her to come back to our house with us and other family members for pizza which was Joe's favorite... 

She was Family to me...

She came to visit again on June 16th and we spent a wonderful afternoon together...

I thought it was strange that I did not hear from her for about 3 weeks afterward so I messaged her...

She told me that she was afraid to tell me that she was sick as she did not want to cause me any extra stress and worry after what I had just gone through with Joe...

When she told me her symptoms , my heart sank...

Both of us were nurses so she knew that I also suspected what she did...

About 2 weeks later, when she saw her Dr., it was confirmed that she had uterine cancer...

After more testing, they feared it spread to the lymph nodes and possibly the lungs, making it Stage 4...

She had already lost over 20 pounds and was getting weaker by the day...

Chemo and radiation treatments were recommended but she never got that far...

It was an aggressive form of cancer and it was already taking it's toll...

  

Long story short, she was hospitalized 3 times for blood clots in her legs and lungs, low blood pressure and cardiac issues as she kept filling with fluid..

Each time they removed the clots from her lungs, the Dr.'s told her husband she might not survive the surgical procedure...

She told me that "God must not want me yet"

Being a nurse is a curse as far as I am concerned...

I knew what was wrong with Joe and what the outcome would be before he was even diagnosed and I also knew what was going to happen to Anne Marie...

I was devastated as I knew I was going to lose my best friend...

She was determined to keep working and was able to try working from home for a short time until she ended up back in the hospital before Christmas...

She would never leave the hospital again and was there for 44 days...

I could not bare going to see her and she did not want people to see her that way as she wanted people to remember her as she was before she became ill...

We messaged each other often but a few days ago, she was only responding with one word answers so I knew she did not want to talk and at that point, I honestly did not know what to say...

The last thing she messaged me was "Take care and I Love You"

I had the feeling that she was saying Good Bye to me...

When I saw that her husband Tony was calling me this morning, I started to cry even before I answered the phone as I knew my dear friend , who was like a sister to me for over 20 years , was gone...

Tony told me that she died, pain free, last night...

She had signed her DNR, wrote her own Obituary and left him instructions for her funeral...

This is just one of the horrible things that happened last year in 2024....

A year ago, I never would have imagined that I would lose both of them...

I am looking at Anne Marie's passing as a carry over from 2024 even though she passed away in 2025 because I have secretly been mourning her for the last few months...

It all started in 2024...it just took a bit longer for it to end...

Her suffering is over and for that I am ever so thankful...

 

I know she is in Heaven with her beloved Dad as she too had a special relationship with her Dad like I did...

And I know that Joe was there to welcome her, asking

"What the hell are you doing here"?

Anne Marie, you will be forever missed and forever loved...

Love You, my friend!

Hugs,

Deb




21 comments:

  1. I am so very sorry for your loss of your best friend.

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  2. Oh Debbie, my heart breaks for you. Your tribute to Anne Marie is so lovely and tender. I have prayed often for her, and now I will pray for our Lord to surround you with His strength and comfort.
    It was always so gracious of Anne Marie to share her beautifully decorated home with us. Once I even bought a vintage lamb pull toy after seeing one she had displayed.
    Take extra good care of yourself.
    Blessings, Linda πŸ’—

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  3. My heart is aching for you. Losing a husband and a best friend months apart is gut-wrenching. You are right--being a medical person is often a curse.Sometimes it is easier not knowing. Hugs and love- Diana

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  4. I am so very, very sorry dear friend…

    Nina

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  5. Oh Debbie..I knew she must have been very I'll. What a strong woman she was! Think of the great memories you share with her! Those .
    memories will carry you. Again two hard losses. Keeping you and her family in my prayers...hugs..Barb

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  6. I know how close you were to your good friend Anne Marie. I am so sorry for your loss. You were such a comfort to each other and just were so much alike in your interests! I know you all all kinds of memory pieces in your home to remind you of the good times together. Thank you for sharing the photo of the three of you. I know she and Joe are catching up and she is sharing all kinds of news of the twins. I am glad she is no longer suffering and in pain, but I want to give you a special hug for your pain. I am just so sorry.

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  7. Oh, Debbie I am so sorry to read this. This sweet tribute to your dear friend had me tearing up. Your grief pours through the page and I know that you will miss your friend so much. Praying for you and Anne Marie's family.

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  8. Deb, that was beautiful. So sad.... and I truly am sorry for your loss. Prayers for you and her family. πŸ™πŸ»

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    1. Hey, Jan!! Thanks so much for commenting here..As you know, it has been a really bad year for me....Not sure I can handle much more....Take care, my friend!
      Hugs,
      Deb

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  9. You are so right, there is a burden with knowing too much. My father was in cancer research and when my nephew was diagnosed with cancer it about broke my dad's heart. He knew too much.
    Praying your friend received a glorious welcome in heaven. I know you will miss her. You had such a rough 2024. I agree, her death should go on the tally for 2024. And let's pray that you don't have a single catastrophe in this new year.

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  10. I'm so very sorry, Debbie. You have mentioned Anne Marie often here and so often shared her beautiful holiday home. I know her loss will be a deeply personal one. Yuo have had such a lot of significant loss in such a short time. I'm sorry it has taken your dear friend and so soon. Your words are beautiful here. Sending you wishes for peace and healing.

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  11. Oh Debbie that is so sad! I feel for you. It’s hard when our friends start to pass. I’ve lost 2 of my best friends - I miss them every day and all that we were to each other.
    What a beautiful tribute to your friend. Yes, she’s in the arms of our Savior. No more pain. Thank you for sharing this grief with us.
    Blessings 🌹

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  12. Oh, Debbie, I am so sorry to hear you have lost your dear friend Anne Marie. You've written about her so often, it was as if we all knew her, too. May you find comfort in knowing she is no longer suffering.

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  13. So sorry to read about your loss. My sincere condolences to you and her family. What a beautiful tribute to your friend.
    Sending you my best wishes for healing.
    Gabi

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    Replies
    1. Gabi,
      Thank you so much for your condolences...It is quite the bitter pill to take after losing Joe too...Thanks for stopping by!!
      Hugs,
      Deb

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  14. Like all the other commenters, I just want to say how sorry for you I feel right now Debbie. It's comforting to know that those who've passed are no longer in pain and are at peace, but the sadness and empty space in the hearts of those who are left behind is a very real thing. I'm so sorry for the loss of Joe and of Anne Marie in such a short period of time - all I can do is send you a virtual hug from Down Under and I hope you hug those grandbabies of yours a little tighter to help fill a little of the hole you have in your heart right now. <3

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  15. I am so very sorry to read such sadness my friend. My prayers are with you. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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  16. I'm so sorry, Debbie. I'm sending you prayers and hugs my friend. What a difficult year...

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  17. You have my deepest condolences, Debby. Your tribute here is lovely, thank you for sharing. You write from your heart and it brings your blog friends right into your family and home…most of us can relate and sympathize having lost husbands and friends ourselves…and I think we all feel a bond with you. May God bless you all. Virginia

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    1. Virginia,
      Thank you so very much for your kind words.... It really has been quite a year....I hope all is well with you!
      Hugs,
      Deb

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  18. Condolences on the loss of your dear friend, Debbie. It's been a tough year. Virtual hugs!

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