Sunday 1st May

We are all heart broken at the passing of Jimmy's mom, Isabel on Thursday night.  Her cancer diagnosis was a huge shock to us in March.  It was the last thing that any of us thought would happen after our last two years of ups and downs with Jimmy.  It is really is hard to believe that just more than a month later she is gone.

Mom was diagnosed with Carcinosarcoma of the Uterus which had already spread to her ovaries and lymph nodes in her stomach.  Mom had her first and only round of chemo on the 7th of April.  She was very weak for the 7 days after this but a week later she was feeling a bit stronger and eating better too.  She even started doing some knitting again and was much more talkative.

We left for the Kgalagadi on Friday the 22nd and on Tuesday Dad phoned to say that Mom wasn't very well.  In the early hours of Wednesday morning my dear friend Maureen picked them up to take mom through to hospital.  We waited to hear from the Doctor during the day on Wednesday and on Thursday morning we packed up and drove the 12 hours straight to the hospital.  Isabel passed away peacefully an hour an half later.

I would like to express my appreciation for all the beautiful messages and the support we have been given by family and friends.  Maureen, I don't know what we would have done without you, you have been a true angel.  Also a big thank you to my brother Guy who was travelling back from Namibia on a business trip.  We left the caravan in Van Rhynsdorp once it got dark and we hit the heavy rains on Thursday night and he picked the van up the next morning and brought it home for us. 

I unfortunately do not know all the names of Ewen and Isabel's friends, the knitting ladies and Methodist ladies as well as some of the neighbourhood friends Ewen has made when he takes Keira for a walk each evening as well as Ewen's hiking group who have been a wealth of support over the last month.  So many meals, a crochet blanket, a juicer and telephone calls....thank you very much.

I would also like to mention a special thought for young Ewen, Jimmy's brother, who is in the UK as well as Loren who is in Virginia.  I cannot imagine how difficult it must be for them not being with us during such a terribly painful and sad time.  A big thank you to Claire, Andy, Ray, Bernadette and Pam for comforting and being there for Ewen.  I also could not have asked for Loren to have a better host mother, thank you for supporting Loren and giving her all the love you do Danielle.

We count our blessings that Isabel did not suffer and she was so peaceful when she took her last breath, with Ewen at her side.