Page 395 - She's One Crazy Lady!

appointment Marilyn met with her specialist consultant who talked to her at length about their plan for her, and surgery was booked for November – more than a year after she first presented herself to the breast clinic. They explained she would need to have a double mastectomy and skin grafts would be taken from her leg to heal the wounds across her chest – major surgery.
How was Marilyn taking it? As
long as I had known Marilyn she had
always been a private person and
never wanted to go into too much
detail about anything personal
– especially medical issues. She
did say she was relieved she had
actually been given a diagnosis so something could be done but that she didn’t deserve this (no, she didn’t). She admitted she was angry that she hadn’t been seen earlier. It was anger that, sadly, remained with her throughout. We all knew she was very frightened – we were all very scared and frightened for her. Marilyn’s health and well-being was priority.
Thankfully, I was in Marilyn’s ‘bubble’ so could still go to see her, albeit outdoors for quite a while. To keep her ‘busy’ and to give her other things to think about and enjoy – and when it was safe to actually go out – we went out – to garden centres, to Wicksteed Park, to restaurants and, of course, many afternoons were spent in her garden where we would sit with her family. She didn’t want fuss. Paul, her brother-in-law, and lived next door to her called in many times in any one day to help her and to chat – and Marilyn’s grandchildren were always a tonic – she loved having her family round her – of course she did – but how hard it must have been for them.
Marilyn also wanted to be involved with what was happening with Crazy Hats so she and I spent a lot of time in the office where she was able to do ‘normal’ things and we could chat with (but not see) our friends on the phone – her friends, who were as devastated as we were.
They asked how I was taking it for they all knew how close Marilyn and I were. My family asked too. How was I taking it? I was gutted. We had seen so much of ‘cancer’ but this was Marilyn now – Marilyn again. I was so concerned that we could lose her – that she, Marilyn my best friend, my special soulmate through and through, could die. The thought of this was just unthinkable – unreal. I shed a lot of tears but did my utmost to hide these from Marilyn –not always possible.! I had to stay positive for her and faithfully promised I would be with her all the
“Marilyn’s grandchildren were always
a tonic – she loved having her family round her – of course she did – but how hard it must have been for them.
”
395