Linda's Legacy

It has been almost three weeks since the loss of my mom. I have decided to keep this blog going for the time being.

For those of you who may not have seen it, here is the link to her obituary:

http://www.beckerfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/Linda-Chernushin/


My dad, Shawn and I all want to thank everyone for the amazing outpouring of love and support. We are so touched by your thoughtfulness and generosity. We truly appreciate all the prayers, cards, food, donations, flowers, visits and phone calls. It has become even more evident just how beloved my mom was -- and still is. We cannot thank you all enough for everything you have done for our family.

We are all doing pretty well, all things considered. I know that she is still with us; I still feel her presence all the time. The grief comes in waves. This is true for all three of us. We hold it together, and then something triggers the tears. We are stronger than we ever thought, though. My mom made it clear that she loved us and we should have no regrets. She didn't want "a lot of nonsense or carrying on." :) So I know she is helping us stay strong and get through this. Thank you, Mom! We couldn't do this without you!

My dad is still on the hunt for the "perfect dog." He is very much a dog person, and I believe it will be a great help and comfort to have a lovable, furry companion to come home to. He is still coping with being alone in the house. But we are keeping him very busy -- helping out with "projects" at my house, going out to eat, etc.

Shawn is back to work and back home in Charlotte. It is hard not having him here, but Shawn and Jen will be coming back home to visit as frequently as possible. Thank goodness he got to spend so much time here a few weeks ago. He held the rest of us together with his logic and voice of reason.

I am back to my student teaching as well. I have about 4 1/2 weeks left. Then begins the job search. Between school, the girls, my projects for student teaching, trying to get SOMETHING done around the house, and helping my dad with the dog search, my schedule is packed and really helps keep me distracted.

I will update more on this blog, so check back. I know we will be participating in Relay for Life this year, so I'll share details about that when I have them. Our friends and family have also had some great ideas for ways to honor my mom's memory. More on that to come.

In the meantime, thank you again to all of our cherished friends and family. We especially appreciate all the memories you have shared with us of ways that my mom has touched or impacted your lives. It means more to us than you could know.

Love,
Kara

Our Angel

As most of you know by now, Mom went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, March 15. She had suffered long enough, and fought a valiant battle. She is our angel in heaven, and will be with all of us forever.

Love you so much, Mom!!!

Saturday, February 20, 2011

Well ... unfortunately, my worst fear was confirmed. Two weeks ago, I had been coughing up blood and called my pulmonologist. He ordered a C.T. scan and a bronchoscopy. The findings from the bronchoscopy were not what we wanted to hear. The beast is back -- this time in the bronchus/carinal/mediastinal areas. I spent most of last week with my radiation oncologist. Tuesday I will have a C.T. scan while they place markings on my body to ensure proper positioning for a PET scan, which I will undergo the next day. The decision is not yet final, but it looks as though I will be having some external beam radiation, possibly to be followed by Brachytherapy. I don't think we will be doing chemo this time around. It was just too harsh on my body. As usual, all prayers and well-wishes are most welcomed!!!

Love, Linda

Saturday

Well, I finally made it out of the hospital after being there for over a month. It was a long haul but I was so sick, it wasn't terrible being there. Thank heavens for my family & friends who took good care of me. I'm home with a feeding tube which I receive feedings continuously 24 hours a day. I'm hooked up to pump that delivers 30 cc's (one ounce) an hour. Then I try to eat what I can since the tube feeding is just supposed to be a supplement. It is a highly nutritional calorie and protein packed liquid. I have other news as well which I will post soon. Love, Linda

Latest News

Hello, everyone. I wanted to give everyone an update on my mom. She has been in the hospital for 2 weeks now. She has been having lots of trouble eating for the past year, and it has gotten much worse lately. She's lost so much weight and just cannot seem to gain anything back. Since she's been in the hospital, she has been on a constant intravenous regimen of Ativan (for nausea) and morphine (for pain.) She was doing well for a few days and actually gained weight, but then was sick and couldn't eat again after that. So, yesterday they finally inserted a nasogastric feeding tube. The plan is to wait a few days to gauge it's effectiveness and see how well she tolerates it, before discussing a more permanent tube which would be inserted through the abdomen. In addition, she will need to transition from IV meds to oral meds which can be maintained at home, before she can be released from the hospital. I will keep you all updated. As always, thank you so much to all of our wonderful family and friends for your prayers and good wishes.
xoxoxo,
Kara