A plea from mr devondancer - updated 1 Aug

devondancer · Post by **devondancer** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 2:25 pm

May I talk to you for a while? I'm at home waiting for news, having been at the hospital all day. Lesley has had another operation today, to relieve some pressure that was making her so ill. It seems to have been a success but it is hard to tell yet.

I know I don't know any of you at all, but she often talks about her friends on the board, and I know she enjoys the contact with you all. She is a great person. We have been married 22 years and she is still the most wonderful person in the world to me. She is kind and funny and clever and loving. She works so hard at her job (as a nurse in a nursing home for the elderly) and loves her patients - really loves them, and it shows in her care and when she talks about them. This despite the fact that she has twice been stabbed by a patient, and that this injury she is suffering from now was caused by another. She has never lost her faith in the goodness of people, although she is frequently surprised when they are less good than she expects! She is not naive - I don't think any nurse can be - but she just loves and trusts people to do the right thing. And they generally do, for her.

I felt that this injury had ruined her life: she can't dance now, and folk dancing has always been a hugely important part of her life. She writes dances, too, which are danced here in Devon and in our original county of Hampshire. She says that it has changed her life: she has developed new hobbies and interests and revived old ones. She has always played instruments, guitar, keyboard, whistle, mouth organ, banjo, mandoline, ukulele - anything she could get her hands on, really! - but because of her dancing and general activity she had not given them a great deal of time. She was always dancing, or teaching adults to dance, or teaching dancing in schools, or teaching overseas nurses, or training care assistants - you name it! Now she plays as much as she possibly can, and has been writing tunes for her whistle, or for flute and guitar. The only thing she doesn't write any more is dances, as that makes her want to dance. Otherwise making music has filled the gap for her.

If she had not had this surgery she would soon have been unable to play, as her hands would have become worse and worse. Ultimately she would have become paralysed. She knew this and has accepted the risks of the operation(s) in the hope that she will be able to play again, and we hope to dance as well. We both know she may not. She is the most incredibly brave person I know, and I hope she is composing tunes in her medicated dreams! That would suit her down to the ground.

Thank you for letting me talk to you. The waiting is hard. I am writing down all your messages to give her when she wakes up. I know she will be so pleased. Please pray for her.

Roland (mr devondancer)

Post by **Nanohedron** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 2:47 pm

All my best to her, and you, Roland.

susnfx · Post by **susnfx** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 2:58 pm

Thanks so much for sharing that with us, Roland. My thoughts go out to you and Lesley. Here's hoping for the very best for both of you.

Susan

jsluder · Post by **jsluder** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 3:04 pm

Here's a sincere wish that you'll be able to dance together for a long, long time to come.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 3:05 pm

That... really choked me up.
Sometimes we get scared that one day we won't be able to do what we
love, without realizing that we can love something else.

Best of luck to you both!

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 3:08 pm

Best wishes and warm healing thoughts to you both.

That was hard to read...it brought tears to my eyes.

I'm not a praying man conventionally, but I guess in my own way I am, and in that way, be sure that she (and you) will be remembered.

--James

mutepointe · Post by **mutepointe** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 4:27 pm

I'm wishing the best for both of you.

If it wasn't for my heart surgery, I would have never got to have known how to play the harmonica, whistle, irish flute, silver flute, concertina (still working on that one) and fife (learning this one totally by ear.) I knew how to play the guitar and keyboards before all this. And I sure wouldn't have found this fine bunch of folks.

I hope her surgery comes with good surprises too.

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 4:28 pm

She had made it sound so...less serious, and I'm sorry and concerned to hear that a fellow Chiffer is struggling now, post-surgery.

Please let her know that the entire Chiff-world wishes her the very best.

izzarina · Post by **izzarina** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 4:50 pm

Prayers and thoughts going out to both you and Lesley, Roland. I hope she's up and dancing again very soon.

tansy · Post by **tansy** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:39 pm

Tell Lesley she is deep in my heart during all of this, stay close beside her, you are a lucky man to have such a dear.
All the best to you both, Tansy
Roland, I wecome you to this forum

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:48 pm

Prayers going out from me as well.

Redwolf

missy · Post by **missy** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:49 pm

Well, I think if love can make a person heal, Lesley has got it made!

Please make sure you take care of yourself during this time, too!

And continue to update us all.

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 6:27 pm

You are both in my thoughts and prayers.

BillChin · Post by **BillChin** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 6:32 pm

Hi Roland,

I just know good news is on the way. Waiting can be the hardest part.

Many moons ago, I used to do folk dancing, Scottish Country dancing. I gave it up after experiencing knee problems. I still have friends in the dance community, and they are some of the nicest people I have ever met.

There is a special energy when a group of people get together to do folk dancing. Like Lesley, I have now spend more time making music instead of dancing to music.

Blessings to you and Lesley.

Lambchop · Post by **Lambchop** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 8:20 pm

Keeping both of you in my thoughts, Roland.