April 2001

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I've been friends with Catherine & Bud for 37 years. Ever since we drove in the same car to a mens bowling tournament. About 20 miles from home, Bud pulled the car over and told Catherine to get in the back seat with me so we could do our talking and not he and my ex could do their thing. Catherine and I started talking then and have never quit.

Catherine is my best friend and the sister I never had. I really miss her now that I'm almost 2000 miles away. Both Catherine and Bud are facing some very severe health problems now. Over the years Bud has become Catherine's caregiver.

Bud had surgery the later part of Feb. for colon cancer. They were able to remove all the cancer in the colon and tests showed that none of his vital organs were yet involved {mainly his liver and pancreas}, however most lymph nodes they took to test were cancerous. This means that he will have to undergo Chemo. However, the start of the Chemo is being delayed because he developed an infection after the surgery. The first course of meds they gave him didn't get rid of it and he had to take another drug. Because of this infection had to have another surgery. This has delayed the start of his Chemo. He's due to start the Chemo soon.

Catherine has had two artificial legs since she was six years old. These she always considered normal as she grew up with them and they never slowed her down at all. In the early eighty's she developed Rheumatoid Arthritis and it has gotten progressively worse through the years, especially her hands. Her legs couldn't slow her down but the Rheumatoid Arthritis sure has {imagine putting on a suction leg with severally disabled hands every morning}. To make matters worse she now has to take inhalation treatments as she also has emphysema.

Catherine is a member of both the CAC Friends list and the ShareaCard list and she really enjoys the swaps she joins and making card for the ShareaCard list. She also makes card for people at a nursing home close to her. Bud has always been very supportative of her card making and he's the one who takes them to the post office and sees that they are mailed out.