gideonstrumpetfl's blog: "My Blog"

Well Boys and Girls, I ain't in the best of moods.

For the last month or so, I've experienced another bout of gastric trouble.  Similar to what happened two years ago, which I sort of detailed back in April.

I've scheduled another colonoscopy soon, ain't looking forward to it, but I better find out sooner than later.  I also have a recently discovered skin cancer that is different than the ones I already knew about.  This one is new, dark, and ugly.  Worrysome.

But that's not the real reason for this blog.  It's about my good friend Lisa.

I've known Lisa for about twenty years.  Her now ex-husband worked under me at the Police Department.  He and I became good friends back then, and we introduced our respective wives together, and they became the best of friends.

He worked for me at the PD, and I started helping him at his flooring business, running an out of town installation crew a couple of weekends a month.

While out of town, my wife would take the kids, and spend the weekend with Lisa.  They had a nice home on a lake, and her kids although a little younger than mine, enjoyed playing together.

Well, some time later, I discovered that my wife and Lisa's husband were having an affair.  It ruined both our marriages.

Lisa and I talked quite a bit during those final months before the divorce (mine) was final.

Then I didn't hear from her for several years.

She tracked my down in 2002, I was living in NC at the time, doing my business as usual.  I saw a familiar phone number on my caller ID, and it was Lisa.  She was crying.

She had attempted to repair her marriage, she and her ex living together, it was rocky, but they had two young sons.

BAM!  She had talked with her now adult teenage daughter, and discovered that her husband had been molesting her since she was about 14.  Devastation.

I did what I could to help her.  There was no prosecution as the timeline couldn't really be established, and the veracity of her daughter's statements had some question.  It happened, it just cannot be proven beyond reasonable doubt.

So at the request by Lisa to help, I did.  I took care of the matter, caused her ex to lost his law enforcement certification.

So another absence for several years, until last April.

I had this overwhelming urge/thought that I should call Lisa.  A concern of trouble with something.

She no longer had the home I mentioned, lost it to foreclosure after the divorce.

She and her mother live in the same housing complex, both on a fixed income.  Lisa is unable to work due to health issues, but she needed some assistance in a couple of legal matters.  I told her I would help.

I started coming to her apartment in Melrose to review the BOXES of material she had, I helped her with a couple of motions before the Court, her SSI, helped her find a dentist that would accept medicaid, and helped her with numerous health issues including some physical work in her home that she could do.

We became close.

She and I can talk about anything, she discussed her life with her ex and we discussed the betrayal by my ex wife not only to her, but to me.

We became very close.

I took some nice photos of her for her FB account, and went as far as to have a couple taken of the two of us together.  We had those pics up for only about a week.  There was a reason, I knew that my ex would see them.  The purpose proved to be rewarding to both of us.  Just a little payback.

I would come about once a month, cook a fine meal, would take her to her Dr's appointments etc....

Her health was of big concern to me.  After a couple of months, she just became tired of the let downs by physicians etc.  I encouraged her to make appointments and that I would take her.  She delayed.

She has PTSD from her marriage, and a variety of health issues.  She would withdraw, and simply not even answer the phone.  I couldn't reach her, so I gave her space.  All the space she needed.

About once a month I would get her on the phone.  I helped her financially a couple of times, never asking anything in return.

Recently I had not heard from her for some time.  When I did, she told me that aside from gallbladder problems, that her Dr. told her that she has thyroid cancer.  Removal was considered, and she was waiting on the appointment and scheduling for surgery.  I did my best to comfort her and told her I would be there.

Today, via her daughter, I am told that Hospice has been called in.  The surgery is to be scheduled, provided she is healthy enough to undergo it.  I have not seen her, and cannot reach her by phone.

So right now, my concerns for my own health are shut into the closet in my head.

I'm now worried about someone I consider a very close friend, nearly more than that.

I'll say it in my closing.

I love you Lisa.....you deserve so much, and have been denied way too much.

Praying for you.