Pain and Marchpane – by Susie Hemingway

Hello Dear Reader, and welcome to my new home on the internet. I'm lucky to live in a beautiful village nestling by the river Bain in the heart of the Lincolnshire Wolds. From my windows overlooking pasture land, I can see sheep and Lincoln Red Cows according to the season. Just one small Church, a Village Pub and less than 250 inhabitants.

This is where I will write my many "Poems Of Love" together with a few stories, I do hope you enjoy them and return again. Please leave a comment should you wish, it is always lovely to hear from you.

Susie's book "A Power Within - Poems of Love" is available to purchase here, see: Navigation.

It is also available at the Myeloma UK 'info days' throughout the year. Proceeds to Myeloma UK.

The following poems have been written by me for my husband Hamada, who suffered from Multiple Myeloma, a bone marrow cancer arising from the plasma cells. After many months of chemotherapy and contracting pneumonia twice (once given only twelve hours to live) and having two bad fractures to his spine, and only a small percentage of kidney function, he made it to four years seven months when the prognosis was only six months. He never complained, using his most amazing smile even when I knew he has severe pain. Hamada achieved a Stem Cell Transplant, using his own ‘harvested cells’ during October 2007 he spent seventeen days in the "Centre For Clinical Haematology" at Nottingham City Hospital UK. He obtained a good partial remission and managed just over a year before tests showed ‘the beast was back’ Hamada although weak and tired, continued with amazing courage his fight against Multiple Myeloma. I hope you enjoy these poems of love telling something of our life together, posted here in the hope it will help raise the profile of this rare 1% of all cancers. Hamada died on the 23rd November 2010 having fought with great dignity, this dreadful disease.
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Multiple Myeloma is a most complex illness to treat and stage, with at the moment, no known cure. Still for many people it can be managed well if diagnosed early. Hamada was diagnosed when the Myeloma had attacked his kidneys and was in eighty percent of his blood steam. So you will understand his courageous battle with this disease.
Hamada was very keen that I record his progress or lack of, during this journey to perhaps help others. So you will appreciate that my poems must be and are, from my true feelings and watchfulness as the days passed by. Hamada tried with many chemotherapy treatments including Velcade and Revlimid. His kidneys failed further he died peacefully at his home of "Hemingway"

Taken From Comments On the BBC Radio Interview: Joan Kahley USA
Susie, What an inspiring interview. I cried listening to you. My heart hurt for you and Hamada knowing what you are going through. I pray that doctors will find the right drugs and/or procedures to put him back into remission. I pray that both of you will find peace and comfort and joy in every day you are blessed with. With God all things are possible. Through your poems you give such great hope, such peace, and so much love to those suffering with myeloma, their caretakers and their families. Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful poetry.

Karen Brook Westhaver USA: You blog is poignant, exquisite and simply amazing, your web-site is utterly delightful! I have no words to describe the beauty of your poetry as to try to do so would seem to take away from it's incredibly creative and beautifully woven words reflecting the inestimable power of love and fully living life connected with all your senses and feelings. This takes much courage.

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© 2009 The owner of this blog holds the copyright of all text on the blog. All poetry published on this blog is copyrighted. It is the property of ©Susie Hemingway and so, shall not be used, reproduced or duplicated in any manner without my permission.