Joanne's Cottage Garden: IN MEMORY OF MARY

Sunday, 28 June 2009

IN MEMORY OF MARY

This is Saunders White a cutting from my Rambling rose taken some years ago. I had given the cutting to a dear friend Mary and she had it scrambling up a very old Apple tree.

As the rose grew then Mary added an arch to accommodate it and then a second one.

Sadly Mary died about three years ago. I lost my best gardening chum and miss her still very much. Apart from a dear friend and neighbour, we shared many plants and cuttings not to mention allotmenteering for many years.

The Apple tree fell over one winter and Mary's husband asked my advice on pruning so we set too and pruned very hard. He was determined to keep the rose as a focal point and so added a tripod to help hold some of the rose.

It has worked out so well and he has clematis and perennial sweet peas growing through the rose.

Mary would be so proud of the way her husband has carried on with her lovely garden. These few days whilst he is away I am on watering duties. Something I have enjoyed over many years. I enjoy looking around Mary's garden although I miss the chatter and her company.

Today I sat on her bench and took some lovely photos of her rose and enjoyed her beautiful garden.

11 comments:

Tatyana@MySecretGarden28 June 2009 at 21:27
Joanne, it is a sad, but sweet post. The rose is stunning!
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VP28 June 2009 at 22:05
Joanne - what a lovely tribute to your friend and to her husband.

That rose is stunning. I'm constantly amazed at how the smallest of gifts, such as a cutting turn out to be some of the most significant.
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Alison29 June 2009 at 00:23
What a lovely tribute to your friend.
The rose is stunning. I do hope I might see it in September!
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Catherine@AGardenerinProgress29 June 2009 at 05:51
It's amazing how that one cutting became such a beautiful healthy rose. It must be nice for you to see her garden and enjoy memories of her, especially since her husband is taking such good care of it.
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Hermes29 June 2009 at 06:31
Same as Tatyana - but what a lovely way to remember someone you loved.
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Carrie29 June 2009 at 15:04
A beautiful post, the photos are gorgeous. I'm sure Mary's husband is glad to have you around to help keep the garden in a state fit for a tribute to dear friend.
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HappyMouffetard29 June 2009 at 19:37
What lovely memories - a testament to your friendship.
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Jesikarena29 June 2009 at 21:40
The white rose is beautiful.
RIP Mary. Obviously a great person.
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Rob (ourfrenchgarden)29 June 2009 at 22:52
Hi Joanne

You are lucky to have had such a good friend with a shared interest.

Beautiful rose.
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Rosy Inspiration30 June 2009 at 03:20
It's sad but you will always have great memories of your chum, I'm touched by this post. The rose must be a very good one, the way it grows and grows. It's beautiful with all the arches and other things like Clematis.
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Joanne1 July 2009 at 11:57
Thank you all for your kind words.
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LYME LIFE written 2009

I started suffering with arthritis in mainly my large joints especially my knees 6 years ago. The symptoms varied and I remember saying that every joint was affected except my elbows to one doctor. I was told it would be hormonal and to take the usual supplements cod liver oil or glucosamine ( I would certainly recommend buying shares in the companies producing these supplements) They had no noticeable affect.

All my symptoms deteriorated significantly over a few weeks, 4 years ago. Hips shoulders and knees being the worst and I started with muscle weakness in upper arms and upper legs. I had difficulty standing and walking across a room. I was unable to walk upstairs and my husband was making plans to convert to a downstairs bedroom. I had seen 5 doctors and 3 Rheumatologists and put on steroids for Poly Myalgia Rheumatica diagnosis. I had been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS.

I have X rays and scans showing signs of osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis. I have been retired early from the Civil Service having lost my job not to mention my earning potential.

My illness seemed to progress through my body not affecting the same joints left to right at the same time. I had bursitis in left hip, right hip, left elbow. I had synovial thickening in both wrists. At that time I could not lift and hold a magazine so lifting a kettle I could only do if a third full and with two hands. Each joint in my hands fingers feet and toes were affected. I had swallowing difficulties and many other symptoms. None of this describes the endless and awful pain whenever I moved or the tiredness but inability to get quality sleep.

Two years ago my GP gave me Amoxicilin for a sinus/throat/chest infection. All my arthritis symptoms improved. The course ended the symptoms deteriorated I started a second course the symptoms improved. The improvement was more significant than when I had started taking steroids. This led my GP to suspect Lyme Disease. I laughed because we do not travel abroad but she said they had had other cases in the surgery in the early stages of tick bite and Erythma Migrans rash. She said, but you have not had a bite. I said oh yes I have I had two on my ankles with rashes, March 05 this was confirmed on her computer at the time I had seen a locum doctor. My worst symptoms were waking up feeling rigid and having to painfully flex every joint in my body before struggling to get up. The only other time I had experienced this was in May 2003 during a flu like illness like no other I had ever experienced. At that time I had a bite and similar rash on my right foot which lasted like the other rashes about four weeks. I had also consulted the surgery and it was dismissed as a virus. I walked our dog daily in the woods adjacent to our house where the deer roam, prime tick area.

Thus started my very lengthy search about Lyme Disease leading me through http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/ to a doctor who specialises in this illness. He confirmed my GP's suspicions. I never had a positive blood test but then they are antigen tests and there is much research that shows they are unreliable. In my case the year of steroids and many weeks antibiotics could have affected the results. So with a clinical diagnosis and following ILADS International Lyme and Associated Disease Society guidelines I continued on antibiotics for two years. Both my doctors continued to treat me despite the Health Protection Agency advising against long term antibiotics. I am now nearly 100% recovered I have no pain or muscle weakness. I can walk upstairs something I could not do for three and a half years. I can garden do house work and live a normal life. I still need to pace myself and with only a few months to 60 will not be looking to return to work.

Life is such a joy.

Sadly there is much controversy about Lyme Disease and doctors in UK are taught that it is so rare. Well where I live in Guildford I have been in contact with a dozen other people with it so perhaps not so rare as HPA would like us to believe. I am in touch with nearly 2000 other patients through a chat line Eurolyme most had been misdiagnosed with several other illnesses.

Look at UK charity http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/ if you want to read more about this illness. There are many MP's taking an interest in the problems surrounding diagnosis and treatment see above charity links into a recent meeting at the House of Commons.

Thank goodness there are some thinking doctors around who have courageously treated me against opposition and I have made such a miraculous recovery albeit rather a lengthy one.

One day there will be many more people who are helped with their chronic illnesses when IDSA starts taking note of what our courageous LLMD’s are doing following ILADS Guidelines.

ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia, Poly Myalgia Rheumatica, Arthritis, Bell’s Palsy, MS,MN, ALS, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Heart Block, Stroke, Psychiatric, gastric problems the list is endless. Not all suffering from Lyme Borrelia but how many are even properly assessed for it.

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Joanne's Cottage Garden

Sunday, 28 June 2009

IN MEMORY OF MARY

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