tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72140797524878484052024-02-19T00:25:54.097-05:00Advantage LindaJim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-90901835896081442932009-11-29T00:03:00.004-05:002009-11-29T00:41:45.864-05:00Now and Forever<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kNO3XvZ09Ck&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kNO3XvZ09Ck&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />One year ago today, Linda left us. As we look back at all the entries in this blog, it occurred to us that far too much of it is about Linda’s illness. While it was certainly the catalyst that brought all together, years from now this should not be a testament to how she died, but rather to how she lived. No one who knew her was surprised at how bravely she dealt with her illness, but if some stranger should come upon this blog, what you should really understand is that Linda showed us all how to live and enjoy a full life, while committing herself to helping and inspiring everyone around her. She was our friend, our teacher, our mentor and so much more. Each of us is a different and better person because Linda let us into her life. We can never forget her, because she is part of who we are.<br /><br />Jim, Andrea, Tony (and Linda)<br /><br />Andrea has posted her own memories of her mother today on her own blog, and would like to share them with you. Just follow this link: <a href="http://talleybaby.blogspot.com/2009/11/one-year.html">http://talleybaby.blogspot.com/2009/11/one-year.html</a>Jim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-80861304727780193992009-11-22T20:22:00.003-05:002009-11-22T21:24:29.386-05:00I Will<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSNqHR-qT7mtjQLe-lBQJeKTbSoaq32JE89K_MXItoOo7jQloTCxMBL5hkAPTOsS40QaVbKgDb_fDbftl1A05s7fxu-quhTQhoitDJfyv7Tqb_yJe8Xg7rfgXeDl-fFIRNgxe3r0RxIkS/s1600/34.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 246px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSNqHR-qT7mtjQLe-lBQJeKTbSoaq32JE89K_MXItoOo7jQloTCxMBL5hkAPTOsS40QaVbKgDb_fDbftl1A05s7fxu-quhTQhoitDJfyv7Tqb_yJe8Xg7rfgXeDl-fFIRNgxe3r0RxIkS/s320/34.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407103778558283554" /></a><br />Hi everyone. One week from now will be the one year anniversary of Linda's passing. I've heard lots of people who have lost a loved one say this, but it's true--some days it seems like 10 years, and other days it seems like yesterday. The 9:30 Mass at St. John's next Sunday is being said for Linda, and I know many of her family and friends plan on being there. We will go over to the cemetery afterwards, and bring our flowers and memories with us. If anyone would like to stop by our house on Sunday, Sue Burns has volunteered to serve brunch here, so all you have to bring is your favorite story about Linda. Tony and Beth may be here also. Any time after noon would be a good time to meet us back at the house. We would love to see you.<br /><br />Andrea and I are working on something special for the blog post next Sunday. In the meantime, the picture here is one of my favorites, taken on our second trip to Hawaii outside of a restaurant on Maui, obviously at sunset. I thought I would also share "our song" with everyone. To no great surprise, it's from the Beatles, and I first sang it to her nearly 40 years ago in the back of Tony Gerhardstein's car. We never realized it would have as much meaning now as ever before. I still sing it to her every week--<br /><br />I Will<br /><br />Who knows how long I've loved you<br />You know I love you still<br />Will I wait a lonely lifetime<br />If you want me to I will<br /><br />For if I ever saw you<br />I didn't catch your name<br />But it never really mattered<br />I will always feel the same<br /><br />Love you forever, and for ever<br />Love you with all my heart<br />Love you whenever we're together<br />Love you when we're apart<br /><br />And when at last I find you<br />Your song will fill the air<br />Sing it loud so I can hear you<br />Make it easy to be near you<br />For the things you do endear you<br />To me oh, you know I will<br />I willJim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-79259008951796903232009-11-11T23:50:00.003-05:002009-11-12T00:22:44.837-05:00A Fitting Tribute<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxo-kiMn8uxeBk1HETqw6fN3JGY1ZfEDxLzIr8_X42Pc5tKf7rzn4PTn7N_scpjRya9Dzvsp-O2azEIEJ2j904UY0U2Tnu9YIDlm27g-ffmy2cjBRTjMmXBFki2066Qd295Sruk0t1MSn/s1600-h/P1010676.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxo-kiMn8uxeBk1HETqw6fN3JGY1ZfEDxLzIr8_X42Pc5tKf7rzn4PTn7N_scpjRya9Dzvsp-O2azEIEJ2j904UY0U2Tnu9YIDlm27g-ffmy2cjBRTjMmXBFki2066Qd295Sruk0t1MSn/s320/P1010676.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403081113128641970" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5mG7ZMZ5Ov7j0qEo2g76iEJzrpYcfcmUKWEop_bfk2aF6XJs7QrWhqGXdE6GPkAOaGbKOUZxBbKUhuacUgPOl_hX_k8LSAxW25DWId48y2a6_7m3Hd2357zPaSTKOoFb-YEErpDDKN7D/s1600-h/P1010674.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5mG7ZMZ5Ov7j0qEo2g76iEJzrpYcfcmUKWEop_bfk2aF6XJs7QrWhqGXdE6GPkAOaGbKOUZxBbKUhuacUgPOl_hX_k8LSAxW25DWId48y2a6_7m3Hd2357zPaSTKOoFb-YEErpDDKN7D/s320/P1010674.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403081103429959906" /></a><br />I went over to Badin High School today and got to see Sue Niehaus, Gina Helms, Dirk Allen, Linda Weathers and Frank Margello. I just dropped by to see the new window to the Campus Ministry Office. The picture doesn't really do the artwork justice, and it really is a work of art. I'll try to get a better picture later, but these will have to do for now. It's just to the right of the main entrance to the school, where every student walks by, every morning. Gina says it's added a lot of pressure to her job now, knowing she has a legacy to live up to every time she walks into her office.<br />I imagine there will be a lot more posts in the coming weeks approaching the one year anniversary. Not sure what we'll do yet, but I will let you know.<br />Love ya,<br />Jim (& Linda)Jim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-32258672829804981002009-09-07T18:35:00.003-04:002009-09-07T20:15:09.787-04:00StarfishHi Everybody,<br />Jim here. For some reason, I just felt like sharing a few things today. It was about this time last year that we visited a specialist in Columbus, and we switched to the last of the medications, which would only work for a few more months. Even though we would make another trip to Wilmington after that, it seems to mark the beginning of the end for me, and all the memories that come with it.<br /><br />And even though Linda has been gone for nine months now, I still see her and remember her in so many things that happen each and every day.<br /><br />I have a friend who says that whenever she finds a dime on the ground, she believes one of her departed loved ones left it and it's a sign that they are near. Last week was the first Trestle drive block party without Linda. While I was out in the driveway, one of the neighbors happened to say that he felt like Linda was still with us. Just then I happened to look down, and there on the concrete was a dime. I know it's silly, but it made me cry anyway.<br /><br />And the Starfish story keeps coming up over and over again as well. Sue Niehaus told me that the "In-service presenter" who spoke to the Badin faculty on the first day of school (and who knew nothing about Linda) used the Starfish story in his speech, and got a teary-eyed reaction from many of the teachers that surely must have confused him :)<br /><br />Thanks to so many people who donated to Linda's Scholarship fund, Badin was able to provide assistance to 21 students who otherwise might not have been able to afford the tuition. I've received some of the most heartwarming letters from these students, as well as from their parents, expressing their appreciation that so much good could come from her passing. Some of the students promise to "Pay it forward", and help other students with their tuition after they graduate. The last one that came was from a parent, and said:<br /><br /><em>I would like to sincerely thank you for the contribution from your wife's Scholarship Fund to our son.<br />"Our daughter is a senior this year and I remember when she came home from school and shared with me your wife's Starfish story that you spoke to the students about. Our daughter was deeply touched by your speech...<br />..I feel very blessed to consider our son one of your wife's "starfish".</em><br /><br /><br />Then two nights ago, out of the blue I received an email from one of Linda's past students that said:<br /><br /><em>One morning, sometime after 2 I think, during my freshman year at Notre Dame I discovered Linda's blog. That night I got caught up on all of the previous posts and then went to the grotto to light a candle and say a prayer that God would take care of your family.<br /><br />Here I am a senior, again it is the wee hours of the morning, and for whatever reason my thoughts turned to Linda.<br />Maybe it is because I am trying to write an essay about altruism. I am supposed to define altruism and then give some examples in 600 words. To a knowing audience, only two words are needed: Linda Wimmers.<br />Maybe it is just God's way of telling me to step up and be a better person, and that Linda should be my example.<br />I am going to walk over to the grotto now and light another candle for your family. Luckily, it is a football weekend and there are thousands of alumni who will visit the grotto tomorrow, light a candle, and say a prayer for all of the candles. That is a lot of prayers.<br />Just a final thought: I know that there are a lot of starfish Linda never got to, but I want to make sure you know that there are many that she did.</em><br /><br />And so I feel better knowing that Linda lives on not just in my memory, but through all the good that she did in her life and all the people who were influenced and inspired by her to be a force for good in their own lives. That's certainly been the case for me... I'm just one of the many starfish she made a difference for, and maybe the luckiest.<br /><br />Love you all,<br />Jim (& Linda)Jim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-52010671983267399432009-05-22T08:34:00.001-04:002009-05-22T08:36:25.108-04:00From Sue NiehausToday is May 18th. I am sure we are all thinking about and missing Linda this week as we remember the wonderful birthday party last year. If anyone reads this comment, how about we all submit a Linda moment or memory that celebrates her life.<br /><br />Here's mine ...It may sound crazy, but I believe it with all my heart!!!!<br />Every morning I light a candle to welcome Linda's presence. Somedays I feel her more than others, but it's a wonderful way to begin your day. Two weeks ago, I hoped that it would be a day that I truly felt her presence. I was really missing her! When I welcomed her, I got a spontaneous answer in my heart that she was busy and couldn't sit with me because she was meeting Ghandi. It was so Linda, that I knew it was her talking to me. It was a GREAT feeling!!!!!!<br />Sue NiehausJim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-55904101810473474622009-02-02T20:50:00.002-05:002009-02-02T20:53:40.704-05:00Video ContestHey everyone who still happens to be checking this blog. Andrea here. My dad told me about a contest hosted by kidneycancer.org to promote awareness of kidney cancer. So I made this video for the contest, and to keep the memory of my mom alive. The more views it gets, the better chance we have of winning the contest. So view it as often as you please, and forward it to your friends and family if you like. Thanks for your help!<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VNJlW8FNaW8&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VNJlW8FNaW8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Jim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-40332835070451243882009-01-05T21:27:00.013-05:002009-01-05T23:54:38.288-05:00The Posters<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHzu99YUa14QJlzv1O1wPEFfjdba9xarsrfQaXNaQmJ_37zkz0Cfu9FMW8amJgvd4qlfgCZXiUFD16WJ7M18M08keUYfHQzGYhyphenhyphenS6Z0lmUtobYp66Tu48fIJJCzgr6KIyeOotXT98wojD/s1600-h/Linda+Wimmers-Teacher.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288011495731500018" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHzu99YUa14QJlzv1O1wPEFfjdba9xarsrfQaXNaQmJ_37zkz0Cfu9FMW8amJgvd4qlfgCZXiUFD16WJ7M18M08keUYfHQzGYhyphenhyphenS6Z0lmUtobYp66Tu48fIJJCzgr6KIyeOotXT98wojD/s320/Linda+Wimmers-Teacher.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQguMS5k9nDq_re2CpYPO3Yomck38v55_V-IPSH7N47v6FEMNvitnLEwrUy0rIWUek37WCvNCKyNtLUSy9J7vUH8_aqebjQbiDiVxwGFbLIYLmERFvsa1vGDRmTagTdcXwPxCkeuZc5pI/s1600-h/Linda+Wimmers-Wife,+Mother+&+Grandmother.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288012914045062450" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQguMS5k9nDq_re2CpYPO3Yomck38v55_V-IPSH7N47v6FEMNvitnLEwrUy0rIWUek37WCvNCKyNtLUSy9J7vUH8_aqebjQbiDiVxwGFbLIYLmERFvsa1vGDRmTagTdcXwPxCkeuZc5pI/s320/Linda+Wimmers-Wife,+Mother+%26+Grandmother.jpg" border="0" /></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288013924453870962" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg8BDMM9JUbJtz4W2DizRQQOQSjeYATTj_fR8Z53HIib_ntYtAHlQWewvBXIP01vwZgNj2nBd-rpjBkUHqKz5nwGzK_4872b6IrF2m8sfYxC1nSfoMoQxRqUdAzBvJ2aftqWUz0K5WxV4U/s320/Linda+Wimmers-Linda%27s+Journey+Through+the+Years.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKhYo7yf2pjQjifYukNGf5XhoGAoKp4fSZCXTb26VLgz66pGlFQpfTCiUmN-ydWG1V-WyhPYh7sl_6aJBgD783rXJww-D8e1PmiNHmxBplv7-EhvHvhV3EA0ZbnkibQNMg_4LMcKZMW5B/s1600-h/Linda+Wimmers-Daughter,Sister,Aunt,Niece,+Cousin..jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288020370930542354" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKhYo7yf2pjQjifYukNGf5XhoGAoKp4fSZCXTb26VLgz66pGlFQpfTCiUmN-ydWG1V-WyhPYh7sl_6aJBgD783rXJww-D8e1PmiNHmxBplv7-EhvHvhV3EA0ZbnkibQNMg_4LMcKZMW5B/s320/Linda+Wimmers-Daughter,Sister,Aunt,Niece,+Cousin..jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvqTvt_CJ19xwk6C61TE0Xw7DDONLZUv-C3kogk9gwxBFtPBqnkdivL1xwS-Hy4EajZlQzDEHPCyk9oqq6aswREeZ-0_osQfI9rkVIsUnXxyDkjhwuiYkFTdG2ZcEfZ7Koe8eiEg7FViO/s1600-h/Linda+Wimmers-Friends+&+Neighbors.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288019057704564754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvqTvt_CJ19xwk6C61TE0Xw7DDONLZUv-C3kogk9gwxBFtPBqnkdivL1xwS-Hy4EajZlQzDEHPCyk9oqq6aswREeZ-0_osQfI9rkVIsUnXxyDkjhwuiYkFTdG2ZcEfZ7Koe8eiEg7FViO/s320/Linda+Wimmers-Friends+%26+Neighbors.jpg" border="0" /></a>Hi Everybody,<br /><br /><br />Jim here again. If you read Brittny Dudley's comment on the last post (or if you tried to attend), you know that the prayer service didn't take place on the 23rd. You may recall that was the night of freezing rain, and Badin had to cancel all their events. Since all the ex-Badin students who planned to attend are back at college, Gina Helms is going to try and arrange something in May, (perhaps on Linda's birthday, May 21st).<br /><br /><br /><br /><div>That night I had intended to bring the collages that Jay Jackson (husband of Andrea's longtime gradeschool and highschool friend, Susan Wenner Jackson) had prepared for Linda's visitation. Since that didn't happen I've decided to post them here. If you click on the picture, you get a fairly high resolution image. </div><br /><p>Also, if you'd like the 50 minute video of the Remembrences we recorded at Linda's visitation, send me an email at <a href="mailto:jwimmers@cinci.rr.com">jwimmers@cinci.rr.com</a> with your address. Let me know if you want a DVD or CD(Windows Media Player format).<br /><br />I haven't decided how to end the blog yet, for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, it will be hard to say goodbye to everyone who traveled this road with us. Also, I'm not sure what my parting comments would/should be. And finally, Andrea and Sue Niehaus are encouraging me to keep it open at least till the prayer service takes place. So we'll see what happens.</p><br />Bye for now,<br />Luv ya,<br />JimJim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-7473123712142784022008-12-19T13:12:00.002-05:002008-12-19T13:20:59.936-05:00A Prayer ServiceHi Everyone, Jim here.<br />I've spoken with Gina Helms of Badin High School (where Linda taught). She says there are a large group of students who were away at school during Linda's funeral, and they asked her to organize a prayer service next week when they are back in town. Gina told me that it would last about an hour, and that there's no reason to limit attendance to just students, so I just wanted to let everyone know about it in case they'd like to attend.<br />The Details---<br />Location: Badin High School, 571 new London Rd., Hamilton, OH 45013<br />Date: Tuesday, Dec. 23rd<br />Time: 7:00pm<br /><br />fyi, I'm planning just a few more posts after this, and then wrapping up the blog...Jim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-89390475065487509982008-12-11T15:42:00.004-05:002008-12-11T16:03:36.373-05:00EulogiesHi everybody - Tony and Andrea here, with a long post. We're including the eulogies we gave at the funeral mass for those of you who were unable to attend. We hope our words help you to recall mom's spirit and some fond memories.<br /><br />We also want everyone to know that dad will be posting later with copies of the photo collages from the visitation.<br /><br />Tony's eulogy:<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="color:#003300;">Any of you who knew my mom even remotely knew about her purity of heart. That might make you think of all kinds of examples, but for me, it’s this one: If you were fairly close to her, like a family member or close friend, and say, you were sitting together or even standing together, and you moved in to where you were both touching, she did this thing where she would just kind of <em>melt</em>. If you look again at a lot of your pictures of her with another person, you can just see that in her whole body language.<br /><br />Many of you know how special that felt, but when you combine that with the tenderness of a mother’s love, well, the rest of you can only imagine. Then again, I bet her students know exactly what I’m talking about.<br /><br />There was actually a time not so long ago when motherhood was one of the furthest things from her mind. At the age of 23 she found out, quite overwhelmingly, that she was pregnant with me just four or five months into her marriage to a husband who was still in school. Two years later, she was even more overwhelmed to learn she was pregnant again, this time with a child in the house who wasn’t yet a toddler, and a husband who was still in school.<br /><br />But in over thirty years, not a day went by when Andrea and I didn’t feel that we weren’t exactly what she wanted all along.<br /><br />And of course today we still feel that. But on top of that, it’s been such a blessing for us, and such a powerful experience, to be able to talk to people who knew her outside of our own family and look at her bigger legacy. When you step back, you begin to see these patterns in her life story. She was an educator, but beyond that she was a mentor and a guide to so many of her students. She had amazing friendships, and she kept up with them. And then over the decades, those bonds just grew and grew, and drew in more and more people, and she was always making this web of connections between her old friends, new friends, students and family. And then she would go the next step and use those connections in projects for outreach to people in need, reaching out to even <em>more</em> people and making even <em>more</em> bonds.<br /><br />My mom kept a printed, framed proverb on the dresser in my old bedroom that says, “Keep a green tree in your heart and a singing bird will come,” which I guess is another way of saying, keep an open heart and you’ll get a wonderful reward. I think her biggest influence on people was just that – her open heart. And I know that of course it came naturally for her, but I also witnessed her working on it every day. However, that’s not what impresses me the most. What impresses me the most is that she regarded <em>each of us</em> as the reward she received for keeping her heart as open and as vibrant as she did.<br /><br />It doesn’t quite end there. You also could tell she was still looking for a little something more. She went into the Kairos student retreats and into her volunteer work always hoping to learn something more about the really big questions, like Why are we here, and What can we possibly do about all the suffering in the world, and How do we work our religious traditions into our everyday life? And while I think the relationships in her life actually reached a certain kind of perfection, her spiritual journey was something that never ended. It was a journey where she saw more in front of her than she did behind her. And so I’m sure she would be so happy, and relieved, to know that those of us here are going to pick up right where she left off. Especially her nieces, nephews, grandchild, and students. Although it turns out that all of us were really her students.</span></blockquote><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Andrea's eulogy: </p><blockquote><span style="color:#003300;">Of the many, many things my mom taught me over the years, two stick out. One was to always bring a book to read when I go to the hairdresser, in case I have to wait. Mom couldn’t stand wasting time. The other was to always be positive. Which she taught by example more than anything. When we first learned that her cancer had metastasized in September last year, we all were so scared and devastated. Everyone was afraid to ask the question, how long did she have to live. Finally, she asked my dad if he knew. He looked at her with tears welling in his eyes and said, “about half the people with this cancer live a year”. And she said, “A whole year!?” She couldn’t believe the luck. She had a whole year to enjoy the beauties of life.<br /><br />As my mom taught me to do, I want to reflect on the positive side of her illness. While it finally took her away from us, it first brought her to us all on a much deeper level. We all got to experience what strength, friendship, and love my mom was really capable of. When she had such bad symptoms that would have kept many of us in bed, she got up and showered, and somehow found the strength to attend neighborhood parties, dance at weddings, tutor a neighbor’s son in math, make her unborn grandson a blanket, go to the store and pick out a sweater for her niece’s birthday present, make brownies for her visiting children, and fly to Wilmington 4 times to visit her grandson. Even if it was just doing a load of laundry or the dishes, my mom did as much as she could possibly do every day, and she never once complained. I am in awe of her strength and it will inspire me for the rest of my life.<br /><br />In the past year, we also got to experience, particularly through her blog, what real love and friendship are all about. Every one who met her became her close friend. She attracted people to her because she was deeply interested in everyone she met. She made everyone feel special. When we met to plan this mass on Monday, Father Greg mentioned that he felt that he and my mom were soul mates. I feel the same way. I wonder how many other people feel that way. And I think that while we all felt this special connection with my mom, none of us knew how many other people out there did, too, until this past year. The outpouring of support for her has been overwhelming. A lifetime of kindness to all of you was repaid to her during her most difficult time.<br /><br />I have also been astounded by the students who graduated five and six years ago and stayed in contact with and supported my mom as close friends. So many of them said that she touched their lives in and out of the classroom. And many of them who went on to become teachers themselves have said that she is their inspiration. She has certainly touched thousands of lives through teaching.<br /><br />And so, the most appropriate tribute that we can all pay to my mom is to learn from her example of how to lead a generous life filled with deep friendships, and there is no telling how many more thousands of lives she can better with her love. Smile at people you meet on the street. Don’t talk bad about people behind their backs. Look at the bright side. Do an act of charity this Christmas. Throw parties just for the heck of it. Love your friends and family with boundless, unconditional love. One day, if you’re lucky, it will all be paid back to you.<br /><br /><br />Finally, I would like to say a word of thanks to everyone who has been a part of my mom’s life. My parents’ neighbors have been tremendous, bringing food and organizing get-togethers. You’ll never know how much the parties meant to my mom.<br /><br />To everyone who sent a card, gift, flowers, and food to my mom, she gained strength from each and every small and large kindness, including blog comments. Thank you.<br /><br />All of my mom’s friends have been so generous and helpful in planning for my mom’s memorial, especially Sue Niehaus, Pam Roorbach, Schwabbie, Patti Haumesser, Sue Burns, and Susan and Jay Jackson. We could not have done it without you.<br /><br />Dad, thank you for sharing mom with us. You did everything you could to give her the best quality of life possible, to see that she lived to see her grandson and saw him so many times, you put your life on hold, you were caregiver, doctor, nurse, husband, and friend. You did all of this without a second thought, without once complaining. We are all indebted to you.<br /><br />Mom, I miss you. You were so much more than a mother to me; you were a best friend. I will miss talking to you every day and asking your advice, going shopping, watching tennis, walking on the beach, playing SET, making cookies, and so much more. I will always love you. Thank you, mom, for bringing all of us together.</span></blockquote>Jim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-29138267841429806872008-12-06T16:30:00.006-05:002008-12-06T19:44:37.762-05:00More RemembrancesAndrea asked me to post a few more talks from Tuesday night. I hope you're not tired of watching these yet--I've watched them several times myself. The first is from Linda's "Kairos buddy" and fellow Badin teacher Sue Niehaus. The second is from our friends from Montreal, JD, Greg and Berta, who flew down to come to the funeral. We know them because the company I work for used to be part of their company---almost five years ago. Just another testament to how quickly Linda made friends, and how deep those friendships were. I still have to post the eulogies from Tony and Andrea, and I plan to put up the collages we showed at the visitation as well.<br />Luv ya, Jim<br /><OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-b17a8d16a06f265d height=266 width=320 contentId="b17a8d16a06f265d"></OBJECT><br /><OBJECT class=BLOG_video_class id=BLOG_video-292d95f489c3f645 height=266 width=320 contentId="292d95f489c3f645"></OBJECT>Jim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-60685702998894343742008-12-03T18:26:00.004-05:002008-12-03T20:14:57.472-05:00Remembrances<p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx2hUZ2ekomcSvbvsONuz9hisOwHN-ttt3esGaAcgnrsjozIAjFeet037-t2jr5OM7FWcUD8FNT7GvswGeBVw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p>It's Wednesday night and Tony, Beth, Andrea, Chris, Eli and I have said goodbye to the last guests from Linda's Mass today. It was a wonderful ceremony that we hope Linda was happy with. Sometime later, I hope to post Tony and Andrea's eulogies, but that will have to wait for a while.</p><p>Last night at the visitation, over 500 people stopped by to say goodbye and tell us how Linda affected their lives in one way or another. While it was exhausting to say the least, it was gratifying to me to see all of her friends in one place and to finally put faces to all the names of students I had heard Linda talk about over the years.</p><p>As promised, during the last hour Tuesday night we met in the worship area and swapped stories about Linda. Some were funny, some were poignant but all were Linda. We recorded the whole thing, and above is one of the many memories that were shared.</p><p>So now it's your turn. If you weren't able to attend, or didn't get a chance to speak, we invite you now to post your favorite memory of Linda with the rest of us in the comments section. we'd love to hear from all of you.</p><p>Luv ya,</p><p>Jim</p>Jim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-80817754506023831202008-11-30T18:49:00.005-05:002008-11-30T21:07:54.537-05:00Remembering Linda<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazgsFOqc1j17U0PWkQhOYV267wruQrom6hx1kW1MbmgiZZKXFr1w4dS2-gzEIfFAKf4wetrrV2Q9-K-n6WhiT38TlLn9vNXliVfNqnU3e68n5HnuMnQyo9l_8jnZrC-XsKQ5_S6OXK8B2/s1600-h/LindaWimmersBlackAndWhite.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274602084024604786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 232px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazgsFOqc1j17U0PWkQhOYV267wruQrom6hx1kW1MbmgiZZKXFr1w4dS2-gzEIfFAKf4wetrrV2Q9-K-n6WhiT38TlLn9vNXliVfNqnU3e68n5HnuMnQyo9l_8jnZrC-XsKQ5_S6OXK8B2/s320/LindaWimmersBlackAndWhite.jpg" border="0" /></a>We invite all of you to join us in celebrating Linda’s life. A visitation will be held from 5-9 pm on Tuesday, December 2 at St. John the Evangelist Church, 9080 Cincinnati-Dayton Road, West Chester. From 8-9 pm, a podium will be available to give everyone an opportunity to share favorite stories about Linda.<br /><br />We will also have a large display of our favorite pictures of Linda at the visitation. We invite anyone attending to bring a favorite picture of Linda. A blank poster board will be available to display your pictures. (If you would like your pictures returned, please mark them clearly.)<br /><br />A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 9:30 am on Wednesday, December 3, also at St. John the Evangelist Church.<br /><br />Memorial donations may be directed to the Linda J. Wimmers Scholarship Fund at Badin High School (<a href="http://www.badinhs.org/index.asp">http://www.badinhs.org/index.asp</a>) or to the Karama Connection (<a href="http://www.karamaconnection.org/">http://www.karamaconnection.org/</a>).Jim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-75744610147577152072008-11-29T08:58:00.003-05:002008-11-29T15:35:15.194-05:00Journey's End<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiVJNmToeInOJkzRZHP31m8WFJDDYMePiYbWvi5P9z3v0uq2H_dRBo4nGL35-7QQhb-xubGPE5fexjnFnqxxWWR4UvfafPBXwXsCr_9_9fHmW61x2WInH4xRTFjAiTv_rlmZffxrawHCUz/s1600-h/momsBadinPictureFinal.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274178304970198242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 261px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiVJNmToeInOJkzRZHP31m8WFJDDYMePiYbWvi5P9z3v0uq2H_dRBo4nGL35-7QQhb-xubGPE5fexjnFnqxxWWR4UvfafPBXwXsCr_9_9fHmW61x2WInH4xRTFjAiTv_rlmZffxrawHCUz/s320/momsBadinPictureFinal.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Thank you for following us on this long, tender journey. Surrounded by love and prayers, Linda ended her battle with cancer at 4:15 AM this morning. She was courageous, generous, and beautiful until the end. We thank you all so much for your support of her and of us throughout the past year and a half, for your prayers, and hugs. Words cannot express how much she will be missed, but she made the world a better place and we will take comfort in knowing that she made all of us better, too. We also take comfort knowing that she has gone to her richly deserved reward and is once again the life of the party. </div><div></div><br /><div>In spite of all the pain we feel immensely grateful to be able to share in all the deep friendships that Linda spent her life nurturing between all of us. Because of this it's clear to us that we are the lucky ones in this struggle, and though it's hard to take consolation in that thought right now, we have faith that together with you we can look forward to a time not too far out when our wounds begin to heal and her memory will be a great strength and source of warmth in our lives.</div><div></div><br /><div>We'll post again later with some more information and details of the arrangements, as well as other remembrances of Linda's life. In the meantime we love you all.</div><div> </div><div>Andrea, Tony and Jim </div>Jim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-23112611442815615462008-11-25T14:10:00.003-05:002008-11-25T16:06:24.228-05:00HospiceJim again. Linda's condition continued to deteriorate over the weekend. By Monday, she was becoming less responsive and a bit disoriented. She has not left the bedroom since Friday, and only gets out of bed to use the bathroom. There was no way we would be able to get her to the doctor's office for her shot tomorrow, and according to the doctor, the injection was likely to cause fever and chills and other flu-like symptoms as well. I didn't want her to be any more uncomfortable that she already was, so after speaking with her doctor yesterday, I made the difficult decision to discontinue treatment and call Hospice. He felt that her condition is being caused by disease progression and was irreversible at this point.<br />Linda is not in any pain, not taking any pain medication, seems to sleep comfortably at night and rests comfortably but fitfully during the day. There is an army of neighbors standing by for anything she or I need. Tony arrived last night, and Andrea, Chris and Eli are expected any minute. So please don't worry, we are doing as well as can be expected for now.<br />In fact, Andrea and the gang just got in, so I have to go. Linda most likely won't be writing the posts from here on out, but I read all the comments to her as they arrive, and she receives strength and comfort from each and every message. We'll keep you posted, as they say. <br />Luv ya,<br />JimJim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-21924764603533589212008-11-23T11:08:00.003-05:002008-11-23T13:08:20.425-05:00More bad newsI'm sorry to have to share this news with everyone, but things have not gone well since the last post. Linda is sleeping much, much more than usual and has had to start using pain medication on a regular basis. We saw the doctor on Friday and he told us that the most recent CT scan from 14 Nov showed the cancer was spreading again. Apparently the scan that was done on Oct 28th didn't show the new sites because it was done without contrast. He said it was clear that the Nexavar had stopped working.<br /> His only recommendation was to try yet another drug (Avastin) that is used for other types of cancer but has had some success in clinical trials. There are more IVs involved, as well as other injections, so it will take some time for it to work, if it works at all. And time is not something that Linda has right now. Linda has bounced backed before after the other medications have stopped working, but she has never been this sick. She has trouble getting out of bed now, and getting to the doctor's has been even more difficult and painful for her. We will continue to hope, but we also know that we have to be realistic.<br /> The kids will be here for Thanksgiving, and we are looking forward to spending the weekend together. We'll just have to wait and see what happens after that.<br />Luv ya,<br />JimJim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-1790112676052067262008-11-20T13:34:00.002-05:002008-11-20T13:40:56.878-05:00Technical ProblemsApparently, some people have not been getting their email notifications of the new postings. If you never got one before, that's because I didn't have your email address. (Don't post it in the comments!) If you used to get them, it appears some people stopped getting them around October 3rd. Hopefully the problem is fixed now. Check the blog directly if you want to see the posts you might have missed. <a href="http://www.advantagelinda.blogspot.com/">www.advantagelinda.blogspot.com</a><br /><br />JimJim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-74889408721415686012008-11-17T10:27:00.002-05:002008-11-17T11:16:43.911-05:00Not a Good WeekI swear, it seems as if the minute I mention good news on this blog, things go to hell in a hand cart. After last Monday's post when everything looked stable, Linda started getting abdominal pains that night. She didn't get much rest, so we graduated from Tylenol to some more heavy duty pain medication, which let her sleep most of the day.<br /><br /> Wednesday, things seem to be back to normal, but then Wednesday night the pains returned and got really, really bad. I spoke to the doctor Thursday morning and he recommended a higher pain medication dose that made it tolerable, and we went to see him Friday afternoon. Needless to say, traveling to the doctor's office was no fun for Linda. After getting a Demerol IV in his office, he sent us down to the emergency room at Christ hospital for yet another CT scan, as he was concerned that there were some liver problems, based on the location of the pain.<br /><br /> So our trip to the doctor ended up being another long day, as we didn't get home until 8:30 Friday evening. The good news is that they didn't find anything to explain the pain, but then that's the bad news too. Except for the trip to the doctor/ER, Linda had been in bed since Wednesday night. But by Saturday night the pain was gone again, and Linda was insistent on going to her cousin's fundraiser. As some of you may know, Connie Naber helped build a hospice and orphanage for HIV positive children in Tanzania (<a href="http://www.karamaconnection.org/">www.karamaconnection.org</a>), and Linda had been planning on making one of the trips to Africa with Connie, when we found out her cancer had returned. (If you happen to be looking for a worthwhile charity to contribute to, this is a good one.)<br /><br /> So come hell or high water, we were going out Saturday night! As it turned out, it was a great opportunity for us to see all the Naber clan, and we had a great time. As of this Monday morning, Linda's abdominal pain is still there but minimal, and she's had to rest more than usual to recover from the weekend's events. That's all for now.<br /><br />Thanks for all your concern and support,<br />JimJim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-26472342853960202008-11-10T11:19:00.000-05:002008-11-10T11:46:52.239-05:00A Quick UpdateLots to tell, just no time to tell it! So I'll have to make this quick.<br />For those of you keeping score at home, The CT scan results are in, and after some initial confusion at Christ Hospital, the radiologist's conclusion is that there has been no significant changes in the tumors since the August 5th scan. This is really the best that we could have hoped for. It means that Linda has been "progression free" for almost 3 months. Bhandari said he continues to be surprised, as Linda is the only patient in his experience for whom Nexavar has been effective after "progressing" on Sutent.<br />Unfortunately, there have been some downsides as well. Linda needed a blood transfusion again last Thursday, making it twice in the last three weeks. Foot sores have been very painful, and Linda has been suffering through a severe bout of chronic fatigue. So right now, we're trying to make the best of it, and looking forward to Thanksgiving with the kids.<br />I'll try to fill in the rest of the details later when I have more time.<br />TTFN,<br />JimJim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-46542509336628951932008-11-04T22:22:00.009-05:002008-11-04T23:44:59.463-05:00You mean the Bengals actually won a game?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdSU8CkOP8RK3lXHDQItEqhgjgDf7jvrs7zJ72F2fp0qpaahlZmZ8IMmR2fh99be0KVRY9BY_UIylP4gNHsfmNUiEREKj1ksyl8asSZ73golXbh6eNEvAo2jyp_rPVfu-MonmIr5ZR4Kb/s1600-h/P1010371.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265022371539664898" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdSU8CkOP8RK3lXHDQItEqhgjgDf7jvrs7zJ72F2fp0qpaahlZmZ8IMmR2fh99be0KVRY9BY_UIylP4gNHsfmNUiEREKj1ksyl8asSZ73golXbh6eNEvAo2jyp_rPVfu-MonmIr5ZR4Kb/s320/P1010371.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Yes that's right Elliot,for the first time in your life, the Bengals actually won! And you know what? Before you're old and gray, they might even win another one if your lucky! Ok, maybe that's not what he was smiling about. Maybe he was just happy to see his Grandma again. Linda was feeling well enough to travel, so we got down to Wilmington this past weekend. It's not as easy anymore for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that they eliminated the direct flight, so it's now an 8 hour trip door to door. We also had power problems at the townhome for the second trip in a row, which meant we didn't get to sleep until 2:30 in the morning. The main purpose of the trip was to spend Elliot's first Halloween together. His costume was getting early rave reviews, so we wanted to see it in person. And we weren't disappointed-- he pegged the cuteness meter again. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYh2jHBld0R2p_3XaWF_v2vNTuwJkkLa6LsJ7wJyf_Ephoa_3vTKDSXq06s_PI4DWzIBn7AV0Y6zdUbDy5soZKxOkBEns-g2ZxtKBlpHYaLNMTQI0pGv6JfMfOk7Cx4WBkQ9R8Mg9D-xIg/s1600-h/Picture+130.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265023202022245058" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYh2jHBld0R2p_3XaWF_v2vNTuwJkkLa6LsJ7wJyf_Ephoa_3vTKDSXq06s_PI4DWzIBn7AV0Y6zdUbDy5soZKxOkBEns-g2ZxtKBlpHYaLNMTQI0pGv6JfMfOk7Cx4WBkQ9R8Mg9D-xIg/s320/Picture+130.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXImDrNBceQf_U7zK3G2pMex2q7EoqaJsBUjUefMqgdOGHB0w6PyBV5DmuUGJYWi_N5KneOQOiLFnZHcqDuPVoPIdXQu9dZdQa-a2D_e27skQTmoLREPVltYsrAAl7oO-qbrRSTqU9Nrc/s1600-h/Picture+137.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265024525661159954" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXImDrNBceQf_U7zK3G2pMex2q7EoqaJsBUjUefMqgdOGHB0w6PyBV5DmuUGJYWi_N5KneOQOiLFnZHcqDuPVoPIdXQu9dZdQa-a2D_e27skQTmoLREPVltYsrAAl7oO-qbrRSTqU9Nrc/s320/Picture+137.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNavVyDVTz-_Zjza_q_SBd70Z9CD8kEqHKM3hDwiVMh4vucfIOEMygNlAFkfL4BOTF6GQXSbfFRPFtYAVg-HN2a_J2B_VixJlwfojGhvI3yos0ZdlVr9Gv30vXvaMOSjsnGfDyCsN-EI3C/s1600-h/Picture+138.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265027680464164226" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNavVyDVTz-_Zjza_q_SBd70Z9CD8kEqHKM3hDwiVMh4vucfIOEMygNlAFkfL4BOTF6GQXSbfFRPFtYAVg-HN2a_J2B_VixJlwfojGhvI3yos0ZdlVr9Gv30vXvaMOSjsnGfDyCsN-EI3C/s320/Picture+138.jpg" border="0" /></a>So it didn't matter much that Elliot had no idea what was going on-- he was warm and comfortable, his parents and grandparents had a great time showing him around the neighborhood and eating the four pieces of candy he collected in his mini-bucket.</div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div>The trip back was a marathon as well, since we were delayed out of Wilmington and missed our connection in Atlanta. (Like that's never happened to anyone before.) But we made it back late Monday, in time to vote today and make it to the blood test tomorrow. We will see Bhandari on Friday for the first time in a month. Btw, he had some very sad news of his own. While he was in India visiting with his parents, his father passed away unexpectedly. We talked with the nurses at the Bethesda ATC, and we're still trying to decide the best way to express our condolences and at the same time honor his father. Any suggestions?</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Also we are anxious to get the results of the CT scan from last Tuesday. We will certainly hear no later than this Friday, and we'll let you know what we find out. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>That's all for now.</div><br /><div>Luv ya,</div><br /><div>Linda and Jim</div>Jim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-29100248105735411832008-10-24T09:50:00.003-04:002008-10-24T10:37:01.567-04:00An Up and Down OctoberOh, my! It's hard to believe that it's been so long since I've written to all of you. For those of you still checking in, I certainly appreciate your patience.<br /><br />When we left you the last time I was being treated for the infection on my hand and off of the Nexavar for the weekend. Well, that really through me for a loop and for a few days I felt worse than I ever have. Fortunately, once back on the medication I gradually started to feel better and get back to my regular routine. Since then I've had some really good days when I could go out (like Pam's 50th birthday party and a sorority dinner) and some days when I just had to lay on the couch and recoup. This week I was pretty lethargic, but then we found out that my hemoglobin was low again, so I got another pint of blood yesterday. Usually this does the trick, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. The next set of scans is next Tuesday, but we won't find out the results for a little while after that because Dr. Bahndari is in India right now. We'll keep you posted.<br /><br />We're looking forward to next weekend when we travel again to see Eli (the cutest baby in the world), Andrea and Chris. Eli's going to be a pea pod on Halloween, so you may see a picture or two of him the next time! Obviously, we're anxious to see how he's grown and changed since the last time we were down there.<br /><br />I guess that's it for now. As always, thanks a million for all of the continued thoughts and prayers. They keep me going in ways you cannot imagine.<br /><br />Love ya! LindaJim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-7600738207223983732008-10-05T14:58:00.002-04:002008-10-05T16:02:46.371-04:00It's a heck of a year to be born a Bengals fan...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1vDTpRHioVnBjZ67KYqjSSbNpfUSuzNdC6pTT4WvWX_uz5nmut5yRKwtej9xJGmbIXjftymZyXwHWtPlt7I1N20LkSSugWTzyq6_HEhPKQXH4Nd-uxWiAy7Cdd6NeWXc4uy-WIqZnwhG/s1600-h/P1010011.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253761304426199058" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1vDTpRHioVnBjZ67KYqjSSbNpfUSuzNdC6pTT4WvWX_uz5nmut5yRKwtej9xJGmbIXjftymZyXwHWtPlt7I1N20LkSSugWTzyq6_HEhPKQXH4Nd-uxWiAy7Cdd6NeWXc4uy-WIqZnwhG/s320/P1010011.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Hi Everybody,</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Linda, Jim and Tony here. We're having a quiet, restful Sunday afternoon right now, waiting for the Bengal's game to start and get their weekly butt-kicking. Tony came home Thursday night and plans to drive up to Madison tomorrow and then drive back next weekend, when Beth will fly in to meet him here. Last weekend, we had a great visit in Wilmington. We went furniture shopping, and picked out some bedroom furniture so we wouldn't have to live out of suitcases at the town home. Can you believe Linda picked out both a bedroom and a comforter in only two days?</div><br /><div>Eli is old enough to go out on some of these trips, and Andrea and Chris are able to go out to dinner with Eli in tow. He's been really well behaved on these trips. At home, his nickname is "Squirmy Worm", because of the way he moves all of his limbs when he's on the floor. He's also growing like a weed, weighing over 11lbs now. Hard to believe he's eleven weeks old already. You may recognize Eli's picture from Andrea and Chris' website. Sorry Andrea, but it was too cute to only use once. Sunday night, we got to have dinner with Jeff Tarvin, who was coming in to stay at one of his many homes in Carolina Beach (inside joke). The Tarvins, you may remember, are our high school and college friends who opened their home to us when we were visiting Beth Israel Hospital in Boston.</div><br /><div>Obviously, for us to do all those things, Linda was feeling pretty good and the Nexavar seemed to be working well. We went out twice with Tony Friday and Saturday. Unfortunately, the side effects caught up with her this week. Nexavar causes blisters to form on the hands and feet, and Linda had one on her knuckle that got infected. Her fingertips also get very sore and makes things such as buttoning buttons and zipping zippers very difficult. When we saw Bhandari on Friday, he was very concerned about the infection and started Linda on IV and oral antibiotics right away. He also said to stop taking Nexavar for the weekend. While the infection seems to be clearing up, Linda is already noticing the absence of the cancer fighting drug. She's stuck on the couch feeling a little puny right now. We're looking forward to Monday just to get back to the regular drug regimen</div><br /><div>That's all for now. Go Bengals!</div><div>Linda, Jim and Tony</div>Jim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-79413461437352443122008-09-17T15:55:00.002-04:002008-09-17T16:24:12.659-04:00Time does fly!Hello, everyone!<br />Linda here... I know it's been a while since we've sent an update and I apologize for that. I'll try to catch you up on the last couple of weeks.<br />On the health front:<br />I'm now up to the full dose of Nexavar, which is the drug recommended by the doctor that we visited in Columbus. It seems to be working pretty well now. The one downside is that a side effect of the medicine is blisters on the hands and feet. I have experienced that a little bit, but nothing too traumatic so far. And I still have days when my energy level is very low, but, overall, I think I'm doing a little better than I was a few weeks ago. I just never know from day to day how I'm going to feel. But I have been able to go to dinner and get out once in a while, so that really keeps me going.<br />On the grandma front:<br />I can hardly believe that Elliot (the cutest baby in all the world!) is going to be 2 months old tomorrow! Fortunately we have a web cam on our computer, so we've been able to "see" him regularly and how much he has grown. Next Wednesday we are going down to visit them and stay for about 5 days. Can't wait to see them and give Eli a big hug once again.<br />On the weather front:<br />Last Sunday's wind storm was certainly a tragedy for many people in our area. Fortunately, we just had lots of debris in the yard and only lost power for about 6 hours. We hope all of you are doing OK now. This type of event certainly makes us grateful for all that we have.<br />I guess that's it for now. I'll try to be better the next time about the updates. <br />Love you all!<br />LindaJim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-82260708539215919312008-08-30T19:09:00.009-04:002008-08-31T13:30:21.624-04:00Who are all these people, and why do they keep taking my picture?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUGLc55Xp-aL4CMZQ1kGlsPv5SbiHw5oW_Fi5YRsZPcFHPmBdNShyphenhyphengnA0O59Yh5EQaRa6dvg8VgEFeFqO2pdeQTLu2t0Ds3t1JkSgCO327_rCeUhtY5tGZeg8ZO2m0bG0gj-RNg6c0OAM/s1600-h/P1010305.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240452394122208354" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUGLc55Xp-aL4CMZQ1kGlsPv5SbiHw5oW_Fi5YRsZPcFHPmBdNShyphenhyphengnA0O59Yh5EQaRa6dvg8VgEFeFqO2pdeQTLu2t0Ds3t1JkSgCO327_rCeUhtY5tGZeg8ZO2m0bG0gj-RNg6c0OAM/s320/P1010305.JPG" border="0" /></a>Hi everybody. Well the Nexavar arrived on Wednesday, and Linda is slowly increasing the daily dose; she's up to half the final recommended dose, so it's too soon to tell how effective it will be, and also too soon to tell how severe the side effects will be. In the meantime, Linda has had to deal with more fevers than usual, which tend to make her feel really crappy.<br /><br /><br /><br />The week's main event of course was the arrival of Elliot, the cutest baby you ever laid eyes on. Oh yeah, Andrea and Chris came too. Good thing, 'cause it's been a while since Jim and Linda took care of a 5 week old baby. Thanks to Andrea's friend Susan (the Cincinnati Susan), who lent us a whole bunch of her baby stuff, and what she didn't have, she went out and bought.<br /><br /><br />A lot of people stopped by to see THE BABY, and Elliot showed off for them all, eating and sleeping and burping and pooping his heart out. Needless to say, we had a great time. The Talleys left yesterday, and Tony comes back from a trip to Madison tonight, so we have had lots of quality time with the kids.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLAGErJ90E25NdyGJb0wQb4NvncMqeDmXPyAjBL-FMcIW7NAJSBgv28_Vy_aNVxYvC5lNNtRTH16ra6stHxNoePfPQMH_gTo_4NfsZB_i13oelAWRcG7o6dzIDxbyOj4TwR7m1yDxXdPE/s1600-h/P1010298.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240464084714454242" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLAGErJ90E25NdyGJb0wQb4NvncMqeDmXPyAjBL-FMcIW7NAJSBgv28_Vy_aNVxYvC5lNNtRTH16ra6stHxNoePfPQMH_gTo_4NfsZB_i13oelAWRcG7o6dzIDxbyOj4TwR7m1yDxXdPE/s320/P1010298.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4SfxCxDZLtpzeUtzV47curlSIXloVtY6xsjruvaBnBhCWuwjdZqT5p5RyeAMGKd3tHgRLf-9L886Bnn9dj8U_AoJVeYDmJ96sMPuiBIVMOZNKXQ-rTG5g0fH7tMfnU3LU8d08ZOp2VUKK/s1600-h/P1010308.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240466166451791826" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4SfxCxDZLtpzeUtzV47curlSIXloVtY6xsjruvaBnBhCWuwjdZqT5p5RyeAMGKd3tHgRLf-9L886Bnn9dj8U_AoJVeYDmJ96sMPuiBIVMOZNKXQ-rTG5g0fH7tMfnU3LU8d08ZOp2VUKK/s320/P1010308.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht8N7DkgZ4X5ebu9c2lEKyGNGCHa8Ll3jIKKa6XmbhWitZU6VTyEGacd_VkCPr86tWqPNeA46tHxhwkJtQNqxJtqKwFrq-ToIqn8w6Z0DIyhlqMimBdsozC_Jb6HkJztw1VMwrPch2nZzd/s1600-h/P1010319.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240466911392307554" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht8N7DkgZ4X5ebu9c2lEKyGNGCHa8Ll3jIKKa6XmbhWitZU6VTyEGacd_VkCPr86tWqPNeA46tHxhwkJtQNqxJtqKwFrq-ToIqn8w6Z0DIyhlqMimBdsozC_Jb6HkJztw1VMwrPch2nZzd/s320/P1010319.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />These are just a few of the people Elliot entertained. A lot more pictures are on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30054847@N06/">Flickr.com</a>. Search "wimmersfamily" under "People".<br /><br />Love ya,<br />Linda and JimJim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-49230999825736410152008-08-24T21:20:00.001-04:002008-08-24T21:22:31.886-04:00Hi everybody,<br /><br />On Friday we drove up to Columbus to consult with a specialist at Ohio State, Dr. Olencki, for a second opinion. At first we thought the trip might be pretty fruitless, but it turned out to be very informative, and hopeful. Dr. Olencki had a different opinion about one of the options we weren’t considering before, involving a drug called Nexavar. A lot of oncologists differ about whether it’s effective in cases like these, but he felt very strongly that it was worth a chance. However, we’ll have to consult with Dr. Bhandari to coordinate a course of treatment. We’ll keep you updated on that.<br /><br />Tony and Beth came home this weekend and got a chance to hang out at the annual block party with us, and Andrea and Chris are coming up with Elliot on Monday!<br /><br />Thanks, and we love you,<br /><br />Linda, Jim and TonyJim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214079752487848405.post-47934600155590769512008-08-17T18:54:00.003-04:002008-08-18T19:10:50.098-04:00Not great news<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjozp8qa4_ZSzRAtVUmaf-rG3WLRhP_iYDFkvBG1AeGTKhpMNlTTNH2Z2I32XT7UnyhgOkmYJOP1PypZSmjnjJLfkfR63dc_sezU4AxEm9B82RU1Hirwzx4w-0BH5SowmRF0JKIV-Z4hlqM/s1600-h/P1010256.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjozp8qa4_ZSzRAtVUmaf-rG3WLRhP_iYDFkvBG1AeGTKhpMNlTTNH2Z2I32XT7UnyhgOkmYJOP1PypZSmjnjJLfkfR63dc_sezU4AxEm9B82RU1Hirwzx4w-0BH5SowmRF0JKIV-Z4hlqM/s320/P1010256.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235998913267123170" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCu6jU5etuBcjkqypYCRTbuQmUe7BdeZDLY6f9fVdO-NbnwUHQ1umtazNcgmq53N8E7dtXBaFXr4enn0q-YYWvhTXO1HtEo6bRC1p2VfB1n2Cx7-gmuwKO9aYkPNmKEQRqAcfyonTVcm5F/s1600-h/P1010251.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCu6jU5etuBcjkqypYCRTbuQmUe7BdeZDLY6f9fVdO-NbnwUHQ1umtazNcgmq53N8E7dtXBaFXr4enn0q-YYWvhTXO1HtEo6bRC1p2VfB1n2Cx7-gmuwKO9aYkPNmKEQRqAcfyonTVcm5F/s320/P1010251.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235997311556227330" border="0" /></a><br />It's been a while since the last post because we've been wondering how to put this---. Linda's oncologist told us back on the 8<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> that after only 3 months on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Torisel</span> that the tumors have started growing again. That day he told us there weren't many options left and suggested Linda's quality of life might be better if we stopped treatment altogether.<br /><br />Since that conversation he consulted with Dr. Atkins in Boston, who made several other suggestions, including upping the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Torisel</span> dose by 50% (which we did last week), and restarting the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Sutent</span> (which we will do starting tomorrow). We also have an appointment to visit the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">OSU</span> Comprehensive Care Center in Columbus this Friday, and we're looking into a clinical trial for a new medication with a group here in Cincinnati.<br /><br />Meanwhile Linda has had to rest much more than previously. Also her strength has decreased due to the loss of muscle mass caused by the cancer.<br /><br />None of this has prevented us from getting back down to Wilmington to visit Elliot, Andrea and Chris, where we are right now. Elliot has changed so much in just two weeks, much more alert and looking around at everyone and everything in the room. When he gets fussy, Chris will lay him on the floor and play classical guitar music, which he seems to enjoy.<br /><br />Also, we recognized during our last visit that Linda would not be able to climb the steps to our third floor condo much longer, so we found a 1 story <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">townhome</span> in the same Magnolia Greens subdivision as the condo. It was unfurnished, so we spent the week before this trip getting enough furniture in place for us to spend a few days. As it turns out, all we really needed was a bed, a TV and a comfortable sofa. Andrea's friend Susan Wood helped by making sure the house had all the essentials such as towels, sheets, dishes, etc. Thanks a heap, Susan! You did a great job.<br /><br />Love, Jim & LindaJim and Linda Wimmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09418560030673026431noreply@blogger.com11