Nolan Wilson - Journal

The Beginning of us

5/9/2024

It has been 7 months and 7 days since my husband left this earth to play in a band in the heavens. Some days it has been hard to breathe. I am only now able to talk about him a bit without crying. I have decided that the best way I can honor him is to tell the story of us, our beginning and what made us - us.

Musically we clicked right away. He was so good at writing country music and that is what I wanted to write. It was as if he could see and hear into my mind.
He found me by doing a search on AOL profiles. He was looking for co-writers and I got an email from him. This was him responding to my first email back to him. I am having trouble locating the first email and my response to it but this was early on in July of 1996. He sent this email on July 14, 1996. I believe the original contact came a few days to a week before this date.

Here was his profile on AOL

I will continue on with this project and I will search and put together assets for it daily. I may not post daily but I will be back as often as possible to update. I plan to turn this all into a book one day so there is a method to my madness. Here is a song that I dedicated to him when I realized 6 months later that we were falling in love.

Simple truth is I can't move onto the next chapter of my life until I close this one. We had a big love and it is very hard to say goodbye. I think this might be the only way for me to do it. Before I can say hello to a new life, I have to say goodbye to my old one.

First Valentine's Day without half my heart

2/17/2024

Somehow I made it through the 1st Valentine's Day without my love. This has been so hard. The first 4 months after his transition, it was actually hard to breathe. I tried to keep as busy as possible but moments, memories and flashbacks of our 25 years together kept flashing back. I have been going through paperwork, photos, DVD's with data, songs, and so much more. I have been running into so many wonderful things. I came across this Interview we did back in our early days. (the year 2000,) I want to share it here with you.

Written by Sharon Brumagem for WAXZ-WAOL in Georgetown, Ohio and for the Greg Wilson official Web site.

Sharon’s Note: Meeting singer/songwriter Greg Wilson and his wife and song writer partner, Donna, turned out to be one of the most pleasant experiences I had while in Nashville for Fan Fair in June. They invited me to Greg’s Fan Club Party, the first broadcast for Live On The Net from the Broken Spoke Songwriter Cafe on June 11, and since we were all were staying at the nearby Ramada Inn, we hung out together several times during my visit.

What is unique about this couple is that they are so in tune to their marriage and their music. I couldn’t resist but asking them for an interview to explore what makes this musical and marital couple click. Most of their answers are a blend of both their thoughts. When one starts a reply, the other most likely finishes it. There interest in music is definitely adding up for a successful personal and professional life together.

Sharon:   How long have you been a song writing team?
Donna: We have been writing together since 1996. We started writing long distance on-line, our personalities clicked immediately.
Greg: We moved in together in 1998 and started writing together in person. That was a little difficult to get used to after all the on-line writing, but we figured it out quickly.

Sharon: What are the two favorite songs you've written together and what inspired them?
Donna: I would have to say "Really I Do" since we wrote that one for each other with each other in mind. It really is how we feel about each other.
My other favorite would have to be "Footprints in the Sand" I love the chorus and the chords in that song. It really has a kick to it. Now, Greg might not agree that these are his two favorites so we will just have to ask him, Greg?
Greg: Hmm, that's a tough one to answer. I definitely agree on Donna's choices, but it's like trying to pick your favorite children, not an easy choice. Every one of the songs we write are special to us for one reason or another and each has it's own special place in our hearts for those reasons. As for the what inspired those two songs, it is our love for each other shining through. I also have to add a third song though since the number three is special to us. "Duty Called" it's one we CO‑wrote with a friend of ours and is about the Vietnam Vets. It's going to be the first video (from the Take It Slow CD). It's a message that has to be heard. Those men and women who served in Vietnam deserve much more than they got in the area of recognition. It's our tribute to them.

Sharon: What are the advantages and disadvantages of writing together?
Donna with Greg nodding his head in agreement: The advantages? Well, we don't have to go anywhere to get to each other. Seriously, we think alike, and usually when one of us gets an idea, the other one picks up on where we want to go with it and it happens. The only time I think there is a disadvantage is when we might not agree all the way on a chorus or verse or chord pattern, then it is hard to say, “I don't like what you are doing there,” because you are not only saying that to your song writing partner, you are saying it to your life partner. Feelings can and do come into play. Things can get personal, heck, song writing is a very personal thing.

Sharon: What is your shared goal with your song writing? Related question: For what do you both want to be remembered?
Donna: It would be great to be remembered as wonderful talented songwriters and also that we were married songwriters. I think that is pretty unique in itself. What everyone gets to hear comes from the deepest parts of us, and it is not always easy to bear your soul. But, it is easier when you do it with someone you love.
Greg: Our shared goal, I think, would be to have this craft that we love so much (and song writing is a craft) someday be able to be (the main source for paying) all the bills so we can spend more time together writing more songs.

Sharon:   Do you have a set time to work together? If so, describe the creative process.
Donna: Hmmmmm, yeah, when I say, “hey, I have a song idea!” No, seriously, we really don't have a set time. It is whenever a song idea strikes us. We did try to set up a certain night a week for writing but we found that not to work. It is hard to push inspiration to surface. We basically just write when we feel inspired and ironically what ends up happening is that if one of us gets a great song idea, whether it be lyrics, melody, chord pattern, the other usually gets excited and inspired by the other and jumps right in. I guess you can say, that’s how it works for us.

Sharon: How long have you been making the trek together to Nashville?
Donna: We moved to Georgia from Long Island in May of 1999 so it has only been a little over a year. We love our Nashville trips, wouldn't trade them for the world, they are truly inspirational. We always come home feeling like there is a great song around the corner and can't wait to go back. I don't know if we would feel that way if we lived there full time. We are happy to keep things the way they are for right now and commute every couple of weeks.

Sharon: How is the Broken Spoke project, Live On the Net, coming along?
Donna: It is great, wonderful, and I am having the time of my life! I am getting to meet so many great people and making so many contacts. I am also doing something I truly believe in and that is getting the songwriters out there singing their own songs. My biggest joy is that many more people are becoming aware that there are a lot of talented individuals out there that create these songs. If I had a wish that could be granted, it would be for all the people in the world to read their CD covers completely and make sure they notice who wrote each song on every CD. Each song had a home before it went out into the world ... Knowing where the songs came from and from whom should be explored by all. Music is such a wonderful experience, I think learning where the song came from can also help understand a song better although I also understand that some song’s appeal might come from the idea of individual interpretation. You know what I mean, like a particular song can have one meaning for one person, then a totally different meaning to someone else. I find those songs to be very interesting. I then set out to find out what direction the writer had for the song.

Greg and Donna provided their personal bio:
They were married July 10, 1998 and just celebrated their second wedding anniversary in Virginia Beach. Greg has three daughters and Donna has two daughters by prior marriages. Greg and Donna are enjoying being grandparents together and they just celebrated the birth of their third granddaughter. Theirs is definitely an “all girl” family.
Sharon: Where do you live? General vicinity.
Both contributed the info for this question: They bought a house in May of this year in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Northern Georgia.

Sharon: What advice would you give other song writing teams?
Donna: Have a lot of fun with what you are doing, if you are a married song writing team, have patience. Just kidding! The only advice we would give would be to not try to push or rush the creative process. If you don't feel like writing today, don't! When you do feel like it, it will be a good one.

Sharon: Donna, what was it like singing with your husband on his latest CD? What songs did you sing?
Donna: Well, I was very nervous, I am not a professional singer, but I do enjoy singing, always have. We would have the demo in the car and when “Really I Do” would come on, I would just sing along with Greg. It got to the point where the song didn't sound right without me singing to it so I agree to try and record it. After it was done, I was kinda surprised that it sounded nice. I do think that our voices, especially on this song compliment each other. I also sang some background vocals on "Love Goes On" in the chorus. I sang a little back up on the first CD to a song called "If I'd Had Sent a Rose." Now that song, I was scared to death on and really didn't enjoy it because I had never been in a recording studio and was not comfortable at all. This time it was 100 percent easier and I can say that I even enjoyed it.

Sharon: Greg, what was it like having Donna sing with you on your CD?
Greg: It was great! I knew it would sound good, but she had to be ready. It's like trying to get someone to not be nervous the first day at a new job. I'm sure it was hard for her since she wanted to please me with it and I she knows I am a bit of a perfectionist. Another thing that I don't think people think about. If you have a bad day at work and make a mistake, it's forgotten the next day. In the studio if you make a mistake and no one catches it, everyone in the world will be hearing it on the CD for heaven only knows how long ... I am very pleased with the result, although it was a little hard getting her to do the sexy whispers in the bridge. She thought it would sound a little silly. I am happy that she agreed to do it because I think it gives the song a sexy character that sets it apart from other duets out there.  When asked if what would be the equation for success, Donna had the correct answer.
Donna: I would like to add 4+15+14+14+1 to 7+18+5+7 to get a total of 85 then add 8+5=13 add 1+3 to get 4 and divide that in half to get a total of 2 which is basically just 1 + 1. That is the formula for two hearts coming together for one goal and that is to write beautiful songs together while sharing the great experience we call life.

            Greg and Donna are proving that those numbers do add up when it comes to sharing their ups and downs, life experiences, thoughts and dreams with others through their music.

8 weeks without my love

11/26/2023

Tomorrow-today, is 8 weeks without my husband, the man I spent every day of 25+ years with. I am sitting here wondering what I should do with this website? Do I keep it, do I take it down? We got this website to promote our songwriting and songs. Then we used it to document our journey through his cancer battle.

Sugars Always Sweeter At Home

Sugar is now officially the last Christmas song we will ever write, record and release together. Of course somewhere down the road I could come across a half written one somewhere and you never know, I just might. We wrote so much through the years that we have far more songs I have forgotten about then we recorded and released.

We have all this music we wrote together and there are so many other song ideas, half done songs and even some completed demos and songs we had future plans for. I am still fluctuating between his passing not being real to absolutely knowing he has moved onto another plane of existence. I miss him so much at certain times that it literally takes my breath away. The sting is intense and feels like it has a point at the end of it that had been lit on fire to burn.

My mind is definitely protecting my heart. I spend most days being numb with just a little bit of pain and sorrow being allowed to seep in. It is like this: "if all the pain would enter at one time, my heart would surely explode."

What would you do?

So I am asking you, the reader of this blog entry what would you do? Would you keep the website? Should I continue to do updates about my own life or should I just take it down. Does anyone care to know what is happening with me and where I will go from here? Should I release a new album of our music, an acoustic album of songs waiting for their day in the sun? Please comment below in the comment section because I am totally at a loss about what to do about this website and what comes next.

My Heart is Shattered - Farewell My Love

10/5/2023

The Unthinkable has happened. On October 2nd, 2023, my brilliant, talented, loving husband, best friend, duo partner got his wings. There is nobody that fought harder to stay on this earth than my sweet Gregory. After getting the great news that his bladder cancer was still dead in August, 2023, a visit to the oral surgeon would reveal a new cancer in his throat.

We were ready to plot a course, make a plan with his fantastic oncologist and gear up for the next fight of his life.

Because of remnants of the pandemic, it took 2 weeks to get conclusive biopsy results and the news was not good. This cancer was a Stage 4 aggressive.

During that time, it was discovered that the prior radiation to kill the bladder cancer had destroyed Greg's plumbing and his kidney's were failing. A Urologist tried to insert stents to help the kidneys drain to the bladder and were unable to do that. The next step was Nephrostomy tubes. They were inserted and a few days later, Greg was released from the hospital to come home to rest. A PET scan was scheduled.

We were shell shocked but still held out hope that a fight could be had and won. Greg wasn't ready to share all that just happened and I respected his wishes. He was home for 10 days and his left kidney started to shut down. I feared a full blown kidney failure as his left kidney stopped producing urine. I called an ambulance and Greg was taken to our local hospital. From there another ambulance took him back to Vanderbilt in Nashville.

My husband was a very private man. Since his first stroke 13 years ago, he fought his way back like a champ and thought he could do it again. He wanted to stay but his body was just to weak and damaged from his prior cancer battle, congestive heart failure, blood clots, strokes, vascular surgeries and many other medical issues. There is so much more to say but I can't think straight right now. I held off posting anything about this until we were able to notify people personally about his departure and not have them read it on Facebook.

Greg didn't want a service, or a burial. He wanted to be cremated and he wanted a "Celebration of Life" a year after he was gone. As his wife of 25 years and duo partner of 27 years, I will honor him and make that all happen. That Celebration of Life will happen in his favorite city (Nashville.) Greg's Dad was from Sweetwater, Tennessee and Greg has always had TN in his blood stream.

Through his many years in the music industry, he met so many people that became life long friends. He lived a life of creativity, adventure and music. He will forever me my soulmate, my music man and my love. It is not goodbye. We will be together again. He and I both knew and know this. Farewell my love, you are the first face I want to see when my time comes.

Happy 25th Wedding Anniversary

7/8/2023

We made it to our 25th

As I am typing this, I am praying that posting this less than 24 hours from our Anniversary doesn't jinx us. Am I superstitious?

You bet I am and I will tell you why. Back on Memorial Day in May of 2008, just one week before we were to embark on our fully booked "Coffee House Tour," across the country, my husband experienced his first mini stroke. The tour was booked to promote our brand new CD "ALL ACCESS." One thousand copies of the CD had literally arrived to our house the day before Memorial Day. We marveled at our labor of love, all 16 of our song babies proudly displayed and listed on the back of the CD. As I always do, I am jumping ahead of myself so lets go back a few steps.

8 years in the making

This CD was 8 years in the making. For a bit of that time, I produced a Nightly Songwriters Show from The Broken Spoke Songwriters Cafe. We lived in Georgia at the time. We traveled back and forth from Northern GA to Nashville TN on weekends for production meetings for my nightly show. During this time, we continued to write songs. The show became very successful and the owner sold the business a few years later.

Inside The Song

I booked singer songwriters, local and regional bands under the name ITS Entertainment with my website:
www.InsideTheSong.com

We also saw a dream come true when we opened up our own songwriters CAfe in Winder, GA. It was called Inside The Song Acoustic Cafe and Guitar Store. Talent new, old, big and small took that stage. We had some great moments there and remember fondly shows that brought the best that Nashville and even the world had to offer to our stage.

That was in the year 2000. We ended up having to close a year and 1/2 later because of the attack on the United States on 9-11. We wrote "Let Freedom Reign" from our ALL ACCESS CD about the resilience of America..

Grand children

We became grandparents over and over again, every baby a blessing. The grand baby we got to know the best was our Ashlee who stayed with me while her mother worked. We all forged a bond that can never be broken and every moment with Ashlee became beautiful memories. We created a song from those moments and it is on this CD called "Lee Lee's Lullaby."

Stories about songs

We have stories about every single song on this 16 song CD. If you would like to hear all the stories behind the songs, I would be happy to share them, just let me know in the comment section below. This post was supposed to be about our 25th Anniversary and how we have survived things most couldn't to make it to this milestone. 5 years ago when Greg was diagnosed with bladder cancer, we truly thought that would be the end or near the end of our Anniversaries. Tomorrow marks 25 years since we tied the knot in Patchogue, NY on Long Island. We still have about 800 of these CD's left because we didn't get to tour it. After mini stroke, he had a full blown stroke, cancer, and so much more has happened. All has been documented in this journal portion of our website. You can go back and start at the beginning of the health issues which begins at the first part of our website journal.

Order your autographed copy of ALL ACCESS right now.
$15.00 includes domestic shipping

Happy Anniversary my sweet love
WE MADE IT TO 25!!

For my 62nd birthday - My birthday wish

3/28/2023

My birthday wish

As my birthday is approaching I keep getting asked one question....."WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY?" The only thing I can think of is not so much something I want as something that is needed. I need a 2nd Scooter for my husband so I don't have to lift his Scooter parts up and down the stairs. This 62nd birthday, it is really starting to sink in that I am not a kid anymore.

Every time we go somewhere, I have to take the Scooter apart, carrying the pieces down four stairs and load it into the back of my SUV. I have pulled my back out many times doing this and I worry that one of these days I am going to either fall down the stairs and get very hurt or killed or permanently injure my back or break a hip.

With the advent of my 62nd birthday, this threat looms larger for me. So for my birthday, I would like to buy another scooter for my husband so one can live inside the house and one can live in our automobile. If you would like to contribute to the future Scooter. With all that being said, I have started a FUNDRAISER at PAYPAL for my birthday. If you were considering getting me something for my birthday, this is what I really need.

Paypal has a brand new FUND RAISER OPTION.
I am trying it out for the first time here. LINK BELOW! . Please click the Paypal URL to see it and thank you so much for helping me get the new scooter. It will absolutely be a life saver. I have included other donation links you might prefer.
If you would rather, you could also buy a CD or BUY A BOOK from us right here from our website.
ALL PROCEEDS WILL GO TO NEW SCOOTER.

Ways to DONATE

PAYPAL ME: paypal.me/DonnaNolanWilson
FUNDRAISER www.paypal.com/pools/c/8SNSTfv1hX
Cash APP: https://t.co/7IwjnA1Avi
Zelle Me: [email protected]
VENMO: @Donna-Wilson-411

Review of the MicroPro Series Grill from Tupperware

9/11/2022

A Truthful Review

You will always get the truth from me, even when the truth hurts. I got one of the MicroPro Series Grills. I was really skeptical if this thing could grill meat in my microwave. I daydreamed of having grilled veggies, steak, burgers, the variety is endless all year long.

I got out my chopped meat and used the recipe that was on the back of the box of Lipton Onion soap mix. I molded the burgers and put them in the pan.

The photo above was actually a 2nd grilling as we had leftover chopped meat and since there was mayonnaise in the recipe, I was wary of letting it sit uncooked in the fridge over night. Even after pre-grilling these the night before and warning them up in microwave on a plate with a piece of swiss cheese on top, these burgers were still juicy and as good as they were the night before. Also, the first time I used the MicroPro, I also cut up onions and mushrooms right in the same pan.

Bottom line

The Bottom Line is that the MicroPro Series Grill works. This product is actually remarkable. It does what it says it is going to do and it does it well. I am now dreaming of all the things I can grill in here.

This grill is pricey but when you think about the money you save on propane and or charcoal, it is so worth the price. In addition, you don't have to go in and out of your house in the heat tracking dirt in your house. This item is a win, win and will pay for itself in several different ways in a year or two. No more throwing over cooked meat in the garbage, no more tracking in dirt and heat in your home in the summer. No more buying propane or charcoal and lighter fluid. I am thrilled with this product and I am very happy I can grill all year along.

MicroPro® Gril #10049010910 $310.00
Discover your new favorite everyday pan! Grill meats, fish, vegetables and even sandwiches right in your microwave, without the grease, fat and extra calories. The dual-position cover allows you to sear in flavor to crisp grilled cheese sandwiches or cook au gratins and casserole to a golden brown. The non-stick stainless steel shields food from microwaves by directing them to hot plates on both sides of food. Love to bake? Simply add the new Pro Ring accessory (sold separately) to bake cookies, cakes, quiches, and bread puddings quickly and easily. Hundreds of MicroPro recipes.

Click link for hundreds of recipes at PINTEREST
https://www.pinterest.com/sweethtea/tupperware-micropro-grill-recipes/

SEE MORE AT MY TUPPERWARE WEBSITE ABOUT THE MICROPRO GRILL BY CLICKING THE BELOW LINK:
https://my.tupperware.com/SongLadyDonnaWilson/ProductDetails?ID=10049010910_FRPUS0901

Greg's latest Scan results and what comes next

9/7/2022

Greg's Oncologist says that Greg is still cancer free.

The last scan from near six months ago was scary, it showed some damage that had not revealed itself until that last scan. This scan taken yesterday with contrast was much better. That much was such good news. The damage the last scan revealed is unchanged so that is a good sign. Jeremy (Oncologist) believes that Greg is still cancer free.

Because he would have to go off blood thinners to get another biopsy (which caused all the blood clots last time) Jeremy does not want to take that chance. We know Jeremy knows his stuff. If Cancer was causing the new damage their would have been a worsening of his condition.

We told the oncologist that Greg has fallen out of bed twice and that I have bought a bed rail for our king size bed. That seems to have solved that issue.

We told the oncologist that Greg was blind in his right eye being caused by a cataract, had the surgery to remove the cataract and lens replacement. Surgery was successful and we plan on getting the left eye done in October.

We also explained that Greg was getting a lot of leg injuries that we thought were happening because of his loss of eyesight and running into things while on his scooter. He has continued to get blood and water blisters on his legs. We showed them to Jeremy. He thinks this is being caused by Warfarin. I don't. If Jeremy is right, Greg will have to come off of Warfarin and go on Eliquis and that could cause a whole new domino effect of issues including possible blood clots when he transitions from one to the other.

I think this is happening because of his Congestive Heart Failure and Vascular Issues. I think the blisters are spontaneous from those issues. Jeremy has referred Greg to a dermatologist so we will get to the bottom of this. I am sharing this photo with you so you can see what we are talking about.

All in all, it was a better appointment than I thought it would be. We can officially claim 4 and 1/2 years cancer free. Greg's eye surgeon said this to us the last time we saw him "Fix what you can and learn to live with the rest." That was probably some of the best advice we have gotten in years from any doctor. We will let you know what happens when we see the Dermatologist and if I was right or if Jeremy was right about what is causing the leg blisters.

Wish us luck. I will come back with an update when I have one. In the meantime, stream some music from our SPOTIFY PAGE.

6 month CT Scans didn't go as well as the past scans

4/12/2022

When it rains it pours

So it has taken me a week to digest the news and sort it out enough to be able to come here and post about it now. Greg had his 6 month scans last Tuesday. His oncologist Jeremy came in with a smile on his face and asked us how far out he is now from his cancer treatments. We answered "4 years."

The spot where Greg had cancer has not changed so that spot is still cancer free. That was the good news. The bad news is that Jeremy thinks that the 38 radiation treatments caused scarring that is limiting the way his kidneys are draining into his bladder. There is swelling at the exits of the kidneys and into the entrance of the bladder.

Jeremy (oncologist) referred Greg back to the urologist that did Greg's 2nd bladder biopsy that declared him cancer free 4 years ago.

We went to see the Urologist last Wednesday. His name is Dr. Gregory Stewart. Dr. Stewart entered the room and remembered Greg. He also remembered that Greg developed the blood clot several days after the biopsy and had to be taken by life flight helicopter to save his leg. Dr. Stewart informed Greg that there is a procedure he can do where he puts stents in Greg's Ureters' as well as angioplasty to cause easier urine flow. HOWEVER, the procedure will cause Greg to bleed a lot, and with the additional risk of being on blood thinners, would cause him to bleed so much he could have a fatal cardiac event.

Doing nothing can lead to renal-Kidney failure if and when his kidney function declines. There are really no good options and he made that clear. He said that many people choose to 'TAKE THEIR CHANCES." and do nothing.

We told him we were not ready to make a decision either way. He said Greg was in no immediate danger and that we could schedule an appointment for next month. He would do blood work and a sonogram to check on Greg's kidney function and we could take it from there.

Dr. Stewart also said that it could be a tumor causing the blockage but he wouldn't know that for sure unless he goes in. Dr. Jeremy McDuffie, the oncologist does not and let me repeat that, "DOES NOT" think it is a tumor as there is no lymph node issues and if this was a spreading cancer there would be. He's been right about everything else so far so we trust he knows what he is talking about now as well. So that is where we are at. We have no good answers and are back to "waiting and seeing" in this journey we started documenting 4 years ago.  I have attached his CT results here.

#4 in the Impression list above is what is causing the issues.
Greg did go to eye doctor and he has cataracts so we are looking into cataract surgery as well. He goes back to eye doctor on April 25th. We should be getting the Cataract surgery referral at that appointment.

My hopes would be if he decides to do this procedure for his blockage that we do the cataract surgery at the same time. Don't know if that is possible but I would try to get everything done at the same time. One of his eyes is really bad. It really needs to be fixed.

As always we appreciate the love, prayers and well wishes from everyone. What we really need is a small miracle that this condition clears itself with no medical intervention. A prayer for that result would be so welcome.

Greg's next appointment with Urologist is May 9th. Putting off doing anything is the goal right now. If his kidney function has remained the same, we will put off procedure for as long as possible., That is the only thing we are sure of right now.

Six month Cardiology update on Greg

1/23/2022

Hady T. Lichaa, MD Interventional Cardiology, Cardiology

We are getting so bad at giving these updates but that is actually a good thing. You see that means that things are stable. Greg cardiology group actually comes to our town once a week so we are lucky to be able to see them down the road instead of having to take the one hour ride to Murfreesboro.

We thought we would be discussing the possibility of putting off the PACE MAKER. Instead because Greg is so stable and there is so much Covid, it was decided we would see how he is doing at the next 6 month appointment which is in June. His cardiologist has assured Greg that he is not at the urgent stage of needed a pacemaker but he will need one in this lifetime. I figured I would add a picture of his Cardiologist. This doc is his 2nd in the St. Thomas Heart Practice. We chose him because he was young (the first one was old, like parted the waters with Moses old) and we wanted someone newer out of Med school. There are additional reasons but I won't go into it here. Anyhow, good report there. Greg is stable, his ONE and 1/2 year old foot ulcer Norman (when it hit one year of age, I named him) is finally beginning to disappear. He had brought a friend along recently but while doing foot care the other day, I see that Norman's new friend has healed and left the party. That is really it for now. We have some fun and exciting news coming soon and will let you know as soon as we know we can announce.

Love, Donna

6 month Cancer CT Scans and Appointment with Oncologist

10/5/2021

Dear Family and Friends: Today was Greg's 6 month CT Scans and appointment with his oncologist. It was a very long day. We left the house at at 9:50 a.m. and didn't get home until 5:00 p.m.

Getting ready for appointment

Before leaving the house, Greg's foot wound is secured in fresh bandages and special diabetic socks are worn. He has to wear special foot-ware that has been molded for his feet. We apply a cream to his chest over his port area to numb it so he does not feel the needle going into his chest to access his port. We have to show up at the Pet/CT Scan office an hour before the scheduled scan appointments so Greg can drink the contrast. I sign him in and pay the co-pay $250.00. They access his Port and put in the contrast. When the contrast is applied, they flush the Port and put a band aid over the hole. Every time this port is accessed there is a risk of infection so everyone that accesses the port takes special care. Then the scans have to be read by the radiologist and that report is sent up to the Oncologist on the 3rd floor. All of this happens in the same building, the Seton Building. All Greg's Radiation and all his Chemo but one, (his first) took place in this building. All his subsequent scans and appointments with his oncologist have taken place in this building. This building is located right next to St, Thomas Rutherford in Murfreesboro.

Lifting Scooch

The night before all outside appointments we have to make sure the Scooters battery is fully charged. I back the SUV (Olivia) into the garage so I have less carrying to do getting the Scooter into the vehicle. I take him apart at the staircase leading into the garage. I have to carry 4 heavy pieces down 4 stairs and lift into the back of SUV. To save money and wear and tear on me, the car and the scooter, I pack a picnic lunch. We always plan to eat at the Seton Building So I don't have to take the scooter apart and put it together more than once in the day (it involves a lot of lifting). Sometimes we eat on a bench outside the Seton building (when it is sunny) but today we ate in the SUV as it was cloudy. We park Scooch (the scooter) outside the car where we can see him, Greg removes the key to the scooter so he can't be stolen and we eat.

Nothing to eat after midnight - Picnic Lunch

Because you can 't eat anything after midnight the night before a CT Scan, I don't eat either until Greg can. Greg was done with his scans at noon and we were both hungry so the picnic lunch tasted good. We had just finished eating and It started to drizzle about 12:30. We locked up the car and went back inside the Seton Building. Scooch has been a God Send. We bought that Scooter even before Cancer because Greg's herniated disc's and Diabetic neuropathy made it hard for him to walk long distances. We would use it during grocery shopping and going to park. Now, he is used for inside the house and doctors visits. Since Covid, Greg doesn't go anywhere but where he has to and that is doctors appointments. He is fully vaccinated with Moderna and will get the Moderna booster when it gets full approval by the FDA and the booster is recommended. Moderna is the strongest Covid vaccine available and that this time, the effectiveness hasn't been proven to wane enough to require a booster. When it does, we will do as Greg's oncologist advises.

The Third Floor
We took the elevator up to the 3rd floor and I sat on the couch right under the Tennessee Oncology sign you see in the picture above. Every time you get off the elevator at the 3rd Floor that is what you see. I can remember when we first started this Cancer Journey, that sign scared the shit out of me. The word Oncology had the same effect. It is funny how time can change things. Now that sign almost seems like an old friend to me, ALMOST.

6 Month Check up fears

The 6 month check ups are always nerve wracking. We stress for a good week before the appointment. WE could do these appointments a week apart but that would just drag out the stress and drag out the time and the mileage on the car. The Seton Building is located 1 hour by car doing the speed limit from our house if we don't catch the lights or hit traffic. On a good day that means the total travel time round trip is 2 hours. The ride however is scenic and pleasant.

Doctors office

We opted to use the bathrooms on the 3rd floor outside the doctors office as we had plenty of time to pass. We entered his office at 1:00 p.m. with his appointment being at 2:00 p.m. I signed him in, paid the co-pay and we waited for the nurse to call him in to draw blood for his labs. This happens before every Oncology visit. It also happens before Chemo appointments to make sure you have enough white blood cells so your body can handle the treatment. It also happens before 6 month check ups as blood work tells the doctor a lot.

Dr. Jeremy McDuffie

He was running late today so we waited a long time to see him. longer than usual. Jeremy is a very attentive doctor and always spends a lot of time with his patients. Ultimately, today's news was good and the visit was a good one. Greg's scans were not just clean, they were better than 6 months ago. Jeremy informed us that 6 months ago and 6 months before that, there was an area he was watching in or around Greg's lungs. He thought it was part of Greg's Pleural Effusion which had landed him the hospital June/July 2020 so he didn't tell us about it. He thought it would resolve itself and it did. Greg is STILL CANCER FREE!

His next scan will not include his chest area as that is how sure Jeremy is that things are good in that area now. His next scan will also be belly/pelvis area focusing on the bladder and kidneys.

We talked with Jeremy for a good 1/2 hour. We talked about Covid, Flu Shots, Covid Booster Shots and the Covid cases in the hospital right next door. He filled us in on just how bad it has been and it has been bad. He said they are finally seeing some easing up on Covid admittance's. He assured us that the majority of Covid Hospitalizations are people who are not vaccinated like 50 to 1. and the ones admitted who are vaccinated have co-morbidity.

It was concerning to hear that the hospital had to turn the OUT PATIENT SURGERY FLOOR into a COVID ICU with elective and out patient surgeries being cancelled and put off. This is the hospital Greg goes to when he has something more serious going on and our local hospital can't handle. He has stayed in that hospital quite a few times and they have always done a great job there. We said our goodbyes to Jeremy and stopped and scheduled his next 6 month at the check out desk in his office.

Next month Greg has his 6 month with his cardiologist. His heart doctor has been talking pace maker but with Covid complicating things, we will see what he has to say.

Anyhow, it is late but I didn't want to go to bed without posting the update. Listen to BLUE SKIES, a song Greg wrote to remind himself and other people facing life and death issues that "BLUE SKIES ALWAYS FOLLOW THE RAIN.'

Love to you all,

Donna

Now a Notary Public for the State of Tennessee

8/13/2021

Dear Family & Friends: I have a special announcement. As if I wasn't busy enough, I decided to get commissioned to be a Notary for the State of Tennessee. There is a method to my madness and all of that will unfold as time goes on. I will be announcing this over at my business website as well. My notary services couldn't be called anything else but ITS NOTARY SERVICES.

With all conditions met, (background check) (testing) 2 different types of insurance and my official stamp, I will be notarizing closings for purchase/sales and refinances of mortgages. The title companies are over the moon knowing they are getting a real property paralegal looking over their paperwork prior to closing.

I have 16 years In law firms where we used to represent banks, buyers and sellers. I even worked for a title company in NY doing survey inspections on weekends. This is all 2nd nature for me. .

I have become associated with two title companies already and have accepted one closing and declined one (179 miles away) at the end of the month. I am looking forward to adding this as one of my services in my already growing and thriving PR company. What so great about this is I can work as much or as little as I think I can handle. I am hoping to get into a groove. The best part of this is that these closings only take about 15 minutes if you go in prepared (and I will) and so I can do 1-2 a day to start and still be here for my husband and PR clients.

In truth, I am on duty 24-7 for my PR clients and that won't change.

A perk is I can bring my husband out with me for rides on nice days and he can wait in the car while I am doing the closings. It will get him out of the house a bit. We like to take drives together so this may just prove to be a wonderful thing for us both.

Wish me luck!!

Love, Donna

Father's Day Thoughts about and from my Dad

6/20/2021

My Dad on his first communion

On Father's Day I can't help but think of my Dad and all the Father's Day's gone by. We used to buy him the standard gifts. Socks, ties, shirts. I don't think we ever bought him any kind of pants. That was strictly something he did for himself. His weight would fluctuate a lot so even our Mom probably had trouble keeping up with that. Anyhow, when he passed, my step-brother went through his things (we didn't have access to his apartment) and put together a box of keepsakes of my Dads and gave them to me. I will share some here and some in future posts. This is a photo he saved of himself on his communion day. It must have meant something special to him. He was also an alter boy. I don't think that is well known in my family but I remember that detail. I am sharing these tidbits and pictures with family members that may not have them and may not know some of the details of my Dad's life.

Aunt Virginia

This is my Aunt Virginia. She is my Dad's baby sister. He kept this close with him always. I wonder if she knows how important she was to him? Probably not. He didn't wear his heart on his sleeve. How I wish we would have known he had a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) as that would have explained some of the decisions he made along the way and some of his actions. That very important piece of information wouldn't be discovered until autopsy.

Aunt Virginia Wedding Day

Even though my Aunt divorced this husband, my Dad retained this wedding picture of her. She remarried a terrific guy my Dad really liked and had two wonderful daughters but this picture remained.

Aunt Terry and Aunt Margaret

Our families famous spinsters, Aunt Terry and Aunt Margaret, never married but built a little empire for themselves. They lived their lives the way they wanted and were far ahead of their times. My Dad adored them. They were actually his father's Aunts, sisters of the Grandmother my father never knew. I wonder at times had he been different had he had the influence of his paternal grandmother. I am not even sure he knew any of his grandparents a little or at all. He never spoke of them. However, Aunt Terry and Aunt Margaret remained in his life until the end of theirs.

Me, Ashlee on my Lap and my Dad

This was the day Dad met his first GREAT-GRANDCHILD, the only great grandchild he would ever meet. He was tanned and happy after having been on a fishing boat the day before. This was about 4 years before his death. This picture is precious to me and now I share it with you. HAPPY FATHER'S DAY in heaven Dad. I will share more of his precious keepsakes and my precious memories in August when his birthday rolls around. I hope you all have a great day. Feel free to copy the photos to your devices or hard drives if you like. It's a great way to share and save family mementos.
Love, Donna

Vascular Surgeon Appointment & Last CT Cancer Scan

6/8/2021

Time for another update. Greg had his annual with his Vascular Surgeon. Before he see's him, he has to get what they call a study done on his legs and feet. What this study does is measure blood flow with a doppler and other fancy equipment. This takes about 1/2 hour in total if veins are cooperating from Start to the finish with the technician actually typing up the report and being brought into consultation room to meet with surgeon. This is always a bit of a nerve-wracking time waiting for the surgeon to come in and tell you if you are 'STATUS SAME" and the same is as they were last time or if he will have to do a procedure or amputation. Good news, his appointment went well. We got the 'STATUS SAME.' His blood flow was about the same as it was the last time the surgeon checked. That is always welcome news. I finally got around to scanning Greg's last CT Scan written report and I am going to share it here. This scan shows what was one day the most devastating news (Bladder Cancer) that can happen to anybody and then it shows that the cancer is still dead. (An absolute miracle.)

As always, thanks for reading and please consider picking up one of our Albums/CD's or books for your music or book collections. You can find them on the music pages of this website and right to the right of this journal update.
Love, Donna & Greg
BELOW is a video Greg has created to try and help people learn how to test their own blood thickness which is called your "INR" at home.
For Greg, this is done to make sure his blood is not so thick that it causes him to have a stroke. The other side of that coin is if your blood gets too thin you can hemorrhage. We have been testing him every Thursday now for over 10 years.

Very overdue 6 month cancer screening update

4/18/2021

This update is way over due but even with the pandemic, life has been busy crazy. So Greg went in for his 6 month cancer screening. That always means a CT with contrast, chest and abdomen. Then we usually wait around in medical complex to then go upstairs to his oncologists office and see Dr. McDuffie. This happened on March 8th, 2021.

The news was great. Greg is still cancer free. His scans looked great and so did his blood work. The blood is drawn upon arriving at his oncologists office and it only takes them 15 minutes or so to get it back. It is a pretty quick process. It is a long day however because you have to arrive an hour early to drink the contrast that is disguised in either a plain, lemonade or fruit punch. Greg usually gets lemonade. So we arrived at 11:00 a.m. I pack a lunch and the day was pretty so we sat outside and ate our lunch. We then go back in the building and take the elevator, social distancing and with a mask on to Tennessee Oncology. We didn't get home until 5:00 p.m. that day as I stopped at Publix on the same. I wore my mask and got in and out as soon as possible.

Greg's oncologist also arranged for Greg to get the vaccine. So on March 16, 2021, Greg got his first Covid Shot. He did very well. He had a sore arm for 2 days but other than that, no other noticeable side effects.

I ended up postponing Greg's appointment with both his Cardiologist and his Vascular doctor until he is fully inoculated.

Greg went for his 2nd Covid shot on April 13, 2021. That was this past Tuesday. He got the shot at 9:00 a.m. He was fine other than his arm getting sore by that evening. He did develop a low grade fever on Wednesday and it ran through Thursday totally controlled with a Tylenol. The fever was gone by Friday and today, Saturday April 18, 2021, he is totally back to normal. We were told two different things about when you should consider yourself protected. We have heard 2 weeks from 2nd shot and 3 weeks from second shot. We don't plan on doing anything foolish and going out unprotected so we will wait the 3 weeks. On top of that, I am getting my 2nd Covid shot on May 4th so it will be mid may until i am totally protected.

Let me stress that if we go out in a public setting, we will still wear masks. I know that we will feel a lot safer however. As a matter of fact, I felt safer just after getting my first vaccine.

I have added some of our albums and my children's books to the right margin of this blog post. Each book and CD cover is attached to the page on Amazon where you can purchase our creations.

You can always go to the music page and buy a copy of our music directly from us and we will even autograph them if you would like. Just send me and email at [email protected] and tell me what album or books you want and I will send you an invoice. A big thank you for reading. We really hope this blog is helping someone out there.

New CD & new Children's Book - Happy Valentine's Day

2/13/2021

Hello everyone, I finally got around to putting the new Album and the new children's book up on our website. The CD has (10) ten songs on it including the much loved "Be The Change, and the brand new song "Firefly." Firefly was inspired by the first Fireflies that twinkled around me on a walk I took last May. We are currently offering autographed copies of the CD and the book for $30.00 including shipping/handling.

About the album:
Cause & Effect was a labor of love and a bit of a miracle as all these songs were created after many health issues. Greg produced the entire CD, even when there was times he had to recuperate from surgeries, chemo, hospital stays and rehab before he could work on it again.

We are currently working on a new song called "Human Race," which has to do with Covid-19, hope and the resilience of people.

Children's book
I am happy to report that the feedback I am getting for "Firefly Christmas," has been downright fantastic. The children, most especially little girls are really digging it. It touches their imagination and let's them dream, and create their own narrative. It is so endearing to hear them discuss the book and what they gleamed from it. I would write children's stories forever if I could continue to get this kind of reaction.

His - Her books
We are writing these books called, "The Greatest Love Story Ever Told By Her.," and "The Greatest Love Story Ever Told By Him." Think 'Men are from Mars, Women Are from Venus." We are writing the story of our relationship, the first 10 years before all the health issues.

People following this website have been following our journey since cancer diagnosis. Cancer wasn't always part of our lives. We wanted to share some of the great times with you all as you certainly are aware of the bad times. In these books, we are sharing our love story experiences from our own perspectives. We are enjoying revisiting and rekindling the magic of our beginnings. There will be more about this project as it gets closer to completion.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish each and everyone of you a very HAPPY & HEALTHY VALENTINE'S DAY.

My Dad's 50th Birthday Party

1/9/2021

Wow, this is just so surreal to me. I look at this photo of my Dad's 50th Birthday Party and it feels like yesterday AND a life time ago. What really blows my mind is that this March, I will turn 60. Ten whole years older than Dad was when this photo was taken. I look at all the loved ones no longer with us. They all deserve an honorable mention. Let's start with the matriarch of this bunch.

Aunt Margaret. She loved her Bobby (my father). Whenever he was in a room where she was she would drift over to him. They both liked to have a cold one together. Dad of course is right next to her. I miss him, and even more around the holidays. My lord, we all look so young but I guess that is because we are.

Richie is holding Melissa and it looks like she is battling him. Bobby is standing right behind them. That was bold wearing a pink shirt but Bobby was always bold. You knew when he walked into any room. I still can't quite comprehend what happened there. I probably never will.

Next to Bobby is Michael. He was always standing beside his brother. Next to Michael is Christine and her ex husband Mike Kelly. Then there is me and my Ex Michael Russo who passed away at the age of 49 of cancer. He loved his cigarettes. The cancer started in his throat and made its way everywhere else from there.

Next comes Mary and I am not sure who is standing behind her. If anyone knows who that is, please feel free to post that in the comments section below.

Then comes my step siblings ( I guess they are still legally steps since our parents were not divorced at the time of their deaths) That is Lynn and behind her is John. John unfortunately passed away unexpectedly and I don't know anymore than that. I can say that I know he had been dealing with oral cancer but that was supposed to be gone so I don't know what ultimately killed him.

I think the girl next to John was his girlfriend. I don't think it was our step sister Karen. If she were their her husband Arty and the kids would have been there too. Last in the back row is Lynn.

Kneeling down is dear Uncle Vinnie, forever missed and loved. Next to Uncle Vinnie is Theresa and Aunt Virginia. My daughter Danielle is next to Aunt Virginia. I can still close my eyes and see her just like this again. I miss her being a child. I miss being a mother to a child. When you are going through it at times you are exhausted and stressed. When it is over, you just want all those moments back again.

I see Nancy, who always had to be the center of attention, even when the day had absolutely nothing to do with her. She illustrates it perfectly being front and center of this picture. Sorry, that's just the truth and as you all know, I am brutally honest. Nancy passed away a few years ago. A 2nd stroke a few months after a first took her.
Then there is our beloved Debs. I love this picture of her and Nicole. She looks so very happy.

I do believe this was the only time that my father's children and most of Nancy's children were together for any sort of event other than their wedding which is a haze to me now. I don't have any pictures of that other than their wedding picture which never pleased me.

Mary, if you need any of this for Ancestry, feel free to grab it.

Some Good News - New Music

1/6/2021

I have been remiss. Between the Pandemic, trying to keep Greg home and out of hospitals and the holidays I have neglected to post some good things. In December we released a single called, "Firefly," and an Album entitled 'Cause & Effect." Cause & Effect has several songs on it, in fact the majority of songs are life lesson songs. You know, you do this thing and that thing could happen - "Cause & Effect Stuff. Let me reiterate that this CD is nothing short of miraculous. I have to tell you that every song on this album has been written or co-written by me and Greg. On top of that, Greg produced the album, mixed, mastered the album and played all the instruments on the album. Most of the vocals are by me and Greg with a few guest vocals. The song "Firefly," the recording of this song had to be postponed because of the hospital stay this past summer for Greg. He came home, spent a few weeks recovering and we finished the recording of the song, the last song added to this album. The songs on this CD are:

Be The Change;
So Wrong;
Raising Cain;
Alternative Facts;
Inside The Song;

Firefly;
Rock You;
The Present;
Warrior;
Seventeen;

This album is available at Amazon - iTunes - Spotify - Pandora and all other online digital music stores.

Grandma's letters - Our Family History

8/30/2020

Dear Family Members: I was trying to figure out a way to do this so that you all could print out a copy of this little bit of family history. I decided this may be the best way to do this.

I was born in 1961. I spent the first 4 years of my life living upstairs from this very special lady. She kept her kitchen stocked with all of me and my sister Debbie's favorite treats. Anytime we spent with Grandma was valuable, precious and what seemed like an adventure.

Grandma had a buttons tin. We would thread buttons and do this for hours. Grandma had ice cream and pretzel ready, willing and able to serve at a moments notice.

Grandma was big on hugs and even bigger on Band-Aids and Bactine. She knew how to kiss a boo boo and make it stop hurting. Grandma was a protector who loved fiercely and forever.

On top of that, she was married to my favorite Grandpa. I have uploaded 4 pages of a letter from her here. I am retaining the end of the letter as it was private between us two and had nothing to do with family history. As I run across the letters pertaining to family history, I will scan and share. I hope you find this as interesting as I do.

Ironically, and without knowing it beforehand, I got my first job as a legal assistant at the age of 22. I stayed in that profession graduating to a Paralegal by 1995, the year Grandma wrote this letter. I followed in her footsteps without even knowing it.

In addition, some of you know I am a songwriter. What you might not know is that my (our)Great-Grandfather played the Mandolin and wrote his own songs. I discussed this at great length with Grandma. I am not sure it is written but I wanted to mention it as it came to mind. If I find it is in writing, I will certainly share it. I know she told me this during one of our lengthy phone conversations so I wanted to share it so that it not go untold.

Let me know if you have any trouble getting this to print. It should be easy but well, you know, nothing is ever really easy. Have a great res t of your Sunday.

Love, Donna

1995_page_1.jpg
File Size:	891 kb
File Type:	jpg

1995_pg_2.jpg
File Size:	1109 kb
File Type:	jpg

1995_pg_3.jpg
File Size:	1054 kb
File Type:	jpg

1995_pg_4.jpg
File Size:	870 kb
File Type:	jpg

Becoming Great Grandparents

8/29/2020

I thought this little missy should have her own blog post announcement. It isn't everyday we become Great-Grandparents. In fact, this is the first time it has happened. While she lives several states away, and we won't get to be actual active participants in her life because of distance and health issues, we couldn't be happier about the birth of this adorable baby girl. Her name is Hazleey Elianna and she was born on July 31st, 2020. She is our first GREAT-GRANDCHILD.

Her mother is Caitlin, our second oldest Grandchild. Her grandparents Robyn & Eric couldn't be happier or prouder of this little one.

A new baby is a sign of hope and love. They are always a blessing. We are and feel so very blessed to still be here on this earth to see the arrival of the next generation.

In all of our years of songwriting, we have only written one lullabye. It seems very appropriate to share it here.

Author

Donna now shares her journey into widowhood. The love of her life, her husband, co-writer and partner in everything passed away on October 2, 2023. After battling and beating bladder cancer, a 2nd cancer snuck in and killed him in less than 6 weeks because of mistakes made at the hospital.

Paid ADVERTISEMENT

AMAZON INSIGNIA 24-inch Class F20 Series Smart HD 720p Fire TV with Alexa Voice Remote

Ask Ladybug Anything - Advice Blog
www.LadyBugDelivery.com

My children's Christmas book at AMAZON

Paid Advertisement

LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Express – Collectors' Edition 76405, Iconic Replica Model Steam Train from The Films, Collectible Memorabilia Set for Adults

Archives

May 2024
February 2024
November 2023
October 2023
July 2023
March 2023
September 2022
April 2022
January 2022
October 2021
August 2021
June 2021
April 2021
February 2021
January 2021
August 2020
July 2020

Our Music on Amazon

Click album covers to buy music

Click to set custom HTML