~ Poems of Love ~

The following poems have been written by me, for my husband Hamada, who suffered from Multiple Myeloma [IgG Kappa] a cancer of the plasma cells, which are found in the bone marrow. After many months of chemotherapy, contracting pneumonia twice, once given only twelve hours to live and having three bad fractures to his spine and also showing in his Pelvis, he made it to four years seven months. The Multiple Myeloma attacked his Kidneys first showing at diagnosis in May 2006 leaving Hamada only a small percentage of kidney function. He never complained, using his most amazing smile even when I knew he had severe pain. Hamada underwent a Stem Cell Transplant using his own 'harvested stem cells' . During October 2007 he spent seventeen days in the "Centre For Clinical Haematology" at Nottingham City Hospital UK. where he achieved this transplant. We had a scare at six months after transplant, when told 'the beast was back' but subsequent tests showed a partial remission. Again in early 2009 it was confirmed that Hamada was out of remission He fought again during 2010 with newer chemo type drugs. First with Velcade and then with Revlimid but to no avail. His Kidneys were failing further and Hamada chose not to have dialysis. This blog contains poems and updates, written for Hamada, telling of our life together.
Now a beautiful book has been published, see http://www.susiehemingway.com/books/
showing Hamada's personal fight against Multiple Myeloma in the first fifty 'poems of love' written by me his wife. I hope you like these poems of love and also 'our story' dedicated to Hamada, who passed away peacefully at home on 23 November 2010 after a most courageous fight against Multiple Myeloma.

02 April, 2010

The Man With The White Knitted Hat.



We waited the hours together,
us and the man with the white knitted hat,
pale and often slipping down in his chair
he looked desperately ill.
His wife sat tiredly and patiently by his side.


He joined us once again sitting opposite,
in the ‘chemo chairs’
the four of us waiting as if for a bus,
but really to win further days.
The skilled nurse attached the Cannula to his oh so pale hand,
difficult but finally achieved,
he smiled a weary smile across at me.
The jaunty white hat seemed to perch on top his shiny pate
far too small and not really doing the job it was intended for.


My heart ached.


I smiled back, while my man was busy
being attached to the life giving elixir
that would hopefully give them both extra time?
I offered up my usual prayer.


The man with the white knitted hat whose face was
waxy pale, glanced across at us.
His wife or carer I noticed had swollen ankles,
perhaps from the many hours spent caring and fighting
‘this beast’ that was trying to take her husband from her.


The vials appeared like a sunburst of golden treasures,
“it seems we are travelling the same journey” I said
“Yes, it’s a long tough battle isn’t it”
said the man with the white knitted hat.


I turned my eyes to see the beautiful slim brown hands
of my beloved, my Father’s ring adorning his right hand
resting on the heated pillow.


Then looking across at the pale transparent hands
of our new friend I noticed,
that the first two fingers of his other hand,
were tightly crossed.


How my heart ached.



All Rights Reserved @ 2010
Addendum: I learnt that this nice gentleman passed away shortly after this poem was written.

9 comments:

Sandy said...

What a tremendously poignant image created with this poem which seems to be the theme of the day by other MM bloggers/caregivers: Deludia's "Hope" and Roobeedoo's "Happy Easter" and the announcement of a donor for one who has waited and waited. Just as a bud begins to open, and we wait to see the bloom, I align with the intentions of those in hope, sending healing energy where it is needed.

Margie said...

So beauiful but also so sad!
Made my heart ache (just like yours, Susie)
Beautifully written!

Margie :)

Roobeedoo said...

Oh my. Tears in my eyes. You capture the scene so perfectly.

aslan said...

Hello I'm coming from Margie's blog.
Very sensitive..congrulations!

Best wishes from Turkey..

Susie Hemingway said...

Many thanks Dear Sandy - we all wait with hope for success and now have two more cycles of 21 days to go, then they will test and H must have reduced by 50% to be able to continue on with the Velcade, rules of NICE here in the UK it will be a testing time but we are as hopeful as your words X

@ Margie
Bless you Margie a compliment indeed from such a writer as you, thank you.X

@ Roobeedoo
I would never mean to bring tears to your eyes Dear Roobeedoo, unless they are healing ones but you know only too well how hopeful everyone who sits there is. X

Susie Hemingway said...

Many thanks Aslan for your nice comment from Turkey. I hope you visit my blog again.


@ rtfgvb770 Thank you for your kind comment.

aslan said...

Dear Susie, I visit your blog again.
I wiil add your blog to my friends
section.I hope there is no problem?

All ways looking for your kind visits
and your critics.

With my best wishes

Michael Morse said...

I always feel more connected to the rest of the world when I visit here, thanks again for bringing me in!

Jinksy said...

Sandy said it all here - "I align with the intentions of those in hope, sending healing energy where it is needed."
Count me in...

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