Hello dear readers!  This is marian, for the first time, posting on this CaringBridge blog.  Up until now, it has all been Rick. I saw and knew about the most recent post when you did. It was all his wit, humor, and wonderful writing style.  Many of you have asked me if he was a professional writer. No, he was not, he was actually an IT guy so he did a lot of data management, wrote proposals for contracts, managed software developers, etc.  He had great instructors in high school and college who helped him hone his skills.

It is now 2022 and time to resume a normal life, Stella and me. We have figured out the complexities of life in a wheelchair and having a stoma.  I can now change the pouch in about 20 minutes (which I thought was impossible for a long time!) and have not had an accident in over two weeks. Life is getting back to a more normal rhythm for us.

I want to thank all of you for your persistent encouragement, support in me, and faith that I could master the care and feeding of Stella. There were times I was not so sure! Your support meant and continues to mean the world to me. Rick has been amazing support thru all of this and did a great job in keeping you updated and entertained (?!) thru this journey. So grateful to have him in my corner.

I wish all of you a most wonderful 2022, filled with good health, fulfillment, and yes, JOY!

The fat lady (still plump from surgery!) has sung.