General Help from Friends

General Help

So many people have reached out to help in any way they can. I wanted to spend some time calling out special thanks to those people!

Buck Sharp (my love)
I can’t say enough how much comfort it has been to have him by my side during all of this. He was with me the day I got the diagnosis and has been to every appointment, while at the same time managing the kids, the household, the business affairs, and me. I am going to owe him big time when this is all over. I’m pretty sure he’s given more to me in the last 4 weeks than i’ve given to him in the last 15 years.

Beth McLear
Beth is my sister in law and a Nurse Practitioner (how convenient!) and she was the lucky one that got to spend the first night at the hospital with me. We had lots of laughs at the expense of the british early in the morning friday. She also helped me everytime I needed ice, medicine, help with my drains, help with my brain….and anything in general. She did end up with a nasty case of bronchitis which i’m convinced she got from the very large woman in the next room that was hacking up a lung all day and night.

Anita Tallent (mom or mamaw)
Boy she spent the most of her time rubbing my legs and feet, scratching my back, fixing the rat’s nest called my hair, running for the nurse every time I thought my boob was falling off. Pretty much tended to my every need. And toted my bags and wires and tubes every time I needed to take a walk or a pee. It was so easy being in that hospital except for being in the hospital. She did make me laugh too much so I wanted to smack her a few times

Ellen Cobb (gahmama as the kids call her)
Ellen is Buck’s mom and she has also taken the kids a few days to give us time to sort everything out. She has been staying with us off and on as needed and can do a mean load of laundry. She also makes sure the sink stays clear of dishes. Honestly that is a first. I’m not a big stickler for a clean sink. I’m just glad when a dish is in the sink instead of the counter. And she can drink her weight in coffee. I’m thinking my little feefee doggy sunny is starting to prefer her over me. She sneaks her all kind of treats!

Aleshia Laughner and Kat Daniel
These two ladies are my heroes. They spend all day with about 30 kids at Athens Montessori School and they still volunteered to take care of my girls the weekend of my surgery so my husband could spend time with me and time taking care of things that needed to get done around the house, and generally to give him some breathing room. This has been hard on everyone.

Pete Dugas, Sam Drennan and Ed Nichols
These are the three musketeers. I can always rely on at least one of them for a fun lunch, or drinks after work. Sometimes we are lucky enough to all be able to hang out together though those times are few and far between. We get in a lot of trouble around town, ruffling feathers on a regular basis. And believe me, the wives of these three guys, Tonya Dugas, Susanna Drennan, and Sloane Nichols are all just as great friends to me. Its just that for some reason the wives always seem to be taking care of all the wifely duties at the end of the work day while the guys are out galavanting around. I appreciate them all and having them as friends makes life a daily surprise. Never know what crazy stories you gonna hear!

Andrea Griffith
I only met Andrea about 9 months ago, but we have become BFF’s somehow. In my normal, crazy, try to meet everyone fashion, one day I just sent a message to Andrea on FB who I had never met in my life (which turns out she was an intern for Tracy Scagglioni about 10 years ago who is my best friend since third grade – it’s a small small world) to meet me for lunch at The National. I’m ashamed they know me by name and not because I eat there so frequently. They have a nice little bar that makes a mean Vodka Tonic. Anyways Andrea has become such a great friend. We dish constantly, I lecture her on life, we shop, we eat, we drink…we do everything together. It’s been great getting to know a girlfriend like I know all my guy friends. Ladies can be just as vulgar at their male counterparts and that’s why this gig works for me.

Bob and Rachel Sleppy
I have known Bob and Rachel going on 15 years now. We  met them when Nuçi’s Space was just starting to sprout when my husband helped Bob with the first fundraising web site. We been working with Nuçi’s ever since and have become great friends with these two. Rachel also happens to be the CEO of for Pete Dugas, my other friend above. CEO = Chief Enabling Officer – he calls her that so lovingly. Anyways, these two have been begging for a way to help me during all of this but all these other folks are covering me up with blessings so I figure I will give my lifelong friends a break from my very demanding personality for a while, cuz they gonna need to build up their energy for when everyone else gets tired of me. Then i’m gonna come a callin. And I will call from a number they don’t know so they won’t avoid my call!

Taylor Little, Designer Extraordinaire
Now i’m not sure who helps who most in this relationship. I think we balance each other’s bitching out pretty equally. But if I needed someone to donate a liver I’m sure Taylor would volunteer but i’m pretty sure he’s got a mean case of cirrhosis. But hey, who am I to talk…I only have about 6 months under my belt of drinking where as he has about 26 years or more…ahem! But anytime i’m feeling down I just give ole Taylor a call and i’m always sure he’s got something funny to say or has a worse sob story than I have so i’m usually feeling pretty good by the end of that that convo. Yesterday I heard a story of him being covered to his waste in Turkey Shit – its a long story so next time you talk to him make sure to ask about it. I was laughing my boobs off literally! Anyways we tight!

There’s still time to get on this page! Don’t think you are too late. And if i’ve forgotten you one of two things happened – 1) My medication cocktail destroyed my memory or 2) You had something delivered that was taken by someone other than me and no one told me! Please let me know because I want to make sure I acknowledge each and every one that does something sweet for my own posterity’s sake.