Part 12 - The reality of how brief our lives can be

Marian's twin sister Dee was found to have cancer in late October 2016 and was awaiting an appointment to discuss her results with an oncologist. Two days before she was due to meet him she took ill and was rushed to hospital as she had fluid round the heart, slowly squeezing it and which would have killed her if left unchecked.

We were over at Leighton Buzzard at the time, so Marian got a train to be at her bedside. The next four weeks were awful and we prayed that she might recover but things just kept getting worse. It was dreadful and we made effort to move and be at her side in the Derby hospital.

We got the boat to Weedon and I moored there whilst Marian went to spend time with her. Sadly she was able to be at her side when she died. Dee didn't die alone. A terrible time is always had when you lose someone you love, but this was her twin and I can't describe or truly understand the close bond they felt and shared. I'd known them both for 38 years. Marian was truly lost in her grief and although the immediacy of Dee's death was hard to both of us, it was magnified many times more for Marian.

We had tired to reach the Erewash canal as Dee lived 4 miles from Ilkeston but only managed Loughborough. We sailed 55 miles and encountered 36 locks in four and a half days to try and reach there, sailing as dawn rose and until the night closed but the strong winds over the Trent thwarted us from going further. The physical aspect of this helped to focus our minds away a little from the raw grief.

Dee was head of pastoral care at a school in the town and two former pupils said of how she had helped them when they had been feeling suicidal. She did much with her life to help others. It still doesn't seem real.

Dee's funeral was on the 29th December and the church was full.

Worse was to come when our sister in law Sandra, who lived in the same village announced her cancer had returned. just before the funeral. Sandra became ill quickly and like Dee never seemed to get over one thing before another developed. For us as well as the family's involved it was difficult to grieve for Dee when at the same time there were such worries for another young woman.

Sandra's funeral was on the 27th April and again the church was full. She too was a lovely woman and we had known her almost as long as we've been together.

Dee was just 59 and Sandra was but 54. Taken to early.  RIP

But a mention for the CRT officer whose area the Erewash is. Stuart was most supportive and helped us enormously by allowing us to stay on the stretch of water much longer than we'd originally intended. It was an act of kindness well received.