Visitation and Services for Gail

Published Sunday, February 3, 2013 in the Virginian Pilot

Gail Marie Arnold
Virginia Beach - Gail Doxtater Arnold, 55, resident of Virginia Beach, ended her courageous battle with lung cancer on Jan. 29, 2013. She passed away at her home peacefully with her loving and devoted husband by her side. 

Gail was born October 15, 1957 in Rochester NY. She later moved to Hudson, Ohio, then to San Diego California where she met her husband and then settled in Virginia Beach to start a family where she resided for 29 years.




Beloved daughter of Ardelle and the late Harold Doxtater, she is survived by her husband, Michael Arnold; son, Christopher; loving sister to three brothers, Larry Doxtater and wife, Carole; Gary Doxtater and wife, Carol; Greg Doxtater and wife, Jean; and cherished aunt of Scott, Keith and Oliver Doxtater.

Gail Designer/Owner of Topiaries at the corner of 25th Street & Pacific Ave is a graduate of the prestigious Hixson School of Floral Design and a nationally recognized award winning floral designer. Gail turned her passion and talent in to successful businesses combining a floral background of 36 years from New York to California with an impressive Client list, including J.P. Morgan (Manhattan), John Hancock (Boston), and over 2000 weddings for her Event Floral Business Floral Originals.

Her infectious smile and love for life will be greatly missed by her family and friends. She was a bright light so full of energy, her light will continue to burn bright through her family and friends that loved her dearly.

Visitation and sharing of Gail's life will be held at the Hollomon-Brown Funeral Home (Great Neck Chapel), Friday February 8th, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. A funeral mass will be held at St. John the Apostle Catholic Church on Saturday, February 9th at 10am with a reception afterward. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the ASPCA at www.aspca.org. Condolences may be offered to the family at www.hollomon-brown.com

At Peace

Hi All,

This is the blog post that I've dreaded for the past year. Our Gail passed away last night with her husband, Mike, by her side. When Gail and I started this blog a year ago, we never talked about how this particular post would be stated.  We wanted to believe it was not going to happen and took strength in the power of that thought. Yes, there were many dark times when she felt like she could not take one more day of the constant pain, but she always pulled herself up and decided to attack again. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the love, good memories, food and hope you provided for her and her family this past year.  On the coffee table in her den sits a basket overflowing with cards and letters that she has received while fighting this battle.  She constantly reread them whenever she needed a boost of confidence.  I hope you all can take comfort in knowing that those messages of hope and thanks and love to Gail will become treasures for her family as they discover how much she meant to each and everyone of you.

At the beginning of this battle, Gail didn’t want to call her cancer The Big C as she preferred to think of her Christ as The Big C.  Her cancer became The Bug.  I’d like to think that in the end, she did squash that bug and that she didn’t lose her battle.  The cancer did not win.  While Gail’s body is no longer with us, neither is her cancer.  We will always be surrounded by Gail’s beauty, wit and talent.  Whenever a favorite song comes on the radio, we’ll sing it with her.  Whenever we go to a blues or jazz concert, we know she’ll be dancing in the park with us. Whenever we pass by a beautiful flower arrangement, we’ll celebrate her talent in our memories.  Whenever I go to Barnes and Noble, I’ll always continue to call our cappuccino a “cappa cappa”.  And finally, many of us will always ask for a dill pickle in our Bloody Mary and share a chuckle as we raise a toast to the crazy friend that introduced that delicacy to us.  She will always be around us and now finally, cancer free.

Rest peacefully Gail, the pain is finally gone. 

We will always love you.

-Megan

2 Corinthian 4:8-9

We are pressed on every side by trouble, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.  We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God.  We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.

Ok ready to continue the story!!

 

HELD HOSTAGE AT PRINCESS ANNE HOSPITAL

 

 

Sorry I have not kept you up to date. It has been a very very rough week.

 It started Friday 8:00 am. I went in for an out patient procedure, where I was not allowed to drink or eat. The procedure was to drain the fluid from my lung that came back from the first suction after about 2 weeks which helps me breath. As I waited and waited for my slot at 10:00 as it came and went...anyway when I final was wheeled in, my white blood count was so high , (I told the Dr, was do to the new chemo for my bone that are meant to raise the count) Then came the kicker, my heart rate was 150 WHAT? They call me a conundrum. the dr. said I can not release you Its Friday and not much goes on over the weekend If they can't figure it out, its help from above. The dr. said I had to back on the gurney. to a waiting area and see if vitals settle down, by the way still no water or food, the time was ticking, yet I still can't eat or drink or get  a room assigned until about 4:00. I will continue tomorrow, because its a long story.

OK next Chapter......

Turns out the computer system are not linked for all the info...believe it or not I could Have walked the info across the parking lot...Mr doctor was in Italy and would have thought it was still an outpatient and already checked out.  Anyway a whole lot of miss communication! They did give me a choice to check out for the weekend or just stay in a clean environment etc and go first thing Monday. I was on oxygen and a tube was draining fluid out of lungs 24-7 and everything was being monitored and I was getting three square meals a day and I am loosing weight rapidly. I was off my Chemo for a time, not even sure it is working anyway that time. I did want to keep getting my chemo for the bone regiment, HELLO, which makes my white blood count go up. we got all that straight by then and I got the shots at the hospital. Which is a good sign. What it is for? They say its like a fertilizer for my bones.I get a shot everyday which I can take in my stomach or upper arm which burns, and then regular Chemo once a week. Once I got the procedure finished Monday, I had to rest a couple days. Now I get home care to drain my lung and oxygen, but I am doing much better with breathing and I really don't cough much any more, which means removing the fluid regularly is really helping. One of the more prominent problems left was severe bone pain from my bug and the shots, I usually have a med to high pain tolerance, but these pains buckle me over. ( very hard on my Husband,  Mom, Brothers, and Friends.)  I could go on forever....I next went on a pain management, which is helping so much. The lack of breathing from all the fluid that needed to be drained caused me to be exhausted and the pain kept me down too. So needless to say I am feeling better.

Love and Prayer and Thanks to all.
Gail

 

 

 



PA Hosp.

Ok ready to continue the story!!

 

HELD HOSTAGE AT PRINCESS ANNE HOSPITAL

 

 

Sorry I have not kept you up to date. It has been a very very rough week.

 It started Friday 8:00 am. I went in for an out patient procedure, where I was not allowed to drink or eat. The procedure was to drain the fluid from my lung that came back from the first suction after about 2 weeks which helps me breath. As I waited and waited for my slot at 10:00 as it came and went...anyway when I final was wheeled in, my white blood count was so high , (I told the Dr, was do to the new chemo for my bone that are meant to raise the count) Then came the kicker, my heart rate was 150 WHAT? They call me a conundrum. the dr. said I can not release you Its Friday and not much goes on over the weekend If they can't figure it out, its help from above. The dr. said I had to back on the gurney. to a waiting area and see if vitals settle down, by the way still no water or food, the time was ticking, yet I still can't eat or drink or get  a room assigned until about 4:00. I will continue Tomorrow, because its a long story.

 

 

Love, and prayers.

Gail



Duke visit

 Visit to Duke

 

No good news their. they basically said no trials would suit me.

Why we had to drive 4 hrs to hear that..made for a sad ride back.

I guess it is what it is! Not much for me to say, except I pray the current Chemo I am on is stomping the bug!!!! Not in the mood for bloggin right now, I will update when I have some medium to good news.

 

love to you all,

Gail