Wow. I wrote the Silence of the Dying blog, got a great weight off my chest, and then walked off and forgot about it.
Since then everything has snow-balled and I have had an amazing response – on here, on Facebook and via email. People have linked to it and talked about it, newspapers have been in contact.
First, thank you to everyone who has responded. I have been moved by your stories and emotions and thoughts.
Secondly, thank you to everyone who has offered to help as well. I am actually highly embarrassed by this as it not the reason I posted this at all. So to all of you, thank you, I have noted your names and emails, and when I need help I will not hesitate to ask. I will also send you an email over the next week or two, as well. At the moment I am actually doing fairly well due to being given a break from chemotherapy – it is amazing how much chemo can drag you down and how much strength you get back so soon as it stops – but there will be down times ahead, too, and I am immensely grateful to those who have offered help.
On Sunday the WA Sunday Times published a feature article on me – you can download the low res pdf here if you didn’t see it in hard copy. Many thanks to Sheryl-Lee Kerr for writing the story, and for the fun correspondence. 
Reading your followup on The Silence of the Dying and knowing that you are doing fairly well these days lifted a weight off my chest.
thankyou for letting us know that you are okay for now but dont forget to contact me if you need to. I know you are in a difficult situation and dont like asking as i know the respect you have for your privacy.
Loved your article and have passed it onto many of my fellow Cancer Club friends. Its good to know that I am not the only one with these thoughts.xx
Dear Sara.
Yes, you have always been in my thoughts. I know you don’t like it very much, but that is all I can do, being on another continent. I would love to help you in your wonderous garden, weeding, planting or picking you lastest crop. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen. Now that I can stay in contact with you (I hope you are okay with that), I might just be able to brighten your day a bit with a little something my cats did, with 7 cats, something is bound to happen. I have really missed you and your no-nonsense, tell it like it is, attitude. It has taken me a while to find your blog, but now I have finally found it. Woo Hoo. I am glad that you have a bit more energy since not having chemo. Your “Silence of Dying” really brought it home to me. Thank you for opening up my eyes and my ears. With lots of love, and hopefully more correspondance, regards Elke.
A great post and a very good article to follow up (I’ve just read the PDF). I’m glad you said these things. I’ve seen too many people die – most recently both my parents from very aggressive cancers – and I couldn’t agree more with your thoughts. Thanks for writing these posts.
Wow of WOW
Sara thank you so much for silence of the dying. My friend and boss has just been told she has terminal cancer and we are all devistated and floundering as we try to realise that we are going to loose her very sortly – her cancer is very agressive and as it is rather rare – diagnosed too late to be able to help her much. We are watching not only her pain, both mental and physical, but also the pain of her husband of almost 50 years as he tries to do what is right for every one. of course he is failing because he can’t be with her and at work at the same time.
Your bolg helps me to understand just a little what Mary is facing and I hope I can manage to take your advise and send food not flowers, hugs not hopes, supports not demands.
Sara – please, please know that not only have you brought great pleasure with your writing but also helped people like me to help another person to die with perhaps just a little more support and a little less mental pain.
Thank you again
Heather
Reading the blogs in Silence of the Dying I have found that you died on Sept 28. I am so sad to hear of your death. I hope that you were able to die in the manner that you wanted to. You were a very courageous and talented lady that did not deserve to suffer so. Thank you for your gardening tips, your recipes and your stories. They are a wonderful legacy which I am sure will continue to bring joy to all who read them. I am sure that you are now with your God, in peace and free from pain living in a different garden, hopefully free from weeds and pests. I hope that they have a way for you to read your blogs up there! Vale!
I figured Sara must have died as all these horrible junk posts have not been removed. I didn’t agree with all in her article at all but I hope she died the way she wanted!