Sheila,
Thank you and I am so sorry for the loss of your friend as well. What a gift that you were able to be with her on her last day. The courage displayed by my mom, your friend, all the women and men on this board is astounding. It gives me hope - if they can face this disease on the front lines, then I can deal with this loss.
I had a good giggle due to your post - My friends all know me as "Mel" and so that is how I posted, but my name is actually Melinda. It hadn't occurred to me that everyone would think I was male
My thoughts and prayers to you too Sheila.