Helmut’s Journey

Hey Dad! How can a month be gone already. Sometimes it feels like you have been gone for years and sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday, some days it doesn't seem real at all (I almost asked Mom how you were the other day). Some days I find myself wondering how my body can produce so many tears and other days I feel like a monster because the day goes by before I realize your death hasn't crossed my mind.  I find myself sitting alone at home and I just burst out crying for no apparent reason, nothing triggers it, it just happens. I cry out to the Lord and ask why, and then the next breath I find myself praising him because you are no longer suffering and you are with him in Heaven, that brings a smile to my face. Grief is a strange thing. I know you want me to be happy and to go on with my life and I am doing the best I can to do that. I go along doing my daily routine and then all of a sudden I hit a wall that makes me stop dead in my tracks. Its the weirdest thing ev...

This was by far the hardest article to write! I have had words flow out of me for the past 2.5 years for this blog keeping you all informed but this Obit is the finale, it’s the end, my Dad is at rest and not here with us anymore! Thank you to Mom for helping me get the words out. BUT guess what??? We did win the battle…THE BEAST is gone and my Dad has been ultimately HEALED!! Rest easy Dad…I love you beyond words and miss you greatly! JOHN “HELMUT” NEUFELD Surrounded with love and  with  his family  at his side,  John “Helmut” Neufeld  age 75  of Shoal Lake, Manitoba went to his eternal  home  on  October 24, 2023 . Though we are saddened by his passing we rejoice that he is now fully healed and with his Saviour Jesus Christ.   Helmut  was born on August 10,  1948,   in Grunthal, Manitoba and spent his youth living in the small farming community. Eager for adventure he went to Winnipeg where he owned and operated a small ...

My Dad John “Helmut” Neufeld saw the beautiful face of his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ this evening at 811pm. Thank you for all your support and prayers over these past 2 1/2 years! We love you all! Rosana, Jason, Shannon, David, Belle and Felicity

So many thoughts going thru my mind as I sit here listening to Dad breathe beside me. There was no reaction when I came in his room this evening after being gone for a week, he didn’t squeeze my hand and he didn’t give me a kiss…but I am told he can hear me… “Daddy I am here”. I talk to him like I talk to Jesus while I pray. I don’t get an audible response but I continue to tell him about my week of District Governor training, I tell him I am here safely, I tell him it’s ok to go home to Heaven. I am told he can hear me… “Daddy I am here”. Mom went home when I got here, she needs to rest. It was hard for her to go but Dad knows she loves him and I know he is a peace with her taking the rest she needs. I tell him every hour how much we all love him. I am told he can hear me… “Daddy I am here”. Jason is on his way to the hospital. Says he won’t stay the night, just wants to come to see his Dad. This is so hard on all of us, but we will get thru as a family unit. Our patriarch is going be...

Hello All! It is with a heavy heart that I update the blog with the news that Dad had a seizure on Saturday and he is now in Palliative Care at Minnedosa Hospital! Mom had made arrangements for Occupational Therapy to come to the house today to assess what was needed to help her care for him, but the good Lord took care of that and now he is in hospital. I know they both wanted to keep him home as long as possible…so I guess we know what the definition of “long as possible” is now! He remains very calm and is in no pain which we are very thankful for. Please keep our family in your prayers as we travel through this new journey! As Jason said to his friend on the phone this evening… “We now hurry up and wait, it’s not if, it’s when”. Love Shannon for The Neufeld Family!!

Let see if I can write this thru the many tears I am shedding! The MRI results are in and they are not good at all! The BEAST has grown substantially and Dr Peats feels that there are tentacles behind the tumour that can’t be seen with the MRI! Because of this the decision was made to cancel all future Chemo Treatments. The plan is to increase his steroid in hopes to give him a better quality of life! So there you have it…the plan going forward is to make Dad as comfortable as possible and pray he can move to Heaven as pain free and peacefully as possible! I haven’t cried this much in months but man is my heart breaking! This summer has been filled with memory making and spending quality time with both Mom and Dad. We spent every weekend at the camper and did all the things. I have noticed a decline almost weekly in Dad, but I just pushed it aside in hopes that I wasn’t really seeing what I was seeing and still holding the dream that my Dad would live forever! It has been so hard to se...

~ This is an old picture but I love it ~ Well tomorrow is my Dad's 75th Birthday!! 2 years ago we didn't know if he would make 73 and here we are about to celebrate 75!! God's is so GOOD!! How will he celebrate...by going to Regina to get the final measurements in one eye for Cataract Surgery that will happen August 31st. Happy Birthday to him!! I know he can't wait until the 31st when he will be able to see again (at least out of one eye, second eye will come soon after). August 16th is MRI day, so with that we hope that the BEAST is gone or at least has shrunk or not done anything. If that is the case we are really hoping the Oncologist will grant him a Chemo Break so his body can rejuvenate from all the poison he has taken in. We have noticed of late that he is quite quiet (not much to say), his memory isn't as sharp, and when he is tired he walks bent backwards at the waist (which he doesn't realize when it happens). My hope is if he gets a Chemo Break his B...

RCMP Regimental Ball - June 24, 2023 I just got a text from Mom “My phone is ringing off the hook, we need a Blog update!!” LOL!! I guess you are all pretty dependant on this crazy novel of mine! Dad has been doing awesome since his last MRI. He amazes us on a daily basis with just how good he is doing. With as good as he is doing we do see anything that is out of wack. Lately his short term memory hasn’t been the greatest…but then again he never really has had a great memory, for the most part! Also Mom has noticed him slowing down a bit and a couple of weeks ago his left leg gave out, but with rest he regained his strength and was good to go that evening. We celebrated their 51st Wedding Anniversary on June 10th, so that is another milestone we didn’t expect to celebrate, and I got another Father’s Day in the books with him! Next is his 75th Birthday August 10th! Every extra day we get to spend with him is a blessing from God! Wednesday this week was MRI day. After being poked about ...

Time flies when you are having fun?!?!? Has it been fun though? I guess some parts have been fun...others I could have done away with! Today is 2 years to the day that Mom woke up to Dad having his Seizures, today is 2 years since our world changed forever, today is 2 years since I thought my time with my Dad was up, today is 2 years!! Dad is doing AMAZING by the way...Mom and I were discussing how he is actually looking younger! His hair has grown back thicker and it is no longer grey. He doesn't even have grey in his eyebrows anymore. I went to the movies yesterday here in Winkler and the guy sold me a Seniors Ticket (I'm only 45, so what if my hair is grey)...Dad would probably have to prove he is a Senior with how good he looks! He of course still has his rough days and his memory may not be as good as it once was...but hey the man has been fighting a Brain BEAST for 2 years, give him some slack! We now just wait for the next MRI to see where this journey takes us next. I p...

I am trying to type and update this blog thru the tears running down my face!! This week was MRI week! I have been on pins and needles all morning, and yes...I have news! Life has been busy for all of us since the last update. I was busy planning our District Lions Convention at the end of February, David was Ice Road Trucking for the past 21 days, Jason was doing his thing, and Mom and Dad were living life to the fullest everyday. We all have been trying to live as much of a normal life as we possibly can over these past 21 1/2 months, but it has been hard. Mom and Dad took David and I out for supper last night and on our way home we both agreed that any time we get to spend with them is truly a gift! With David's Mom no longer with us, he and I have really realized that this past year.  This journey has not been a fun one and it has had many ups and downs, hills and valleys, rivers and oceans, but it has been our journey as we have travelled it together as best we can. We have me...

Time for an update to the Blog!! What's with the title you may ask?? When I called Mom and Dad this morning to ask how things were going...Dad summed it up in one sentence..."I have told 100 people...if the Doctors didn't keep telling me I was sick, I would think I was healthy!" Well do I even have to continue with this update? OK I will...because you all apparently like reading it! In my last update, I spoke of Dad's major Chemo Treatment (all in one day, then nothing for 6 weeks). Well after that first round they did bloodwork and you guessed it...his platelets plummeted to 45. So the Doctor said no to more chemo until his levels came back up.  With this round of Chemo Dad has been dealing with dry mouth at night. He has tried different remedies and the best one he has come up with is eating Pickled Herring of all things. I'm thinking it is the salt content that is making his saliva glands go into overdrive!! Best part is...when he returns to bed and tries t...

Where has the last year gone? We have been through many valley’s but we have triumphed through all of them! We could not have done it without all your prayers and support! Thank you! I said I would update the Blog once David and I got back from Cuba…so we are now back after being delayed for 2 days! We were suppose to be home on the 23rd but we landed with Santa Christmas Morning at 415am! After 3 hours of sleep we hit the road for Mom and Dad’s to spend the holiday with them! It was a great weekend! Anyway you want to read about Dad…not me! You last read that Dad was starting a brutal 1 pill Chemo Regiment and then nothing for 6 weeks! Well he is in the middle of that right now except it was 7 pills not 1. He took 2 Antinausia pills, waited an hour and then took 7 Chemo pills and headed to bed. The next morning he took a couple more antinausia pills and again the next day…and you guessed it…our miracle man has not been sick AT ALL!! Dad is amazing everyone with how he is doing! His ne...

I can't believe it is almost Christmas. As I sit here in my cozy home, in front of my Christmas Tree and Christmas Village, watching a Christmas Movie, I am pondering on the past year and a half and am reminded just how lucky we are. When the news first broke in May of 2021 our future looked bleak and completely different then what we are living now. I imagined the future Christmases without my Dad and it broke my heart. Christmas has always been our favourite season in the Neufeld family, and imagining Christmas without him was not something I ever wanted to do. Now we are a month out and Dad is still with us and still fighting the BEAST.  Christmas will be low key this year with probably just David and I going up to see my folks as Dad will be starting a new Chemo Regiment and we are not sure how it will effect him. Yup you read that right...he is starting a new type of Chemo treatment. He had his followup appointment with his Oncologist yesterday in Winnipeg. The results are not...

Hello All!! Just a quick update! Dad finished his first 21 days of chemo on Wednesday and took it on like a champ! He had bloodwork yesterday and a follow up with his Oncologist today...and the news is...his Platelets are up to 240. They were 218 when he started Chemo last month...so this is very excited news!!  His next MRI is on November 16th so I will have a longer update at that time! Keep the prayers coming!! ~Shannon - for the Neufeld's~

It has been just a minute since I updated this Blog...lets just say we have been enjoying our summer and making the best of each day we have been given. Dad has been feeling amazing and has been doing so well. When he first got sick Belle told him he had to fight so he could be at her graduation and celebrate this milestone with her. He did just that! We were at Austin with our Museum family as usual at the end of July and all though he couldn't drive his tractors he still had a great time with all his friends and family. His friend Bill Newton from Saskatchewan was able to make it out so the two of them spent a couple of days catching up and trying to stay out of trouble. I just love this picture I took of them. On the last day of the reunion Dad's friend Jake drove Dad's tractor thru the parade and Dad rode on his combine...his smile when from ear to ear. After Reunion Mom and Dad decided that because Dad was doing so well health-wise that they would take a road trip to A...

This is going to be an amazing update to write! Things have been going amazing in the Neufeld world as of late. Let's start back at Easter. Easter weekend Belle and I decided to head to Mom and Dad's as David was away working in Sarnia so it was just her and I. There was an impending storm so we left on Wednesday (I worked from Shoal Lake and Belle did her school remotely as well). While there I put in to motion "Operation 50th Anniversary". With Dad's health this past year, Mom didn't want to plan anything because of the unknown...but I couldn't let that happen, they have been married for 50 years (June 10, 1972) and Dad was still with us...so we had to celebrate!! Mom just happened to move her photo albums upstairs into the bedroom where Belle and I were sleeping, and somehow their Wedding Albums made it into my suite case!! Not sure how it really happened but it did! LOL I wanted it to be a complete surprise so I needed to rally the troops! Thank you to...

I am so sorry it has taken me so long to write an update. So many things have been happening lately and with Dad doing so well....I keep forgetting. Thats just it...Dad is doing AMAZING! Its hard to believe that this Sunday May 29th is one year since that dreadful day. This year has had many ups and downs and many questions with an equal amount of answers. It has been a year of tests and treatments, trials and tribulations! Dad has gone thru all the emotions, some that he has never experiened before. He has been frustrated and victorious...he is such a fighter. Mom has been such a champion thru all of this...she literally has only had 2 days "off" this entire year...that is when we were camping during his treatments last August...she is a strong strong lady. I am convinced Dad wouldn't be still with us if it wasn't for her. A common saying of Dad's these days, towards Mom is "I love you, but you sure are bossy!"  Over Easter weekend Belle and I were in S...

I will write a longer update later but…MRI results are back AND… THE BEAST HAS SHRUNK!! Thank you for all your continued prayers and thoughts!! Shannon for the Neufeld Family!!

It’s been a bit since I updated the Blog. As I write this David and I are on our way to Dominican Republic for our Honeymoon, yes we have been married for almost 11 years…but better late then never! After the year we have had with Dad and with David’s Mom passing unexpectedly on Feb 12th…we need this time away badly!! Dad is doing as can be expected with an inoperable brain tumour! As I last reported the BEAST has shrunk but it is still wreaking havoc on his body! Dad is very weak and requires a porter chair to move around. This is very difficult for him as he has been independent his entire life! They purchased a lift chair for him a few weeks back, as it was getting to difficult for Mom and Jason to get him off the couch to transport him to where he needed to go! It has been a blessing yet also a curse as now he can get up by himself and walk, which doesn’t always work out for him. He has had a few fainting spells, but his stubbornness doesn’t help matters either! I was able to go to...

After a rollercoaster of the last few weeks, weakness, puffiness and a whole lot of questions of what was going on...Dad had a MRI yesterday and the results... THE BEAST HAS SHRUNK!! Shortest update ever!!