Long-term Illness Meeting

For TTSGI members

Hi Twinless Twins:

The second support group meeting for Twinless Twin members who lost their twin to longterm illness is coming up.

Unlike the regional meetings — everyone was hoping to restart in-person meetings again, but not now — the special loss meetings were always going to be via Zoom due to the physical distance between us all.

We had a good turn out for our first meeting, and hope all who attended can join Phyllis Ashliman and me (Garry Rayno) for our second meeting, which will be Oct. 2. The meeting will start at 3 p.m. on the East Coast, 2 p.m. in the Midwest, 1 p.m. in Mountain time, and noon on the West Coast. I am not sure what the time would be in places like Europe or Australia.

A list of the other specialized meetings was sent around a little while ago and is on the Twinless Twins Support Group International website as well if you are interested in joining the discussion on other topics.

The meeting Phyllis and I will hold is for twinless twins whose twin died from a long-term illness such as AIDS, ALS, Cancer, Cystic Fibrosis, Diabetes, Alzheimer’s Disease or Parkinson’s Disease.

Phyllis’s twin, Phil, died in 1994 from AIDS. I knew for years he would ultimately succumb to this horrendous disease. He lived with me and my two teenage children the last year of his life, which was the hardest year of my life. The first 3 years after his death were very difficult for me. As time went on, coping with my loss became somewhat easier. I tried to honor his life and our twinship by living the best way I could. He would not want me to be weighed down by my grief journey…. which never ends.

Garry lost his identical twin brother Terry to prostate cancer 16 years ago. Terry was 53 years old. Not only did he die too young, he was my best friend and soul mate and when he died, I was lost and felt totally alone.

I did not know how to be a singleton in a twin’s world and that transitional journey continues today.

Watching someone die from cancer is a horrible experience as many of you know, and other long-term illnesses inflict their own miseries.

The second meeting will follow the same outline as the first, with about 90 minutes of discussion after we introduce ourselves.

Please let me know if you want to attend the meeting by Sept. 30 and I will send out a Zoom link the day before the meeting.

We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you on the screen in October.

My email is grayno@gmail.com
My phone number is 603 491-0136

Phyllis Ashliman, facilitator and former TTSGI board member
Garry Rayno, host and New England Regional Coordinator