Letters from Tracy

[Diego's Mama]

Tracy Hogg's letters, archived:

________________________________________________________

January 1, 2003


Hello ladies I have so missed being a part of the site,I feel it only fair to let you all know that I have been very ill. In August ( my birthday to be precise) I was diagnosed with malignant melanoma of the eosophagus a very rare cancer and was given 7 months to live, I was in England at the time and so I returned to the states where my wonderful husband serched effortlesley to find someone who could help me.
Thank God that person was at UCLA well on september the 11th (of all dates) I had an eight hour surgery to remove my eosophagus, its been a very long hard few months but I am slowly fighting back I have learned so many lessons and experienced so many humble moments I have also learned that without love from family and friends I could not of made this on going Journey.
My wish to you all is that you treasure each day even when you feel lost and feel you cant go on, reach down inside and the strength will come to you believe me I hope this year brings us all health and happiness
Love Tracy Hogg xxxx

[Diego's Mama]

January 27,  2003

Sometimes the word thankyou doesn't seem to be the right word to express how grateful and overwhelmed I was on Saturday when I recieved this preciuos gift you all took time to send to me. I never realised how much I was loved I have been reading the post and each one has touched my heart I know the power of prayer is very strong as I have felt in some way gaurded by all the love and prayers I have recieved I feel like I have this huge family and you are all carrying me through this time. Every day I try to get a little stronger and I have some good and bad days clear and foggy and some days I am so filled with gratitude to be alive that I spend the whole day thanking God.
Before I start to cry again with thanks I will leave you all with these thoughts I have to believe that God is a part of all of us, and that everything that happens happens for a reason, sometimes the answers are reveeled to us quickly and sometimes slowly, but God never gives us anything we can not handle or a life worse than we once had I believe that he guides us and places us exactly where we are supposed to be, right now I don't know why I have had cancer but I know that the reason will be reveeled if I am patient and if I open my heart and love without condition and stay with my faith and away from fear that one day I will have the answer given to me and I know that the answer will have something to do with helping someone else or at least being able to share my experience strength and wisdom with another human being because God knows my heart and knows and trust that I will do this without expectation and with all my love
I love you all
Tracy Hogg The Baby Whisperer.

[Diego's Mama]

February 16, 2003

I wanted to wish you all a happy valentine but I was in Hospital again on friday I had a benign pollip on my larincs so fortunatly I am ok but still a little scary to say the least
anyway love to you all and watch for me on the Wayne Brady show on the 21st I will post it through the web master on appearences
love always Tracy Hogg happy whispering xxxxxxxx

[Diego's Mama]

March 5, 2003

Hello Ladies I have been reading all your wonderful posts and thought I would write and let you know how I am doing. Well after the Wayne Brady show I seemed to feel like my old self for a few days then My throat closed again and I was unable to eat solids just liquids so I lost a rather drastic amount of weight which unfortunatly leads me back to hospital for a feeding tube replacement  Otherwise I am continuing to move forward day by day, some days it feels easier to give up than go on and then I think of all you ladies who love and pray for me and my wonderful family especially my nan and daughters who I have promised to be there for them when they get married and have my granchildren, I also have God in my life to remind me how grateful I am for all his love and gifts, still I cry and then pull on my boot straps and move forward.
Thankyou to all of you who continue to help each other so that your experience of parenthood becomes a joy, you have no idea how proud I am of you all, you are all "baby whisperer's"
well on that note I shall retire for the evening. God bless you all
Love Tracy Hogg

[Diego's Mama]

March 16, 2003

Hello ladies this is the first week that I have finally started to feel like me again so much has happened over the course of my illness that right now I dare not trust it but with god and all you wonderful mums and dads and of course all my babies I feel that the fog is lifting, you have been so patient and kind to me it has been a tremendouse boost for me I love the pictures of all the children they really cheer me up so much. My nan said that the power of prayer is greater than we will ever know and I believe her because of all the wonderful prayes and well wishes I have had I shall never forget how you have all nurtured and prayed for me thankyou so much it really means the world to me and my family
Love always Tracy xxxx

[Diego's Mama]

June 26, 2003

Hello ladies its been sooo long since I have had a chance to update you all or even chat I am finally back in the U.S after the filming of The Discovery health Chanel series and lots of TLC from my Nan, I was so sad to leave her and my family  I have been trying to catch up with the e-mails and of course your questions so bare with me I will write again soon love to you all
Tracy Hoggxxx

[Diego's Mama]

September 8, 2003

Hello ladies, long time no post, lol, just to update you I have not forgotten all the prayers well wishes shared stories and cards, books, picturs and everything you have given to me.  Especially your love, devotion, loyalty, and faith.  With this combination who couldn't get well? I cannot believe that it will be a year on sept 11th when I had my surgery Just before I went to the operating theatre I watched the memorial on the T.V and remembered 3 ladies who I had consulted with one escaped and the other two perished so as we aproach that day I want us to all write a gratitude list because we have so many things to be grateful for, even if little Johny is crying in the middle of the night.  Just for one day let's post our lists.  I am gratefull that God gave every doctor and nurse the skills to take care of me.  I am grateful for God giving me a special gift.  I am grateful that I wake and see the sun every morning.  I am grateful for my daughters' undying devotion and love they have given me.  I am grateful for all the prayers, gifts, well wishes from all you mums.  I am grateful for my husband's devotion in caring for me even when I wanted to give in; he gave me hope.  I am grateful my family members are just the way they are. I am grateful to you, Nan; you talked to me at all hours of the day and night.  Without a doubt you are my heroine.
Love Tracy Hogg xxxxx

[Starry*]

Over the course of the last two years, Tracy & I have emailed letters.  We talked about our cancers, the scariness of it all, and she really opened up to me about her fears.  She called me last July, and we talked about parenting our teenagers and she helped me with my preschooler as well, all out of the goodness of her heart.  Just out of the blue, I pick up the phone and Tracy Hogg is on the other end! 
We met at a book signing, and she used Jonah as an example in front of a group of parents.  He adored her, as did my DH.  We both took pictures, and she said she placed one of the three of us (her, me and Jonah) on her board, next to her family and some celebrities.  How special I felt!

Here's an excerpt from one of her recent letters to me:

One day at a time, my dear friend enjoy all that happens even flying toys from your son because we only truly have today so don't waste it filling your head with those dreadful thoughts of cancer I do it so I know that it can drive you in sane and we are survivors and not victims to this disease hopefully we have learned to take care of ourselves a little better even if it is just to relax in a hot bath and read a single page of a book.  I don't have the skills to look after me so I'm learning and it is very hard.  I will always be here for you no matter what if you need anything because you are a special person in my life who has brought me faith hope love and all unconditionally and for that no words of thanks are enough.  I love you, Tracy.

I'm so sad, so angry that I've lost another friend to cancer, but I feel so blessed to have known her and to have these letters that I can reread a thousand times.  She has given me so much.  My heart aches with loss, and my love goes out to her Nan and her daughters.

GoodBye Tracy
Love from Starryeyed

[joaquinsmom]

Thank you for posting this, I had never read any of these letters, I didn't even know she was sick.

What a great loss this is, and what a great example of love and trust and faith in God.

[patsysmith]

Some people touch your life without you even meeting them, and come to mean a great deal.  Tracy was one such person.  What a lady - she talked common sense to people who needed it - I know how crazy you can feel with a new baby, when all your efforts seem to fail, and you have so many problems to solve that your head spins.
Her TV programmes were a lifeline for me when my baby was very young, and I put much of her advice into practice.  She inspired me.  I quoted her to my friends!
And now she's gone - without me even knowing she was ill!  I wish I'd had the chance to send her a card or something, saying thank-you, because she helped me when I needed it - I'd like to have given a little something back.
At least, reading her letters, you can tell she realised at the end how much she was loved and valued around the world.  And she seemed to have peace.  God bless you Tracy.

[Florencia]

I can not beleive this, I know all of us here are sad an shocked. There is no way to understand this because she was such a kind, ellegant, intelligent and sensitive person.

I didn't have the oportunity to meet her personally but with all her TV programs (I know them by heart because they program them here twice a day), the books, the site... you get the feeling that is your close friend. Since she was so intimate by explaining things in her own experience, quoting her mom and grandmom, she was like an aunt to me.

I blame myself for not researching enough to find out she was sick. I would have written something to her... at least, she knew she was loved, needed, looked up to.

I hope as soon as her family finds the strenght to go on with their lifes, consider to mantain this site as a memory to her. We all here Love Tracy not just in the States, UK or English spoken countries. She is famous in MExico, Guatemala, España, Argentina... she was such a great person that her influence and wisdom has been spread all around the globe.

Blessings to her family and many tears for her, from me and my little baby Manolo because it feels like we lost family.

[Tina Broadway]

Although I didn't know Tracy in person, you get to know the person through their tv performances.  Before my husband and I even started trying for a baby, I was watching her programme on Discovery Health to learn what I should and shouldn't do for my child.  I am now 17 weeks pregnant and feel saddened that she won't be around should I have a major problem that requires someone of her caliber to help out.  I just hope that I have learnt enough from watching her with others to realise what I am doing right or wrong. I will certainly remember that discipline is the key and continuity with what you do provides the basis of your relationship with your child. I will certainly miss watching new programmes about her and wish to convey my condolences and best wishes to all who knew her.  Lets hope everyone will remember the gift she gave everyone whether in person or via the tv set! I certainly will and hope my child will thank me for watching the programmes while they were available to me.

[Guest]

:cry:

Just can't beleive she has gone.  I will always think fondly of Tracy (partly because she was a Doncaster lass and I am from Doncaster) but mostly because her books and programmes guided me when I had my little boy in 2003.  I like many of you felt is if I knew her, just listening to her give advice in that Yorkshire accent was like listening to my own mother.  She was fantastic, an icon and someone we can be very proud of in Yorkshire.

[chelle]

:cry:
I have only discovered this web site today after spending the past few weeks reading Tracey's 1st book.  I am really saddened and shocked about Tracey's death, I feel like I've lost my guardian angel today - when I feel like I've lost all control and dont know what to do next, reading Tracey's book always puts a smile on my face and gets me back on track!
I only wish I could have thanked her for my sanity!  My thoughts go to Tracey's family........xxx

[Denise Roe]

I HAD THE PLEASURE AND BLESSING TO HAVE WORKED WITH TRACY IN CALIFORNIA. I WOULD CARRY ON WHEN SHE HAD FINISHED SETTLING THE NEW MOTHER AND BABY IN AT HOME AFTER THE FIRST FEW DAYS OF BREASTFEEDING.
TRACY I KNOW YOU SEE AND HEAR US ALL WE ARE ALL DEEPLY TOUCHED BY YOUR PASSING. IT WAS A SHOCK TO ME BEING TOLD OF YOUR DEATH BY A FRIEND OF MINE ON CHRISTMAS EVE, WHO READ YOUR OBIT IN THE WASHINGTON POST.
I LEFT CALIFORNIA IN 2001 FOR VIRGINIA AND HAD NO IDEA YOU WERE ILL. YOU ARE CORRECT WHEN YOU SAY LIFE IS SHORT, IT IS AND THE TIME YOU SPENT ON THIS EARTH YOU HELPED SO MANY MOTHERS AND FATHERS WITH THEIR BABYS AND CHILDREN YOU GAVE SO MUCH OF YOURSELF, AND IT IS WONDERFULL TO KNOW YOUR DAUGHTER WILL CONTINUE YOUR LEGASY.
I AM A  BRITISH LACTATION CONSULTANT MYSELF AND NEWBORN CARE SPECIALIST, EACH AND EVERY THING I DO, HELPING MOTHERS WILL BE IN REMEMBERENCE OF YOU. I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU, I KNOW YOUR SOUL IS IN GODS HANDS AS IT ALWAYS WAS.
 LOVE, AND MAY YOUR SOUL REST IN PEACE  DENISE ROE 

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