Durka-Durka-Muhammed-Jihad!!
Ever heard of the phrase 'when it rains, it pours' ? Well, I just happen to be the living example of that phrase.
My mother was diagnosed with lung cancer last year. She went through kemotherapy and the other standard treatments. And while the treatments seemed to shrink the tumor in her lung, it also spread.
In the last few months, she's experienced more and more difficulty in simply living and taking care of herself. Keeping track of her medications became increasingly difficult....remembering if she had eaten lunch or dinner was a guessing game. All in all, it was just plain misery for her.
A few days ago, the doctors and my family back east thought that she'd be better off in a hospice where she wouldn't be alone and would be cared for by the medical staff right there. Plus recently having a seizure was the 'final straw'.
The phrase 'when it rains, it pours' comes in here: while she was sitting in a wheelchair while getting checked into the hospice, my mother decided to get up to walk to her new room. Just at that moment, the nurse that was helping her had her back turned getting my mother a cup of ice chips and had her back turned; my mother took one step and promptly took a header into the floor.
The medical staff rushed her to the nearest shock/trauma unit to check her out; there wasn't anything in the x-ray or CAT scan (at least, that's what I remember from by brother telling me the details). So they took her back to the hospice.
When she was returned to the hospice, the staff there noticed that she was unresponsive and that the left side of her face was 'dooping'; it was concluded that she had suffered a stroke.
For the last few days, friends and family have been sitting with her and talking to her; she appears to take notice of the familiar voices but isn't talking or moving. Actually, the only movement is a slight tremor that moves her head a little.
When I asked my brother whether she had weeks or days to live, my brother replied days.
So now the added 'bonus' of when it rains, it pours is for me trying to figure out how to get back east quickly, either to be with her while it's still possible or to attend her funeral and help my brother take care of her personal affairs that haven't been 'taken care' of.
And the only thing I can say for the moment is: F-U-C-K.
UPDATE: As Da Goddess mentioned in the comments, I was able to get back east. Unfortunately, it wasn't quick enough.
My mother passed away Wednesday, September 13 in the morning and I found out that afternoon.
By the extreme graciousness of my friend "Bob", both my daughter and I were able to get on a flight to Washington, D.C. on Thursday morning; my wife wasn't able to come with us as her business is still in it's infancy and needed her tender care.
My mother's funeral was the following Monday.
We just returned this afternoon and I wanted to post something quickly while it was still in my mind.
Thank you to all for the prayers, good thoughts, and well-wishes.
I'll post more later after I've gotten back on California time.
Mikey,
Let me know if I can help. Will send you my cell phone number under Private Messa
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Da Goddess said:
I heard from Mrs. Smash you made it back east. Call me when you return. Prayers for you and your
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Shannon said:
Wow. I follow a link from Stacy's blog and
:::::WHAM:::::
I live in the world of "Mo
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nathalie said:
Mikey-- thoughts and prayers with you and your family. Please let me know if there's anything I c
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Minnie said:
I'm so sorry - it's never easy to be in this situation. I hope you're able to get out there. I'
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timekeeper said:
I'm so sorry, Mike.
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Comments on The Cliché that Applies
I have 10,000 Northwest miles that are yours...I have NO idea how to transfer them or what to do...
Does anyone out there know?
You or Mrs. Mikey call me tonight...or I'll call you.
|| Posted by Gracie, September 12, 2006 01:48 PM ||Oh Mike..... what can I say. I'm sending you lots of love and good wishes. I wish I could do more.
|| Posted by caltechgirl, September 12, 2006 03:48 PM ||i am sorry dude-prayers are with you and yours
sf j
|| Posted by j, September 13, 2006 02:25 AM ||I'm so sorry, Mike.
|| Posted by timekeeper, September 13, 2006 06:28 PM ||I'm so sorry - it's never easy to be in this situation. I hope you're able to get out there. I'll pray for you.
Minnie
|| Posted by Minnie, September 13, 2006 06:28 PM ||Mikey-- thoughts and prayers with you and your family. Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help get you out there, monetary contributions included...
Seriously.
|| Posted by nathalie, September 13, 2006 08:30 PM ||Wow. I follow a link from Stacy's blog and
:::::WHAM:::::
I live in the world of "Mom/stroke/nursing home/I have two young kids at home/working/going through "when it rains, it pours."
It's agony........whether you are the sibling there day in and day out or the one that can't be.
God be with you and yours. May you all have peace.
Shannon
|| Posted by Shannon, September 18, 2006 07:10 PM ||I heard from Mrs. Smash you made it back east. Call me when you return. Prayers for you and your family, Mikey
|| Posted by Da Goddess, September 19, 2006 02:31 AM ||Mikey,
Let me know if I can help. Will send you my cell phone number under Private Messages at aww.
However this works out, I wish the best for you and your family.
d.
|| Posted by deuddersun, September 20, 2006 12:41 PM ||