Monday, August 8, 2011

Needed:

Someone to fight the sumo wrestler sitting on my chest constricting my breathing and keeping my heart from pumping.

Some magic duck tape to wrap around me, preventing my insides from falling out, and to keep me together.

a swish and a flick and an expecto patronum to make everything better.

a little electric current shot through the iron rod I'm hanging on to to make sure I don't slip and fall off.

a cure for cancer.

a liver that will start working again.
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Mom is dying. MY MOTHER IS DYING.

Her oncologist on Friday gave her days or maybe weeks. We're hoping she hangs on for the next 10 days so my sisters can both come from Florida to see her.

We all knew that a side effect of being on TPN too long is decreased liver function, and that is apparently true. After being on TPN for the last eight months, Mom's liver has decided it's had enough and quit working. Her belliruben levels are extremely high and she has a definite yellow tint to her skin and eyes and there's nothing to be done, except let her take liquid morphine that dissolves in her mouth and call hospice.
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We had another family meeting yesterday and we were told to call Mom everyday to check in and to be ready. Both Mom and Dad said they were thankful that they are eternal companions and that they know that families really can be together again and that death is not the end.
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It's so awful sitting with your family and all any of you can do is cry and pass the kleenex around. I can't even imagine what it's like to have to tell your children that you are leaving them. How hard would it be to know that you are causing them the most emotional pain most people have to bear in their lives?

I went in and sat on the bed next to Mom last night as she was climbing in and as I helped get blankets to stack to elevate her swollen feet, I just started to cry. She started to cry, patted the spot next to her and said, "Oh, Adrienne. I'm so sorry. This is really awful, isn't it?"
"It's just not fair Mom. You were supposed to get better."
" I know. I really thought I would. I really thought I would get better. But apparently that's not the plan."

1 comment:

Shannon said...

Im so sorry Adrienne, sorry to all of my sweet Vancomen family. We love you and lots of prayers are coming your way.