Yes, You're In Our Prayers

Mom called today and inform me he has cancer--that was all spinal cancer! She has already started treatment but asked me to keep her in our prayers. What could I say but yes. My mom is well over 90 year old she has had a great run but still she is a person who now knows she is terminal even if she is of advanced age. This knowledge has to be terrifying no matter who you are or how old you are. There has got to be a fear factor of what is going to happen in the process to the check out line. So, I have to learn to be supportive in a difficult situation.
My mom lives in an inaccessible home, she lives almost a 70 miles from me and going to visit takes a deal of planning. Mom mentioned she has started her medical regimen and she will have to go into the Dr's office daily for a while. She lives with her brother in law and sister who are just a little younger the Mom. My Uncle Jess also has some sort of cancer and is going through treatments and my Aunt is caring for both and getting totally worn out. I will offer to help her get back an forth to the doc's office but I do not drive a vehicle she can manage very well if at all. She will talk to her ecclesiastical leader who , hopefully, can find someone in her ward who can drive her to these appointments.

When you finally know something like this, this officially become the beginning of the end. I have to start making my own personal preparations, knowing , just one more thanksgiving, Christmas, Winter season or Spring if we are lucky—if Mom is lucky. There will be long run-ups to the final goodbyes, possible special events and visits from family members who will be saying their last goodbyes. Do these seniors have to put on a “brave” front so the survivors can just get by? Do they cry at night when the last child has said goodbye and the phone line has gone dead, and they know they are all alone. Do they pull the cover over their heads in bed and call the names of their departed spouse or loved ones to come and ease them out of their mortal coil and “ease on down the road home”. When do,we the living, go down into the basement and dig out the casket which has been sitting in the basement for the past seven years, wax and polish it up for the “big show”. Is it to crass to start reading the sales and buying foods to use for the final family dinner after the “event” The end is near—nothing will ever be the same now, now that we know. Now that old age has a diagnosis and death is right round the corner and each “goodbye” may be your or her last.