Turbo Cancer: Day 140 - October 29, 2022
Turbo Cancer: Day 140 - October 29, 2022
An Old Friend
On this day, last year, my mom wrote:
Loretto came for a wonderful visit! Felt real bad after nap, and all evening. Back, stomach, nausea, leg- etc. etc. etc.
Better today. Changed dressings. All were wet. No drainage in drain. Now okay and draining again.
My mom had known Loretta for as long as she had known Penny.
I have faint memories of Loretta, from when I was very young.
In my mind, I see a tall, thin, beautiful woman, in a long, flowing, patterned, brown bohemian dress.
I remember her friendly husband, with his kind smile.
I remember the smell of bell peppers baking in her kitchen.
I remember afternoons spent playing with my brother, her son and her daughter.
I remember that she felt safe.
My mom used to babysit for Loretta’s kids in the 1970s. When I was still young, Loretta and her family moved to Texas.
Loretta and my mom remained friends, and travelled across the country to visit one another, many, many times, over the years.
On this day, last year, Loretta flew from Texas, so that she could spend a few hours with my mom.
Loretta is a very empathetic person. In her presence, my mom relaxed. She opened up to her old friend. She felt comfortable enough to show her pain and her sorrow.
Loretta walked straight to my mom and hugged her. My mom’s muscles went limp and she melted into tears. Her beloved friend embraced her, and they cried together.
Then they talked. They remembered happy times together. They laughed. It was an afternoon of love and light, and my mom was so happy.
She was happy until Turbo Cancer reminded her of its presence. Cancer is darkness, and darkness is offended by light.
After the visit, my mom was ready for a nap, but she couldn’t sleep. The pain was coming at her from every direction. Her leg was throbbing. Her back was aching. Her stomach was upset. Eating and drinking made her feel sick.
The enemy was advancing, and there was no escape.
The palliative chemo was not working. The narcotics were not working. There was no comfortable position. My mom was fatigued, but the pain forced her to stay awake. Turbo Cancer made sure that she be fully aware of its latest attack on her body, mind and spirit.
We are with you for the journey this time around, Kristi.
I remember having kidneystones years ago, solved by quitting drinking of iced tea.
The first two times I had an attack, simple trip to the X-ray machine seemed to fix it.
The third time was much worse, it hurt so bad that I could not even see. After 9 shots of morphine, the doctor, had gotten to know me pretty well, he called the anesthesiologist to knock me out.
I woke up hours later, no pain, still pretty messed up from morphine. All the doctors wanted to know how I stood it, I didn't, but one, an oncologist that said "Now you know what those cancer patients go through."
That fact has never been lost on me.
The stone had cut my ureter from kidney to bladder, 21 days later I was discharged.