Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Strange Days

Life goes all weird and strange when a beloved elder is seriously ill. I still go to work every day, but nowadays most of the office mail gets posted in the postbox outside Antrim Area Hospital. It's not easy reaching the box as I have to push past hordes of smoking patients in fluffy dressing gowns and teddy bear pyjamas. It's an odd sight to see a young, heavily pregnant woman attached to a drip stand, standing out the front of the hossie with a fag in her gob.

Yesterday Matty took a great rally after receiving the news that her cancer hadn't attached itself to her spine. Today she is tired and weary again. Before this, I used to get irritated when I heard people speak of 'fighting' or 'battling' cancer. I could not get my head around that at all. It's a disease, it runs a course. But now I have actually seen and experienced my mother fighting hard not to let the illness beat her down. And mostly she has been succeeding. I understand better now. Except, just now, she seems a little battle-weary. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

7 comments:

Grannymar said...

It is not an easy time for anyone, either in or around the bed. My thoughts are with you every day. Big Hugs, GM

Nelly said...

Thank you Grannymar.

Ronni said...

Good Thinks, Nelly. Been there, done that, burned the shirt. You can only do what you can...

Anonymous said...

This is a roller coaster that takes you along without asking permission.
My own mother would wake up and say "I'm not ready to die today." And I would answer: "Well, leave it til Thursday then". And we would make it for another week.Many months later, she told me she was going to the dance. And she did.

There's no road map, Nellie. And no right or wrong way. Matty will cue the scenes as the play reveals itself.

With all my heart, I send my love.

Anne

Zsuzsi said...

Dear Nelly!

If there is a store for natural supplements over there, ask for this plant. It is available in capsule here in Hungary, hopefully there at your place, too.

As I am interested in ways of natural treatment and have experience in using them in forms of tea, plant, powder and tablet forms all I can do is share...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingzhi_mushroom
(Ganoderma lucidum)
once I asked for it at the store and the assistant said people buy it and they are always short of it, it is very good.

and vitamin B17 I have read a lot about.

Hopefully, they are of much help!

with love,

Zsuzsi

Brig said...

A shoulder to rest on, a hand to clasp, a heart to hear the unspoken, I send to you accross the miles. Use them as you will.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your coments good people. They give me heart.