12-03-2007, 07:07 PM
Alzheimers and Cancer are hard things to deal with. My maternal grandfather had Alzheimers and it wasn't fun dealing with some of the things that he did before it got too far out of hand. I didn't see him when he had Alzheimers and have my memories of him a few years before he was diagnosed where he still remembered everyone around him.
Cancer is something I'm far more familiar with with 2 of the 5 sibilings from my Mom's family dying from it (leukemia in the case of the oldest, Marsha, and brain, stomach, and pancreatic in the case of the eldest son, Jim) as well as my mother and her twin sister along with my maternal grandmother all being breast cancer survivors (although my maternal grandmother died from a heart attack a couple years before my grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimers). Cancer is a funny one as it can have little effect on someone's ability to function or can be hidden well on how someone functions. In the case of Jim, I saw him 3 months before he died and I couldn't tell he had cancer in anyway, it was only later when Steve, the middle child, mentioned some of the things Jim was asking about when they came down for a family reunion. He was asking where Paul (his son that died to a widowmaker in the winter of '89) was or where the bopper was (his nickname for my paternal grandfather). Steve realized then that the cancer was causing him some dementia, but Jim was still functioning well enough that the rest of us didn't realize just how far along his cancer was. Luckily we (me and my parents) got one last chance to see him and said our goodbyes, we didn't realize this would be the final ones, but it atleast left us with a memory of him.
All I can say at this point is try to spend as much time with your mother as you can, but realize also that estimates by the doctors can be off, you mother may live longer than they estimate (Steve above has had numerous heart attacks, several bypasses, was said that he wouldn't live to see 50 because he had some massive heart attacks in his 40s and is now in his mid 60s). Make her comfortable, hope that she isn't in pain, and that the doctors' estimates are off and she lives longer and can enjoy some of the achievements of her grandchildren.
Cancer is something I'm far more familiar with with 2 of the 5 sibilings from my Mom's family dying from it (leukemia in the case of the oldest, Marsha, and brain, stomach, and pancreatic in the case of the eldest son, Jim) as well as my mother and her twin sister along with my maternal grandmother all being breast cancer survivors (although my maternal grandmother died from a heart attack a couple years before my grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimers). Cancer is a funny one as it can have little effect on someone's ability to function or can be hidden well on how someone functions. In the case of Jim, I saw him 3 months before he died and I couldn't tell he had cancer in anyway, it was only later when Steve, the middle child, mentioned some of the things Jim was asking about when they came down for a family reunion. He was asking where Paul (his son that died to a widowmaker in the winter of '89) was or where the bopper was (his nickname for my paternal grandfather). Steve realized then that the cancer was causing him some dementia, but Jim was still functioning well enough that the rest of us didn't realize just how far along his cancer was. Luckily we (me and my parents) got one last chance to see him and said our goodbyes, we didn't realize this would be the final ones, but it atleast left us with a memory of him.
All I can say at this point is try to spend as much time with your mother as you can, but realize also that estimates by the doctors can be off, you mother may live longer than they estimate (Steve above has had numerous heart attacks, several bypasses, was said that he wouldn't live to see 50 because he had some massive heart attacks in his 40s and is now in his mid 60s). Make her comfortable, hope that she isn't in pain, and that the doctors' estimates are off and she lives longer and can enjoy some of the achievements of her grandchildren.
Sith Warriors - They only class that gets a new room added to their ship after leaving Hoth, they get a Brooncloset
Einstein said Everything is Relative.
Heisenberg said Everything is Uncertain.
Therefore, everything is relatively uncertain.
Einstein said Everything is Relative.
Heisenberg said Everything is Uncertain.
Therefore, everything is relatively uncertain.