DeniseJP
Well-Known Member
My sister tookmy stepdad (her real dad)to the ER last night and it was initially thought he had a gallbladder attack and it ended up being pancreatic cancer... the mass they found on the CAT scan is 2 inches by four inches and the pancreas is only six inches in size itself... he has an MRI scheduled for Monday and has to see a surgeon on Wednesday... they are going to try to remove the mass to relieve his pain... he has had problems with diabetes, high blood pressure, nine stentsto relieve blockages in his heart/arteries etc...and glaucoma and has been in a lot of pain with those conditions... yet would go to the gym daily to work out... this was a total shock to me today. We don't know much more than that... and my family is all in CT - about 6 hours away. My stepdad, who raised me since I was four, is taking it very well - he said it is what it is...
I lost two friends this year to pancreatic cancer, and one to breast cancer and have a coworker dealing with brain cancer...stuff like this makes me glad every day I can live my life.
I am working on going to CT for Thanksgiving after my dinner at home with my hubby, boys and Greg (and I am glad he is "home" and he landed a good job with the roofing company that he was employed by before he left for CA)... in light of the bad news, I am hoping that my mom will let her ex have a meal with all of us as it might be the last Thanksgiving we have together... but if not, I told my sister we can have some sort of meal together at her place, where my stepdad lives in an inlaw apartment.
Some folks don't get a chance to spend time with their loved ones when they die suddenly...like when my grandpa passed after not telling anyone the docs said without the heart operation he would be dead in days... or a coworker who lost her only son in a car accident... my stepdad will be the first to admit he was not a good husband or dad (he abused drugs and alcohol and he beat my mom and threw me out of the house at age 18 when I had an eating disorder) but I forgave him a long time ago. Life is too short to be hung up on the bad things that happen.
For Father's Day a couple of years ago, I took him on a sunset cruise in Newport, RI on one of the America's Cup yachts - my favorite sailboats and he remembered that I loved them. He had never gone sailing before and was happy to go. I was happy to do something fun with him... it made up for the bad times growing up.
Make sure you hug those close to you tonight and even if you are not getting along with a family member, spouse, parent or whatever, take the time to call or to hug them and say "I love you."
I saw a sign in a store that I want for my bedroom... "Always kiss me goodnight." Even when hubby and I were not getting along, I always insisted on that.
I am grateful for the time we have left.
Denise
I lost two friends this year to pancreatic cancer, and one to breast cancer and have a coworker dealing with brain cancer...stuff like this makes me glad every day I can live my life.
I am working on going to CT for Thanksgiving after my dinner at home with my hubby, boys and Greg (and I am glad he is "home" and he landed a good job with the roofing company that he was employed by before he left for CA)... in light of the bad news, I am hoping that my mom will let her ex have a meal with all of us as it might be the last Thanksgiving we have together... but if not, I told my sister we can have some sort of meal together at her place, where my stepdad lives in an inlaw apartment.
Some folks don't get a chance to spend time with their loved ones when they die suddenly...like when my grandpa passed after not telling anyone the docs said without the heart operation he would be dead in days... or a coworker who lost her only son in a car accident... my stepdad will be the first to admit he was not a good husband or dad (he abused drugs and alcohol and he beat my mom and threw me out of the house at age 18 when I had an eating disorder) but I forgave him a long time ago. Life is too short to be hung up on the bad things that happen.
For Father's Day a couple of years ago, I took him on a sunset cruise in Newport, RI on one of the America's Cup yachts - my favorite sailboats and he remembered that I loved them. He had never gone sailing before and was happy to go. I was happy to do something fun with him... it made up for the bad times growing up.
Make sure you hug those close to you tonight and even if you are not getting along with a family member, spouse, parent or whatever, take the time to call or to hug them and say "I love you."
I saw a sign in a store that I want for my bedroom... "Always kiss me goodnight." Even when hubby and I were not getting along, I always insisted on that.
I am grateful for the time we have left.
Denise
ray::hug2: My thoughts are with you,a nd your familey
