Day 18: How fast things can change...

I called Dad around 3:30pm today for my daily check in. I asked him how things were going and he said, "Not very well". I asked him what was going on and he told me that mom's stomach is really starting to hurt and that she said she just wanted to die.

I wasn't ready for that.

Dad told me he had a call into the cancer center to see if they could get mom some pain medication or go ahead and drain her abdomen. Mom has been sleeping all day. This doesn't sound like living. I could hear the sadness and concern in my dad's voice. He has so much on his shoulders.

I told him I'd call him back tonight to find out the latest.

About 1/2 hour ago, mom called me to tell me that she's getting her abdomen drained tomorrow at 1:45pm. She sounded relieved. I told her I was so happy dad called the cancer center and she said, "Your dad did good".

I told her I was going to come up for the procedure. My "pre-cancer mom" would have argued with me and told me she was fine. My mom with cancer said, "If you can do that, it would be great". So, I'm going. I'm probably going to take the boys. I don't think I can find childcare on such a short notice. We'll just make it work. I have to be there. Period.

So, back up North tomorrow. I'm hoping this will be a good thing and that mom will be feeling better.

Everything seems to change so fast these days. Up and down. Good and bad. It's hard to stay in one place. But I guess we don't really want to stay right here anyway do we? Something has to change.

I just want it to change for the better...