Four weeks ago our world became a little more complicated; My wife's mother was diagnosed with cancer and was in surgery for five hours within a few few days. It's a scenario many people around the country, and world, are faced with; We know we are not the hardest done-by family. It's not pleasant though, and it's been very difficult to manage due to my wife and I having demanding jobs and the emotions also.
Faith, my wife, has worked double shifts, spending from the early morning into mid afternoon with her mum and another eight hours through to around 10pm at work running our business. I've done what I can to help keep things rolling at home but my help has probably only been cursory: Tidying up around the house, making meals, taking care of our two children [read: cats] and generally looking after myself so she doesn't have to.
We have also been working through a situation with Faith's mum's partner who has acute myeloid leukemia, a form of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. He has not been very well at all and is on a downward spiral, particularly over the last couple of months. He has needed constant blood transfusions every few days and additional medical care which has fallen to us to facilitate.
On Wednesday night my wife took off to go help her mum as her partner had been rushed to hospital in an abulance. They were at the hospital until 1am and then Faith ended up staying over at her mums that night. The prognosis has not been favourable unfortunately and all the doctors can do is make Jack as comfortable as possible and await the inevitable. He will not come out of hospital now. Not alive.
We have had Faith's mum staying with us these past few days as it is easier to manage. She is unable to lift anything any heavier than a litre of milk, can only walk a little and is still not permitted to drive. She had an appointment to check her wounds a couple of days ago and they seem to be healing nicely which is great news and next Friday she has her first appointment back at the oncology department in which we expect to hear they recommend a course of chemotherapy. I believe she has already decided to do the chemo if they suggest it which will bring its own set of challenges.
The last month has been difficult and very draining emotionally and with this latest news about Jack we know we have a much more difficult time ahead. We understand that there are many people in worse situations however being in it, living it as we are, makes us feel a little hard done by. Still, we push forward and do what we can to stay motivated and positive. Unfortunately the result of the next few weeks is a foregone conclusion, at least as far as Jack goes. Well get by though. We always do.