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Post of the Month - May
The POM for May goes to Dave from Pitt's "I need Kisses..." This was a poignant tearjerker, with a heartfelt, touching story.
I need kisses. More kisses
Dave from Pittsburgh - 05:16pm May 7, 2009 PT
GTC Graduate - Las Vegas May 2006 / GTC Tune-Up March 2008 / 40 & 60 - Roll Club / POM May 2009
Those were pretty much the last words my Mother said to me. She died just a few days ago after a short battle with stomach cancer.
I have been off of the Board since September of last year because of the health problems of my Mother and Mother-Law and other family members.
My Mother-in-Law had total knee replacement surgery last July, was in a nursing home, developed a staph infection, opened the knee up again, had heart and renal failure as well as mini-stroke, recovered and back to another nursing home, medications were screwed up, she was back into another nursing home where they tripped her out three times a day with a psychotic drug, developed pneumonia, so back into hospital, then back to another nursing home (and all of this time has stilled not learned how to walk again because of all of the hospitalizations), then back to a rehab hospital for three weeks and then finally released to my house for rehab, etc. on the 18th of February.
Meanwhile, my Mother goes into the hospital on the 20th of February with pneumonia and develops congestive heart failure, gets better, tests are run, she does not have lupus like they thought, put her into the rehab floor and she starts to get better,
But at this same time, my Sister has to have emergency heart surgery at a different hospital and is in the ICU for a week. Then my Mother-in-Law develops congestive heart failure again so she is back into the same hospital that my Mother is in. Then my Brother-in-Law develops heart problems and he is admitted to a different hospital.
Back to my Mother, in the middle of March she complains for the first time of stomach pain. They run a bunch of tests and sure enough stomach cancer and they give her 6 to 12 months to live. She is in good spirits and is going to fight it. She comes home to live with us and my Mother-in-Law who is now back with us.
However, after only three days, my Mother is back in the hospital - blood clots and stomach pain from the cancer. Emergency surgery has to be done for a perforated colon because of the cancer. Unfortunately, the cancer and infection are too much and I had to sign an advanced directive for her.
More unfortunately, we were going to take her to AC that first weekend of April because she loved the boardwalk, sand and ocean so much. Plus, she wanted to play craps with me. We thought we had time and then there was no time.
The point of this story is that use your time wisely and enjoy the things that you do such as craps. You think that you may all of the time in the world and then suddenly you have no time at all. And finally, do not be ashamed to show the love and affection to your parents, siblings and other relatives. It means more than you can imagine.
My Mother asked me for kisses and I gave them to her in the early morning hours when she was last lucid. I asked her how was that? She said she needed more kisses. I happily obliged. I only wish that I now had the opportunity to give her even more kisses.
Post of Distinction
The POD for May goes to YooW for "One Brief Moment In Time." It was again very difficult to decide from all the wonderful posts.
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