Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Illness and Death

This is just a quick entry, although morbid it may be.

My mother-in-law was diagnosed with Takayasu's Syndrome approximately 17 years ago, and was told that she will have a slow and painful death. Plus that it would take about 15 years, then the disease will take her life. Okay, so it's two years past the predicted 15 years and she's still with us (thank God!).

Last year, just before Thinus and I got married, she was also diagnosed with lung cancer causing the doctors to have to perform surgery to remove one of the lobes of her left lung. The cancer then metastasized (spread) to her pelvic bone region, causing bone cancer (this is as far as I understand it - Mom, you must correct me if I am wrong). She's been in severe pain for the past year, to the point that my father-in-law had to make her a special bed/chair to accommodate her pain. She is also taking morphine syrup, although it is not taking the pain away - thus the dosage was adjusted yet again yesterday morning.

Last week my mother-in-law went for a CT-scan, and it was found that she has some new spots / spreading of the cancer to her skull (and I think the brain, although it is not that clear to me). Yesterday my mother-in-law went to see the oncologist regarding the results and he stated that with her symptoms the life expectancy is about 3 months (my brother, also an oncologist, stated that her symptoms points towards a life expectancy of 0-6 months, but one always state the average, which is 3 months). She was in tears (understandably so), and my father-in-law rushed home to be with her. My brother-in-law John (age 24) does not want to hear of any possibility that his mother might pass away.

It was a rough day yesterday, trying to organize plane tickets to go visit my in-laws, residing in Cape Town, SA (about 1400km away from Johannesburg). I wanted my husband to spend his birthday with his mom, but she's gonna be having guests over this weekend, and the following weekend (which is when it's hubby's B-day!). So Thinus' grandmother suggested that we rather not go now, when EVERYONE Is going. So we'll be taking a September holiday to go and see his parents, and it also works out about R1000 cheaper than it would if we flew to Cape Town in 2 weeks' time.

So ja, just thought I would ask for people to pray for my mother-in-law and her family. She is in so much pain, and I just pray that God's will be done.

Will keep you updated regarding her condition. Ciao!

No comments: