More Sad Family News

[bjarvis]

Last June 10, my mother's sister, Gail, passed away from cancer.

I just got word that another one of mom's sisters, Lee, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Survival rates run about 5%. She's been given 6-8 weeks.

Just once, I'd like a happy reason to return to Canada.

Comments

[gingy.livejournal.com]

I'm very sorry to hear your sad news.

I lost two family members to cancer within six months; in the period where I was not allowed to leave the country due to my immigration status.

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

My god, that's horrible! When I was in the grey area waiting for official documentation to be completed, I dreaded any sort of family crisis which would have required an emergency trip home. Mercifully, nothing happened then, but it seems the universe is playing catch-up this summer.

[gingy.livejournal.com]

I'm lucky in that I married an American and that makes the process quicker. I have a friend who has been here for SIX YEARS on an employment visa and his status is still in limbo. Poor guy.

[ciddyguy.livejournal.com]

Very sorry to hear of this in such a close time frame.

I lost my Dad to pancreatic cancer back in '98. He was 70 and by the time he was diagnosed, it was far enough along that he didn't live for more than a couple of months.

We think he may have had the cancer for at least a year before diagnosis due to an illness that he has in the fall of '97 with we thought was an intestinal infection.

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

Lee is going through something similar... she had minor abdominal pain on occasion, but didn't think anything of it. After all, who would? It was indistinguishable from run-of-the-mill indigestion. Only when she clearly was experiencing jaundice just recently did she go for an extensive & thorough exam.

She's coming up on her 59th birthday.

[ciddyguy.livejournal.com]

Wow.

Hugs my friend.

[allanh.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear the news.


>Just once, I'd like a happy reason to return to Canada.

Well, you and Kent could always join Randy & I in Vancouver for their (American) Thanksgiving fly-in ...

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

I'd love to attend the Vancouver fly-in some day, but I'm not sure we could either swing it either in terms of money or office leave. It's a nice thought though.

[excessor.livejournal.com]

This is such sad news. I hope your mom and the rest of your family get the support they (you) need.

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

I'm really torn up about my grandmother. She's only just starting to come to grips with the loss of one daughter and now she has to lose another. It was only a few years ago she lost her own mother. Lord knows how many friends she's lost over the past couple of years.

It's the tragedy of a long life (she'll be 80 in the spring)... you get to see a lot of life and you unfortunately get to see a lot of death.

[paigemom.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry, sweetie :(