BHYY
Last week, my aunt found a small lump in her right breast. Since there is now a history of breast cancer in my family, the doctors were taking no chances and decided to remove it right away. She went in on Monday for the surprisingly out-patient procedure, and they tested it to find out if it was cancerous. Results came in today: negative. We're thankful.
When you add this on top of all the other medical maladies in my family, it's a wonder we're not a depressed, non-believing bunch. My grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease almost 8 years ago now, a year or so after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Thankfully, we've been able to keep him at home, with my grandmother. He has an aide come to the house and take care of him for 12 hours. He's bed-ridden now, doesn't really talk, and is fed thru a feeding tube. The weird thing is that his grandchildren have become so much closer to him; before, we were all too afraid of him to love him as freely as we do now.
I'm tellin ya, though, the guy's got 9 lives. Everytime he goes to the hospital (be it because of pnemonia, extremely low or extremely high blood sugar, high blood pressure, etc), his condition deteriorates so badly that we all start planning his funeral arrangements. Last time this happened, my mother made sure to renew her passport expeditiously (my grandparents have burial plots in Israel). I gave my boss notice that I would probably go away for a week. And then, like a miracle from God, he got better. The bone cancer that the doctors found during a full body scan a few days earlier had disapeared. His blood pressure dropped to normal levels and his lungs cleared. He came back home to us.
Then there is my uncle (same side of the family). The story is too long and detailed to go into to give you the background. Let's just say he's a man who for some reason could never get over the hump and actually succeed in his various ventures- be it business, marriage, his relationship with his kids, extended family, and his health. Like my grandparents, my uncle suffers from diabetes. He was never able to control his sweet tooth, though, and at the end, it all caught up with him. A few amputated toes and a semi-massive stroke later, my 56-year old uncle now lives in a nursing home in Israel, because he is semi-paralyzed on the left side of his body. His antics have driven my mother, aunt, and grandmother crazy, because they're always left to pick up the pieces. His kids don't care anymore. He's divorced 3 times, and his first ex is out to get him. Unfortunately, we don't have much to do with his family anymore, not that it was our choice.
Of course, every family has their stories, their drama, their soap opera. This is mine. Thinking about it though, I am amazed at the strength of my extended family- my parents, my siblings, my aunt, uncle, and cousins [the good ones ;o) ]. We're all still so close, and we laugh about this stuff, because we can't cry about it anymore.
But it all happens for a reason, right? If my grandfather were lucid enough to know what was going on with his son (my uncle described above)... let's just say, there would be a lot more drama to write about! :o)
When you add this on top of all the other medical maladies in my family, it's a wonder we're not a depressed, non-believing bunch. My grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease almost 8 years ago now, a year or so after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Thankfully, we've been able to keep him at home, with my grandmother. He has an aide come to the house and take care of him for 12 hours. He's bed-ridden now, doesn't really talk, and is fed thru a feeding tube. The weird thing is that his grandchildren have become so much closer to him; before, we were all too afraid of him to love him as freely as we do now.
I'm tellin ya, though, the guy's got 9 lives. Everytime he goes to the hospital (be it because of pnemonia, extremely low or extremely high blood sugar, high blood pressure, etc), his condition deteriorates so badly that we all start planning his funeral arrangements. Last time this happened, my mother made sure to renew her passport expeditiously (my grandparents have burial plots in Israel). I gave my boss notice that I would probably go away for a week. And then, like a miracle from God, he got better. The bone cancer that the doctors found during a full body scan a few days earlier had disapeared. His blood pressure dropped to normal levels and his lungs cleared. He came back home to us.
Then there is my uncle (same side of the family). The story is too long and detailed to go into to give you the background. Let's just say he's a man who for some reason could never get over the hump and actually succeed in his various ventures- be it business, marriage, his relationship with his kids, extended family, and his health. Like my grandparents, my uncle suffers from diabetes. He was never able to control his sweet tooth, though, and at the end, it all caught up with him. A few amputated toes and a semi-massive stroke later, my 56-year old uncle now lives in a nursing home in Israel, because he is semi-paralyzed on the left side of his body. His antics have driven my mother, aunt, and grandmother crazy, because they're always left to pick up the pieces. His kids don't care anymore. He's divorced 3 times, and his first ex is out to get him. Unfortunately, we don't have much to do with his family anymore, not that it was our choice.
Of course, every family has their stories, their drama, their soap opera. This is mine. Thinking about it though, I am amazed at the strength of my extended family- my parents, my siblings, my aunt, uncle, and cousins [the good ones ;o) ]. We're all still so close, and we laugh about this stuff, because we can't cry about it anymore.
But it all happens for a reason, right? If my grandfather were lucid enough to know what was going on with his son (my uncle described above)... let's just say, there would be a lot more drama to write about! :o)
posted by elanit | 3:00 PM
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