Who really gets time to plan their own ritual of dying? Who is conscious that every time they do something, it could be the last time they experience it? Who lives constantly with a greeting in their mouth, and goodbye in the back of their mind?
Me. And I’m still navigating how to do this gracefully.
Read the rest at Kirstin's blog.
From JCF:
I've heard from Cath's sister:
Cath is still in a pretty critical situation. We (family, docs, hospital staff) are still working to get her fully stabilized. She is still dealing with severe pain -- tho' that is getting a bit better -- but she has serious issues with lower limb weakness, lack of feeling in her hands and transient mini "seizures.". The diagnosis of what went wrong is not complete yet but none of the potential options are good.
I will provide updates as we find out more. If there is anything special you would like to share with her, please post it and I will give her the message(s). Again many thanks to all of you.
PLEASE continue to pray for Cath, her family, and all her many, many friends..
The latest update from our parishioner, Linda, who is now in Zambia, is that she is alert and aware, that she has a person caring for her, and that she is able to obtain pain medication. Please continue your prayers for Linda.
For Kirstin, Cathy, and Linda:
May God the Father bless you, God the Son heal you, God the Holy Spirit give you strength. May God the holy and undivided Trinity guard your bodies, save your souls, and bring you safely to his heavenly country; where he lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
Amen.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for posting this, Mimi! [I'm still trying to figure out how you did so---you read the last prayer thread at MP's?]
ReplyDeleteCathy has been so brave, so strong---so full of hope through it all. If this is good-bye, it's *I* who don't know how to cope (So spare the slightest prayer for me in this)
I wish I could see her. I wish I could Do Something (that goes for you too, Kirstin). Instead, I'm just passing on prayer requests and medical updates.
God, help me help your beloveds. Even if the best help I can give, is letting go in love...
And for Linda, too.
ReplyDelete[FUCKING CANCER!!! Hate, hate, hate, HATE!!!]
I may have a ways to go on this letting go thing.
And Japan has just been hit by an *8.8* earthquake (already hit by tsunami now).
ReplyDeleteKyrie Eleison!
JCF, I saw your prayer request for Cathy in the comments at MP's.
ReplyDeleteThat's horrible news from Japan.
Prayers offered for all.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts are with all who suffer from this dreadful disease.
ReplyDeleteMay I just interject some business here. The House of Representatives is proposing devastating, DEVASTATING cuts to the NIH which is the major engine of cancer (and other biomedical) research in this country.
The CDC and NIH recently released a study showing that more and more Americans are surviving cancer. But as this prayer list shows, too many people are still dying.
If we are to have any chance of bringing treatments and cures to our friends and loved ones, we cannot eviscerate the research program. If we do, it will, frankly, never recover, and we will have more of these to pray over.
Medical research dollars not only save lives, they create knowledge for future treatments. This investment in the future provide education and substantial economic impact as well.
No one gets rich doing this work. We aren't feathering our own nest. If you could see the long hours worked tireless in the lab by PhD students and postdocs -- none of whom are paid very well, with lousy benefits -- all they want to do is keep working for YOU to tease out the secrets, to put another brick in the foundation of knowledge.
Please, call your Congressperson and your Senators and tell them to save the NIH. It works for ALL of us.
IT, I know! What the Republicans are doing is so terribly destructive. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeletePrayers from me for Cathy, Linda and Kirsten. I wish there wasn't so much severe illness among blog friends at the moment.
ReplyDeleteJCF, I dropped the thread (didn't mean to), but I really do want to meet you. We'll have to figure out when.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mimi.
Blessings, Kirstin.
ReplyDeleteBack atcha Kirstin. Stay strong!
ReplyDelete[Haven't heard anything more from Cath's sister---hope no news is better news]
[---hope no news is better news]
ReplyDeleteI hope so, too, JCF.