Post by Dragonmaster on Jan 1, 2011 0:48:40 GMT 1
I suppose Rainbow Bridge is for animals not people but nowhere else seems appropriate on a night of celebration. I don't want to spoil people's fun on New Years Night.
My Mum has left 2010 in her own inimitable style by leaving us completely and rather unexpectedly.
In November she was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer, but shed seemed reasonably OK in herself at the time. We thought she would have quite a few more months - and her first great grandchild, my first grandchild, is due in June. But over the past few weeks she had become increasingly poorly. I probably had not appreciated how much as due to the snow I was not able to get to see her before Christmas - she lives a 2 hour drive from me - but we did all go to see her on tuesday. On Wednesday she phoned saying she felt really ill, but the nurses were coming in. Later she phoned to say the nurses had done an assessment and were putting a complete care package in place. Today I spoke to my brother who lives near her, and later he contacted me to say when he had called her the nurse was there and they were taking her to A&E as she had chest pains. He got home later to find a message from the hospital from 5pm to say mum had been admitted and was seriously ill, but no return contact name or ward number had been left. When he called back the hospital - the huge and brand new Queen Elizabeth University hospital in Birmingham - could not find her!! A bit later I got through to the QE, put through to somewhere, and then told they were busy someone would call me back. I had explained I was in N Wales. Within 5 minutes the phone rang again and a very nice lady informed me that Mum had passed away peacefully a few hours previously and they police had been trying to trace my brother.
Later I spoke to the lady curate from Mum's church, who mum was very friendly with. She told me she had called to see mum yesterday evening as mum wanted communion. After having communion Mum had told her that she was at peace and content and really did not want to go on and get more ill.
It seems she got her wish.
3 years ago my Dad died form bowel cancer that was diagnosed after he was already quite ill. Being a man he had not wanted to bother a doctor! I don't think mum had wanted to go through that or have us see her go through that.
The worst thing has been I have had to contact my other brother who lives in usa but is currently having a long holiday in Australia where his step daughter lives and got married last week. We had not wanted to spoil his holiday by telling him mum was getting moor poorly, we thought there would be plenty of time for that at the end of January when his holiday finishes. If we have had a bit of a shock he was devastated.
So here's to Grace Darby - nearly 83 years young. Mother, teacher, mentor, confidante, book discussing partner, artist, poet, critic, inspiration,friend. The one who waited til her daughter was in her 30s to realise that said daughter was not going to grow out of her obsession with horses, who said, a few years ago, that she wished she had nurtured said passion instead of ignoring it; the one who a few weeks ago allowed me to finally follow that passion into a business by paying for me to go on the centered riding instructors course.
RIP Mum. I love you.
My Mum has left 2010 in her own inimitable style by leaving us completely and rather unexpectedly.
In November she was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer, but shed seemed reasonably OK in herself at the time. We thought she would have quite a few more months - and her first great grandchild, my first grandchild, is due in June. But over the past few weeks she had become increasingly poorly. I probably had not appreciated how much as due to the snow I was not able to get to see her before Christmas - she lives a 2 hour drive from me - but we did all go to see her on tuesday. On Wednesday she phoned saying she felt really ill, but the nurses were coming in. Later she phoned to say the nurses had done an assessment and were putting a complete care package in place. Today I spoke to my brother who lives near her, and later he contacted me to say when he had called her the nurse was there and they were taking her to A&E as she had chest pains. He got home later to find a message from the hospital from 5pm to say mum had been admitted and was seriously ill, but no return contact name or ward number had been left. When he called back the hospital - the huge and brand new Queen Elizabeth University hospital in Birmingham - could not find her!! A bit later I got through to the QE, put through to somewhere, and then told they were busy someone would call me back. I had explained I was in N Wales. Within 5 minutes the phone rang again and a very nice lady informed me that Mum had passed away peacefully a few hours previously and they police had been trying to trace my brother.
Later I spoke to the lady curate from Mum's church, who mum was very friendly with. She told me she had called to see mum yesterday evening as mum wanted communion. After having communion Mum had told her that she was at peace and content and really did not want to go on and get more ill.
It seems she got her wish.
3 years ago my Dad died form bowel cancer that was diagnosed after he was already quite ill. Being a man he had not wanted to bother a doctor! I don't think mum had wanted to go through that or have us see her go through that.
The worst thing has been I have had to contact my other brother who lives in usa but is currently having a long holiday in Australia where his step daughter lives and got married last week. We had not wanted to spoil his holiday by telling him mum was getting moor poorly, we thought there would be plenty of time for that at the end of January when his holiday finishes. If we have had a bit of a shock he was devastated.
So here's to Grace Darby - nearly 83 years young. Mother, teacher, mentor, confidante, book discussing partner, artist, poet, critic, inspiration,friend. The one who waited til her daughter was in her 30s to realise that said daughter was not going to grow out of her obsession with horses, who said, a few years ago, that she wished she had nurtured said passion instead of ignoring it; the one who a few weeks ago allowed me to finally follow that passion into a business by paying for me to go on the centered riding instructors course.
RIP Mum. I love you.