I have experienced
the pain of losing a close friend to cancer on several very sad
and traumatic occasions. One
toBoneCancer, another to Breast Cancer and a third to Lung Cancer
that was not discovered until after her death.
Connie O Hughes
Former Garden Keeper
Garden of Friendship Member and
Breast Cancer Survivor
Cancer returned to take the life
of a wonderful woman and on-line friend!
See her dedication page by clicking
on the graphic above. She fought the battle with breast cancer and
won, only to have cancer return to take her life. This is a page
she had made: http://home.swbell.net/connieo/relayforlife.html
She was a wonderful person and commited to her special cause
which was "The Fight Against Breast Cancer".
If you would like to make a donation
to fight cancer, here is the link to: http://www.cancer.org
In 1992 a very good
friend and CPA died after suffering through the pain of Bone Cancer.
He didn't even realize there was a problem until he fractured his
arm by leaning on it. From that point on it was just a matter of
time.
He went to M.D. Anderson
and tried all the latest treatments but nothing helped. He experienced
a very short remission after the first round of chemo and radiation,
but that was short lived. It soon returned in his brain which was
the final blow for the highly intelligent professional he once was.
The cancer had progressed to the point that he could no longer care
for his own personal needs. I tried my best to help him and his
wife but he did not want our help.
I went by one Friday
evening to tell him I was going out of town until Sunday afternoon.
We made plans for the Hospice nurse to come on Monday to make arrangements
for his terminal care. As soon as I returned on Sunday I checked
my messages and found one from his wife. She said " Don't come
to the house when you get back! I will call you and explain later.
I didn't go over
there because I already knew what had happened. You see he never
really told me his plans but he did show me a pistol he kept under
his pillow and told me that it had a hair-trigger so that no matter
how weak he got he would still be able to pull the trigger. I knew
then, without him saying, that he had his mind set as to his options.
I thought it very
strange Friday afternoon that he kept holding my hand a thanking
me for all the help I had been and for being the only friend he
had until the end. I just made light of it because I didn't really
want to think about him giving up.
You see he was a
very hard man to get along with and I was the type that just barked
right back at him.. By the time he had finished the first round
of chemo he had alienated all his friends and family. His own children
would hardly even come to see him even once he was bed ridden. I
had even quit talking to him for a couple of months during that
time! He would make me mad every chance he got but I finally picked
up the phone one day, called and he was so glad to hear from me!
We went right back
to talking computers like nothing had ever happened. You see he
is the one that taught me everything I know and even ordered my
first computer for me. Sometimes I have a problem and I just say
to myself "What would Richard have done?" I look back
now and I think that is the way he had planned it.
My
Friend Betty
