Long, Sad Goodbye

To all our friends and family. I normally try to keep this blog fun and upbeat, avoiding sad news. However, I want to give everyone an update on the situation with my grandmother. We tracked her progress on here for a while, but when the news stopped looking good, I stopped updating. However, I think it's time to let everyone know what is going on..

Some of you that follow this blog have already heard the news and seen it in similar form to what is typed below. Forgive me for the cut&paste. It's just easier...

I will spare you all the details leading up to this point and just let you know where we are now:

Gram was here for quite a while in Houston seeing an amazing oncologist at MD Anderson. She came for a last meeting with Dr Green in October and went home with one last shot at chemo (she had tried 2 hormone therapies and 1 other chemo). Dr Green basically said if this didn't work, we were out of options and, as it was, the chemo only had a 20% chance of success. Gram took the chemo for 3 weeks but it was making her so sick that it wasn't worth it. She was either going to lose to cancer or malnutrition/dehydration. She was 176 lbs when she was (re) diagnosed 10 months ago. As of today, she weighs 79 lbs. Over the weekend, she was admitted to the local hospital and started throwing up blood. The doctor there and the hospice nurse told my mother they give Gram 1-2 weeks to live.

We leave for North Adams on Saturday for Thanksgiving and it cannot come fast enough. The upside, if there is one, is that she has only been really, debilitatingly sick for about 2 months. I am glad she will not linger too long in her current condition. Many of you know her and you know how she was so very full of life. Not able to eat and spending 24/7 in bed is not what she wants or what we want for her. It's been a long road and there have been so many peaks and valleys. However, we are now nearing the end of the journey and will use our remaining time together to say "Good bye."

We have so many wonderful memories in our family, funny and loving, that are rooted in her. She is a huge part of who we are as a family and who I am as an individual. I owe her so much for all she has done for me and all the ways she has influenced me, not to mention all the funny stories she has left me with. These pictures barely scratch the surface, but they are some of my favorites from the last 2 years.

The night Truitt was born and 1 day old.

At our house in Houston; at Noni's house in North Adams

Noni's surprise 80th Birthday party; "Noni tastes good" at Thanksgiving 2007

Christmas Eve 2007; night out Jan 2007

Everyone's fave hostess at Truitt's 1st Birthday; Thanksgiving 2007