The 'Funky Winkerbean' comic strip is currently telling the story of character Lisa's acceptance of her impending loss to the cancer battle. She is now in hospice care at home, with the help of her family and friends. You can read about the strip creator's decision to let her die here.
I can't even explain how painful it is to see these images. My father suffered from bone cancer (multiple myeloma) for about six years. In the end, he was hospitalized for a week (after several hospitalizations in previous months for various illnesses, procedures, etc.), and then we were able to bring him home for hospice care. The support of the hospice workers was incredible. I am forever grateful to the doctor in the hospital who asked if we were interested in hospice. We very much were, but judging when "the time" had come was difficult, if not impossible, for us during the time of chaos of hospitalization.
On the other hand, I'm glad that the issue is out there. Too often dealing with death and dying are avoided. As heart-wrenching as it is to see the images of an emaciated patient, weak and slowly dying; it is comforting to see her being cared for by her loved ones. If I can't go quickly, I hope I can go like that.
1 comments:
Grandma died of multiple myeloma 6 weeks before Fiona was born. I didn't know that was your Dad's flavor of cancer too.
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