Changes

Well, I decided I should maybe try and do a post, it's been a long time since I have posted anything and there have been some big changes in my life.

In late May of 2011 my oldest sister was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, they couldn't remove it because the tumor had grown around and was blocking the main vein called the portal vein which is the main vein from the organs to the liver, so there was too much of this vein blocked to remove  the Tumor and part of the pancreas. 

She started taking treatments early June, the Doctors were hoping the treatments would shrink the tumor enough that they could remove it, by August the tumor had shrunk a little but changed shape and was blocking the bile duct, so they operated and put a stent in to drain the bile but that was unsuccessful and had to be re-done a couple of times before it started draining well. But there was nothing more they could do for her as she was too weak to take anymore treatments and things were not going the way the Drs. or any of us were hoping.
 

We took a number of trips to visit her when she was at home and after they moved her into palliative care, and each time we saw her we could see that she was losing the battle and getting weaker and weaker. I was thankful for the times I got to spend with her and tell her how much I loved her and that I would never forget her, and how thankful I was that she was my sister, those were and still are some of the hardest days in my life, seeing my sister go from a vibrant full of life woman to a frail and gravely ill woman in only a few months time. I spent a lot of hours  praying, and crying and asking God why this was happening to her, my sister never drank or smoked in all her life, she ate well and worked hard and loved life so much and had so much to live for, and now he is taking her away from her family, it just wasn't fair.

 

Thankfully my parents and all our family were there to visit her and her family for my brothers 60th birthday in October and we all got to spend the day taking turns visiting her, even though she wasn't aware that we were there, sadly she passed away through the night and her husband and children were with her when she passed.   

It was an unbelievably hard time for her husband and children and all of us, but I think it was hardest on my Mom and Dad, this was their first born child and it took a toll on both of them and there health. Although we were glad that she was no longer suffering it was still so hard to loose her and we wished there was something we could do to have her back, I miss her so much and I think of her everyday, as I write this the tears are flowing down my face once again, sometimes you think the tears will soon run out, but they haven't yet.

 

My Mom and Dad were so strong and had been through a lot of heartache when my sister was fighting for her life, I remember one night when I was talking to my Dad on the phone he said he feels so bad that he has lived a full and long life, he is tired and his health is failing and she was so full of life and had so much to live for, why couldn't God have taken him instead of her, and he feels so bad for her husband and their kids and grandchildren, and death is always the hardest on the ones who are left behind, and he was so right.

My Dad had been struggling with his health off and on for a few years, he had been in and out of hospital with heart problems, pneumonia and diabetes, the year before my sister passed he was very sick in hospital, and we didn't think he would be around much longer, but he bounced back again, the last couple of Christmas's he said he didn't think he'd be around for the next one, and on December 23/11 just 2 short months after my sister passed my Dad passed away from a massive heart attack, so our lives were turned upside down again, my Mom was devastated between losing her oldest daughter and now her husband, it really took a toll on her and her health, and she hasn't been the same since.

 

I want to say that I am so thankful for our health and all the years that we got to spend with each other and all the fun family times and special occasions we've been able to celebrate over the years, we were blessed to have all of our family together for many years and many celebrations and to have both our parents for so many years. In January of 2011 we were able to celebrate my Mom and Dad's 70th wedding anniversary, it was one of the happiest events we've shared as a family, and one of the last happy celebrations that we were all able to be together for.

In September of 2013 we celebrated my Mom's 90th birthday, with family and friends, and the only 2 living siblings my Mom has, so it was a good day for Mom and the rest of our family and Mom really enjoyed it. Mom's memory has been failing since Dad passed away and she had to be moved into a care home in the spring of 2014, she likes it there ok but would rather be living in her own home, which is understandable.

Here's a few pictures of my Mom and Dad and family.

  Mom and Dad, my sisters and

 my brother, when I was a baby.

 

My little sister and Dad and I in the late 50's

 

Mom and Dad and the whole family

 

Our first professional family photo

 way back in the late 60's

 

All of the family at my sisters home

My oldest sister is in the back left hand side

 

  This was at my Dad's 85th Birthday. 

   We were all getting tired of pictures

and being a little silly.

My Mom and Dad on their 70th Anniversary

Jan 2011

 

My Mom and Dad 70th Anniversary.

 Jan. 2011

  My hubby and I with our 2 daughters

  and their hubby's and my son and 

         our 2 grandson's

 

Mom and Dad and my youngest sister and I

Mothers Day ~ May 2011

My Mom and I ~ Mothers Day 2011

I love this picture of her and I

 

 My Mom and I and a quilt that was

made by her Grama that never got quilted

I quilted it for her in 2013