[Orcnet] About my Mother

[Steve Wetterling]

Dear friends in the ORCNET universe and fellow Tektronix graduates:

For those who have not heard this news, it was discovered last week that my
Mother has fully metastisized stage 4 colon cancer with extensive liver
involvement - the really bad stuff.

She has declined the very limited chemotherapy options offered and is now at
home with her family and friends with hospice care to assist with the dying
process.  Projections for her future in this life (as if we could ever know)
are in the range of 4 weeks to 12 weeks.  With the very little food intake
that she is getting down, it will tend to the shorter interval.

I am presently in Ohio at my Mother's house - I am "on duty" tonight.

The current plan is to be in Portland Wednesday late afternoon and then
return to Ohio in a few weeks as things progress.

Medicare now provides and pays for ( = free) an extensive set of hospice
services.  This has kicked in full speed over the last couple of days.  It
is comprehensive, well organized and delivers skilled nursing and care
services directly to her bedroom.  FedEx delivers the RX materials including
a "Put this in the fridge and don't open it until the last days" comfort
kit.  I am, thus far, completely impressed with this.

Wish me well with this necessary life experience - the way of all flesh,
ashes to ashes dust to dust, etc.  


We always want to bury our parents and not our children.


Sincerely,

Steve Wetterling