MORE PRAYER REQUESTS

My poor parents have had a REALLY rough week. My stepdad has terminal lung cancer. He was diagnosed almost 3 years ago and has done sooo well. He opted not to do chemo as he is 87 years old now (84 when he made that decision) and they told him up front the chemo would not cure him, but "might" pro-long his life by a few months. Chemo itself on the other hand, 'COULD" kill him. We all supported his decision, and it has turned out to be a really wise one. He has always been a really healthy, sharp man. You would never know he was even sick. Until now. It is really starting to catch up with him. He can't eat much at all now and is losing weight rapidly. He is weak and out of breath…wants mainly to sleep. He has good days too though every once in a while and we still play cards almost every Friday night. This week has been REALLY bad, and a whole new set of symptoms seem to be coming to the surface. My mom is of course worried sick over him and fusses and pampers him as much as she can. Meanwhile, she has recovered REALLY well from her stroke, but not all the way. She still occasionally struggles with finding the right word for things, and reads really, really slowly. She too tires quickly, but has really been her old sassy self for the most part. They take care of each other the best they can. It is really pretty sweet and inspiring to watch. How connected they are. Anyway, as they were driving to the doc's yesterday to hear the results of my stepdad's latest test, my mother appeared to have what was another stroke. She was just soo upset and frantic over the results of the coming tests. The doc's called an ambulance and she was whisked to the hospital. After many tests they decided what she had more than likely suffered from was actually a mini seizure which I guess is really pretty common after the kind of stroke she suffered last Sept. She has been on medication to prevent that, but stopped it (with the doc's orders of course) 3 months ago as she was doing sooo well. We were all glad to see that happen as the medication makes her kind of slow and dopey. Anyway, this was all of course good news as it is soo much better than another stroke. She could not speak or make any sense at all at first and it appeared soo bad. She very quickly though began to regain her speech and by the time I left the hospital last night she was almost back to her old self. She again seems to be unable to read very well, but the doc felt that 24 hours would make a huge difference. My poor stepdad is soo upset. We are all soo glad that his daughter is taking good care of him while my mom is sick. She should get out of the hospital today if all goes as they are hoping. The care the two of them is going to require will again be divided up amongst us. I just hope it is enough as more time goes by. It is soo hard to watch your parent’s age and suffer. She looks so tiny lying there in her bed, and seems soo scared. I am anxious for her to get back to giving orders and being her old self. Aging and growing old is certainly part of life, and when you consider the alternative is really where you hope to be some day. But watching pretty much hopelessly is a little harder than I anticipated. Soo many of my friends are in the same boat, or have already lost their parents. I guess it is the age I imagine. I would appreciate your prayers on this. I am headed back to the hospital this morning as I want to hear the instructions and get them settled safely back in their house. Thank you Lord for watching over her yesterday....