#eightyfifth post

On Monday, January the 27th, my mother passed away. She passed peacefully around 11:00 AM without complications. As she slipped away, I held her hand.

I wanted to share a little about her last years in struggle.

Since autumn 2018 it was confirmed that she had lung cancer, which in time developed into metastasis in the brain. During her treatment over a period of about two years the cancer had halted and gotten smaller. However the metastasises grew bigger.

Late in 2018 she had gotten quite thin because of the chemotherapy. At times, before and after my work hours, I helped out by feeding her through a tube. This was because she had trouble eating.

The year turned to 2019 and the lung cancer reduced, she ate solid foods again. But she developed aggressive metastasises. She was quite agile and alert during most of the year, but for longer traveling she needed to make use of a wheelchair.

However, the condition, combined with the medication to tackle the metastasis, started affecting her memory in november, she didn’t have a grasp of time and could not fully support herself. This resulted in the last weeks of her life that she did not eat, drink or sleep properly. She was therefore taken into medical care a second time, on January the 17th.

When in care, she slipped in and out of consciousness.

During all my 30 years alive, she has always been there to support me. Emotionally, economically and giving me lifts, driving me almost everywhere I needed to be.

Me and mom were pretty similar. Both a bit stubborn, sticking to our principals and going a bit out of our way to help out, the best way we see fit.

She worked most of her life in the elder care and would have turned 64 years old on June the 7th this year.