My wonderful wonderful mother has been diagnosed with stomach cancer. She found out last Wednesday whilst I was away on holiday and told me once I had got back.
She is 78 years old and has made up her mind already not to have any treatment. Last year she got me to make a 'living will' for her with me as the executor. She told me in July this year when I went to visit that she was tired and didn't want to get any older. She told me what was in her will, what songs she wanted at her funeral and what was to happen to her insurance money.
I live in Scotland and she lives with my father in Sussex - a distance of just over 400 miles by car. My brother and sister live with in a 5 hour travel. My son is about a 4 hour journey away and my daughter is in Australia. It is so hard being so far away.
I went into work today and asked for two weeks leave and it was granted. I am going to spend the time with her. I know that she will talk openly to me as she believes that I am the strongest of us. She also believes that as I am a nurse i will be able to cope better than the other two. I know that I will cope outwardly but don't know who I can lean on for support now.
I will follow her wishes and support her and my father (married for 54 years) to the best of my ability. At the moment it's a 'wait and see' game until the full extent of the cancer is known - and that will be next week. I still have my fingers, toes and everything else crossed that this has been a mis-diagnosis.
I know in those two weeks she will give me instructions on what to do at what time.
