Mom always enjoyed the autumn colours on her birthday. She would have been 70 today. We will be going for a walk in the woods later, to enjoy the colours and to celebrate.
Mom’s cancer was aggressive. The first round of chemotherapy gave her a couple of extra months. She couldn’t tolerate the second round of chemo. The cancer fought back hard against the drugs and made her extremely ill. Our wonderful consultant gently suggested that Mom should stop the treatment and enjoy her last few months without intervention.
We had excellent palliative care at home. Mom didn’t want hospice care. Our community nursing team helped us throughout. Mom’s choice, respected.
Mom died on her own terms, in her own time, in her own home. She had time to say goodbye. She had time to plan her funeral. We had time to love her unconditionally and talk about how we would remember her.
And we do remember her. Not just today. Every day.
Lesley
I am a scientist and a blogger. I have a PhD in the genetics of cardiovascular risk. My Mom died of cancer last year. We learnt a lot and met some amazing people. I want to share with others how to live positively with cancer, and make choices in end-of-life care. My top tip: Ask the difficult questions.
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