What to take: a needlework project, a book, Bible, pen and notepad, change for vending machine, cell phone, kleenex
What to do: pray, look for others who need prayer, make small talk with extended family members show consideration to other families, jot down list of non-family members who show up for support, and what am I forgetting…oh yes, wait…and wait.
How to be: poised, soft-spoken, calm
How to feel: often the opposite of “how to be”
What to know: God is not panicked. He is in control. Prayers are definitely heard.
My father was diagnosed with colon cancer, and promptly scheduled for surgery to remove it. The surgery went well. He was a model patient during his hospital stay, and is now recovering at home. Later today, we will get the pathology reports on the lymph nodes telling us whether or not chemo is needed.
The hardest part is the reality of someone you love going through the pain and stress of the entire ordeal. You can’t do it for them, and there is so little you can do to help. The incision hurts, so just turning in bed is very painful. The catheter and IV are uncomfortable, and don’t always work right. There will be good nurses and bad nurses, and it doesn’t really make a difference which you have, because the hard part is still up to the patient. So… you fluff a pillow, or straighten a blanket, and offer ice chips. Having the catheter and IV removed, graduating from ice chips to liquids, and other less delicate milestones become cause for celebration, because they mean your loved one is one step closer to getting out of this hospital.
Thank you to my friends who prayed for my dad. I didn’t want to blog or facebook about it because I didn’t want to trivialize something so important… and it was his battle much more than mine. But now, I am so glad that it is over, and that he is home safe!
What to do: pray, look for others who need prayer, make small talk with extended family members show consideration to other families, jot down list of non-family members who show up for support, and what am I forgetting…oh yes, wait…and wait.
How to be: poised, soft-spoken, calm
How to feel: often the opposite of “how to be”
What to know: God is not panicked. He is in control. Prayers are definitely heard.
My father was diagnosed with colon cancer, and promptly scheduled for surgery to remove it. The surgery went well. He was a model patient during his hospital stay, and is now recovering at home. Later today, we will get the pathology reports on the lymph nodes telling us whether or not chemo is needed.
The hardest part is the reality of someone you love going through the pain and stress of the entire ordeal. You can’t do it for them, and there is so little you can do to help. The incision hurts, so just turning in bed is very painful. The catheter and IV are uncomfortable, and don’t always work right. There will be good nurses and bad nurses, and it doesn’t really make a difference which you have, because the hard part is still up to the patient. So… you fluff a pillow, or straighten a blanket, and offer ice chips. Having the catheter and IV removed, graduating from ice chips to liquids, and other less delicate milestones become cause for celebration, because they mean your loved one is one step closer to getting out of this hospital.
Thank you to my friends who prayed for my dad. I didn’t want to blog or facebook about it because I didn’t want to trivialize something so important… and it was his battle much more than mine. But now, I am so glad that it is over, and that he is home safe!
