Aunt Kathy

I am still catching up. As I mentioned, the past couple months have been very busy. When things finally slowed down, I felt like I had been in another world.

January was a month like I have never experienced before. My aunt Kathy was diagnosed with cancer in December. Over the holidays she found out that she had stage 4 cervical, uteran, and lymph cancer. She is young and it came as a great shock to us all. She started chemotherapy and radiation the beginning of January. I was surprised that the day after her first chemo treatement, she called and invited me to come over, have dinner and watch a show. She seemed to be doing well, was in pain and a little tired, but overall doing well. She continued through her radiation that week. That weekend she woke up with her hand shaking. She was taken back to the hospital, where they found that the cancer was in her brain. She spent 5-6 days in the hospital to get her pain under control. Her husband Mike was there by her side continually.

She left the hospital on Thursday, went straight to radiation, and then home. She spent a couple days there and then was put back in the hospital because she was anemic. She went back in. We expected her to return home after a day or two. First the pain had to be under control. A couple days turned into all week. Her husband was so supportive, staying by her side continually. She did finally go home that Friday, but this time, with only a few days to a couple of weeks to live. She would no longer have radiation or chemotherapy, but she would be on pain medication to keep her comfortable.

Family and friends flowed in that weekend to see her. Her house was full of people who loved her and whose lives had been touched. She was where she wanted to be though, in her home, with her husband, her son and daughter, and her grandchildren.

Kathy passed away very early on February 3rd. 6 weeks after she first heard the word cancer. She was ready to return to her Heavenly Father and her eternal companion.

The ups and downs of this month were difficult, learning experience. It caused me to search for answers, and more for the Lord and his guidance in my life. I was blessed to spend this time with family members. I was with cousins, aunts, brothers and sisters. It was a very special time for me where I was able to spend this time with them. I haven't lived by most of my relatives, and have seen them infrequently. It was such a blessing for me to spend time with them daily, improve our relationships, and to feel eachothers love.

I miss Kathy. She was the life of the party. A very giving person. A listener and a counselor. I was blessed to live with Kathy and Mike the first month that I lived in Provo. I still think about her daily, and love her for the person that she was and is.