Transitions

Next week my brother and I will be heading out to Utah to sort through Mom's stuff in preparation for here leaving her apartment. I don't really know what to think or feel. More than likely she will be going to live with my brother and sister-in-law in North Carolina. I don't think anyone in her family realizes what a tremendous strain it will be on them. My sister-in-law will more than likely have to quit her job at a time when my brother's career is still in flux due to a personal injury. Everyone assumes since they do not have children and both work that there is gold buried under the floorboards.

In the middle of it all I feel the worst because I live the closest yet don't seem to be able to help beyond visiting Mom two to three times a month and coordinating with friends and associates who check in with her daily. The salt in the wound comes into play from other family members who feel that I am failing her as a son.

The tricky part of it all is that Mom may yet live for several years. The chemo has been very effective, and Mom's CA-125 levels have been dropping. She has an excellent oncologist in Logan (affiliated with Huntsman, published, and able to try new regimes on top of being a compassionate man whose practice is two blocks from Mom's apartment) who has even waived all charges not covered by insurance or Medicaid. Once she is in a location where she will receive 24 hour supervision, and have a medic and a nurse monitoring her and making sure that she doesn't skip chemo or misuse medication its likely that her health will improve dramatically. Then what? She will have been moved cross country hundreds of miles from other family and friends... No answers... no witty responses... just frustration.