Time is running short

Sorry that I haven’t spoken to any of you in a while, but life has a funny way of creeping up and filling your available time.

I guess I had best start with an update on my sister-in-law’s health. I saw her shortly before Christmas and she remained alert, but stayed in her chair as she could only walk with extreme difficulty. She was once again put on a treatment of directed radiation in an attempt to shrink the tumour on her spine.

Christmas itself was a ghastly affair. My sister-in-law had invited a few of her close friends, which meant that the Jews outnumbered the nominal Christians by a ratio of at least three to one. Which, if it were a dinner party, would have been fine. But, no. There was an insistence that it be “Christmas”. So, people dressed up in red and green (that you know was bought just for the occasion so they could “fit in”, despite the fact that our family has never had any such manner), discussing the latest news from Israel.

My mother and I cooked a full, traditional Christmas dinner (squash soup, roast turkey, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, steamed peas, Christmas pudding, lemon sorbet) at my brother’s place. Fortunately, it wasn’t like last year where you had to be careful not to use the meat knife on a food item with dairy or they would have to throw it all out (both the food and the knife). Still, with all the children and other guests it would have been nice to have at least an offer of help. Not my idea of Christmas. Oh. And the radiation hasn’t worked, as my sister-in-law cannot walk unassisted.

Two weeks later and she hasn’t been out of bed for a few days. And two nights ago she was taken to hospital with breathing difficulties and in pain. The doctors have increased the dosage of her pain medications and got her breathing eased. And then sent her home. I suspect that being home is her choice, but it does put an enormous strain on my brother. He has taken a leave of absence from his work, and yet never stops working. I was there last week (my mother’s computer crashed and my brother still has an old clunker which I could slave my mother’s hard drive to, in order to copy important files onto a flash drive). His kids were constantly needing assistance (to do the simplest tasks (I guess they are “acting out” against the unfairness of life)) and when a bell sounded from the upstairs bedroom, they were the first to shout that their mother needed help. They couldn’t take it upon themselves to see what was needed… just to make sure my brother knew. I got out of there as soon as the files were copied, not wanting to add to his workload. I’ll need to find an event that I can take them to soon, to give my brother a break. But the kids are still going skiing up north on the weekends, and it’s hard to do something on a school night. Hopefully I can think of something.