Lost Without My Parents

"Hi mom, dad," I said. I noticed the feelings I had were true. I found out my mom had cancer. Leukemia is nothing to mess with though any type of cancer is bad. At that point I thought I was going to fall over. There is no way this is happening, it's all a nightmare, I will wake up and all will be ok. That was June of 98.

The middle of July mom went to the UMC of Nebraska for a bone marrow transplant. She went through all of her brothers and sisters. There was only one that had a perfect match. The doctor wasn't sure if it would help because it was pretty advanced. Her whole body would ache and she started noticing that she would have only half of her vision. I remember some days when she couldn't even get out of bed she was so tired. I would take care of the house while she slept. Mom cut her long beautiful brown hair to her shoulders knowing she would soon lose it all. She had the chemotherapy and the radiation. She lost all of her hair and ended up pretty sick.

Finally, she seemed to be getting a little better until she took a turn for the worst.
My dad and I decided to move to Omaha and stay in the apartments they provided for family. It was close to the hospital and I was able to be with my mom anytime. That was easy but the hardest was yet to come. I remember it as if it were yesterday. My dad and I drove back to Lincoln to get more clothes and to water mom's plants. She loved plants so much they were everywhere. I loved watching her talk to them. She would even play music for them and sing.

She decided one day that she wanted to go to Lincoln and spend time at her own house. Dad and I tried to talk her out of it but she wouldn't hear of it. "I am the one dying so I want my wish granted," she growled. We brought her home though she was not to leave Omaha. Her energy drained on the trip home. Her frail body had become weaker. She slept the whole time she was home. I made coffee for her and she couldn't stomach the smell. She was ready to ride back to Omaha.