Sunday, January 23, 2011

When the body can't keep up

Gerri is in hospital. Her spirit was so high, so joyful on Friday, but her body reminded her cruelly the next morning that it has cancer. On Saturday morning she couldn't breath and was picked up by ambulance and rushed to the hospital. They gave her oxygen and stabilized her and she was back home in the afternoon.

The cancer is relentlessly advancing and not being able to breath brings its progress to the next, very scary level. Gerri mentioned in passing on Friday that she was laughing so much, feeling so well, waiting for Mokuh to arrive, that she coughed up some flam, so, she said, if she wouldn't have been able to laugh so hard, she wouldn't have realized that she had pneumonia too. Always seeing the bright side...

This morning at 6 am Gerri was delirious, raving actually, and had to be rushed to the hospital again. She'll be there for a few days. They were able to give her an air bed to make her more comfortable. She is so weak now that it's hard to give her intravenous treatments, or even diagnose what type of pneumonia she has.

When she gets back home she'll have to have oxygen in place. She won't be able to be without it now. Gina will make sure of that.

You know, I can't get a picture out of my mind. At CFB Comox they train glider pilots all summer, I live close by. I see Gerri's spirit as the tow plane, her body as the glider, it's the end of the season. The plane has faithfully towed the glider to altitude, dropped the tether, let the glider soar, and, when it landed, picked it up again, all season long. Soon, I think, the tow plane will drop the tether the last time and keep flying into the sun set.

3 comments:

  1. Music might be something helpful and soothing for Geri now. Helena

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  2. Loving thoughts and best wishes is being sent out for Geri from Dinny

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  3. Hi Gerry,

    Oh Gerry I have missed our talks. You are in my prayers and in my thoughts take care of yourself. Love Cindy and the girls

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