Mom Chronicles: Cancer and Scary Hallucinations

The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we have the strength;
Yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.
Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

My mother has spent the month from Halloween to the present limping through her house and her life due to pain in her hip. Last Thursday she was in so much pain that she could not move. She called the ambulance to take her to the hospital.

Monday they confirmed that she had cancer in her hip---and numerous other sites in her body. Monday was spent working through the shock, with tears, questions, and hugs for Hailey as I shared with her the news about ‘Grandma Ta-ta.'

We had visited my mom in the hospital the past weekend. While there, she had me draw close to the bed to tell me that, “Something strange is going on here.” She went on to tell me that there were all types of people roaming the hallways; Rabbis, doctors, Germans and Russians. Amazingly, they all spoke Latvian. More significantly, they were all in cahoots regarding a plot to exterminate her.

When in the tube for the MRI, she says that there was a story that you read along with while the machine made its loud noises. She was amazed that beside the usual choices (Spanish, French, Vietnamese), the story was in (wait-for-it) Latvian. If you’ve ever had an MRI done, you know that it makes a consistent noise; chunk-chunk-chunk. My mom said that with each “chunk” the story pronounced, “You-you-you. Will-will-will. Be-be. Healed healed.” Of course, all in Latvian. Interesting plot for a movie. I’m just afraid that the Latvian references may be lost on some audiences.

One amazing thing regarding the cancer is the amount of folks who have been through a similar battle. Haileys’ bible homework this week was to list some effects of sin that she’s experienced or heard about in the news. Certainly cancer is one of them.

My mom, sister and I (along with a host of others—many who speak Latvian) will be walking through the process over the next weeks and months. One day at a time, step by step, grace upon grace.