marlyse.comme, myself and my life
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Bad news.
My dad was going to leave Switzerland on Wednesday and come to the US for 3 months to visit. Just received an email from my dad that he cancelled his flight. Aunt Madeleine (his sister) had to be moved from the assisted living to the hospital because she got pneumonia.
Makes me not only sad but also mad for feeling helpless.
She only moved into the assisted living place like 2 weeks ago and before that she was at home. She has an illness since many months in which her red blood cells die and don’t regenerate and she had to have constantly blood transfusions. But else she’s very alert and doing fine. But of course her immune system is weak due to her illness. As she needed now every 2 weeks such a blood transfusion and her body had gotten weak, she needed more help and thus was moved into the assisted living space. But only barely 2 weeks and she picked up an illness which she might not be able to fight off.
The last time I talked with her she was high in spirit and she told me that she had a good life and doesn’t feel she needs to be constantly patched up until she’s 90 or older. She is facing passing away very bravely. She is weak to the point that my dad even asked me not to call her as not to tire her even more.
These are the times when I “hate” being in the US and not being rich enough to hop onto the next plane and see her tomorrow.
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[…] Then he gave me an update on the condition of my aunt Madeleine. As I had written 2 weeks ago in the posting Bad News she was hit with a cold which in her current situation is not good at all. Later that week the news was that she was out of immediate grave condition, but that she would not be able to return to her spaces at the assisted living place due to the fact that she needs every 2 days a blood transfusion. Nobody wanted to tell her and she thought she’d just get better and then go back. […]
Pingback by marlyse.com » Sad… but proud. — Sunday, November 26, 2006 #
Yes, I had called her the next morning (her mid afternoon). That was Monday, November 27, 2006. And it was the last time that I could talk to her. I was trying to stay brave myself and not to break-out into tears while talking, she was so happy and content that I called her. And still, she is mentally all here and only her body is failing. She said herself that she feels it’s the right thing to do, let nature take its way. I was going to tell her that the tradition of baking cookies for all family members I took over and each Xmas for the past several years I’d make Brunsli (after grandmothers recipe) and Cinnamon Stars and other typical Swiss cookies and I usually make like 20 bags of them and hand them out on Xmas day. This tradition is in memory of her and how I adored getting each Xmas a plate with her cookies up in Wengen. But I forgot to tell her. It’s okay though, I just think she would have liked to hear that. And I want to continue with this tradition, it’s like a little thank you what you’ve all done for me in my childhood, thanks for being around and being my family and having given me some nice memories.
Comment by marlyse — Wednesday, December 6, 2006 #
[…] I have written in the past about her, such as in Just calling to say hello…, Bad news. and in Sad… but proud.. […]
Pingback by marlyse.com » I love you. — Sunday, December 24, 2006 #