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[__ Prayer __] Prayer for my Mother, and for my family..

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ezrider

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I am very much a private person and often times find it hard to ask for support, yet I know the Lord is always there. I ask for your prayers, not so much as for myself, but for the rest of my family, in particular for my father and my sister as they care for my mother the best that they can. My mother has been battling with cancer the past couple years. She originally did not want to do any chemotherapy, but then changed her mind. The initial treatments were successful for the most part and she seemed to get better, but then the cancer returned. She started another round of chemo last fall, but she did not react well to it, and they had to stop. I was able to fly home and visit last December, while she was still feeling fairly well. Earlier this year, I think she tried one more time, but the treatment did not improve, so they stopped.

Months ago I had made my flight reservations to fly home again to visit during the first week of August. When I got home my father informed me that the cancer had now spread to her liver and her stomach, and that she hadn’t been able to eat anything for the past week or so, and that she was trying throwing up often. She had went to the doctor the week before I was coming home, and it sounded like they were ready to place her under hospice care, but she wouldn’t let them until after I came home to visit. So the day before I got home, they had brought down a machine to administer an IV saline solution for hydration. A couple days after that they changed the IV, so now she is receiving some nourishment.

A have spent the last week in western New York with my family, yet the time wasn’t nearly enough, as I could only visit for short periods of time. Because she had recommended earlier this year that I drive down to the finger lakes and visit Watkins Glenn State Park, that is what my girlfriend and I did for a day. We hiked the gorge and took lots and lots of pictures of the falls and glenn walls, too bad it was so dry, but it was so beautiful. When I showed her the pictures, she told me she visited the park once, but was never able to hike the whole trail. So even in the end, I guess we were still able to share some memories.

Saturday afternoon, I said my goodbyes as I left for the airport, knowing this would be the last time I would do so in person. I do not know how many days that she has left, but she is at peace with it. Within the past month, all of the family, both close and extended has been able to come home and visit. I was the last one she was waiting for.

I ask for your prayers for my mother, although she is at peace with her death, she needs comfort for her body, as she can only sit for so long, or lay in bed for so long. She often has the urge to throw up, but she’s doesn’t want to starve to death.

I ask for you prayers for my father and sister, as they need the strength to care for my mother during this time. My mother needs 24/7 supervision at this point, and I was witness to the burden that they carry. My mother is on an IV for 12 hours a day now. My father is 84, so my sister, who has been living at home with them and caring for them for the past years now, has to hook it up in the evening, then disconnect it in the morning. On top of this, my sister also has a full time job to deal with. She texted me this morning and said she was going to be able to start working from home later this week.

My brother and his wife are close by and come to help every day, but I am three time zones away and can do nothing while awaiting the call, except to ask on their behalf for the Lord to strengthen and support them through your prayers.

God bless you Mom.
 
Hi EZ
My mother died of cancer. I cared for her for 2 1/2 years.
I can tell you that God does give us the strength when we need it.
I can tell you that the worst part was when we found out about the cancer.
Her death was the easy part. She was going to a better place.
I can also tell you that we don't know how the end will come, so I encourage you to have faith.
My mother pulled herself up in bed and the next second she was gone.
I thanked God for this and was not upset.
Be thankful that she has people around her who are willing to care for her. If she needs hospice, then that will also be a good decision.

I'm so sorry for what you're going through. But it will get better. God helps us to walk through life. He's always right there by us, even when we don't feel his presence. His strength and His joy will be with you throughout. Your love for Him will carry you. Jesus is alive and with us every moment.

Lovingly in Christ
 
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Dear Brother ezrider, I just sat here in tears as I read your beautiful testimony of you and your family in the trial God has allowed in your lives. God is not only working in your mother, but evidently your whole family to have His very best.

Dear Father, please bring about healing to this wonderful and saddened family to receive the glory bestowed in them, and allow all who see their courage in their time of need to be blessed with them. Keep this loved mother in her time of passing into your very presence Jesus to not even have the smell of fire passing on her as she experiences Your mighty grace in her life. Bless this entire family now Lord as only you can in such circumstances, glorify Yourself in the process, and I thank You for this in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus. Amen.
 
You and your family are in my prayers, ezrider .

Like Brother Eugene, I was in tears as I read your heart-felt post. The various emotions you're experiencing were clear. But what struck me most was your comment that your Mom is at peace with her situation. That speaks loudly that our Lord has her in His embrace, and that is so beautiful, so brilliant!

Please keep us updated as you can, and know that there will be many praying for you and your family.
 
Thank you all for your prayers.

The pain in my mother's abdomen became so severe, they had to take her back to the hospital a couple days ago. It turns out she had a large fluid build up, and they had to drain over 3 liters of fluid. Between that procedure and the pain medication which is supposed to be stronger than morphine, she has been able to rest more comfortably. They were supposed to install a PEG Line (?) this morning for draining the fluids, and as far as I know at the moment, she will be returning home tomorrow under hospice care.
 
update:

I spoke with my father last night. They released my mother from the hospital Wednesday afternoon to a hospice house care center. She has been mostly unconscious since the move. She hasn't been able to speak, but she will open her eyes from time to time but is mostly unresponsive to speech or touch. My dad said she is still in a lot of pain, and the morphine doesn't seem to be enough. He just doesn't want to see her suffer any longer.

It took a move of the Lord to get her admitted to the hospice house care center. They wanted to send her back home under hospice care, but my sister stood her ground and said if you can't even manage her pain in the hospital, then how were they supposed to do it at the house. My dad made one phone call to a friend: two hours later, the decision was changed, and hospice moved her later that day to a very nice room in the hospice house.
 
I guess even though you know that it is coming, the moment it does is quite a different thing. My sister called me a short while ago to tell me that my mother had just passed away. Her suffering has ended, and she has gone home to be with the Lord.

As I await the next wave of emotions to wash over me, I wish to thank you all for your prayers.

:crying
 
I am so sorry to learn of your the loss of your Mom, ezrider. Even though you were preparing yourself for that phone call, there really isn't a way to be fully prepared. Your Mom is now pain-free and at peace, and is at home with our Lord, as you said.

Focus now on all the great times you had with your Mom. All those special moments that brought joy to you because of something simple or silly that your Mom did. These extraordinary memories will help you to deal with your personal pain, and they will remind you of the love your Mom gave to you.

You and your family remain in my prayers, my friend.
 
Thanks for the update brother. Your mother is healed as never in her life upon this earth. She is absent from the body and present with our Lord. I pray for you and your family is this time of sorrow at her home going to turn into joy at the blessed finish of a race won by our Lord in keeping her, and the elation she must be experiencing in His presence.

I'll ad that in Job we find all earthly things taken, and replaced double in number, but when we read of his children there were seven taken, and he only ends with seven replacing them as we look at it in our view. Well not quite, as those taken were also still those born of him, but had relocated to be with God so that in all he ended with fourteen children. I hope the following song is a comfort to you at this blessed event in Jesus' name.

 
Hi EZ. When my mother passed, I was very relieved and almost joyful. After seeing her suffer, I felt this was a natural reaction. She went to be in a better place; no tears, no pain, and seeing the face of our Lord!
Though I missed her, I was happy for her.
You did everything right. You could do no more in your situation.
Stay close to your family and, as Air Dancer said, remember the good times and know how much mothers love their children - forever.
God bless you and keep you in His strength.

Wondering
 
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