I'm in awe of my sister-in-law, my wife's sister. She's got advanced cancer, in the brain, liver, lungs and pancreas. Got rushed into A&E recently, unconscious and having seizures. They stabilized her but she remained unconscious and the doctor came out and told us that sadly this was an end of life situation and she most likely only had hours to live. We stayed all day and all evening, then they moved her into a private room so that my brother-in-law could stay with her and we took our teenage niece and nephew home with us.
Next morning we went back and she had regained consciousness briefly, but was still out of it. We stayed a while and then took the kids out for a few hours. When we got back she was conscious and managed to say to my wife, 'I'm not ready yet'. Heartbreaking and astounding at the same time. When we got back the next morning she was off the oxygen, off the drips and off the 'machines that go ping' and sitting up in bed drinking a cup of tea! Over the next fews days she continued to improve to the point when they said she could either go into the local hospice or go home and a team would be sent round. She opted to go home. The palliative care team came round the next day and asked if she would like to begin end of life treatment. She politely told them that she most definitely would not and off they went. She's still at home and looking forward to having a summer with the kids when they break up from school. I just had to share this. She's a real fighter and I hope I would have an ounce of her bravery and determination. I'm simply in awe of her.
