News of death
Sunday, June 12, 2005 was supposed to be an ordinary day, but as the day unfolded it was completely the opposite. I will never forget that day. About a year before that my family had gotten some bad news; my grandmother Shirley had breast cancer. Cancer runs in my family so we kind of just accepted the news and tried to help my grandmother cope with it as much as possible. I was my grandmother’s oldest grandchild and I actually had lived with her since I was eleven, so I was more upset than most because I was not use to seeing my grandmother suffer like that. She was doing the treatment as ordered by the doctor, then came the surgery. We just knew that was the end of the cancer but as time allowed it we realized it was not. What happened next had me filled with anger, sadness, and joy-in a religious way.
Life for me and my granny seemed to start looking up. She was working again and cooking that good soul food. February of 2005 brought on more heartache for us. My grandmother sister had gotten married and we had planned a reception. Everybody enjoyed the night and each other, and then tragedy struck again. My grandmother got so sick that she begun to throw up blood. Terrified we took her to the doctor. Her test came back inconclusive so they wanted her to do more follow ups with her doctor. After a series of doctor visits and tests, the phone call we were all waiting on came. It seemed as if everybody in our family were there that night to find out the news; it was not good. While my grandmother picked up one phone, we picked up the other so we could hear for ourselves what was being said. The nurse on the other end explained that the cancer had came back and not only did she have breast cancer, but it had spread to her bones and stomach. So in all she had breast, bone, and stomach cancer and it was too far gone for any treatment to cure it. Only medicine would help with the pain and it was only a matter of time before it ate her up entirely.
Neither my grandmother nor I took it very well. Who would? Knowing that the doctor had messed up and put an expiration date on your life would not leave a good feeling. I love my family though because we all came together and dealt with this as a whole. The year progressed, so did the cancer. My grandmother became, it seemed, sicker and sicker by the day. She could not eat nor use the restroom normally. Her weight dropped tremendously. By mid April, my grandmother became hospitalized again. That time they did not keep her long, they told us they estimated that she would be dead within thirty days. We took the news, but we did not accept it. As with our religious beliefs we had faith in her life and knew that God had the last word.
Then that day came; Sunday, June 12, 2005. It starts out normal. I woke and got dressed for church and for some strange reason I wanted to put on my grandmother’s perfume. I did. I also talked with before I left. At church it seemed as if everybody was asking about her, it just made me want to be home with her more. They sang songs that related to my grandmother and our situation. After church we went out eat with our church family. Then finally I got a chance to go home and be with my grandmother, since had been having an urge to be there anyways.
When we pulled up the house kind of looked deserted like no one was there and had not been there for awhile. Once inside the door, I smelt something burnt, but my focus was on my grandmother, I began to call her name while walking towards her room. Once at the door I saw her laying there facing the television, but it was not on. I continue to call her name but she was nonresponsive. My heart dropped to my stomach and I knew it, but did not want it to be so. I walk over to her still calling her name I began to shake her and try to wake her up. She was still warm. Finally my aunt came in after seeing what was burning and she called her name too. Then we turned her over and her eyes rolled back. I screamed and screamed I did not want it to be so. My cousin, who I did not know was there, came running up the hallway screaming also. I could not believe it. My mother had left and I did not know how to tell her, then the phone rang, it was her. I could not even speak, she took my emotions and she knew then and became emotional also. I lay with my grandmother until the funeral home came. Hospice came first. They wanted to know did we want to revive her because her heart beat was there but very faint. We thought for a moment but we knew how much she had struggled before now and it was her turn to go.
Things had started looking up for my grandmother, she had started to walk a little better and even eat more. As the old saying goes,” a person starts to get better before they get worse (death).” I may have lost my grandmother that day, but I gain my mother back and from that day forward our relationship has gotten stronger. Even though I wanted to blame the doctors, I knew it was God’s will. Sometimes I could not be sad from being so angry at the world for taking something from me. I never got over it, but I have learned to deal with day by day. My grandmother is in a better place and is no longer hurting or suffering and that is where my joy comes from. I will never forget June 12, 2005.
Sunday, June 12, 2005 was supposed to be an ordinary day, but as the day unfolded it was completely the opposite. I will never forget that day. About a year before that my family had gotten some bad news; my grandmother Shirley had breast cancer. Cancer runs in my family so we kind of just accepted the news and tried to help my grandmother cope with it as much as possible. I was my grandmother’s oldest grandchild and I actually had lived with her since I was eleven, so I was more upset than most because I was not use to seeing my grandmother suffer like that. She was doing the treatment as ordered by the doctor, then came the surgery. We just knew that was the end of the cancer but as time allowed it we realized it was not. What happened next had me filled with anger, sadness, and joy-in a religious way.
Life for me and my granny seemed to start looking up. She was working again and cooking that good soul food. February of 2005 brought on more heartache for us. My grandmother sister had gotten married and we had planned a reception. Everybody enjoyed the night and each other, and then tragedy struck again. My grandmother got so sick that she begun to throw up blood. Terrified we took her to the doctor. Her test came back inconclusive so they wanted her to do more follow ups with her doctor. After a series of doctor visits and tests, the phone call we were all waiting on came. It seemed as if everybody in our family were there that night to find out the news; it was not good. While my grandmother picked up one phone, we picked up the other so we could hear for ourselves what was being said. The nurse on the other end explained that the cancer had came back and not only did she have breast cancer, but it had spread to her bones and stomach. So in all she had breast, bone, and stomach cancer and it was too far gone for any treatment to cure it. Only medicine would help with the pain and it was only a matter of time before it ate her up entirely.
Neither my grandmother nor I took it very well. Who would? Knowing that the doctor had messed up and put an expiration date on your life would not leave a good feeling. I love my family though because we all came together and dealt with this as a whole. The year progressed, so did the cancer. My grandmother became, it seemed, sicker and sicker by the day. She could not eat nor use the restroom normally. Her weight dropped tremendously. By mid April, my grandmother became hospitalized again. That time they did not keep her long, they told us they estimated that she would be dead within thirty days. We took the news, but we did not accept it. As with our religious beliefs we had faith in her life and knew that God had the last word.
Then that day came; Sunday, June 12, 2005. It starts out normal. I woke and got dressed for church and for some strange reason I wanted to put on my grandmother’s perfume. I did. I also talked with before I left. At church it seemed as if everybody was asking about her, it just made me want to be home with her more. They sang songs that related to my grandmother and our situation. After church we went out eat with our church family. Then finally I got a chance to go home and be with my grandmother, since had been having an urge to be there anyways.
When we pulled up the house kind of looked deserted like no one was there and had not been there for awhile. Once inside the door, I smelt something burnt, but my focus was on my grandmother, I began to call her name while walking towards her room. Once at the door I saw her laying there facing the television, but it was not on. I continue to call her name but she was nonresponsive. My heart dropped to my stomach and I knew it, but did not want it to be so. I walk over to her still calling her name I began to shake her and try to wake her up. She was still warm. Finally my aunt came in after seeing what was burning and she called her name too. Then we turned her over and her eyes rolled back. I screamed and screamed I did not want it to be so. My cousin, who I did not know was there, came running up the hallway screaming also. I could not believe it. My mother had left and I did not know how to tell her, then the phone rang, it was her. I could not even speak, she took my emotions and she knew then and became emotional also. I lay with my grandmother until the funeral home came. Hospice came first. They wanted to know did we want to revive her because her heart beat was there but very faint. We thought for a moment but we knew how much she had struggled before now and it was her turn to go.
Things had started looking up for my grandmother, she had started to walk a little better and even eat more. As the old saying goes,” a person starts to get better before they get worse (death).” I may have lost my grandmother that day, but I gain my mother back and from that day forward our relationship has gotten stronger. Even though I wanted to blame the doctors, I knew it was God’s will. Sometimes I could not be sad from being so angry at the world for taking something from me. I never got over it, but I have learned to deal with day by day. My grandmother is in a better place and is no longer hurting or suffering and that is where my joy comes from. I will never forget June 12, 2005.
the whole purpose of your paper was understandable. describing the heartache and life changing experiences that we go through can be tough, but you did a very good job of explaining your most memorable moment.
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