a year to live

2004-01-07 - 1:01 p.m.

So my friend has approximately a year to live. Possibly longer, if the chemo is successful. Probably less if it isn't. Apparently MD Anderson is out, because for a non-Texas resident without insurance to get in there, $24,000 is required. Her daughter spoke with someone in admissions there yesterday. No matter how many jambalaya benefits and poker runs we do, I can't conceive that we could generate a sum of that magnitude in time to get her in there for chemo. She still is planning to go to the Houston area for treatment, because her daughters and their families are there. Her sister was going to accompany her there to help care for her, but they have kind of a rocky relationship, and it might be more of a strain if she does. They discharged her today from the charity hospital here. I'll call Gypsy's sister Queenie, because as a joke (I guess), she always is referred to as the Queen. She does act like that a little, but she has a really good heart. We went out to a neighborhood bar last night to talk to the owner about doing a benefit. We wound up getting really trashed in the process. I barely was able to drive us home. She stayed at my house. On the way home, she cried and I just held her hand and didn't say anything.

Her brother (the Indian) is still in jail. He sent Gypsy a letter in the mail. In just a month, he's had to absorb getting dumped by Hannah and learning his sister has terminal cancer. All from his jail cell. I actually feel sort of sorry for him right now. I mean, he hurt me very badly and did some really vile things to me, but that's still a hard thing for him to absorb. He feels tremendous familial guilt, yet lacks the gumption to make the necessary changes in his life to change the equation. He's too weak. Too much of a me-gimme-mine addict. And now he's sober, so it eats him up from the inside out. That's his self-imposed cross to bear.

Thanks to those who left kind thoughts in my guestbook. I'm strong. I'll be ok. I love y'all.

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still here - 2009-12-18
and so it goes - 2008-12-16
Watch out Benedict! - 2008-01-28
She got hit with the cancer stick - 2008-01-26
The Cure, Amy & Britney & Dogshit - 2008-01-05