(no subject)
My uncle died yesterday. It wasn't unexpected; he'd been diagnosed with cancer, treated, and now it came back. They weren't able to finish the first batch of chemo because he was losing so much weight and they didn't think he'd survive it, so they broke off earlier than they normally do. After that he just kept losing weight, and there was no way they could treat the cancer when it came back when he was as thin as he was. Before dying, he was down to 47kg, just skin and bones. He also had lung problems, which didn't help. In the end, he only had about 40 per cent lung capacity.
I'm sad that he's gone, but I didn't see him that often, so it's distant that way. I'm mostly sad for my dad. My uncle was probably the brother that was closest to dad. My other uncles either live so far away we only see them every three years or so, are going a little senile or are complete idiots (well, maybe my dad doesn't think so, but when you don't go visit your dying brother, idiot is the nice thing I'm gonna call them). Save for one of my aunts, my uncle was probably the sibling dad saw most of.
I found out when I was calling home to babble about a new apartment that had popped up in my hometown (I need to move, long story), which in hindsight I'm almost thankful for, because as he replied, I was thinking about my uncle (I knew that dad had gone to visit him yesterday). Wouldn't that have been a winner, "Oh, by the way, how's uncle doing?" "He's dead."
He was so matter of fact about it too, he never sounded sad, but that's just my dad. Not a lot for showing sadness. I just didn't know what to say to him, but he just talked about my uncle and how my dad, my aunt and another uncle had come to see him, only to find out that he was already dead.
My dad told me that my uncle had known that the fight was lost when he found out the cancer was back, and that he'd just wanted to go home after that. He told me that he'd known he was going to die, but that he was set on making it one last summer.
They'd petitioned for a kind of stair-elevator for the apartment building my uncle lived in, really been fighting for it, since he needed the exercise, but the stairs were too much. I don't know how many months they've been nagging at the bureaucrats. Yesterday, they were apparently supposed to put it in.
Also, my cousin was supposed to come with a flight yesterday to see his dad. He lives in the south, and I don't think he's had a chance to fly up while uncle was sick. He never got a chance to say goodbye.
It just sucks in so many ways.
I'm sad that he's gone, but I didn't see him that often, so it's distant that way. I'm mostly sad for my dad. My uncle was probably the brother that was closest to dad. My other uncles either live so far away we only see them every three years or so, are going a little senile or are complete idiots (well, maybe my dad doesn't think so, but when you don't go visit your dying brother, idiot is the nice thing I'm gonna call them). Save for one of my aunts, my uncle was probably the sibling dad saw most of.
I found out when I was calling home to babble about a new apartment that had popped up in my hometown (I need to move, long story), which in hindsight I'm almost thankful for, because as he replied, I was thinking about my uncle (I knew that dad had gone to visit him yesterday). Wouldn't that have been a winner, "Oh, by the way, how's uncle doing?" "He's dead."
He was so matter of fact about it too, he never sounded sad, but that's just my dad. Not a lot for showing sadness. I just didn't know what to say to him, but he just talked about my uncle and how my dad, my aunt and another uncle had come to see him, only to find out that he was already dead.
My dad told me that my uncle had known that the fight was lost when he found out the cancer was back, and that he'd just wanted to go home after that. He told me that he'd known he was going to die, but that he was set on making it one last summer.
They'd petitioned for a kind of stair-elevator for the apartment building my uncle lived in, really been fighting for it, since he needed the exercise, but the stairs were too much. I don't know how many months they've been nagging at the bureaucrats. Yesterday, they were apparently supposed to put it in.
Also, my cousin was supposed to come with a flight yesterday to see his dad. He lives in the south, and I don't think he's had a chance to fly up while uncle was sick. He never got a chance to say goodbye.
It just sucks in so many ways.