Saw my aunt for the last time on Thursday night. Fucking cancer. She'd been fighting it for two years, but took a real turn for the worse late Tuesday night. I didn't know about it until Wednesday evening, and my mother told me she was asking for me.
I made it up to the hospital in Paterson, NJ right after work on Thursday, and she passed away no more than three minutes after I arrived. She was certainly trying to hang on for her son to make it in from Wisconsin. He was only about twenty minutes away when she died.
She saw (almost) all of her massive family over those three days, and spent her final moments in the company of about ten on us, including her daughter, her mother, and her boyfriend of 30-plus years.
I had to step outside when my grandmother kissed her goodbye for the last time. Just couldn't watch. She's buried three of her eight children, now including her first.
Holding up well. We all expected it, though perhaps not so suddenly. When she checked into the hospital for the final time on Tuesday night, they thought she'd make it through the weekend, but not much longer. Nobody thought she had less than 48 hours, but at least we all got there quickly, before the end.
My sisters were down here last night, along with my brother-in-law. We went to that 'terror behind the walls' thing at Eastern State Penitentiary. The abandoned prison, itself, is awesome to tour. Highly recommended. Guided and self-led tours are available year-round.
This 'haunted prison' thing, though, is essentially the most over-hyped ripoff in the city. I warned them beforehand, but they wanted to do it so okay... and yeah, afterwards they completely agreed.
Tacos and beer, later in Fishtown, made for a perfect dinner (my middle sister's birthday was yesterday, in one of those fun works of life - for one day, she's only one year younger than me!), though!
I'm doing laundry right now, and researching Sixers tickets, to give myself for my birthday. ;)
Btw, the 'terror behind the walls' was bunk, but, due to standing in line for two hours, the terror in my bowels was very real and extremely frightening.
The first months working at a sewage treatment plant are all kinds of interesting... ;)
I just received a $500 bill from a hospital I've never set foot in, for services I never received. I am currently in the process of drafting the most sarcastic letter in the history of sarcastic letters in response to their demand that I "remit payment in full, immediately."
May the spirit of Hunter S. Thompson be with me.
~~~
Earlier this week, I also just received my new insurance card, which will take effect November 1. First time I've had health coverage since January 2009. It's gonna feel good to finally walk through life again, with the knowledge that an accident or illness won't financially ruin me forever...
And Penn State wins an instant classic, 4-OT thriller over #18 Michigan! What a game!
Good on the kids who stuck with the program, after the most hypocritical organization of filthy leeches in the world, the NCAA, punished a small Pennsylvania city and a few dozen student-athletes, for just one effect of the disgusting environment it, itself, has created.
Saw my aunt for the last time on Thursday night. Fucking cancer. She'd been fighting it for two years, but took a real turn for the worse late Tuesday night. I didn't know about it until Wednesday evening, and my mother told me she was asking for me.
ReplyDeleteI made it up to the hospital in Paterson, NJ right after work on Thursday, and she passed away no more than three minutes after I arrived. She was certainly trying to hang on for her son to make it in from Wisconsin. He was only about twenty minutes away when she died.
She saw (almost) all of her massive family over those three days, and spent her final moments in the company of about ten on us, including her daughter, her mother, and her boyfriend of 30-plus years.
I had to step outside when my grandmother kissed her goodbye for the last time. Just couldn't watch. She's buried three of her eight children, now including her first.
At least my aunt's not in pain anymore.
Gee, I'm very sorry to read this, Jay.
DeleteLife is loss.
Yeah. The important thing is no more pain, imo.
DeleteHow's the family holding up?
DeleteHolding up well. We all expected it, though perhaps not so suddenly. When she checked into the hospital for the final time on Tuesday night, they thought she'd make it through the weekend, but not much longer. Nobody thought she had less than 48 hours, but at least we all got there quickly, before the end.
Deletebtw, Jay, you have a birthday coming ups, so very happy birthday to you, good sir.
DeleteThanks, man. It's today, btw.
DeleteMy sisters were down here last night, along with my brother-in-law. We went to that 'terror behind the walls' thing at Eastern State Penitentiary. The abandoned prison, itself, is awesome to tour. Highly recommended. Guided and self-led tours are available year-round.
This 'haunted prison' thing, though, is essentially the most over-hyped ripoff in the city. I warned them beforehand, but they wanted to do it so okay... and yeah, afterwards they completely agreed.
Tacos and beer, later in Fishtown, made for a perfect dinner (my middle sister's birthday was yesterday, in one of those fun works of life - for one day, she's only one year younger than me!), though!
I'm doing laundry right now, and researching Sixers tickets, to give myself for my birthday. ;)
Btw, the 'terror behind the walls' was bunk, but, due to standing in line for two hours, the terror in my bowels was very real and extremely frightening.
DeleteThe first months working at a sewage treatment plant are all kinds of interesting... ;)
Also, in completely unrelated news...
ReplyDeleteI just received a $500 bill from a hospital I've never set foot in, for services I never received. I am currently in the process of drafting the most sarcastic letter in the history of sarcastic letters in response to their demand that I "remit payment in full, immediately."
May the spirit of Hunter S. Thompson be with me.
~~~
Earlier this week, I also just received my new insurance card, which will take effect November 1. First time I've had health coverage since January 2009. It's gonna feel good to finally walk through life again, with the knowledge that an accident or illness won't financially ruin me forever...
And Penn State wins an instant classic, 4-OT thriller over #18 Michigan! What a game!
ReplyDeleteGood on the kids who stuck with the program, after the most hypocritical organization of filthy leeches in the world, the NCAA, punished a small Pennsylvania city and a few dozen student-athletes, for just one effect of the disgusting environment it, itself, has created.