My other mom.. passed away last January 27, 2019. She was finally diagnosed with cancer of the lungs, but not before being treated for liver cirrhosis, pneumonia, an appetite enhancer and even the common cold. When the result was released three weeks ago, she was declared to be at stage 4, the final and most painful stage. Of course, it was no longer an option to make her undergo chemotherapy or any other preventive cancer treatment. But did the doctors have to throw in the towel just like that? After all they had done and failed to do? Didn’t they have the integrity to try to make up for their mistakes at least?
Anyway, when I first told my mom, she said, “Oh! Why?” But she didn’t cry. After a few minutes, she asked, “Who died?” Then, “Who is she? She is your mama? Is she also E’s mama? Namatay din pala siya? (She also died?) Why did she die?” Basically those were the questions she asked throughout the day, not necessarily in that order. But when my husband arrived in the afternoon to bring us to Mama’s house for the wake, she suddenly broke into tears. I guessed she’d finally made the connection. Unfortunately, when we went home after, she almost instantly forgot again.
We attended the wake every night, but my mom always forgot when she’d wake up the next morning. To the point that I actually considered not bringing her to the funeral simply because she most likely wouldn’t remember it anyway. But then I’d have to answer to my conscience. In the end, she made the decision for us: on the morning of the event, she woke up with the usual air of cluelessness but remembered that she had somewhere important to go. How that could be that she remembers some things but forgets most things, I still don’t know. Maybe it’s time to talk to a specialist.
Life in the Bukids 