Tuesday, October 31, 2006

What a Difference a Week Makes

I try to keep this blog lighthearted but this post will be anything but. Read only if you want to be sad.

I went to California to attend my nephew's wedding. We got there Friday and had a very nice time visiting my sister and her family. I was looking forward to Saturday at the rehearsal dinner when I would see my brother and my niece and her family. On Saturday morning my brother went to the hospital coughing up blood. We were all worried but continued with the rehearsal dinner which was at an Italian restaurant with 50 people attending. On Sunday, since it was going to be an evening wedding, my sister and I drove down to Monterey to see my brother in the hospital, where we were informed that he has esophageal cancer. Then we went back to San Jose and got ready and went to the wedding and reception which lasted till very late. Then my kids and I got up early in the morning to leave, and it was at the airport that I learned that the doctors give him a year to live.

It is very hard to be at a happy occasion and get devastating news and have to continue to smile and be happy, but I did. I cried at the wedding and everyone thought they were happy tears but they weren't. The full horror of the situation didn't hit me until last night at bedtime when I finally fell apart to the point where I couldn't go to work today.

I feel bad that I am so far away but I am doing everything over the phone that I can and we are taking it one day at a time. We're going back down at Thanksgiving, that will be good. And I am grateful that I happened to be down there when this all hit the fan. So that's it for now.

I do not intend to change to tone of my blog because of this. I probably will not write much more about this. But just because I write about trivial crap doesn't mean that I'm not going through it over here. I just wanted to let everyone know.

4 comments:

jennifer n said...

Karla,
I'm so sorry to hear about your brother.
My younger brother was recently diagnosed with congestive heart failure.
Life is so fragile.
It's good you are going down at Thanksgiving.

Faythe said...

Karla,

I am also sorry to hear about your brother. At least you now know you have a year (or more, doctors can be wrong) to spend time with him and let him know how important and loved he is to you and the rest of your family.

Kim said...

Karla,

I will be praying that God uses you in an AWESOME way during this time. Give God a good show Karla. I know you can and will because you do.

I love you,
Kim

Anonymous said...

Karla,

I will be praying. I am very sorry to hear that. We are here anytime you need to talk. Nothing funny this time. Just wanted to let you know we love you very much.