the absurdity of you posting that with that particular avatar on this particular blog…

Heart goes out to you, anthony. I'm sure she won't be forgotten, but here's to mending the pain in the future.

I've been avoiding this blog mostly because I didn't know what to say. But I guess in times like this, support means more than what's said. I'm sorry to hear it. I know losing close family members is a tough thing, and it'll continue to be tough for a long time, whether you think it is or not.

My condolences to you and your family.

Funeral was Wednesday. Still seems strange she's gone. Dunno what happened with Death's comments but.. bleh.

In any case, for anyone wondering about my aunt…

She had several issues - some of the "minor" things being arthritis and the major issues being things like Leukemia and the like. She fell earlier in the year, and as many say - at 83, and with her issues, it was downhill from there. She died about 19 days short of her 84th birthday.

After going into the hospital, she would get worse and worse. She had dementia… she wasn't getting nasty like my grandfather did as he got older but between that and just getting older, her memory was getting worse - fast. And she was losing weight, the will to try and walk, to live, etc… She just wanted to die so she could be with her sister - my grandmother. (Yeah, technically she's my grand aunt but she's been referred to as my aunt since I could remember.) After being in and out of the hospital, she went in for a 'final' time due to having what was probably a mini stroke… and after, the hospital couldn't do anything more. She had pneumonia that returned… and other infections - she couldn't get the chemo for the leukemia/anemia (not sure whether it progressed to leukemia or was still anemia) and she was beyond help; and as her wish was to die at home, they released her - prescribing what was needed to more or less keep her as comfortable as possible.

And last week Tuesday was it - me and my friends were just doing some things to kill time due to the blackout, and just returned from getting food. My mom was trying to give my aunt her pills, and she got more and more quiet. Mom would rattle the bed/hit the bars to try to keep her conscious (she'd just wanna sleep) and she was no longer responding. I was running around trying to find a phone to call the ambulance. Luckily one house had power. Unfortunately there was nothing to do and she was gone by the time they got there. Cardiac arrest.

In any case, it's over. We're no longer 'trapped' to the house (before I start a shitstorm - that's the best description I have for what it was like. It wasn't so much a negative thing as frustrating - we aren't exactly trained to do this stuff, and we did our best, sacrificing our time and sometimes money to ensure my aunt was taken care of as best as possible when she was at the house). And my aunt is no longer dealing with the pain and suffering.

I'd feel guilty if I wrote that, but it's very true, and I understand how you feel. It's better for everyone now. (And I don't mean that in a bluntly callous way). Like you said, your Aunt no longer has to experience her pain and suffering.

Being a care taker is a taxing task.

Hang in there man. Things will get better!

Regarding the +1, glad to hear you're safe. Sandy did a lot of damage.