One hell of a week

Hi all:

Just got back home from Chatt. for the past week.  Remember my best friends Steve and Beki and Steve is finishing up lung cancer treatment this week?  Well, last Sun. nite 3/24 their house burned down and Beki's 95 year old father was staying with them and he did not make it out!  I was up there as soon as I could get there and Chargee and i stayed with our friend Debbie and my friend Carol looked after Sammy for me.  Oh, y'all it is just horrible.  I took Steve to radiation on Tues and Wed and when we left from there on Tue. amidst snowing I took over to their next door neighbors.  When I turned up that street and saw that house I just burst into tears; the back of the house makes the front look like the Taj Mahal!  They have basically lost everything.  Their younger cat did poke her head out from under the front porch Monday afternoon so that was a bright spot in what otherwise was a horrible day.  The older cat didn't make it out.  It took me about an hour to get myself together.  It's not the house it's the time spent there over the years.  Beki and Steve are able to stay at her Daddy's house so she is looking at that as his last gift to her.  About 10:30 last Sun. nite she was lying in bed watching TV and heard popping sounds from the back porch and got up to check it out and saw the flames on the back porch.  She hollered for Steve to get the fire extinguisher which he did and tried to put it out but couldn't and smoke just billowed in.  She got her daddy awake told him to get up and threw his walker to him but he only made it to the small hallway and that's where they found him.  He died from smoke inhalation.  The wind was horrendous last Sun. nite here and there also and that's basically what make the fire so bad.  They think it started with a small refrigerator on the back porch and once  it reached the attic and that wind that's all she wrote.  She was able to have her father's visitation, service and graveside all on Thursday so that was good.  Steve had a panic attack Thurs. morning before everything and Debbie and I went to the radiation center so Beki could leave to go to the funeral home and we took him home and he got ready and got him to the funeral home.  Course they gave him ativan and he was pretty much out of it that day and not eating because of course the radiation effects and chemo are kicking in.  He's to finish rad. Wed. and was perkier last nite and this morning.  Haven't heard from Bek since I left and what took place today.  Anyway that's been my hellish week.  Oh the rad. oncologist did say his treatments were going well so that's good news.  Please keep these precious people in your prayers as I know you will.  Thanks all and God Bless!

Jan (Basketcase)