My Alaskan Mother... She is with the Lord now

Hello I was on here briefly in the last couple months asking questions concerning my mothers needs and health issues and some of you were wonderfully supportive in your responses. I felt to at least let you all know that my Mom passed away on Sept 7th. We are going to be celebrating her new life with the Lord as a Family on Saturday and on Sunday a good long time friend of moms in the Lord wanted to host a Memorial of Moms friendship with her and with the people in our town in honor of her.

Mom had gone in the Friday before (the 4th) for her regular chemo treatment. They stopped at my house when they came home to drop something off I asked them to bring back. I barely got to see mom in the back seat where she was sitting next to my step dad. My brother was driving. She sounded chipper and said everything was good , no new news as far as that was concerned.

Then Saturday I was very busy working on cutting up some firewood in my yard that friends came over to help me with. I was trying to call Mom through the day and everytime I called she was just either laying down to take a nap or sleeping and I told dad NOT to wake her up. Then I would come in the house and find a message from mom saying that she wished dad would wake her up and tell her I was on the phone.. so we played phone tag all day and because she goes to bed early I didnt want to wake her up in the evening to talk to her.

I tried unsuccessfuly to call her on Sunday (they often didnt answer the phone bcause they don't hear it ringing because tv is on too loud, or they dont feel like it or they are out of the house or taking too long to walk to the phone to answer it) then at 4 PM my ex sister in law came over to tell me they'd been trying to get ahold of me. that mom was being medivac'd out to the city. She said that dad called saying mom it suddenly hit her and she was in great pain. To make a long story short without all the depressing details.. when she got to the hospital via plane, they were trying to stablize her because she was so anemic and in great pain and her blood pressure was so low. They finally said they felt something had burst inside and they had to get in and see what and see if they could fix it. they anticipated a long surgery depending on what it was so they gave her a heavy dose of anesthesia. But they wanted to get in and get out as fast as possible because of her very fragile condition. They could not get her stablized enough to satisfy going in ..so they said it was either or , so they decided to go in.

The were pleased to find it wasnt as bad as they thought. IT was a stomach ulcer that had worn thin and opened up causing air to leak into her intestinal system and that was causing the great pain (poor mom) but they patched that up and were done with the surgery in a half hours time. Apparently she did fine through the night , sleeping deeply due to the anesthesia. the next morning my dad and brother arrived to see how she was doing. She had not yet come awake due to the anesthesia, but not long after they came, moms vitals started to crash and she passed away in her sleep very quickly. The Doctors said she was not in pain and never woke up.

It was hard to lose her so quickly but she passed away like she desired.... in her sleep. That we can be thankful for. She was a strong personality that smiled no matter what her struggles were. She was well loved in our town. People are all telling me how much she impacted their lives over the 45 years we have been here.

I want to offer a word of advice to all of you out there. Tell those that impact your life for the good NOW while they are still alive and walking this earth. Let them know off and on how much you appreciate them. Send a gift now and then, a post card saying thanks , call them on the phone more than a little bit and stop and visit them now and then and or take them out for even something as simple as an ice cream cone or a sandwhich or a soda pop or coffee.

Mom often told me that no one cared for her , no one came by to visit her or called her. It bothered her for many years right up until her death.

So with this in mind , while you can... be sure to let those you love and like and enjoy KNOW how much and why... and every year.. not just once or twice.. but through the year something that will make them feel appreciated and loved.

I wish she could hear NOW the many people talking about how wonderful mom was..if she only knew...

God bless
P.s. I won't be coming back here so please don't respond to me personally as I won't be seeing it. wouldnt want you to be wasting time typing something to me and I won't see it.
I know you all care..even though my mom and I were strangers..the Journey is all the same direction. Towards our Creator! Some day we will all stand face to face with Him.
God bless you all..keep up the good work my friends.. thanks for being there for me when I came. You are blessed!
Kath
Alaska