I am back after a break from blogging over the last few weeks. My much loved mother-in-law passed away after a battle with lung cancer. I took a break to spend time with my family during her last few weeks and until after her Celebration of Life.
I have written about my incredibly strong mother-in-law before. Gwen was given 18 months when she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She far outlived any of the doctors’ predictions and lasted 3 ½ years. Most of that time she was living independently at home with her 90 year old husband, driving, and still continuing to enjoy social outings to bingo and lunch with her friends.
From Easter onwards we noticed a decline in her condition. She lost her energy, became very short of breath on mild exertion, and started to get more pain. We tried hard to persuade her to take her medication to help with her symptoms but she was reluctant to take too much of it. Her appetite had been poor since she lost her sense of taste so she was losing quite a lot of weight as well.
She had reached many milestones over the last few months – her own 86th birthday in December, Christmas, my father-in-law’s 90th and their 65th wedding anniversary in March. There was only one last milestone to reach – a family reunion with her siblings and their families on the first weekend in May.
A Decline in Condition Leads to a Trip to the Hospital
On the 24th of April she woke in a lot of pain and could barely move due to the breathlessness. We called an ambulance and she was admitted to hospital. Scans showed that her cancer had progressed and she had a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in her lung). She was now to have oxygen permanently. During the whole course of her cancer she had not wanted treatment and was adamant about that. We all supported her in that decision because she was very clear about her wishes.
At the beginning of her hospital stay we thought she may be able to return home so we organised home oxygen, a wheelchair, shower chair and wheely walker. Over the next few days it became more apparent that she would be too unwell to leave the hospital. Her family’s reunion came to her! Quite a few much loved family members visited her in hospital.
Joy in the Palliative Care Ward
It’s not often that a palliative care ward has much joy but Gwen’s room did. There was laughter and tears, as we all tried to make her last few days as positive as we could. Her room radiated with love – our love for her and her love for all of us. Even though we were well prepared, we still felt like we didn’t have enough time when she passed away.
She deteriorated so quickly on her last day we barely had time to make it to the hospital. Most of us were there to hold her hand while she peacefully took her last breaths. We were all heartbroken because we didn’t feel ready for her to be taken from us.
A Celebration of Life
Gwen had been very clear about what she wanted. There was to be no morbid funeral. Instead, she wanted to be cremated privately and a celebration of life was to be held afterwards. She had chosen songs and told us all how she wanted to be remembered. This made it so easy to plan her final celebration of life and I highly recommend that everyone do it. I have now lost both parents, a sister and my mother-in-law and because Gwen had outlined everything she wanted it made it so much easier than the other deaths to plan for her funeral.
The whole family were involved in Gwen’s Celebration of Life. It was held at my brother- and sister-in-law’s home. My brother-in-law gave a lovely eulogy then we had a video with photos of Gwen through the years, and each of us had recorded a short piece saying our memories of Gwen. My niece created a beautiful tribute video to showcase Gwen’s life.
We had a few of the things that Gwen loved on display – her bingo trophy, her favourite drinks Baileys and Scotch, and many family photos with all of her loved ones. The video was a very moving tribute to our much loved matriarch. There wasn’t a dry eye in the place, especially from her loving husband and family.
Grieving the Loss of Someone Special
Once the funeral was over we all felt a sense of relief. We still grieve every day because we miss her so much. It didn’t really sink in for me until Mothers’ Day. Our usual family gathering was very subdued and quiet without her. She always prepared the food and without her there it just seemed strange.
We have all rallied around my father-in-law and make sure we visit and give him the odd meal. Luckily he can cook and he had been helping Gwen with household chores while her health declined. He had a bad fall last year and ended up having a long stay in hospital so we suggested a personal alarm for him. He already has services like housekeeping and lawn mowing set up for him.
Supporting Each Other Through Grief
The one positive of having 11 months off work was that I was able to spend much more time with my in-laws. Seeing everyone come together at this very sad time and emerge from such a sad event is a testament to how strong my husband’s family is. Comparing it to my own family it is obvious to see that some families grow stronger at times like this, and others fall apart like mine. Any cracks that were there before can deepen into chasms if there is dysfunction in a family.
Communication and empathy are the key. We had deep discussions as a family during this period. Being respectful of each other, and showing kindness and compassion can help. Everyone experiences grief differently and just being aware of that can prevent misunderstandings.
Continuing Family Traditions
We aim to continue having family traditions like our Sunday gatherings. Even though it’s not the same without her, those get-togethers will be an important way of supporting each other as time goes on. My own mother passed away thirty years ago so I know that losing your mum is arguably the hardest death to get over. Having experienced the loss of three close members of my family has given me the ability to help others through the experience. Each loss is very different from the next but hopefully I can be the kind of support for others in the family that I know I needed while I was grieving. It’s not a time for isolation – grieving is easier with a shoulder to cry on and a kind ear to listen. It helps me as well. Often a hug and a cry is what we all need and the shared experience can uplift us when we are having a bad day.
With time the deep sorrow does ease. Some things will still trigger emotions, and anniversaries of important dates will still be hard to get through. She will always be in our hearts, nothing will ever change that. Her legacy is her family and our strong bond with each other. May Gwen Rest in Peace.
Shared on Weekend Coffee Share Linkup on Natalie the Explorer’s blog and Life This Week Linkup on Denyse Whelan’s blog
