Well shit...

Was hoping for better news from the folks in St. Louis, but the following is the text of my brother-in-law's latest email on my mother-in-law's condition on her lymphoma with mets to the brain:

Mom has no use of her legs now. Her left side is especially weak. There is more confusion. Appetite, cardio-resp are fine. She is home-bound until we figure out transportation service.

Home care nurse Melody came over today and was real helpful. She explained hospice care and skilled care and their limitations. She recommended getting a prognosis from Dr. Van A -even by phone(which I did today). She had Mom choose whether she wanted hospice care yet ('not yet, thank you'), and she explained what we need and how to get it (wheel chair and gate belt)-which we have now.

I missed Dr Van A's call, but he left voicemail and then talked to Cindy also. He said "the prognosis is not good and you should probably get hospice care." And he added to Cindy he would talk with Dr B to see whether radiation is worthwhile- weighing quality of life against improving survival chances I guess...

Mom's spirits are pretty good...she still wants to take the family out to Rizzo's (restaurant), run out to WalMart to get items, and does not realize/accept how dire her situation is...
I think she is beginning to realize, and it is getting her down...I try to be direct and open with her, but don't want to crush her hopes with this...

any thoughts?
Cindy and Ashley are awesome.
thanks, and love,

What's a devoted daughter-in-law to do? This sucks. It really sucks. I have the best mother-in-law in the world and she doesn't deserve this. Never smoked a cigarette, never had a drink and still belted down her milk with her evening meals...not to mention her daily exercise and energizer bunny devotion to chores. Oh, and on a first name basis with God. Seriously, if you were to adopt some kind of positive karmic lifestyle to ward off evil diseases, this woman is the poster child. Evil, evil disease.