We lost another warrior today - J, the patient with advanced breast cancer, and whom I had introduced to ayurvedic medicine.
I just realised that I have not done an update on her for quite some time.
As she required special care, her family had put her in Assisi Hospice about a month ago. M and I saw her some 3 weeks ago and again about 2 weeks ago. She had always been on drug-induced sleep, though she did awaken during our first visit and was alert, could recognize us and was talking.
During our last visit, on 8 Oct, Wed, her husband tried unsuccessfully to wake her from her deep sleep. But she had looked alright then too, and breathing on her own.
This morning, M called her husband to check on her and was told that she had just passed away. They had brought her home yesterday at her request, thinking to send her back to hospice after two days. She had problem breathing and passed away after one night at home. J must have known time was running out for her.
We visited her wake today, and for all the pain she was in during the past months, she looked so peaceful as if in sleep. Her sister-in-law said she had passed on peacefully.
I have realized that for cancer patients in the advanced and terminal stage, appearance can be deceiving. For some, they looked fine and then suddenly their condition deteriorated very fast in a matter of days.
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