Drowning in ones bed

May she rest in peace

juniper flowers?

My childhood friend's sister died last night. She was 54 and left 2 children, 13 and 15.I had written before that she had metastatic cancer with no primary tumor so they didn't know how to treat her. The first physician thought she had lung cancer with mets to the bones. She went for a second opinion at an alleged top rated cancer center who after many tests thought it was not lung cancer but breast cancer that had spread to the lungs. No breast tumors were ever found. Biopsies (3!) of various tumors in her bones were inconclusive and she was sent 

 home to the original doctor after giving her radiation and surgery to deal with the bone tumors, one of which was on her spine. A biopsy of a lung tumor showed it to be lung cancer this week though they were still doing genetics on it to see if it was of the type that some of the newer treatments could specifically target. They installed a port to begin chemo next week.

 

Fluid began to accumulate yesterday in her lungs (pleural effusions?). The hospital drained this fluid and sent her home. After being home a few hours, she began to feel bad and asked her husband to go get something for her at the drug store. By the time he returned, she was dead. Why did the hospital release her without warning that the fluid would return? Maybe they did. Maybe she knew what would happen.

 

It is Day 8 of my other friend's new life. Day zero is the day they receive the life saving stem cells after all of hers were destroyed. All of her digestive tract is covered with open sores so painful that speaking, swallowing and eating are out of the question. Her messages to me consist of all the sad emojis that she can punch.

 

So should I complain of the minor (by comparison) annoyances here?

 

I think not.