I have been reading this forum for about a week, and have found it both informative, and comforting.
My mother was diagnosed with sclc, and last friday had her 1st chemo treatment. She was very sick for 3 days, but is feeling better now.
The real story here starts about 35 yrs ago. My parents were divorced, and my mother left to raise 7 kids alone. I saw my father about 4 times during my childhood, he was in the air force, and when he got out, settled in Delaware. A couple of yrs ago his 3rd wife passed away, and he decided to come to Kansas and try to make up for all the years lost. He stayed at Mom's house while he was here, since they had always been friendly. He made 3 trips here last year, and Mom and I went to Maine to visit relatives with him. He then told her that he was sorry that he had ever let her go and that he would like to move to Kansas and start a relationship with her again. She told him she would love to be friends with him, but couldn't promise him anything else. He went back to DE with no more talk of moving back here. He was here to visit earlier this year, and came back last month for another visit. He was here when Mom was diagnosed. She has worked 50 or 60 hrs a week as a 2nd shift manager at a busy restaurant, and has health insurance through the job. She can take her family medical leave, but after 12 weeks if she is not up to going back to work, they can terminate her, and she could not afford to pay the premiums for the health insurance if she isn't working. The kids have tried to encourage her to slow down for a couple of yrs now, and she would have no part of it. Dad told me he was going to talk to her, and suggest she marry him so he could move in, help pay the bills and his military benefits would cover her medical care, and prescriptions. He was a little afraid to broach the subject, but he helped take care of her through her 1st chemo treatment, leaving her alone when she wanted him to, and being there for her when she needed him. He was planning to go back to DE for a while, and come to visit again later, and she told him "I don't want you to go back"
Lucky him, he didn't have to worry about her turning him down, so he suggested the marriage. The long and short of it is, after 35 yrs and 2 other spouses each, my parents are going to be remarried in a few weeks. He is still here, but will be going to DE to get his things in order, and then moving to Kansas permanently. Mom will use her FML and then retire. How cool is that?
