I thought that today I would return to the blog and explain why I haven't posted.

Just a week after I started BP, my mother was diagnosed with stage four colo-rectal & liver cancer. It came from nowhere. No symptoms. No signs. No warnings. She just had some back and side pain that wasn't letting up, and figured it was muscle strain. Well...it wasn't.

After taking over a month to figure out meds, costs, and work things out with insurance & Medicare, she started chemotherapy. She chose at-home, so that meant one 5 hour IV infusion, then 21 days at home in pill form. She got a little sick from it, but nothing horrible. She made it through the first round OK. However, the day after she started the second round, she was horribly ill. Unable to keep food down, constantly nauseous, and exhausted. She decided the day after, that she was done. She didn't want to continue treatment if this is how it was going to be. I support her decision 100%. I don't want to lose my mom, but at this stage there is no cure; there is no getting better, and there is no quality of life in constantly being sick for what time is left. I would have made the same decision.

Today is the first day that I've been able to spend at home. I've been there 5-6 days a week and had to leave my job at the farm. My sister is there today with them, and hospice care will be coming around lunchtime to get things going for her. The Dr has also sent out a visiting nurse service to help with my dad. (He's slowly going from emphysema) I'll be back out there tomorrow to help them with whatever they need, and to clean out the spare bedroom for anyone to stay that wants to be with her.

It's a very rough time for all of us. You always seem to thing that your parents are immortal; but then reality slaps you in the face. I suppose it's harder since this has all happened in just 2 1/2 months and not over a long period of time. It's just been too damn fast.

 I have no plans to abandon Budget Prepper, but it is obviously put on the back burner for now. I have 3 posts started that were just waiting for finishing touches and pictures, and those will go up when there is time.

I've learned quite a few things through this mess, and this is the biggest one. Tell your wife, husband, girl/boyfriend, partner, whatever, how much you love them and what they mean to you; because tomorrow you may not be able to. Tomorrow this could be you fighting for your life or realizing that your time is very limited. There may not be a tomorrow.

Chris