Update on Mom

Thank you so very much for your outpouring of thoughts, prayers and offers of help. I'm completely blown away! Laura, Bene - thank you for thinking practically in terms of trying to get cash for us to go over, and for letting people know about my situation. I very much appreciate it! Thanks too, to the new visitors to this little spot on the net, who have left encouragement in the comments.

I've just had a brief MSN chat with mom, to get the Facts, so that I don't go off the deep end on worry and worst-case scenarious. Unfortunately, the worst-case scenario may be the one we're dealing with. She has secondary cancer in her liver, and 12 new cancer spots in her body since the last scan. The liver is inoperable, as the spots are many and spread around. Yet her courage is good and she's still feeling great. She will be starting on a weekly chemo treatment soon, and she and my dad will seek counselling for emotional help during what lies ahead. They're hoping the chemo will "nuke" some of the spots and increase her chance of surviving this.

Us three kids, and the respective spouses, are distressed and unsure of how to react, what to hope for and what to accept as fact. We know God still works miracles, and mom is due for a special day of prayer at their church (Fox Valley, Sydney, Australia) on 19 February. There are folk all over the world praying for her. A miracle might happen. But if it doesn't, we need to be prepared to face what will come.

I'm not sure yet whether we'd be able to go to Australia on a visitor's visa while there is a migration visa still pending. I haven't heard any further news on the potential job offer I mentioned last week, which may get us over there permanently. I have no time-frame to work with in this situation, and can make no real plans. All I can do now is pray, offer support and love from afar, and figure out how we're going to get through this.

Prayer is needed - lots of prayer. I'm not sure what to pray for though - a miracle, hope, coping skills, courage or any of the other million options. I'm not sure whether prayer will change a set course. Perhaps the praying does us individually more good than it does the person we're praying for...

Whatever happens, I know life will go on. And as mom has just told me, life is for living, girl! She's asked us to stay positive and quit the worst-case thinking, and promised not to leave us in the dark so that our imaginations run away with us.

Hard days ahead though. Lots of runny mascara and up-and-down mood swings. I've already used up a lot of tissues here at work this morning, and am going to have to stock up with more...!

Thanks for being there for me, all of you! You guys are just amazing.