In July of 2021 my mom, Beth Purcell, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
My journey with her through treatments, hospice, and dying (including our daily hardships and joys) are documented here.
In the future, I may add more reflections on grief and memories – and some of the hilarity that I haven’t had a chance to record.
When she was first diagnosed, her reaction as a nurse was to say, “Well, that’s a death sentence.”
But in the days that followed, as she continued to live, her cancer became a call to live life to the full.
In the end, she saw her suffering as an opportunity to know that she was loved. And she brought a lot of people joy in the process.
They say laughter is “good medicine” – maybe that’s why she lived longer than any of us thought she would.
I’ve decided to keep these updates online, in hopes of bringing comfort and encouragement to others facing health problems or struggling with caregiving issues.
I hope they somehow help.
Elisabeth Elliot once said, “Suffering is never for nothing.”
I’m trying to take heart in the truth of those words as I set mine before you and hope such a difficult season can somehow be used for good.