Dear Writers and Readers,

Thank you for reading.

This is an intermission in Writing Coach Teresa’s “Parkinson’s Disease, My Chinese Papa, and My practicing The Four Agreements” blog post series.

This post is about my courageous cousins.

My 42-year-old cousin is dying of metastasized colon cancer.  I wish to speak up for her and another young woman who died three years ago.

Even though the medical world says 50 is the age to get a baseline colonoscopy . . . there are people under age 50 who would be alive today if they got tested much earlier.

According to Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.org

What is your risk level?

Talk to your doctor about your colon cancer risk if you:

• Have a personal history of colon cancer or precancerous polyps
• Have a parent, sibling or child who has had colon cancer
• Carry a gene for a hereditary colon cancer syndrome
• Have a history of inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease

Cousin Anna started rejecting food over three weeks ago. The purple and black marks on her skin are signs of liver failure. Hospice nurse tells my aunt and uncle and cousins that their daughter/sister will be leaving soon.

Anna’s siblings have been her loyal advocates; they too need moral support now.

While witnessing Anna’s journey, I see how my relatives practice The Work (as Byron Katie would say) -  taking care of what is in front of us, with grace.

Anna herself is doing The Work – She calls out for her brother (who has been her primary caregiver; what a loving caregiver) when she wants to drink water from her stainless steel cup, change position in her bed, or merely see him in the room.

Anna’s loving brother is doing The Work – He has set up a station (including info packet and supplies from hospice care) outside Anna’s room; he supervises as well as provide excellent care when he is home; he goes to his new job in San Francisco.

Anna’s adoring sister is doing The Work – She flew in to be with her sister, meet the hospice nurse, orchestrate delivery of a hospital bed, shopped, made phone calls, and comforted her parents; then she flew back home to take care of her own family.

Anna’s sister-in-law is doing The Work – She has been there, is there, to give everyone moral support.

Anna’s mother and father provide food and tea for us all. We eat in silence.

January 29, 2016

Cousin Anna died in the early morning of January 21st.  Rain had stopped. We even had blue sky.  A new angel on her way.

Please listen to what your body tells you.  The statement “You’re too young to be tested” is just someone’s opinion. Be your own advocate. After all, you are the expert of your experiences.

Sincerely,

Teresa LeYung-Ryan, author, playwright, speech writer

http://WritingCoachTeresa.com

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

https://www.youtube.com/user/teresaleyung

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