Lung Cancer: A Short Story

On June 12, 2000, my beloved sister, Mary, 15 months my senior, began receiving hospice care, having been diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer in March 1999. By June, her cancer had metastasized to her bones, and she had spent much of the past month in and out of the hospital due to pneumonia and chronic, severe pain. Her cancer journey was long and detailed; however the story I’m sharing, details a specific incident in her journey. I believe it is an incident that engages one’s beliefs, and raises questions about our connection to the spirit world.
I arrived at the home of Mary’s fiancé, Ron, on June 14th and stayed until Mary’s death on June 24th. A few days after my arrival, hospice arranged for a hospital bed to be set up in the dining room of Ron’s home, centrally located,
I finally said, “How much money will it take for you to take your medicine?” She replied, “Twenty bucks and get your tight little ass out of here!” A few seconds later Mary said, “Gotta go now.” She closed her eyes, leaned back and slowly fell onto her pillow. Lynn and I met each other with wide eyes, breaking into laughter – and not simply because there’s nothing tight or little about my ass! We were dumbfounded as well as amused. Mary went back to sleep – or back to whatever state she had previously been in.
Lynn and I, looked at each other incredulously … what just happened? Was Mary’s behavior the result of her medication, or had we witnessed a phenomenon related to Mary’s impending death? Tired, and a little freaked out by our experience, I went to bed and Lynn made her way to the recliner. The remainder of the night was uneventful. The next day Lynn and I related our story to the amusement and wonder of others’. Everyone was amazed and amused, having never heard of such an