The Power of Fear

Today I spent a nice morning with my mother. I actually got her out of her house and into a real restaurant for lunch. Usually when we get out, she can last a maximum of about 15 minutes at any one place, before she starts becoming twitchy and wanting to hit the nearest exit and head for home.

Mom filled me in on the latest about my Aunt Patty.
I blogged about her before, and that's when I told the story of her hanging up on me.

Patty hung up and has not spoken to me since October, because as usual I was harassing her to stop smoking. I was telling her about the new city law that says smoking in the car with children is against the law. And I was asking her; Why would you continue to do something that is so obvioulsy WRONG and harmful to yourself and the dog you keep???? Click went the phone.

I do this constantly because she has a horrible case of MS, and let me state the obvious; Smoking causes MS to get worse. No kidding!

AND the reason I harass her is because she continues to smoke while knowing that it makes her health decline so much so that she can't get out of bed, even to go to the bathroom.
Admittedly I am a tad militant about this kinda of thing...but why the hell not be, whats the difference between this and putting a needle in the arm? They both kill ya.

I cared enough to try and do something about it...

So okay, we all now stay away, just as she wants us to, and she continues to smoke.

But there is a new development, and its called FEAR.

Mom told me that Aunt Patty is scheduled for surgery January 7th. This surgery is being performed to remove multiple benign neck lumps which are growing very rapidly and are now causing a health threat because they are blocking blood supply to the brain.

Everyone is afraid that the surgery is DANGEROUS.....Ahhh...excuse me.....?

What does everyone think that drives the growth of those lumps that grow in her neck anyway? My family has a problem seeing the connection;

Why weren't they afraid for her while she was dragging on pack after pack of cigarettes for forty years? and they just would say; that's Patty being Patty....and now they are fearful;

I've been afraid for her all along...where was everyone then?


Now there is FEAR for the loss of her life....

Now Patty is afraid she is going to die...

But not fearful enough to stop smoking; What will it take?