My aunt is still alive but it has been 13 months since her brain tumor was discovered. She also has gotten to the point that there is no more medicine can do to help her. Since Christmas her condition has really deteriorated. Some days she doesn’t remember how to read. Some days she cannot talk. So far she mostly still understands people. But that is getting harder too.

The one sort of good thing through everything… covid restrictions started the same time my mom first got sick. So all the covid stuff combined with my mom’s own self consciousness about her deteriorated condition… mom wouldn’t let anyone visit her. And most of my family even though many of us live near each other hadn’t seen one another since Christmas 2019. After the recent return of mom’s cancer and my aunt’s continued deterioration my mom finally agreed to let our extended family visit her.

So a few weeks ago all of my aunts an uncles and some of my cousins came to my parent’s house for a visit. Which was so good. Despite the sadness behind everyone being together.

But yeah… at my aunt’s initial diagnosis doctors predicted she would have 6-18 months to live. And at 13 months right now… I think that estimation was correct.