We got the call on Tuesday that Wednesday Pappa was coming home with hospice. They aren’t going to try to make him better anymore. They found liver cancer.

Pappa is hard of hearing, but has been in great shape… until the last few years. He got prostate cancer and has had to deal with that on an ongoing basis. He’s outlived a lung cancer life expectancy of a year by an extra two and a half. He was bleeding internally and the doctors told him it was in his head. Now he has liver cancer. Most people go in a month or two after diagnosis. It is a voracious disease.

But Pappa had already lost 30 pounds in the hospital. “The food looked good. It just wasn’t good. It didn’t taste good.” Grama, he said, brought some of her pound cake to the hospital and no one would eat it, including him. Maybe the hospital air poisons the food?

He’s eating better now that he’s home. But they have to have help for him. He can’t get up on his own. And Grama already needs a knee and ankle replacement… They got lifeline, so if they both go down, she can get help.

Suddenly “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” jokes aren’t so funny anymore.

They’ve worked like crazy and they have some money, but three months of home health care out of pocket will take the savings they have left.

They’ve been married 69 years.

Grama will miss him.

We’re going back over Labor Day. I hope we get to see them both.