story6657.xml

story6657.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-12

My mother (Mrs. Marquetta Hromoko),had just been placed in the Hospice Program due to colon cancer being found for the second time. Eight months prior she had surgery and the doctors said they got it all, and there was no need for chemo; some months after that she began to feel tired all the time, having difficulties with going to the bathroom. She was hospitalized in the early part of June, 2001. She lay for 2 weeks while they tried to find what was wrong. Her blood count was so low, she required 4 or 5 units of blood during her stay. On a CT Scan they saw a shadow in an area much higher than her cancer was the first time. They said not to worry it was too high to be the cancer they removed. They did exploratory surgery and found a tumor this time on a mesantaric artery; they removed what they could and told us that she would have to have aggressive chemo therapy and possibly radation therapy. I stayed with my mom every day at the hospital and usually didn't leave till 11 or 12 midnight when she fell asleep because she was scared. She told me she had a dream every night exactly the same, that she was in a place where it was very dark and she was holding a lit candle and that she was very scared and that a voice ( she assumed was the Lords) told her not to be frightened and to walk down the path, and as she continued she began to see light in the distance and the closer she got she saw what looked like thousands of people (men and women) standing together holding lit candles and the closer she got the brighter the light, but then she would wake up only to have the same dream every night. Only now, do I think I understand the meaning of that dream. I believe those thousands of people would be the souls of those lost on 9-11-01. Now mind you this was is June. My mom went home from the hospital the end of June. This time, my mom didn't bounce back as she usually did. We struggled to get her strong enough to begin the chemo. My moms livingroom is very large so we had a hospital bed for her to stay in. August began the first round of chemo. It made her deathly sick with severe diahrea, mouth soars, bladder infection, vaginal infections,no appetite. Finally she said, when I go back to the doctor I'll ask if I can take a pill. I didn't ride along with my brother and dad that day, I was exhausted from the day to day care she needed, but I was glad I didn't. The doctor told her the tumor was growing rapidly, she was continuing to lose weight and had no strength. He was making arrangements with Hospice, to help with what we now had to face. My mom had just turned 71 and I thought she would outlive me (53). The day they rolled in the oxygen unit, wheelchair, airbed, and box after box of medicine and syringes, is the day I think my mom gave up the fight. The morning of 9-11-01, I came to make mom's breakfast and routinely she watched and listened to a religous channel. My husband called and said turn the TV on CNN. I did that and the first thing I saw was the first tower on fire and as my mom and I watched we saw the second airplane hit the second tower. We looked at each other at the same time for what seemed to be an eternity, neither saying a word; we didn't need to, I think we both thought this was the beginning of the Armageden as it states in the Bible. This was the end of the world as we new it. We have family in Newark, N.J. and Sterling, N.J. We called to make sure family member were OK and they were, thank God, but they knew people who were among the missing and eventhough my mom new she didn't have long to be here, she prayed everyday for those who were lost. My mom taught Sunday School at the Assemply of God Church where she belonged and she served the Lord for too many years to mention. My brother who was a God sent at this time, worked for the Justice Department, and spent many hours at work because of what happened in America and many of these hours he would have liked to have spent with his dying mother. But my mom told him she understood, and that he was doing important work for the Lord too. She prayed for his safety daily too. My mom passed away November 12, 2001, and unless your not a religious person, you won't understand what I'm about to say. At 10:00 p.m. the night before she died there was a knock on dad's door which was unusual for that time of night. My mom's best girlfriend and her daughter said they had a vision that one of me or my dad was holding my mother back from passing on. I screamed and I cried because I couldn't bring myself to tell her it was OK to leave us. As long as I could feel her and touch her and hold her was all I wanted. Mom's friends said you need to tell her its OK and that we'll be OK and see her one day soon. So, I pulled myself together and talked to my mom alone; I told her how much I loved her, and that Dad would be OK, and to plase let the Angels carry you home, and that we will be with you soon. I slept on the couch that night in the room with my mom and in the morning she was burning up with fever. I had to take my husband to the hospital for bloodwork for post-surgery blood thinners he was on; but I called my younger brother to sit with Dad when I left. I was back in about an hour and a hospice nurse was there, she told me your mom only has a few hours left. I called my mom's sister, who is a minister and my mom's best friend; when we noticed mom's breaths becoming labored we gathered in a circle round my mom's bed and held hands and my aunt led us in prayer as my mom left this earth. It wasn't until I saw the Winter Olympic opening ceremony that I remembered my Mom's dreams back in June, 2001, for it began with a child skating with a lit candle and ended with many, many many children carrying those candles and I believe my mother saw her passing and the passing of the thousands who lost their lives on 9-11-01. Even though its been a year the pain has not gotten any better and I struggle each day with out her but I know she promised me that when my turn comes, she'll be there with her outstretched hand waiting for me. God Bless America!