Transitions by Mike Hormek - HTML preview

Chapter 4

Bill drove her to the town hospital, a thirty-minute drive. She continued to throw up blood the entire trip. The orderly brought out a wheelchair and took her to the ER. They admitted her and put her in an examination room. The doctor on call asked, "has she had spells of vomiting blood in the past?"

"No," Bill said.

"Well, we will do an x-ray, and she should stay overnight.”

"Okay."

Bill stayed with her in the ER that night.

The following day, the doctor came in. "Mrs. Nordstron," he said, “you have a mass on your stomach wall. You should see an oncologist."

There was no oncologist in the area, so they returned to North Dakota, about a three-hour drive.

They made an appointment and met with the doctor.

"I have reviewed your chart, Mrs. Nordstrom, and we need to do more tests to determine your prognosis. We will need to get a biopsy in the stomach, which will mean around a three-day stay," the doctor said.

"Okay," Pauline replied.

During the hotel stay, she had another bout with bloody vomit. Her appetite was gone, and she was losing weight.

They stayed in North Dakota and returned to the doctor in three days.

"As you know, there is a mass in your stomach," said the doctor. "

The cancer has spread outside of your stomach. I'm sorry, but it would not be wise to operate. We can provide chemotherapy and radiation if you elect to do so."

“How long does she have with treatment?” Bill asked.

“Around a year. If it works,” the doctor added.

“And if not?” Pauline asked.

“Six months or less.”

Pauline began sobbing. Bill was speechless, then recovered his composure.

“We will discuss it and let you know what we decide,” he said.

They returned to the motel and discussed the future.

“I don’t think I want treatment,” she said.

“Don’t rush to make a decision,” Bill cautioned.

“I will sleep on it.”

It was a sleepless night for both of them.

The following day, they went to breakfast and talked.

"The doctor said you may be having some pain and discomfort in your stomach," Bill said.

"I can feel bloating now, but no pain yet," she replied.

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"Have you thought any more about what you will do?"

"Yes. I am not going through with treatment. I know people who have, and their quality of life was poor."

"Okay."

"I will take morphine and see my family doctor back in Montana," she said. "If I must die, I want to be at home."

"As you wish," Bill said, then added, "I'm sorry, sweetie. I wish there were something I could do."

“I know. You will have to bear with me until the end."

“Where do you want to be buried?" he asked.

“I have a plot in Dakota by my parents.”

“Okay,” Bill said.

They informed the oncologist of their decision, picked up her medical records, and returned home.

In the following weeks, the cancer showed its ugly head. Her bloating became more pronounced, with severe and persistent heartburn and indigestion. She had little appetite and began losing weight. Frequently, she would vomit blood. She had another x-ray in the local hospital that showed the tumor had grown exponentially. Her primary doctor said the x-ray also showed the cancer had penetrated the stomach wall.

In the fourth month since her diagnosis, Pauline was in the hospital even though she wanted to die at home. Bill could no longer tend to her now; she was fatigued and had nausea after eating if she could. She needed intravenous feeding. It was a long drive from home to the hospital, so Bill frequently would stay with her.

The day she passed was a dreary, rainy, bleak day. One of those days when going outside was depressing. He was there when the nurse on call said her vitals were failing.

“Mr. Nordstrom,” the nurse said, "if there is anyone you wish to notify, do it now because it may be a matter of hours."

“I will call her sisters,” he replied. “They are aware of her illness.”

The sisters responded that they were also not in good health, and they inquired where the burial site would be. He told them by her parents. They indicated they would attend the funeral.

Bill had a hard time with her death. She was his lifeblood, his only true love, and they shared everything. He fell into a state of depression, but he knew he had to be vital for her burial.

"What will I do now without her?" he thought. "My life has been centered around her."

Bill had her body transported back to North Dakota. He made all the funeral arrangements with her body laid beside her parents, but he also considered cremation. He did not have much conversation with the sisters, and it became evident that Pauline and the sisters did not get along. There was a wake and celebration of life after the funeral. Pauline lived a quiet life and had few friends, although a small group from Montana attended, including Chris and his wife.

Pauline often said the sisters struggled to keep the farm afloat and usually had to borrow money to pay the taxes. Bill found it odd that they drove a new car and were well-dressed each time he saw them. The sisters held a wake at their house, which they recently remodeled with the latest appliances.

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Bill was ready to leave when the sisters said they needed to talk to him. They invited him for dinner the next night, and he accepted. After dinner, the older sister asked, "Are you aware Pauline had a will?"

“No,” he answered.

“So, we will give you the name and number of the lawyer she designated to handle it. We tried on many occasions to buy her third interest in the farm, but she refused,” she said.

“Are the taxes paid on the property?”

“Yes.”

“Did she owe you any money for expenses on the property?”

“The lawyer has all that information.”

The next day, he contacted the lawyer's office, but the secretary said he was out of the country and would not return for three weeks.

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