The time had finally come when even my mother, with her decreased mobility and inability to safely shower or even grab dresses from hangers in her closet, couldn’t argue that she was unable to live on her own. We went through a series of home health aide services that...

My mother’s next oncologist was a keeper, as his kindness and compassion and tendency to not descend into madness in response to every test result seemed to be better suited to my mother’s needs and a better fit for my nerves. He initially placed her on an old...