before we left for houston

The difference between this surgery and the others, was that I was alone. It was just Marie and I that went to Houston. About a week before we left for Houston, we got a call about Maries' dad. He had been struggling with his own cancer issues. His started in the lungs, and over time, spread into the lymph nodes and to the groin. Chemotherapy had helped for quite a while, but he was now losing the battle. I just don't remember which relative called Marie and suggested that she come home to visit her dad, but I do remember Marie explaining that she was leaving in a few days, for her brain surgery.

I called one of her older brothers, to get a better handle on the situation, and he told me that, although dad was not doing well, this did not appear to be his time. And we should continue with the surgery plans. To this day, I regret that decision. I believe that we could have delayed the surgery for a few weeks. I believe there has been animosity, towards Marie, from her siblings, over her not returning home. I believe that Marie's cognizant issues do not allow her to fully grasp these type situations. I also believe that others do not understand the extent of Marie's cognizant issues either.

I did try to talk her into returning home for a few days, but she wanted to "get these things" out of her head. I do understand Maries' issues and could have tried harder to persuade her to go home. I wanted to believe that it wasn't my father in laws time.