Six months later, my mother was diagnosed with pancreatic lymphoma. The doctor started her on steroids to build up her strength, but within only four weeks, she was too weak to continue working.
The doctor put her in the hospital, but after only a few days, it was clear she was not going to make it. We moved her to hospice, and, oddly enough, they put her in the same room Dad had occupied only eight months earlier.
She did not last the day.
Coping with both deaths in so short a time was a real challenge. I played so many roles; as the elder child, I was the contact for all the medical establishments, keeping everyone informed as illnesses progressed. As a former minister, I took the lead in the funeral arrangements, and officiated at both funerals. I was the administrator, the planner, the officiator . . . and the grieving child.I relied on my faith, my training, my family, and my support community to get through it all.
I have drawn upon the awareness I gained from these experiences, and many others throughout my life to create this remarkable program. I learned the hard way, so you won't have to!
Today, I'm a very happy man. I am delighted with the person I've become, and I know what I want to accomplish in this life, God willing. I'm not wealthy, but all my needs are provided for. Miracle of miracles - I love and am loved.
But it hasn't always been like this.
The most important thing that you need to know is that I've been exactly where you find yourself right now.
When my father woke one morning several years ago with signs of a stroke, his condition quickly deteriorated. After five weeks in the hospital, doctors found four rapidly-growing cancerous tumors in his brain. He could not survive.
I explained the decision-making process to my family: the disease was terminal, and we needed to shift our efforts from treating the diesease to making Dad as comfortable as possible.
H. Les Brown, MA, CFCC has undergone many transformations. He has Masters Degrees in both philosophy and theology. He spent ten years in the active ministry. He was a tech writer and an independent software devoper. He spent 15 years as Vice President and CIO of a manufacturing company, and is now a certified Franklin Covey life coach. He's also the author of many articles as well as The Frazzled Entrepreneur's Guide to Having It All.
- Why you're feeling grief, whether or not you've lost a loved one . . .
- What your feelings are trying to tell you . . .
- How far you've progressed in the grieving process . . .
- What feelings and experiences you may still have to face . . .
- What steps you can take to relieve your pain . . .
- What your Higher Power (God or the Universe) may be trying to tell you . . .
