After excruciating back pain and many trips to the doctor, jaundice set in. Mom was immediately sent to the hospital. When she called, I said I would take her. She said no, she would call when she was settled. But no, she called me the next morning and said I could now come and see her. Now, I could have called or went over anyway, but it was always better to do what she said or face her wrath. By the time I got there, the doctor thought it was her gallbladder, but could be something else. Next day, again without me there, they had done the procedure. Doctor called me out in the hall to tell me she had pancreatic cancer. When we went into the room, Mom told him never to do that again. Anything that needed to be said could be said to her! That's my fiesty mother. She was allowed to come home, the days after Thanksgiving went to an oncologist. She was put on chemo. Well, after a few treatments mom was so ill she couldn't eat, drink, swallow, or take medicine. She got so weak and lost so much weight (she was always tiny). Took her to the doctor who said, Oh, I guess I gave you too much chemo. What????? So back to the hospital, after a few days, to Hospice. No meds, no nothing. For one week she stayed there, then went to a nursing home because she wasn't ready to die yet. After 2 months at the nursing home, she passed away. It was horrible. All this time I was in denial and was sure it was all a dream. March 6,2009 at 10:37 was the day the laughter died. It was 4 days shy of her 75th birthday, the age she hoped to get to.