Watching

How do you say goodbye to someone you love? To watch them fight so many battles, and know that this, is the last one.
Maria was born to Ukrainian parents. They struggled to raise their children and come to America. She met the man of her dreams, and married him back in the early 70's, I believe. Before all of their friends started having babies, they had tried for years..She miscarried so many times that she gave up on having kids, and decided to be active in all of her dear friends' kids lives.
Deidra and I spent many nights with Maria and Quentin. They still live in the same house that we have so many fond memories of. Maria used to take us to the store and buy us "Blue Smurf Marshmallows", and she always made sure to have scented markers.
3 years ago Maria was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of breast cancer, I believe there are several hundred forms of breast cancer...she had the worst one...the one that they tell you, if you beat it now...it will return somewhere else sometime. She won the first battle.
In April she went in for her 6 month evaluation, she had been cancer free for 2 years, and the news was good again...there was no cancer.
In June she was once again diagnosed with cancer, only this time it was in her liver. A month and a half after getting a clean bill of health, she was told that there was nothing they could do for her this time. She tried to do chemo to prolong her life, but it was killing her faster than the cancer was. She went home and tried to enjoy her time, while in the back of head knowing that she was going to die.
Maria was admitted back into the hospital yesterday. I just can't believe that her life here with all of us who love her, will soon be gone. She is being eaten by this disease, robbing her of her dignity, and taking her mind. She is the first person in my life, that I have had to watch go through this horrific disease. I hate it for her, and for Quentin, and for everyone that loves her. It just doesn't seem fair.