# My brother is in the hospital **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 2, 2010, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-in-the-hospital/534692 "2010-04-02T02:46:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-in-the-hospital/534692/1 "2010-04-02T02:46:14Z")
It sucks to be the youngest, only in the sense that I foresee all my sibs going before me. The two oldest sibs are gone – a sister in 2006 and a brother this past summer. My remaining brother, 13 years older than I, is in the hospital. He has lymphoma. He has endured so much – the amputation of fingers and half of one foot, the loss of mobility and dexterity, the chronic pain associated with the amputations, not to mention the many rounds of chemotherapy and bone marrow biopsies. I want to be there (he’s a four-hour drive from me) so I’m trying to figure out how to juggle work, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Taters](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/taters/32/2845_2.png) [@Taters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taters)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-in-the-hospital/534692/2 "2010-04-02T03:22:50Z")
I’m so sorry. My thoughts are with you and your family. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-in-the-hospital/534692/3 "2010-04-02T11:11:29Z")
You don’t have to be strong. You just have to be there. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-in-the-hospital/534692/4 "2010-04-02T11:57:03Z")
I am sorry to hear your news. Sending supporting thoughts your way. ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-in-the-hospital/534692/5 "2010-04-02T23:26:50Z")
> [@freckafree](#): > > It sucks to be the youngest, only in the sense that I foresee all my sibs going before me. > > The two oldest sibs are gone – a sister in 2006 and a brother this past summer. > > My remaining brother, 13 years older than I, is in the hospital. He has lymphoma. He has endured so much – the amputation of fingers and half of one foot, the loss of mobility and dexterity, the chronic pain associated with the amputations, not to mention the many rounds of chemotherapy and bone marrow biopsies. > > I want to be there (he’s a four-hour drive from me) so I’m trying to figure out how to juggle work, etc. I’m sorry. That is hard seeing them all go first. I would just tell your boss the situation and they will usually try and accommodate you as best they can. I would try and go on a day off as it is a four hour drive. If you have weekends off you can see him then. My Dad went from Leukemia and the chemo was awful. He endured two rounds of massive chemo and died during the third one. No one should have to suffer like that. Just be there for him. Good Luck ---
**Author:** ![freekalette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/50afbb/32.png) [@freekalette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freekalette)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-in-the-hospital/534692/6 "2010-04-02T23:32:39Z")
Aww, sweetie, I’m so sorry to hear this! Sending good vibes your way. _hugs_ ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-in-the-hospital/534692/7 "2010-04-03T01:02:33Z")
I just talked to my sister. They wanted to do a CT scan of my brother’s liver to determine the cause of a blockage, but it’s Easter weekend and they can’t do the scan until Monday. They’re releasing him rather than making him languish in the hospital for four days. (I guess that’s a good sign. A similar thing happened to my brother-in-law over one Labor Day weekend, and his doctor felt his condition was grave enough that he refused to release him.) My brother has Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, BTW. I really don’t want to think about liver cancer. Thanks, everyone, for your support. It does help. ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2010, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-in-the-hospital/534692/8 "2010-04-03T01:33:18Z")
I’m so sorry to read this. Hope you can get down there to see your brother soon. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-in-the-hospital/534692/9 "2010-04-24T17:37:22Z")
Just posting an update on my brother. The liver blockage was caused by the lymphoma. They put a stent into the duct the week after he was released from the hospital, which relieved his immediate symptoms. He’s starting a round of radiation treatments next week, to be followed by aggressive chemotherapy. He’s in remarkably good spirits about the whole thing, but, if you’re the praying sort, please say one for him, and if you’re not the praying sort, good vibes and supportive thoughts are equally appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-in-the-hospital/534692/10 "2010-04-24T18:01:21Z")
Good thoughts out for your brother, and you as well. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-in-the-hospital/534692/11 "2010-04-24T22:35:51Z")
Good vibes and wishes going out for you and your brother. Take care of yourself too **freckafree**. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2010, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-in-the-hospital/534692/12 "2010-04-24T22:45:09Z")
Good vibes and prayers zooming to your brother, and for you. ---
**Author:** ![Salem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Salem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salem)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brother-is-in-the-hospital/534692/13 "2010-04-24T22:59:30Z")
Prayers for your brother and all of you supporting him.