"We are born astride a grave - WaynesWorldStage.com

night sitting up in the living room. I pulled outthe sofa bed around 4am, but she wouldn’t getinto it. She stayed up all night. When I took herback to Long Island, it hurt even more than usualto say good-bye.My sister Margaret, now back in Detroit,was again in the hospital. She needed a bonemarrow transplant. I was the only one in thefamily who matched. I flew into Detroit severaltimes for tests. At the final visit before thetransplant, I was given a prescription for a drugto be injected every day up until the transplant. Itwas needed to increase some kind of platelets inmy blood. I sat with the needle in my hand forhalf an hour. I couldn't stick it in my arm. Lynnewouldn't try. I had to go to the hospital and payto have it done.The hospital in Detroit decided that I wasnot healthy enough to use the conventionaltransfer operation. They tried a newexperimental technique. It seemed to work.Margaret lived for another two years. She waswith her son Jamie and her grandchildren whenshe passed away. She was happy. Her ministerfriend from Northport, Long Island gave theeulogy. She was 53. Lynne came with me to thefuneral.345