I just found out that one of my very best friends, a woman whom I love, a woman who's 17 year old daughter calls me her "Daddy", a woman who has loved me since the minute she met me has less than one year to live. She was hiding this from me. She thought that I would go away if I knew. Why do women do that? She told me that she is going to be cremated with a picture of me in her hands. I am not taking this very well so if my next few posts seem abrupt or grouchy...you know why. Please, pray for my friend and her daughters.

We'll keep you and her in our prayers. What's her name? (PM me if you prefer.)

Be there for the kid. I had my best friend of over 20 years die from cancer a few years ago and it hit me harder than the death of my mother did (perhaps because my mother was elderly and it was expected at that age). On the other hand I know a woman in Riverside, Ca. who was given a year to live in 1983 and she is still going strong and in remission. That is rare but it does happen. Again, I'm very sorry for your friend, her daughter, and for you and her other friends as well as those she likely would have met. It sucks, that is about all that can be said.

Her name is Tammy. She is only 36 years old.

Those predictions are often wrong. I hope this is the case. I feel for you.

Every moment is a gift.

Aside from prayer - talk this situation over with your attorney. If you should want to do something in the daughter's interest, or if you should 'be there' to the extent that you get involved with her medical decisions, then there are a bunch of legal issues that should be addressed now (later may be too late).

Re medical decisions: there are a lot to make particularly in and after the final days, and not all of them can be covered by the patient's advance directives. Plus someone has to be there to keep the nurses on the ball (I was dismayed to see a big jump in the 'don't particularly give a ***' level during my mother's final hospital stay a year ago - they've quit paying nurses enough to ensure the level of care they used to give uniformly).

I'll be praying for all of you.

My advice would be to spend as much time together as possible, make her laugh and make some happy memories during this bad time. Take her on a vacation if she feels up to it, do things together, do whatever you can for her now, so you have no regrets later. Be grateful for the time you have with her, I have friends who have died unexpectedly and wish I would have spent more time with them.

Get the book, The purpose driven life, it really made a differance in my sisters life after she was told she had luekemia.

Remeber, like Josh said, these predictions are sometimes wrong.

My X and I had an ugly divorce, and when she died I felt like I lost the woman I grew up with, so even when you don't love them it really hurts. I'll be thinking of you my friend.

This reminds all of us to live each day fully. To take everything in, to stop and smell the roses. Living in the now is a beautiful thing.

Sad news. My mother was only 37 when she died. My prayers are with you and your family at this time.

The doctor says that the lower half of her stomach is dead. She can no longer eat solid food. I guess that I am angry. She was involved with a man who was very abusive; physically and emotionally. He convinced her that she was too fat to be loved. So she lived (literally) on diet pills and water. That is why her stomach is dead. I want to kill him. He deserves to die.

Here is a better idea for revenge dpe, help her to live the best life she can and show the b-----d that he did not win! Besides, torture is so much more fun than murder, and if you get caught, the prison time is far shorter.

Seriously, having seen my sister-in-law go through an abusive realtion ship, I know how frustrating it can me. At one point she was told to "get the f--- out of here" at gun point. she lived with my wife and I for four months and then went back to the (Insert your favorite obscenity here). Really all you can do it to be there for her, and help her anyway you can. And...yes, he may deserve to die, but your family deserves their husband/father too.

I don't know what to say. Yes, I know that you are right. But he murdered my friend. If I could have my wish, I would see him hung with his own intestines.

Coincidently, my boss and I talked about one of her neighbors who had stomatch cancer today. My boss said even the doctor said she would die within a year but she was able to live for five years. She was eating well (vegetable and healthy food) and had a small glass of wine everyday. In fact, she didn't die because of her cancer but she die because of heart attack. You may want to convince your friend to change her diet and it may help to extend your time together. My prayer is with you, Tammy and her love ones.

Thanx for the thought, but She can no longer eat solid foods.

Dpe666, I'm vindictive. I say if it makes you feel better and you don't go overboard and end up in jail or guilt ridden then destroy the mutha as much as you can because he deserves it. Little things can drive people crazy, like broken side mirrors, acid accidentally spilled onto a hood, super plant killer accidentally spilled over a lawn....

Don't use lawn killer. Use some of that miracle grow stuff, and use it to spell a word on his lawn. When he waters it away, and he will, the word will be legible in greener grass for months.

Don't use acid on his car, you'll risk burning yourself. better is to take ordinary baking flour, and mix it with brake fluid to make a wet gooey paste. Roll it into long worm shapes, and form letters on the hood of his car to spell the same word you put on his lawn. When he removes the word, he finds the word is still legible as the brake fluid has taken the paint off his car. The word I would suggest if you do anything like this... "Murderer"

Please note: DPE you and I once disagreed about two years ago on the topic of revenge. I said that every time I went out for revenge I ended getting the worst of it. You felt differently. I have no idea where your religious beliefs lie, but you might want to talk to your clergyman about your anger and rage. Your anger is 100% justified, and the jerk deserves more S--- than you can ever give him, but do be careful. For me, this stuff is fun to think about, but not to really do.

I just talked to her. She saw the doctor today. They gave her no later than January. F***!!!

This is why we have faith. Both to support you that your friend _will_ be going to a better place. (As the Viet Nam era lighter said; "When I die I'm going to Heaven, 'Cause I've served my time in Hell."

And also to comfort you that they are building additions to several circles in Hell for your friend's abuser!

Flippant, I know. And I'm sorry if that upsets you more.

I cant say more than best wishes and good luck you are in for a tough time and I will think of you and you'll be in my prayers.
Don't let vengeance eat you up mate. That'll be in my prayers too.