While there is not recipe for staying strong, the answer lies in Jesus Christ. He loves your brother, and He will protect him through the rough waters. We will not understand why good people suffer, but there are many books written on the topic. God does not cause suffering, but He, alone, can lead us through it. The war has already been won on the cross. Please don't feel defeated by the battle. we all get a little shell shocked, but gain strength from God, and from each other.

Read about God's promises. "I will never forsake you..never." Focus on the blessings in your lives, even though this is tough time. You have good treatment; caring MD's; support through the Christian community; family; and Christ. Live in the moment. For this moment you are alive and can celebrate living. Enjoy the small miracles in life- the sunrise; the morning sun; warm freshly cooked food; the smell of rain. God will take your daily praises and lift you beyond places you never thought you could go- or reach. He alone can create sunshine from the shadows.

While this seems simplistic, it works. Do not allow Satan to steal your peace with his lies. Cherish every day. Let go, and let God. Blessings.

Dearest boop,
My mom was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2002. She lived until Dec. 2009, the culmination of stage IV. She slowly lost strength and was 83 when she passed away.
There is a misconception that all folks that have colon cancer die horrible, painful deaths. This was not the case with my mother. The cancer had moved to places in her liver, and she had many nodules in her lungs, though she never required oxygen supplementation. In her final days, her body simply shut down, kind of like a partial coma. She was not in pain.

The hardest part of this journey is the waiting and the not knowing. We think that the end is near, but we simply do not know. Try to spend as much time with your brother and bond together as a family should. The most wonderful memories that I have are spending time with my mom and simply loving each other.

I am sending you a big hug today, and wish you the best. Feel free to ask me any questions or vent!

I live 20 minutes away from Hershey Medical center, It's a great place for cancer patients. My mom doesn't go there, but I wish she did. My mom has bone cancer, which unfortunately is terminal and was really hard to accept. It took me about two years before I was okay with it. When you're body is ready you will be able to cope well. My mom is in a lot of constant pain, always taking oxycotton or percaset, and sometimes she doesn't even seem like my mom due to the drugs. But I enjoy spending time with her and making memories. We move kind of slow, a pace she can handle, and I take her places. Her favorite place to eat, go see movies, play cards and board games. I take her down to philly for baseball games, I stick her in wheel chair since and we go right along our way. Cancer is hard to deal with. It causes so much pain and suffering, but only if you allow it. Pick up your tears and put them in your pocket, and save them for later, at a time when your really going to need them. The best you can do is to be there with him, do things with him that he loves to do and make those memories, and cherish them. I'll be praying for you, your brother, and the rest of your family.