Although a biopsy took much of her husband's remaining energy, Mrs. Hughes wasn't convinced about hospice at first. I still thought there was something we could do. She couldn't cope with losing the love of her life, that gentle but firm shipyard foreman and father, in a matter of weeks. Like other families, hers was gripped with desperation. Then I realized that it's just a matter of time.
Nobody knows how long.
Only God knows. As December ushered in the holiday season, morphine and other drugs kept the pain from his cancer at bay. Bed-bound, Hughes remained sure hospice was his best choice. An aide came each day to bathe and dress him. A nurse dropped in every other day.