i just got an email from my mom. i'm just gonna copy and paste it instead of trying to explain it all....

Your grandmother has called my twice in the last two days. Sergio (I forget his last name) was a hi school foreign exchange student from Italy who lived with Della & Chuck years ago—when I was in Jr Hi I think—I had a huge crush on him. He stayed in this country for college, married, got a good job somewhere on the east coast, never went back to Italy to live, & has kept in touch with Della all these years—she goes out to visit his family a couple times a year & they occasionally come to Ohio. He called Grandma this weekend & told her that Della is in a Hospice care center in Dayton & is not expected to live very much longer. Mom called the Hospice center & found out they could visit, so they went there today (Monday). Della is not very well at all. Her cancer has come back full force. You may not remember that she fought cancer several years ago—has had a couple operations and more than one run of chemotherapy—the last one being just a few months ago. Remember she didn’t come around at all at Christmas—told your grandmother that she wasn’t feeling well, but never let on that she was this bad. She is very weak; living on pain medication, only eats a little (they got her to eat some ice cream & pie, but she passed on the “real food”—said if she was going to die, she could eat only the good stuff.) She will not come out of this place. She isn’t even making plans for a nursing home—she knows she won’t live much longer.
..............Grandma just called again. The Hospice called her & said Della is unresponsive & they don't excpet her to last another 24 hours. She has been sick for months & never told us. Mom talked to a lady from Della's church & the lady said that various church people have been taking care of her --going to her house every day--since before Christmas. I wonder why she didn't call your grandparents--they are the closest thing she has to family.
Grandma is so glad they went there yesterday! They talked to her & she understood them--Della told them they could come down & stay in her house............

i'm never going to see her again. oh my gosh i can't take it. her cancer was gone!!! she's been fine for like 4 years!!! she's gonna die within the next 24 hours. i'm never going to see her again. i can't take this i can't take this!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i need friends right now. it seems like everything is crashing down at once and i can't take it. i don't know what to do.