An even greater loss

Yesterday our D&C went smoothly. I am feeling good about our choice to go back to my OB. We were at a very highly regarded women's hospital, and I felt so well taken care of. Without us ever having to say two words to anyone, both our nurse and the resident working with my doctor seemed to know our history and expressed such genuine sympathy at our situation, and I think really went out of their way to make us comfortable. Being able to just go to sleep, and wake up having it all over with is such an amazing gift, at least one small way to make this ordeal easier. I lost my emotional footing a bit walking into the hospital, realizing once again that we were there NOT to deliver a baby, but managed to hold it together pretty well after that. Still a little sore and taking it easy today, but overall doing okay.
  
Unfortunately there are no limits in the universe to the number of bad things that can happen in one day. Last night I got the call from my parents that my uncle (my dad's only sibling) had passed away.
  
We first learned of his diagnosis with a rare form of thyroid cancer a year ago January, about the time I was going through miscarriage #3 and my first D&C. That loss rocked my world terribly, I was such an emotional mess, the lowest I think I've been this whole journey. So as the news unfolded about my uncle, it was slow to sink in and for me to notice how terribly my dad was taking the news. But once it did, I could relate to the shock of getting devastating news from a doctor in a very deep, dark, and profound way.
  
He was originally given 3 months to live, a year and 4 months ago. (I remember having the horrifying thought that I was willing the next 3 months to fly by so that we could start trying again, while he was praying for that same period of time to stand still.) But he was a fighter, and got second opinions and found clinical trials and raised over $50,000 to get a researcher assigned to his rare form of cancer. 
  
His family organized a fundraiser last fall, and it was such an amazing event and way for all his loved ones to be there and support him in person. Towards the end of the evening we had a moment to talk, just the two of us. He told me that my dad had told him about our struggles, and he shared that he and my aunt had also struggled in starting their family. With everything going on for him, the fact that he took a moment to reach out to me, to comfort me, was incredibly touching and meant so much. He held my hand and we shed a few tears as he said, "We'll both get there. Somehow, we're both going to get there."
  
Yesterday he lost his battle, and we did too, though our final outcome remains to be seen. His services are scheduled for next Tuesday and Wednesday, which is making me incredibly thankful that our plans changed to bring closure to our loss this week and not next. I am going to have to find the strength to be there for my family during this sad time, and mourning our personal loss will have to take the backseat for now.