I just watched the Netflix documentary on Waco - it brought back bad personal memories

In real life I had missed most of what led up to the burning of the compound. 1993 my oldest sister was dying from brain cancer. April 19, 1993, I was visiting her in the hospital. She was going into surgery the next day for her second brain operation to remove more of the regrown tumor. We all knew this was just buying her time, but we all hoped for the best.

April 19, 1993 she still had limited power of speech. The glioblastoma tumor had grown right next to her speech center. One of the first symptoms was that she was losing words. This was a brilliant woman whose 1987 doctoral thesis ironically was on Computer Tomography of the Brain, comparing classic brain sections to the images provided by the new CT scans so neurologists could diagnose brain problems before the patients died. That is why she got more than one attempt to save her life - neurosurgeons who had studied her thesis (which had been published as a book and widely distributed in certain circles) wanted to use that knowledge to treat her. She got treatments in 1993 that were later used to prolong Ted Kennedy and John McCain's lives.

As we visited her, she noticed on the TV in her room that was on with the sound turned down that there was something momentous happening. The Waco compound was on fire. She brought all our attention to it. Even in her state, she knew this was history.

I've avoided shows about Waco for thirty years since I didn't want the reminder of the last day my sister was really aware. And just now, as I watched the last episode on Netflix, I wish I had continued to avoid it. It brought back that pain.

I still miss you, Edi.