This First Person article is the experience of Lynn Paulin, who was born and raised in P.E.I. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.

On Aug. 22, 2024, I received a text message from my mom. She had decided to go to the emergency room. The back pain she had been dealing with for the past month had become unbearable.

I offered to make the 40-minute drive to the hospital to sit with her. She told me not to make the trip over what she suspected was nothing more tha…