Is it better to have love and lost?

How do you process the fact that tomorrow will be the last time you see someone you love?  I pose the question because right now its my reality.  I am currently in San Francisco because my Uncle Ken is dying.  I have been here for about two weeks helping him and his partner Duffy with little things around the house and trying to keep Uncle Ken's spirits up.  We knew the cancer had beaten him and we knew that it was only a matter of time.  Yesterday we had to rush him to the hospital because he was dizzy and couldn't breath well.  The doctors told us that it was his body shutting down and all we can do is call hospice and bring him home.

Have you ever dealt with Hospice before?  Sadly I am very familiar with them.  They provide palliative care and help prepare the patient and family for whats to come.  They came to the hospital today and spoke with my family.  I have no idea how they do what they do.  How do you walk into a room filled with strangers who are obviously all in pain and talk to them very calmly about death?  How do you speak to someone and ask them how they feel about the fact that modern medicine has nothing left to offer them and they are going to die very soon?  She didn't choke up or cry or anything.  I was very impressed but also shocked that a human being can be conditioned to act so unemotional about death.  

Its heartbreaking to watch Duffy lose the person he has been with for thirty years.  Its heartbreaking to watch my Uncle slip away right in front of us and not being able to do anything about it.  My sister and I are flying home Thursday which is why tomorrow will be the last time we see him most likely.  There are so many stories I want to hear but know he doesn't have the strength to tell.  I want to ask him what he thinks of the life he has led.  I wish we had more time.  I wish I didn't have to think of the last thing I will ever say to my Uncle.