Cancer Scare

Cancer. When you hear that word, what comes to mind? For many, we know of "someone" who has been affected by this horrible disease, but it's not too close to home. We have somewhat of a buffer. A couple of months ago, that buffer disappeared for me. It wasn't just "someone" or so-and-so's mom that had cancer....it was my mom.

Once you hear the news, you're just not sure how to react. Do I become the researcher and find out all I can? Do I take a step back and become the supportive daughter? Do I offer to help out with appointments and errands? Check, check and check...I decided all three were necessary.

At first we thought it was cervical cancer and that because it was caught very early, a simple outpatient procedure would take care of it. However, that was not the case at all. A small misunderstanding between my mom and her doctor caused her to be misinformed. It actually turned out to be uterian cancer and was a bit more serious. She needed a total hysterectomy and was hospitalized for several days. Plus, she was facing the possibility of radiation treatment depending upon what the pathologist found. Thankfully, the doctor was able to remove all signs of the cancer and radiation was not necessary.

Although her recovery has not been easy due to some previous disabilities, my mom always has her brave face on. She doesn't like other people to see her in pain and sometimes won't even acknowledge that she's in pain. She will stubbornly attempt to do things on her own, refusing to ask for help from anyone. I suppose I can understand since I am so much like her, but I definitely don't want my mom to experience any unnecessary pain. I am so thankful that her cancer was treatable and removed. Now, we will just have to play the waiting game and find out if she continues to be cancer-free every 6 months. No matter what, though, I will always be there for my mom just as she has for me.