My Mama

This Mother’s Day was very special to us, even though we didn’t do a lot. Actually, we just laid around the house mostly and watched tv. I did, however, make her a very good supper and a yummy peaches-n-cream cake.

As I’m sure many of you do, I have a very special bond with my mama. We’ve always been very, very close. In fact, as some of my friends were moving off and starting their lives in other cities, I never could really envision myself leaving this area, mainly because it would involve me leaving my mama. I’ve just never been able to picture it.

This year has been a hard one for my family. In November, when we found out that my mama had breast cancer, it turned my world upside down. And it seemed to be one blow after the next.

As I may have mentioned before, the Sunday night I got home from vacation in November, I found out that mom was having surgery that Tuesday. This was a big blow, considering that I had heard nothing of it leading up to the big news. Nothing about seeing doctor’s in the previous weeks, nothing about finding a lump. I was in shock.

The surgeon told us that Tuesday that he believed that it was cancer, but they would know for sure on Wednesday, and that mom would have a little while to make a decision as to what she wanted to do. Wednesday came, and sure enough, it was cancer.

In the pre-op process of her next surgery, in a chest x-ray, they found a spot on her lung. So, before the surgery in early December, they checked the spot out (through other, more extensive tests) and found that it must’ve been some glitch in the x-ray. Mom’s surgery was very successful and we thought that we were in the process of recovery. Mom stayed home all of December recovering.

A few days before Christmas, the Oncologist called my mom and said that it was very important that she saw mom before the Christmas holiday. So, on Christmas Eve, we found out that in doing the scans to check the “lung spot,” they had found a spot on her liver. Well, after all that we had been through in the past two months, I just broke down. My mama probably doesn’t realize this, but after she called me with that news, I just sat in the living room (where I had been wrapping presents) and had myself a big, ugly cry. I just kept thinking “What next? What will be the next thing that comes up?” Talk about a downer for the Christmas holiday!
This Christmas was special because we got to spend a lot of family time together (and because we got to get sugar from the newest edition to the family), but it was definitely bittersweet because I was so worried about Mama and about what the future held.

Thankfully, oh so thankfully, we found out shortly after New Year’s that the spot on the liver was benign. She started chemo treatments shortly after, which was a whole new experience in itself. We went into it not knowing what to expect. You always hear the horrors of chemo, so when faced with that, it’s only natural to be scared. Mom faired very well through treatments. She went once every three weeks, and had a total of 6 treatments. Mama was able to work through most of the treatments, luckily. After the first couple of treatments, she could figure out which days after the chemo would be the worst. Actually, my mom never really had much of an issue with nausea, but had more of a problem with fatigue after treatments.

This Mother’s Day is special. Not only are we getting to spend time and express our love for our moms, but we are also celebrating the end of my mom’s treatments. This past Thursday marked her last chemo treatment. As she went to leave, the four or five nurses that were back in the Chemo area broke out their kazoos and played the Commencement Song to celebrate her graduation from Chemo.

This year has been a tough one for my mama. Cancer has taken a lot from her. Still, she has made it through and is still full of faith, strength, and grace. This is what I love and admire about my mama. She truly leads by example.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mama. I hope that you know how very very much I love you. I hope this year brings you the most happiness and blessings that you’ve ever experienced. You deserve it.

I would also like to put here a special thanks to everyone that has been so supportive this year. I know that at times I’ve been crazy, moody, distant, etc., and I thank you all for checking on me and putting up with it :) Special Special thanks to: Aunt Angie, for soothing my hurt every time I came to you crying and for always offering to help. Sam, for being there and sitting with me through the surgery and the weeks that followed. Krystle, for always listening...and for getting crazy calls late at night. Margaret, for always calling and checking up on her. And Carrie and Mrs. Cindy Jo for always being concerned and asking about her. There are so many others that have shown support, we are blessed to have such good friends. Continue to keep us in your prayers, and thank you again for your prayers previously.