Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Replay---in the worst way!

My son had Lymphoma in 2009.  He was only 10, he's 15 now.  A while ago he had a routine Echocardiogram that showed that his function went down since last year.  It was still within the normal range, but decreased.  His oncologist wanted to err on the side of caution and send him to a cardiologist.  I had been a nervous wreck since l I made the appointment.  I KNEW in my gut nothing was wrong, but it just brings up all of the horrible emotions of when he was sick.  It also makes me so incredibly angry that he has to deal with this for the rest of his life.  I'm writing a book about his story, our story, about how that awful disease affected our lives and how it felt and how our faith got us through it.  Today will be the last chapter of that book.  My son is so brave.  He's so strong and such a positive spirit.  I didn't let on how concerned I was, I acted very matter of factly about the whole thing.  I cried my eyes out to my mother last week to the point of not being able to breathe.  I spoke to my brother last night for 2 hours and cried again.  I spent the entire day Monday on the couch crying just having a pity party.  Well, this morning we got stuck in traffic and arrived 13 minutes late.  I tried to call the office and it was closed until 8 a.m. it was now 8:13 am.  She gives me the whole, "I'll have to see if the Dr. can see you you're 1/2 hour late"  I'm like ummmm his appt is at 8:30 and check in was at 8---we're 13 minutes late not 1/2 hour!  She goes, "Well we round up to the 1/2 hour here"  Really bitch?  REALLY?  You just make up times?  There was NO ONE in the waiting area, like get a life.  I smirked at her and spat out--I'm SURE you'll find the time!  Luckily the nurse was really funny and took us in and made us laugh.  My nerves were on the outside of my body I wanted to throw up!  
Ok, so the Dr. comes in and he's 98 years old if he's a day, I swear.  He looks confused as to why we were there.  Then after a thorough explanation (of which I understood very little lol) he said my boys heart was fine and made an appointment for next year for another echo just to be safe.  I LOST IT!  I began sobbing in relief as soon as he left the room.  My son was comforting ME--way to go mom, how about the giant loser award for me :(  In the car on the way home he said to me "Don't be upset mom, I'm glad I have to deal with this for the rest of my life.  It makes me a stronger person and makes me appreciate things more."  SERIOUSLY?  Is he AMAZING or what?  I raised that boy :)  and I am one proud mama!!!!

It's just a day in the life xoxox

That was an entry in my old blog from last year.....this year, in this moment I am watching my mother fight the same disease my son has beaten.  I am reading chemo side effects and making lists of questions to ask the oncologist.  I can't stop crying.  It's too raw---it's too familiar---it's too much!!!  As I sat in the radiologist's waiting room this morning I watched people come and go---they all greeted each other like old friends.  I guess that's what happens when you have the same appointment time for 5 weeks straight.  I listened to them chat, I watched their faces and I thought---it's funny, these people are battling for their lives and they are kinder and more positive then the people in the grocery store!  Cancer changes you.  I also noticed that cancer does not discriminate----there were Caucasians, Latinos and African Americans.  They were aged from 20s-80s and they were male and female.  Cancer just destroys it doesn't care who is in it's path.  I watch men tenderly care for their wives as they become to frail to care for themselves---I see people who are walking this path alone and others that have friends with them.  It is sickening to me and I want to run ---again.  Facing this disease again is too much for me.  It's difficult to watch my dad work so hard to care for my mom and meet her every need.  It's crushing to watch my mother, my beautiful mother cover her balding head with a hat and not be able to move her neck because of the tumor that resides there.  I met with her Oncologist today armed with a list of questions that I had---questions that I didn't like the answers to.  Questions that I didn't want to ask.  It's difficult because, ultimately the decisions don't rest with me---with my son I had control of the choices.....I again had to hide in the car to call my sister and avoid changing my facial expression so no one could see what I was thinking/feeling.  So I cried....and I pray.  I will pray without ceasing.  Not just for my mother but for all the people I saw today battling the dreaded disease.  And when my son steps off the plane tonight (traveling alone for the first time) to meet me in Florida to support his Yaya I will hug him desperately and thank God for saving him...Thank God for all the blessings and ask him to give us just one more miracle.  

Please check out my book---Beyond the Immediate---the story of my son's battle with cancer and how it changed our lives in a positive way. 

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