Surgery

I got a call two weeks ago explaining that my mom was going into surgery.

My mom couldn't talk. It was my dad who had called me. He explained that the milk ducts had to be removed. He could never straight out tell me that she had breast cancer. A week later she was in surgery again but this time to remove a possibly malignant polyp.

Again I heard no word from her or my dad about the results of the surgery scheduled this past Wednesday. It's so difficult being an ocean away from them in times like this. We just visited them a month ago and she looked healthy. Now she was in a major hospital getting a major surgery. There was nothing I could do but pray.

On Sunday I got a call from my mom. She sounded fine, but a little scared. She had raised five boys at a very young age. She nursed each one of us "punks" and now she seemed to be paying the price.

I couldn't stop from holding the tears back when I thought about the sacrifice of a mom.

Hormone and Chemotherapy

On the phone she told me that the medicine the doctor offered to prescribe would block the estrogen receptors in her cells. She listed off some of the side effects like weight gain, risk to heart disease, tiredness and depression. These were the things that she had been fighting against. Now it will be even more difficult. She would need to continue this hormone receptor therapy for five years.

She said the doctor told her it was completely her choice to take the drugs or not.

If she chooses to take the drugs then she will face the side effects. If she chooses not to take the drugs then there will be a great chance of the tumor reappearing and spreading fatally.

This is where the radiologists comes in. She was sent to a radiologists for chemotherapy. I'm not sure the course of the chemotherapy treatment yet, but I know it will not be easy.

She will have to reduce her meal portions and change the type of food she eats. She will have to exercise even though she will be even more tired. She will have to rest even though she will be fighting insomnia and mental issues related to the hormone therapy and the chemotherapy.

Nightmares

As I thought about this last night my head began to spin. I thought about all the friends I know who went through cancer. Most survived, but I never thought about what cost the therapy put them through.

I thought about what would happen if she didn't go through the therapy. Most likely the cancer would reappear and spread. She has many years left to be a blessing to my brothers and to her neighbors.

I thought about visiting her again and being there for her when she needs our help. I'm not sure if there is much we can do. When I talked with her I realized that anyone going through cancer needs courage. Cancer does not go away by itself.

For the past few years my parents have been very supportive, but now it is time for me to take a supportive role in their lives. I still feel like a little kid. The last time my brothers and I got together just a month ago my dad told us,

"Boys, don't fight. You are all middle aged now."

I guess it's time for us to grow up.