An Update On My Mama

As most of you know, my mama was diagnosed with Stage 3 endometrial and uterine cancer at the end of last year. This past winter, she went through chemo & radiation and then had surgery in March. After her surgery, the doctor said that she was cancer free, but that he wanted her to go through another round of chemo to make sure that all of the cancer cells were gone. So, in May of this year, she started her second round of chemo. She was to have chemo once a week, every 3 weeks, for 5 months. This particular round of chemo was more rough on her. The chemo would put her in intense pain for about a week after receiving it & she lost her hair this time around.

Earlier this month, after her 4th treatment, she decided she was done. Her doctor wanted her to have another CT scan to make sure everything looked good before she made her final decision. So, she had her scan and we are happy to report that she is still cancer free!!! While he didn't necessarily agree with her decision, he respects it & understands where she's coming from. He will continue to see her once every 3 months for the next year and then she will need to have a yearly CT scan to make sure that there's no new cancer. With that said, I need to say a lot of thank you's. First and foremost, thank you God for answering our prayers. Thank you to my sister, Michele, as well as Roger, Genia & Darlene for helping take my mama to her many appointments & taking care of her when she needed it most. Thank you to my in-laws, Tim & Linda, for often watching the boys so that I could take my mama to some of her appointments. Thank you to Dr. Beriwal & Dr. Sukumvanich for your wisdom in choosing the best treatment for my mama. Thank you to all of the other nurses & hospital staff at Magee for taking care of my mama. Thank you to my husband for being a shoulder to cry on when I needed it. Thank you to my sons, Will & Jake - whether or not you know it, your existance was Grandma's driving force to survive. She wants to be around to see you both grow up. You were the force behind her will to live. To the rest of my family and friends who helped us, prayed for us & supported us during this time - you have shown me how blessed I am to be surrounded by such amazing people. And finally - to everyone who participated in my #milesformary campaign. My mama was so touched by all of your support. She couldn't believe how many people were out there - some of you complete strangers to her - dedicating your time to show that you cared & supported her. I know this helped keep her going and I'm infinitely thankful to you for that.