Well today's the day. Today is the one year anniversary of the day
I found out my mom had brain cancer. The day that everything in my life
changed.
I don't want to seem like
I'm dramatizing too much about how hard it is to be me. But being in a
situation like this is really hard. Not just for me, for everyone who has a
parent with a terminal illness. Trust me, it’s fucking hard.
I mean, imagine having left for college 2,000 miles away from
home. And having planned the next four years of your life expecting to be at
that school. And then one day during your freshman year, only one week into
your second semester, you get a phone call telling you that your mom, the mom
you had just saw one week earlier and seemed entirely healthy, had brain
cancer.
And not just any brain cancer, stage four terminal brain cancer.
Imagine that your mom was one of healthiest people you knew, and
now a doctor you've never met before is telling you that she probably only has
12 to 18 months left.
And as of today, it has
been 12 months.
It’s been 12 months and I
have hope. Tremendous amounts of hope.
I have hope that my mom
will be part of the lucky 4% of Glioblastoma patients who survive past 5 years.
Four more years from today.
That’s my greatest hope.
Four more years and my mom
would see me graduate college. She’d see my sister graduate high school.
Four more years and she could
help my sister get ready for her senior prom.
Four more years and there
could be a cure.
Hello Misha!
ReplyDeleteMy name´s Joana, I'm 27 and I'm from Portugal.
Everything was just fine like forever in the reign of the Tavares's family.
Me and my sister had a very happy childhood, a great education, a wonderful family. Our parents have a love like few.
And we still have all of this.
But now, it's all different.
In October 17th we discovered that my mum had a "little strange thing" in her brain.
Two weeks later she had surgery and we found out that it was malignant and stage IV, the same as your mother.
She started radioterapy and quimioterapy for two months and now she is recovering.
She had exams last week and the tumor is smaller. But will continue with treatments, 28 in 28 days.
Two days before we discovered the illness of my mom, me and my boyfriend had just announced we were getting married in September of 2012.
With all of this, we decided to get married earlier, so we're doing it in May 5th! :)
My mother is extremely happy and thinking about the wedding's preparation all the time. It's a great thing to all of us!!!
Our priorities change.
Instead of dreaming of the most beautiful dress in the world, I only dream of my mother walking by her foot, without pain and with a big smile that day. And we believe in that.
And I believe that my mother, with our faith in Jesus Christ, will be here for a long time, and will help me raise my children and will see my sister's graduation.
You're not alone.
We're all together.
And you can count on me.
Big kiss to you all.
Joana Tavares
Thanks so much for your lovely comment, Joanna.
DeleteCongratulations on your engagement! I think it's great that you decided to change the wedding date. I'm sure it will be a beautiful wedding and that your mom will love experiencing that with you. It's great that she has something like your wedding to focus on to bring her spirits up!
I know what you mean by your priorities changing. Everything feels like it changed so fast.
I wish the absolute best to your mom, to your family, and to yourself.
Thank you for your message of support ♥