A milestone

I was lucky enough to make some really good friends through Mother's Group.  Unfortunately we don't get to join the group regularly because of work but it's nice to know that I do have a support network if I need it.

One of the mama's mentioned a while ago that her sister had just found out that she had breast cancer.  I can't remember exactly how old she was but I'm sure she was only in her 30's - very young.  She was married with two small children.  She had a lumpectomy and was going through chemotherapy at that point but things weren't looking too good and unfortunately last week I found out that she had had lost her battle and had passed away.

I didn't even know this woman but my heart broke as soon as I read the message and tears welled up in my eyes.  It's such a horrible disease.  Years ago it seemed rare to know somebody who had cancer, but these days I can fill my hands counting the number of people that I know personally who have or have had cancer and it's scary.

For every heart breaking story you hear of somebody losing their battle though, thankfully through new treatment options and better diagnosis and awareness, these days you often hear an encouraging number of stories about tenacious survivors and I am proud to say that my mama is one of them.

Last week represented the third year since my mum's diagnosis with breast cancer. She had an appointment with her oncologist and was so pleased to report that she is still in remission.  He mentioned that with the type of cancer she had, if it was to return to another part of the body it would likely be within the first two years after diagnosis.  The risk of a return drops significantly after this point.  So we've reached a new milestone.  A very happy milestone indeed!  One that makes my heart burst with relief and joy.

I can still vividly remember mum telling me that she had cancer and the awful anxious feeling that washed over me and I could barely breathe.  I felt like I was choking.  Even now as I type this my throat is constricted in exactly the same way.  I can remember seeing her naked for the first time after losing both breasts as I helped to wash her, how vulnerable she looked and how hard it was not to cry in front of her.  And I can remember watching her hair fall to the ground as my dad shaved it off for her after she started chemo.

Along with these awful memories however, I am blessed to have had so many more wonderful memories with my mum since that time.  And so with the passing of one, and with the progressing of another, either way, today I am reminded to be thankful for all the blessings in my life.