In June of 2010, I was on vacation with my family. I had just come in from the beach and received a call from my Mom that they had found a spot on her lungs. She once had been a heavy smoker but had quit for about 20 years. The ominous spot required further testing. The highly careful radiologist noticed something on the tip top of her liver that made him suspicious so he enlarged the lung CT as much as he could, where he noticed that several more suspicious spots. That test led to more tests and a confirmation biopsy of the liver determined that my mother had stage 4 colon cancer, metesized.
Her prognosis was slim. Two years. It was heart breaking.
She has fought the good fight. She is stubborn and persistent. She has stared cancer in the face and laughed and she has on more than one occasion triumphed. Through her grit and determination she has lived to see my sweet surprise baby be born. She has enjoyed her grand-babies. She has traveled and danced. She has survived.
We went home last week. Home for love and hugs and squeezes. Home to let the kids chase lizards in her backyard and bang the drums in her living room. Home for short dances and back scratches. Home for laughing and crying. Just home.
Time is not on our side but time is all we have. Until then, I will just try to cherish the memories that last a lifetime.
Mel,
I am so sorry and keeping your family in my prayers. I’m glad you’re all down there spending time with her. *hugs*
Time is precious and we just never know when God will take us home. We need to enjoy every moment we can with our family and make many good memories. I will be praying for you and your family. God Bless
All you can do is get as much time in while you have it and soak it up! I went through a similar experience with my dad this past year. Last summer we went on a family vacation with my siblings and their families and my parents to our family cottage in Canada. Although my dad had not been diagnosed with cancer (for the 3rd time) at that point I think we all knew it would be the last time were there together with everyone. It was bittersweet. A couple months later they finally found and diagnosed the cancer and he died 3 months later. So glad we had that time together and I will never forget it!
What beautiful photos and, yes, beautiful memories! Continue to make them!