It's Baccccck....

So earlier this year I thought I might have cancer. The reason that was such a real possibility is that mom does have cancer. Seven years ago she was diagnosed with colon cancer. She had surgery, went through chemo....and it spread. She has had part of her lung removed...gone through more chemo and radiation. She was declared stage 4. That is it. I mean it doesn't get worse. That is the last stage of cancer. Yet for a long while now Mom has been cancer free. It has been a lovely time and one we have embraced fully.

A few weeks ago, however, we learned that the cancer is back. I think we all knew it probably would be. There are some rare cases where it is totally "cured" and never returns, but mostly when you have stage 4 cancer...you just have cancer. You deal with it, you kill it...you move on. So that is where we are. Mom has yet another surgery tomorrow.

I truly stand in awe of this woman. She is so strong. She seems to have a never ending amount of graciousness and faith and strength. I fear I am nothing like her. I need to talk about my problems (hello...blog?)...heck I need to talk about HER problems. She just always has the attitude that others have it much worse than her. Stage 4 cancer but...don't worry about me. Amazing.

Pray for my mom tomorrow. Pray for the rest of us that we can have a bit of the same grace and peace that she has. She worries more for us than for herself, so pray that we don't worry her to death! I pray for her doctors, that they be amazing and do amazing. I pray for her, that she knows she can be scared if she needs to be.I pray for my family, that we come together - as we have learned to do - and take this next step on the road that is cancer.

Every time this comes up I cannot help but also to think of and to pray for all the others this horrid sickness has affected. I cannot even begin to list them all. The number of people and families that it has touched and robbed and crippled is truly horrifying. Cancer is one of the worst words I know. It scares me and makes me angry to my core. So to that I would add...pray for a cure. Pray for advancements in the fight. The whole world needs that. Desperately.