Thursday, April 3, 2014

Emotional Day..... Cancer took another angel home....


As some of you may or may not know but cancer like many has affected my life, but also in a very personal way.  

A number of years ago I lost my dad's brother (not sure what kind), and my mom's sister to brain cancer.   My mom's other sister and my hubbies brother fought the battle and so far have won!  But the one closest to me lost.... my mom.  She lost that battle three years ago to brain cancer.  But my mom had a rare type that mostly affected children, with very few survivors....  She was only the 11th adult to have that type of cancer.    She passed away April 4, 2011 and even the best doctors in Rochester MN couldn't help.  But they are only human and maybe her case will help someone else live or at least live longer someday.


I had surgery myself October 2012 for pancreatic cancer.  They told me it couldn't be cancer, I was too young at 39, people with pancreatic cancer tended to be in their 70's or 80's..... But I did have it at 39.... the biopsy proved it as well as post surgery of course.    But I got lucky had had the more rare type that is slower growing but still just as deadly if not treated as Steve Jobs found out the hard way.  But mine was also found by accident before it could spread, thanks to a blood clot just a few weeks after I lost my mother.   I just required surgery and follow ups..... But that doesn't mean my recovery was easy because it wasn't and even required an air-ambulance flight back to Rochester!  A month and a half of being in the hospital and the long road to recovery began.   All the trauma my body went through triggered fibromyalgia so I have my own daily demons to live with. 


While I was in the hospital in Rochester we, or rather my kids and hubby befriended a family who's husband/father was also having pancreatic cancer surgery.  But he had the bad kind.... but his family treated my kids wonderfully in the waiting rooms.  The mother, the grandmotherly type (also from North Dakota) would bring baked goodies (or her daughter brought them on their weekends to visit)  to munch on and shared with my children..... when the stay got longer than anticipated they even went out and bought my kids a new game to help pass the time.....   I learned today that Larry lost his battle yesterday... April 2, 2014......  

As his family wrote on his caring page, he has a new room now up in heaven....  
May you rest in peace Larry and comfort to your friends and family that are left behind. 



I guess it's an emotional day because of the dates (mom died two days and three years after Larry) all tie in together with cancer that lead little hope for survival.  I am sure their family cherished each day together thay had just as we did.   

I have a birthday later this month so I should be happy to be 42 this year... without my surgery I don't know when it would have been found, but given the survival rate of pancreatic cancer I know I would have planned my own funeral much earlier than living life to the ripe old age and dying of natural causes like my dad's mother did. 


And Easter this year.  While we aren't overly religious we do celebrate Easter.    I try not to buy a bunch of candy for the kids and focus on a material gift instead.   But they do get a little chocolate as two of my three kids have a sweet tooth that comes from their material and paternal grandparents. 

One of three three gifts was delivered today, okay my youngest daughter actually picked it out, but with the understanding she doesn't get it until easter.  Not even to peek or snuggle with the webkinz once!  It's hidden in a safe spot for the moment.  I think I will buy another so she has a surprise.  That and they are inexpensive....   

I've got a purse on bid on ebay I think my oldest will like.... brand name (new with tags from a reputable seller) so cross your fingers I can get it for a deal!!!  If not I pay end up paying the piper to get my daughter this one.  I hope she likes it, normally I let her pick stuff out because I want her to like it, but I want to surprise her with this one.   Yesterday she had music contest and starred on her two pieces so she is going to State Music!!!    

My son... I'm not quite sure for once what to buy him, he's getting past the toy age, so I am thinking a nice handmade belt rack for his ATA taekwondo belts.  He began with white like everyone else, but he earned the yellow, the orange and the camo (begins the sparring) and now he has his green belt.  So he has a few to display already.  The C-man and his dad did make their own some time ago to hold his belts, but it's not very fancy and was made with scrap lumber from another project.  Plus it's not big enough for all his belts.  But they had a great time making it.  Perhaps he can use it for his collection of western belts instead.   If you ever stepped on the back of a belt buckle you may know why I think of re-purposing it for that reason!   He has a few more belts before his black belt.  But I did promise him a BOB when he earns his brown belt.  BOB is a man shape punching bag of sorts.  We do have a regular wavemaster bag in the basement, but he wants a BOB so I decided on the brown belt.  Still a ways off to achieve it and work for it but not as long as waiting until after a black belt. 

Anywho happy thoughts and it's almost the weekend! 




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