“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face”. -Iron Mike Tyson
This disease seems so familiar or common until the doctor sits in front of you and says, “the test results came back and…”. For me, and I figure for many others, life is never the same.
My Dad told me “everyone has an opinion”, and through life that has posed to be true. Until the day you are facing a diagnosis that has no opinion.
My mom was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer January of 2018 and passed 5 ½ months later. She was an amazing woman. Her whole life was spent caring for people. She was a career nurse, the eldest sister, a mom, grandma, great grandma, and the wind that filled my sails. When we got the news, it hit us like a “are you freaking kidding me” haymaker.
My mom at that time was still grieving from the loss of her mother who she had been taking care of for the last 12 years of her life. Mom was in the process of moving into our house, getting back to being in a teenagers lifestyle, and ready to travel the world! It was her time. My mom took care of so many people in her life. This was supposed to be her time!
There are no words, no reasons, no explanations, no anything. In reality, the only thing you have is to try everything you can. Emotions seem like the only controllable variable, but in reality, it’s the part which is the most uncontrollable.
I have one piece of advise. Make a list of 100 things that help to remember and understand the life of your loved ones before that history is lost. The answers alone will bring you closer to the ones you love. We have a couple of family members as well as a coworker battling with different forms of cancer. My heart goes out to the and all of the other families that are in the same fight. I hope all who are fighting this battle win, for yourself and your family.
I applaud the Kickin’Cancer organization for sharing these stories and look forward to supporting their/our fight against this disease.
Mike Sublett
#donotletthemdieinvain