Contained

I have had an interesting couple of weeks.  On Nov 2 I got a phone call while at the library studying.  Some places my phone won't get signal, so really I just heard the sound that means I had a voice message.  I listen and it is my mom.  "This is weird," I think...."My mom NEVER calls!"  The message was very upbeat saying she hadn't talked to me in a million years (which sadly, very sadly, was very true!) and she wanted me to call on my way home, she had some things to tell me.  I really thought nothing of it and decided to call her on my way to class.  Only I forgot and ... then she called AGAIN when my class had just started.  This was bordering on weird. 

Because nothing much was going on at the BEGINNING of class, I sent her a txt to say that I would call at break.  Then I began to worry just a bit.  My mom not only never calls, but this call was in the middle of the day when she is USUALLY at work.  I immediately sent another txt...."is everything ok?"  She must need something for her to call twice!  But I still wasn't too worried.  She replied that yes, it was ok and that she would talk to me on break.  Break wasn't soon enough!!!!

The call was nothing I saw coming or would have EVER expected.  A little small talk about how life and school is, how I took a break and watched Castle at the library earlier, and such.  Then she dove right in.  "Remember how I told you I went to the doctor recently?"  Truthfully I DIDN'T remember....and searched my brain for any recollection.  She went on...."I have uterine cancer!"  That "C" word was enough to flush the blood from my face and then have it rush right back again.  My friends in class asked if I was ok.  I suppose I am an open book most of the time.

On my way home I called my oncologist friend and got the low down.  He said pretty much what my mom said.  Surgery and such.  But when I pressed him for a good outcome/probability he let me know that uterine cancer was one of the best behaved and the probability was very high that it would be OUT FOR GOOD.  My mom was in good spirits and always the upbeat one so not a soul worries about her.  We talked a bit on my way home and we can't cry too much about it....what's done is done and now we have to look to surgery and hope & pray for the best!  I am grateful I get that part of my mom's personality.  Things ALWAYS work out.

But regardless of feeling ok about the diagnosis, I have spent some emotional time with the slap in the face that my mom isn't invincible!  Being invincible is something she always accused me of thinking about myself.  I suppose I was that way as a youth.  However, I always knew my mom would ALWAYS be around.  SHE was the truly invincible one in my eyes, not me!  And now the little chink just shows me that not even my mom is invincible.  I really can't put words to my feelings.  I am fine with everything, but ... my mom won't live forever!  THAT is not something I have N.E.V.E.R. let cross my mind.  I just couldn't handle the thought.  I suppose it is good that my mom's strength, even in the face of cancer, has helped to ease that truth.

Because of Veterens Day I was able to fly home.  NO SCHOOL!  I took the opportunity to go home on Wed and be with my mom.  The operation was a total success and all is well.  But it was nice to wait on her instead of the opposite way around.  She came and helped with EACH of my 4 children....was there BEFORE each was born (even though for 1 I lived in TN and for 2 I was here in Illinois - FAR away from her).  So it was the LEAST I could do really.  My sister and I spent Thursday and Friday cooking, cooking, cooking!  We made lots of meals and put them in small containers to put in the freezer so mom would only have to thaw and reheat a portion....one little meal!  MUCH easier than standing at the kitchen counter preparing a meal for herself!  It was fun, really!  I got to spend time with mom, with my sister, AND her cutest little baby!

But the fun can't last forever!  I had to come home on Saturday.  Thankfully, the doctor's office called on Friday to let her know that the cancer was completely CONTAINED within the uterus and is COMPLETELY gone.  No cancer cells in the pelvic fluid nor the lymph nodes.  It never spread!

And so....great news and a little reminder to treasure moments because life really doesn't last all that long.  NO ONE is invincible!