One year ago, I discovered that I had cancer. The diagnosis of cancer paralyzed me emotionally for months with many days of nonstop crying.
Throughout my cancer diagnosis, I was emotionally spent and exhausted. Sometimes for no reason, the tears would fall at the most inopportune times: driving to a Little League game, seeing a mom with her baby in the store, attending a wedding. I was blinded by the cancer, in a dazed stupor, and couldn’t see two feet in front of me.
The great Jimmy Stewart in this scene from It’s a Wonderful Life so eloquently demonstrates the emotional turmoil that I felt during my cancer ordeal when he hugs his child through tears. I can’t watch it without getting emotional even now. https://youtu.be/7Wfkkwvuoso?t=1h12m29s
However, I had to wait four months to have surgery and began to realize that life didn’t stop just because I had cancer!
Even with a cancer diagnosis, I still had my life and young children to care for!
Even with a cancer diagnosis, I still encouraged my husband to pursue a career opportunity – one which required months of travel, even though that meant I would be a single mom while he was on the road.
Even with a cancer diagnosis, I still had to get my young children up for school every morning and get them to their numerous appointments with specialists.
Even with a cancer diagnosis, I still wanted my young son to pursue his love of baseball with a Little League team, even though it added numerous practices and games to our already busy schedule.
Even with a cancer diagnosis, I still fought our school district to evaluate and test my son for special services (and lost).
Even with a cancer diagnosis, I still enrolled my boys in swimming lessons.
Even with a cancer diagnosis, we still took family trips across Texas.
Even with a cancer diagnosis, I had to live my life!!!
(On July 31, 2014, my doctor successfully removed my cancer, and our family has since began new life adventures)
