Cancer Changed Me A little over four months ago I lost my mother to Colon Cancer. So many things in my life have been affected by the death of my mom in just this short time. The things that have changed the most are, my responsibilities, my goals, and my overall view on life. Each of these changes have molded me into the person I am today. I am not saying this road has been or will continue to be easy, but I do know that it is preparing me for the future and what the real world will be like. Responsibility is something that people my age know little to nothing about. You never realize just how much your parents do for you until they are no longer around. My mom was the head of our home up until a week or two before her passing, so the amount of responsibility that I have had to gain is tremendous. Everything from grocery shopping, to cooking/cleaning, and much more has been an adjustment …show more content…
Yes, we knew she was sick, but it wasn’t until two weeks before her passing that we realized how serious it actually was. It really opened my eyes to just how short life actually is. I know that sounds so cliche, but it couldn’t be more true. My mom truly lived her life to the fullest. She didn’t dwell on anything and always had such a positive attitude. If she taught me one thing it was to enjoy the small things in life and that it’s always important to make the best of every situation that is thrown at you. I do not want to have any regrets when my time comes. This experience has taught me that you only have one life to live and you have to do what you want. Shoot for the stars, because you don’t get any redos. I’ve come out of this experience with the greatest lesson of all, and that is that the journey is much more important than the destination, because you never know who your journey is inspiring. My mom is the basis of everything I do, and even though she can no longer be with me physically, she is still my greatest
I, of course, knew my mother as a mother. As I have reached adulthood and become a mother myself, I have also known her as a friend. My mom shared much of herself with me, and I saw sides of my mother as she struggled with her cancer that I had never seen before, especially her strong belief in positive thinking and the importance of quality of life. I was privileged to know so many facets of my mother, but certainly I did not know all. There were parts of her life that I didn’t see, relationships that I didn’t know about. Last night, at the wake, so many stories were told to me about my mom’s strength, courage, humor, kindness, her quietness, her loyalty as a friend. It was so special to hear of these things that my mom said and did, to know some of these other parts of her life. I hope that her friends and family will continue to share these stories with me and with each other so we can continue to know and remember my mom.
When I think about the moments leading up to my diagnosis I remember feeling weak, confused, shaky and sleepy. I did not notice that I had began sleeping throughout the day. My body was craving soft drinks like soda and juice but not food. Days would go by and I eventually fell into a deep slumber that I found myself only waking up from to use the bathroom. I knew something was wrong and that if I did not get to a hospital it would get worse. Nothing could have prepared me for the life changing diagnosis I would receive.
Although some individuals may believe that it was a miracle that my father survived cancer, it was much more than that. The optimism of my family, friends, and loved ones enabled my dad to relieve his stress and focus on his cancer treatment. This situation has changed my mindset in life and it has provoked me to stay hopeful even when the odds are not in my favor. I’ve began to use positive thinking to help guide myself to my ambitions. This made my transition into adulthood much easier because I was prepared to deal with difficult situations. I began to cherish my loved ones even more than before. I realized all the luxuries that I had received and took for granted. I learned that the most important people in life is your family and without them, it’s near impossible to be successful. If my father had lost his fight, I would have had to become more independent as I would become the man of the house. Going into adulthood, I’ve learned that I should take situations into my owns hands rathering that relying on others. Some people that may be there for you today, may not be there
"Ring, ring", I wondered who was calling me at this time of evening. "Yes; o.k.; Yes, I'll be there", I said before hanging up the phone. What was wrong, I wondered all that evening that the doctor wanted me to come in to discuss my lab results? I had never been asked to come in to the office after doing blood tests before; when receiving a call as this the mind plays tricks on the person and wild things start popping up in the head.
I thought nothing of it; my dad had just left to supposedly get some tests done. I knew something was wrong because he had some weird bruises, but something like cancer never crossed my mind. I decided to go to sleep hoping to see dad in the morning. Morning came and I knew something much worse than expected had happened. My aunt came in that morning and said that we needed to talk. That day my sister and I found out that our dad had Leukemia.
I can’t begin to express how hard it is for me to stand here before you and give my last respects to my loving mother - name here. From the biography that was handed out you can recall that during the her early years in the united states she studied and worked in New York where she met and married my dad, the love of her life. They spent the rest of their days loyal and in love with one another. Unfortunately, one day my father passed away with cancer at a young age. My dad was the one who suffered the most, but my mom suffered right along with him. She felt powerless, and for my mom- powerlessness turned in to guilt and grief, a painful distress she lived with on a daily basis for the next six years. When he died part of her died! Life for her was never the same again. I was not able to completely understand her loss- until now…
Everyday, I thank God for her health and I'm grateful to myself for all that I was able to do for her. I would absolutely consider the time of my mother's illness as my transition to adulthood because I learned what adulthood meant. To me, adulthood isn't about independence, but it is about responsibility and putting others before myself. In the summer of 2014, I unfortunately learned this lesson the hard way, but as a result my mother is now healthy and I have learned the inconsistency of life. In my transition to adulthood, I was able to step up and take care of the mother who had always been there for me. As a strong and independent single mother, she has always been my hero and the epitome of the adult I always strived to be. Seeing her in her vulnerable state during her illness didn't change my opinion of her, it strengthened it as I learned about the responsibilities, expectations, and sacrifices that adulthood and maturity
Fortunately, my mom has gotten better, but the environment around her is physically and emotionally draining, nonetheless I will continue to support her throughout my life. While at UCLA, I was physically there for my mom and it was one of the greatest feelings in the world. This reflects the determined, focused, and motivated person I am because I take part in school clubs and organizations that aid students who have similar problems, so no one else would have to endure experiences like mine. Being there for my mom made me a stronger person and it pushed me to continue fighting for problems that are set aside in our
In life, many things can be taken for granted - especially the things that mean the most to you. You just might not realize it until you've lost it all. As I walk down the road finishing up my teenage days, I slowly have been finding a better understanding of my mother. The kind of bond that mothers and daughters have is beyond hard to describe. It's probably the biggest rollercoaster ride of emotions that I'll ever have the chance to live through in my lifetime. But, for those of us who are lucky enough to survive the ride in one piece, it's an amazing learning experience that will influence your entire future.
It felt like my new home was curled up in this uncomfortable hospital chair, when all the sudden my parents came out, and told me “she’s going to survive!” They explained that by some miracle, she had taken two bottles of medicine that balanced each other out; she would sleep for a few days on and off. She had to stay at the hospital for two days and she was the focal point for the next few weeks after, but I didn’t lose my sister that day. Life is unpredictable, you could lose someone important to you in a matter of seconds, this event made me more pliable to life. So always have a second piece of cake, or go climb that mountain, make your life matter, and never take people for
My moms best friend had been diagnosed with stage two breast cancer. Many have heard of breast cancer stories and seen the fundraising campaigns that occur, but not until someone you know is diagnosed does it become real. Four months ago Erin, my mom 's friend, had found a lump on her left breast. Immediately after she found it, it was a rush to see the doctor. The day she found out she was diagnosed it was no joke, the doctors had wanted to remove the lump that Friday, she had been seen on Monday. The doctors were worried that if the cancer had spread to her lymphatic ducts, that radiation may not work. Cancer is a scary thing, and for Erin, who is the strongest woman I know she never let it deteriorate her down. Yes there were times, were that day just seemed like it was never going to end and crying came along with it, but she never gave up the hope that she was going to beat this cancer. She kept the motivation to go to work, take care of her three kids, and go along with her daily life. Even when the hardest of times were upon her, like shaving all her hair off, she always had a smile on her face and choose to see the good side of things and be grateful for her three beautiful children. Along with Erin, my best friend 's dad was diagnosed with liver cancer and was predicted to live two to five more years. To a teenage boy
Looking back now I realize that there were many struggles in my years but from those struggles it has made me realize not to take things for granted and to cherish everything you have. The hardest struggle that I had to face was the lose of my grandpa. The month before school started was when everything seemed to be falling apart. August of 2014 was the most difficult month of my family’s life. My grandpa had been in the hospital for a couple days and we never expected that those were going to be our last days with him.During the period of time that he was in the hospital I was not able to be there with him because he lived in Illinois and i was in Wisconsin attending cheerleading practices and other school events. When I got the call my heart
This experience was the hardest on me emotionally. As a child, you view your parents as almost invincible and losing them is never a thought that crosses your mind. After my mom had surgery, the procedure caused peritonitis, which is a very severe complication. At the time, I feared losing my mom, but Christ gave me peace in the situation. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (KJV, Phil. 4:13). Through the power of prayer and God, my mom survived the emergency surgery. Even the medical bills were miraculously provided for by many gifts from family and friends. “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” (Jeremiah 33:3). The possibility of losing a parent was the most difficult experience of my life; however, during this trial, I experienced enourmous growth in Christ. After my mom healed from her surgery, God called my father to Source of Light Ministries in Madison, Georgia. My family moved to Madison, which is where I would spend the next seven years of my life. My spiritual growth continued a little slower throughout those peaceful
my Dad passed away from hemorrhaging. My dad was on a curative path there was no cancer in his body when he died. I believe that my Dad having cancer changed his life in more ways than one. My Dad gained his faith, something he had struggled with since he was younger. I believe everything happens for a reason, we do not always know these reasons but that is the whole point of life. It taught me to see the light in the darkness, the good in the bad. I know my dad is in an amazing place now, there is no doubt in my mind.
This difficult chapter of my life made me aware that anything can happen to anyone and made me understand to accept things as they are. As difficult as situations may be we must understand that everything and everyone has an end in this world. We must be strong and face our pain with effort, action and mindfulness.