Monday, Jun. 06, 2005

cancer

Well, I was going to write about my trip to see Rent on Broadway, but there is something else I need to write about today. My trip was basically uneventful anyway.


A few years ago, my best friend’s mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Breast Cancer are dirty words in my family. Both of my grandmothers were victims of breast cancer.

My best friend’s mom, L, was a young mother. She had my best friend when she was 17. She went through a lot of turmoil after that, a divorce, drugs, losing her faith, another failed marriage, regaining custody of my best friend, and getting her life back together. She was married a third time to a wonderful man and started going to church again. She “repented” of the sins of her past and changed her ways to be a great mother to my best friend (Not that she ever was a bad one, just a little mixed up at times) and a good friend to me. I became a part of their family, spending as much time at their house as I did my own.

Since those few years ago, fate has been teasing us. At first, things seemed to be going well. Treatments were doing what they should, and about a year ago we had a “6 month cancer-free” party for L. She looked good, looked healthy, and was back at work full time.

A few months ago, L felt a strange pain in her hip. Feeling silly about going to the doctor about every little thing, she reluctantly made an appointment. A lot of testing and a bone scan later, the news came back. Grim news, not news anyone wanted to hear. Now L was diagnosed with bone cancer.

Things have since gone from bad to worse. It has spread, there is a spot on L’s skull, treatments and medications are not working as effectively as hoped.

And today, the news was delivered:

There is a timeline.

2-5 years.

So, do we pray fervently for a miracle?

or

Do we start saying our goodbyes?

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