My Mom developed breast cancer when I was 16 and my brother, 11. At that time, I was at college and living on the other side of the city. My mom was there for us, loved us beyond doubt, and taught us to appreciate the simple things in life. Growing up we were always camping throughout the summer. Throughout the years of my mom’s treatment, she hit a low when her breast was removed, and she lost her hair. She no longer felt beautiful, or like a woman. But over months her mood improved with a few changes, like a wig and styling it like it was her hair. You could not tell the difference. She started going out, being more social. Then a sister came over, knowing my mom was dying. This aunt told her, “If she didn’t stop going to the Edmonton Eskimos Football games, that the family would not help her as she dies, or us afterwards.” She hit rock bottom again, and didn’t make it back.
My mom’s experience taught me to tougher than anyone, and be there for my family, and have them care about me. My son was a baby, I was so extremely sick, the doctors were killing my quality of life, and the ability to enjoy the simple things. In 2022 I did a bible study, “Battlefield of the Mind.” It taught me that you cannot allow people to ruin what joy you find in life. I am making it sound easy, but the past decade has been the most traumatic and challenging. And yet here, I am standing my ground because I’m telling the truth. My health issues do not disappear. They are progressive and I am in pain 24/7. It doesn’t matter to me how good you think I look because I’ve lost my weight. Any logical human being would understand that when you are diagnosed with a progressive disease it does not disappear as they would have you believe. I want to be retested just my lungs and you will see the truth or do my brain. Nothing speaks louder than the truth.