Unwanted News

This weekend we got some really bad news regarding my great aunt. Let me start from the beginning. My papa (my grandfather) and his siblings were extremely close. They did everything together, vacation, family gathering and everything and anything was done together. There was never a time that someone wasn't over someone's house BBQ or hanging out. As the years went by the family grew but nothing changed. I remember at least once a month taking that hour long drive to my auntie Helen's house for a family gathering and everyone would be there.

When my grandfather passed away many years ago my aunt Helen stepped in and held our family together.  She kept a close relationship with my mom and all of my papa children. She is the rock of our family. The last 8 years she has put together family reunions since we have family all across the states now,  just so we could see each other once a year to reconnect. I valued that deeply, I was able to connect with my cousin from out of states and have a close relationship with them. So when our family was devastated by the tornado in Moore, OK. we felt their grief all the way over here in California. My auntie Helen is the last sister, the last rock in our family from my great grandparents. It heart breaking to find out that she may have stage 4 cancer in her spin and the doctor can do nothing. I'm at lost for words and in fighting mode even though technically  we don't have a for sure yes or no.
 
What the doctor said... The mass on your lungs is small and a very simple surgery can be done to take it out. You won't need any radiation or chemo for the mass on the lung after surgery. BUT we found something on your spin we are not sure if its cancer or arthritis. (Arthritis REALY!!)  If its cancer it's stage 4 and there nothing we can do.

WHAT!!! Is all I could get out. How can you so simple break our family foundation and not give us hope. I find myself trying to research everything about bone cancer and then I stop myself. I refuse to make it cancer stage 4 without knowing for sure. I'm grateful our family is so close knit that we shall lean on each other during these hard time. I don't know if anyone will understand why I'm so upset considering its my great aunt, but when she has been in your life from birth and makes sure she is in contact with all her nieces, nephews and their children than you can understand how this is effecting everyone and how deep.

I just pray for the strength to be strong for not only my auntie Helen but for her children, my cousins during this tough time.

 

My Mother, Tia and Auntie Helen