Babbles of a Procrastinating Grad Student

Shoot, just realized I haven't posted since before my Mom's surgery. Uh, for those who follow my sewing blog or twitter, you probably saw that my Mom made it through surgery with flying colours (or at least a bit of dizziness and lots of meds), and is now doing really well.  Well enough that she's returned to work this week. 

Her follow-up doctors appointment wasn't until April 10th, but there was a cancellation, and she got in today!  I went along with her, and it looks like the surgery was a success.  Not only did they scoop out the entire cancerous spot, but the lymph nodes are clean and the cancer itself was identified as being less invasive than previously thought!  She still has to go for radiation as part of her treatment, and the Doctor suggested that she may yet have to do Chemo treatments since the cancer was bigger than he thought (2.1 cm at it's widest, when he suspected less than 1 cm).  But the outlook is exceptionally good!

Mom keeps getting annoyed with all the fuss that's being made about her.  She's been in two newspapers now, and her work staff are walking for her in an upcoming cancer relay fundraiser in town.  I can see her point, because her's is such a non issue compared to what other women (and men) have faced.  But I think it's still really good, because this highlights why it's so important to do self-exams and get checked by the doctor more often and catch these things early. 

Lord knows I'm guilty of ignoring problems until they get big, and this proves why it's good to not do that.

Anywho, things are looking about as good as they can possibly get, and for that I'm so thankful.  :)

I don't think I've mentioned this anywhere online yet, but I probably should.  Especially in my own journal.

My Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year.  This is absolutely terrifying, because we've already lost my Dad to cancer, and the thought that my Mom is going through the same thing brings me to tears.

But it's not the same. Not at all. Mom's lump is tiny, about the size of your pinkie finger nail.  My cousin went through this in 2000, and hers was the size of your fist.  My Mom's has been classed as a Grade 2 (out of a 3 point scale, where 1 is non-invasive, and 3 is very invasive), while my cousin's was classed as an aggressive Grade 3.  My cousin, by the way, kicked cancers arse.  Never mind that the treatment is practically routine by now.

So we're really optimistic that Mom will be fine.  I know she will be.  She goes in this Friday for her lumpomectomy surgery, and will start radiation sometime afterward.  I've told her that any time she needs a place to stay in the city, she's more than welcome to have my bed.

Of course, this means that she's coming tomorrow with my Step Dad and brother to stay the night here.  Which also means that I need to tame the disaster that is my apartment tonight.

Time to put on some episodes of Hoarders and get to it, eh?  That show always makes me itchy to clean, even when I don't want to.