Her Doctor said It's Cancer

September 30, 2005
My sister, Teresa, called me last night with the results of her pelvic sonogram: Large masses in the uterus, covering both ovaries, even in the vagina (? Not sure what that means.) And a mammogram showed a lump in one breast.
While at her doctor's appointment yesterday, one of her friends, Kathy, happened to drive by and see her car in the parking lot. Kathy told her she felt she should hang around and wait for her to come out of the doc's office--she knew Teresa expected to get the results from her tests. I believe God placed Kathy there because He knew Teresa would need someone to talk to after receiving news that she may have cancer.
Teresa sounded very matter of fact on the phone last night. She is ready to go---her life is right with God, she said. She asked me to pray that He will show her any areas where she needs to seek forgiveness. She also said she misses mom and dad. She wants to go be with them.
I got on-line this morning, researching medical sites about cancer. If her cancer is as spread-out as she said, covering the inside pelvic area--then she may be at stage 2, or greater. My husband, an FP, said from the sound of what she reported to us, it is possibly at stage 4--he commented that having abdominal swelling/bloating isn't a good sign--it means fluid build up. Jeff thinks it could be endocrine (?) cancer: which is agressive and spreads to organs nearby.
Her symptoms--In August she spent about 10 days with my family in Tulsa. She seemed fine. She went home and became sick, so sick she couldn't be up out of bed. Her pelvic area hurt, her legs hurt. The doc thought it might be kidney stones, so they treated her for that and infection...But the infection didn't go away with the first series of meds. Her doctor found a polyp in the cervix and told her it was most likely benign, but they would do a sonogram to make sure. The sonogram came back showing mass(s).
We didn't talk long last night. I was reeling---and trying not to show it. I probably sounded unconcerned, because I tried so hard to not break down and start crying. I had to hang up.
I called my brother, Steve, with the news. He said he would go over to be with her today. She has to tell her son and his wife, and Steve will be there with her when she does that.
This feels so unreal. It just can't be true. She's only 58. We just spent a few weeks together in the summer and had a great time. We went to GRACELAND! She'd always wanted to go to Graceland. My brother and his wife had given me a check for $300 --for Teresa (she is on disability for depression/manic, etc) and we pay for her apartment. We drove by Graceland -- and stopped to spend the day (and stayed at a Graceland hotel with a guitar shaped pool and all night Elvis movies.) She loved it.
I don't know what to do about this cancer stuff. I'd like to deny it, but it's there and after reading about it online---this is going to be bad. I don't want her to suffer, to be in pain. I want her to be able to have reconciliation with her son (he's 35, married with children.) There have been complicating problems due to the manic depression/and other emotional problems. Lots of strained relationships.
Last night I told my husband that I want to go get her and bring her here and have her treated here where I can take care of her. He said he understands how I feel, but our life is complicated with all the things involving 3 children in school, one with ADD. My husband will work out his work schedule to be available at home when the kids are home from school, so that I can go to Alabama to be with her when she has her hysterectomy.
I don't know how to pray about this. I know that God already knows, certainly. I was caught off-guard, but He wasn't. It's interesting how everything boils down to 'self.' Here I'm busy taking stock about how 'I' feel about this, yet, my sister--may be dying. I can not grasp that. Yes, I know what 'death' means: my dad died (of cancer) at age 59-when I was 19 years old, my mom died the year after my second child was born, I lost a baby at 5 months gestation. . . , but this feels new, different. And I feel sorry for myself. Go figure.
(Sorry, I've had to delete option to post comments due to 'spam' posting which began immediately after publishing this to the web.)