One Spring Afternoon in March

I know....it's been a while. I will catch up eventually.

For this post, I am using this blog as a journal. Please forgive me if I get too personal, or if I ramble. I just don't want to forget this experience as I remember it.

Ok..flashback about 20 years ago: My mom, Janet, had breast cancer. I really don't remember much about it. I remember Grandma Ruth stayed with us and took me to school, took me to Burger King, and did all the stuff around the house. I also remember that all of my sisters and my brother got to see my mom in the hospital, but that I had to stay home since I was too little. I will never forget when my dad said that he got special permission from the doctor and brought me in to see her for a few minutes. I remember feeling scared, but I didn't understand how sick my Mom was. I just remember that she had it, and then she recovered, and thought she would never have it again.

Ok....fast forward to March 14, 2009. It was my best friend Tiffany's wedding that day. It was also orange harvest day at my house. This was the day that all of my family came over to pick and juice hundreds and thousands of oranges. I got permission to miss it since it was my friends wedding.

I came home after my newlywed friend came out of the Temple and we did the whole picture thing. I was about to go to the luncheon, but my Mom told me to stay home. Normally, she doesn't care when I go out, but she was very firm that I stay home, so I put on my grub clothes to help with the oranges.

During a lunch break, while all the grandkids where playing outside and all of the adults were just chatting, my dad told us that my mom had had a mamogram, and the results didn't look good. I will never forget that moment. The earth really stood still for me. I was shocked. My dad proceeded to tell us that we were going to have a family fast that Sunday. We spent the rest of the afternoon picking oranges.

I had to go to Tiffany's wedding reception that night. I was still in shock at that point. I decided not to tell my friend Tiffany, because, duh, it was her wedding day! I was a bridesmaid, so I had to plaster a smile and get through that reception.

I came home from the wedding reception and went straight to my room. I read my scriptures, looking in the Topical Guide for "Cancer" (which, by the way, isn't in there). I will never forget being on my knees that night. I think that is the first time that day that I really had a good cry. I know that my Father in Heaven heard my pleadings that night, and, you know what, I know that He cried with me. After that prayer, I felt a peace that He was with my mom, He was with me, and He was with my family.

We eventually found out that it was indeed cancer. Through many miracles, my mom was able to be seen by a doctor and was scheduled to have her surgery a couple of weeks later.

The Sunday before my mom's surgery was Easter Sunday. We decided to have a nice Easter dinner and then give my mom a Priesthood blessing. After dinner, our family and friends gathered together in Grandma's special room. It was beautiful! Even the grandkids understood the importance of it, and they were reverant the entire time (some grahm crakers went a long way for the babies :).

I remember the sweet, strong spirit that was present during the blessing. I don't remember all of the words that were said, but I do remember one particular phrase from the blessing that I have tried to live by. In the blessing, the Lord said that my mom would get better through her faith and through the faith of her family! I knew that if I wanted my mother to get better, I had to have faith. I have to put her into the hands of the Lord, and He will help her. I knew I had to trust in Him.

Ok.....fast forward to today. My mom has had about 4 months of Chemo. Although she feels sick sometimes, she is doing really well. And the best news? The Chemo is working! The cancer has not spread anymore. We are so grateful for that!

I love my mom so much! It has been so hard to see her suffer during this trial, but she has gone through it without even one complaint. She is amazing to me! I know that the Lord is with her! I will put her into His hands, and trust Him to help her.

...if you are still reading these ramblings, thank you! As I said before, I wanted this to be a journal entry, so that I would not forget this.