Step on a crack...

Lymphoma- cancer in the lymphatic of the immune system; presents as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells, treatable with chemotherapy and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, can be curable depending on the histology, type, and stage of the disease.

You never really think that cancer is going to affect your family.  It is one of those things that other people talk about, that you sympathize with, that you cry about in movies, but it never touches you.  At least that is what I thought.

I was driving to a meeting about a month ago.  I had a million things on my mind; what was I going to teach the next day, what I was going to do for my teacher work sample, etc.  A passing thought rolled through my head, ‘Call your mom.’  Now, this isn’t all that rare.  I call my mom 3-5 times a week, so I thought, ‘I will after the meeting.’  A few moments later it came stronger, ‘Call your mom.’  Not wanting to be disobedient, I called.

She sounded shaken up.  We chit chatted for a second and I said, ‘Mom, what’s wrong?’  Her voice got really serious and she explained that she had found a lump on her hip and that what she had thought was a cyst was actually a solid mass, a tumor, cancer.  I started crying, but she told me not to worry, like any good mom would.  They were going to run some tests and get back to us. 

Two weeks later I called her classroom.  A substitute answered.  I thought, ‘That’s odd, Mom  only does that when she is sick or has a lot to do’.  I called the house, and she answered.  ‘Mom, what are you doing home?’  Her reply: ‘Its cancer.’  The official type of cancer she has been diagnosed with is Large B Cell Lymphoma.  

I have thought a lot over the last couple weeks about what this means for me.  I guess more than anything it means that I realize just how short life really can be.  For now, we are going to fight it, but it makes me that much more grateful for the plan of salvation.  My mom is not just my mom here on this earth, but she is my mom forever.  She will be with me even if she isn’t with me.  It has always been that way and it always will.  I am scared, but I know that it is going to be alright because I know that in the end we will be together forever.  

This week, Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic are doing a special.  If you shop from November 11-14, you can get 30% off ANY purchase, and 5% of what you spend will be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  If you have time, for my mom, and all the other moms, dads, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, sons, daughters, and cousins who are fighting for their lives, go buy yourself something nice.  You never know when it is going to hit closer to home than you think.

Here is my cute mama with my cute dad and little brother.

Here is the promotional code for the discount.Gap Give And Get Is Here!