The C Word

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Cancer is rare in my family -- even in my extended one. But my mother was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive uterine cancer last year. It was an early stage, so she had a hysterectomy, followed by radiotherapy.

Then we found out it had spread to other organs early this year, just a few months post-radiotherapy. So my mother's currently undergoing chemo -- the fourth out of six was last Thursday. I think the night she had her first chemo while hospitalized for ascites was one of the scariest moments I've ever experienced in my life.

Since her first diagnosis, we've learned a lot of things about cancer for the first time -- there are types and grades, whether they are aggressive or not; there are specific caregiving needs after chemo, which are all news to me; and there are traumas, exhaustion and a whole lot of emotional roller coaster as well. I'm embarrassed for making this about me. I'm sorry. I'm not the patient in question. But this whole event startles me sometimes, like I've just had a nightmare; I wish this were all just a nightmare.