My mom was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer in late 2009. She’s beaten the odds for a long time, really. She has never been one to give in, and she continues to fight.
She was admitted to the hospital over the weekend after experiencing severe abdominal pain. Eventually we learned that some of the tumors that had formed in her abdomen had created an obstruction to the point that she can no longer properly digest food. She underwent a procedure last night that would help to alleviate the pain and symptoms she had been experiencing. Prior to that, she had a nasogastric tube in that rendered her unable to speak.
My mom was able to speak today, finally. It was such a relief to hear her voice. She told me about her string of visitors and how she missed her dogs. She asked me if it was cold or snowy outside here in New York. She told me not to worry about her because she was being taken care of and a lot of family and friends had come to visit.
She always says that — not to worry about her. She’s always thinking about someone other than herself.
I fly out Friday morning. I try to keep distracted until then. My sister has been a constant presence at her side, as has one of our brothers, and our oldest brother is coming to visit this weekend. I’m so thankful for that.
I hope we can take her home this weekend. I hope we can give her the dignity and support she deserves. I hope we can convey how much she means to us and how blessed we are to have a mother who fought for herself and for us.
Maira Garcia 