I lost a dear friend last week to the side effects of cancer. She started her battle about 13 years ago when she got estrogen driven breast cancer. She was pregnant at the time which caused the cancer to move at an alarming rate. The doctors gave her steroids and delivered the baby early. Within the week she was in surgery having her breast removed. Chemo and radiation followed. Several of her friends banded together and we took care of that new bundle of joy along with the two other children who were 5 and 12. I have never seen a ward band together so quickly before!! My friend had a horrible battle. The cancer metastasized in her brain. More surgery. More treatments. The cancer settled in her lungs. More treatments. I spent many hours with her at the hospital holding her hand (even when she didn't know I was there). Her battle lasted about 3 years, but she came out on top!
In July of this year she called to tell me that she had breast cancer again. (I happened to be in a hotel room in Branson Missouri vacationing with my sister.) It was a new cancer - totally unrelated to the one 13 years ago. She was going to have the other breast removed and go through chemo-therapy again. I couldn't believe it!!! According to her - this was going to be a breeze compared to what she went through the first time. I'm not sure if she was finished with her treatments or not, but on Thursday, September 3, 2009 she told her dear husband that her stomach was hurting - a lot!! They ended up in the ER. There was the usual poking and prodding. Her last words to her husband were "why are you being so mean to me?" I can just hear her saying that. She was such a kidder!! Her husband told me that she had heart failure while they were in the ER. They found that her bowels had been perferated and she was septic. They put her on dialysis and intubated her. For all intents, she was gone. Her husband, who is devastated by his loss, tried everything he could to keep her alive. He even opted for a surgery, which according to the doctors would give her a fraction of a chance of living. She never spoke again. She was heavily sedated and was pronounced dead on Saturday morning.
She made me laugh, she made me cry. She even made me angry at times. But I loved her.
Thank you Tammy!
2 comments:
So sorry Becky, what a horrible thing for your friend to go through, as well as her family and friends.
How sad! I feel bad for the family, but grateful that your friend has been able to leave the suffering of this mortal body behind and begin her work in the next life.
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