One Year...

Next weekend is Labor Day weekend. Labor Day weekend last year is when I found out that my mom had not been feeling well for six weeks and when Mom finally decided to see a Dr. about the headaches, nausea and balance issues that were getting progressively worse. (Nurses make the worst patients!) It was a few days after that when we found out that she had several tumors in her brain and received her original diagnosis of kidney cancer with mets to the brain. And that was the beginning of this scary journey.

After my mom's cancer diagnosis, we had no idea where we would be in a year. We were all terrified that she wasn't going to be around and that it was going to be an awful, scary, harrowing year. While it has been scary at times (especially those times right before her scan results come back), it's also been wonderful. And, something of a miracle to us.

We have had a year of Mom. A year of Mom's original tumors going away. Yes, a new one appeared, but it's smaller now than it originally was. A year of Mom in fairly decent health. Well, other than those cancers. ;) A year of Mom not suffering too many side effects from the poison they pump into her every week. A year of honest talks about how she wants to live her life with cancer. A year of realizing that no one knows how much time they have and everyone should be grateful for the time they're here.

And...most recently...Mom, T3 and I had a wonderful week in Ireland together. When she was diagnosed, she wasn't sure she'd be able to come with us on our spin around the old country. But she was determined that we would go - no matter what. We went and she came and T3 spent a special week with his Aunt and his Memaw. I've attached a picture of us at Newark waiting for our plane. Look how amazing and beautiful my Mom is.