My mom was diagnosed with severe endometriosis. It was terrible. She had to go in for surgery and when they opened her up they ended up having to scrape practically every organ in her abdomen. They also at one point ended up removing all of one ovary and part of the second one. They then put her on extremely high does of birth control pills, you know the ones from the 60s? More on that later. Anyway, they wanted to give her body a rest. This was 1966, and they told her that if all worked well she'd be pregnant in 5 years.
5 years. Can you imagine wanting nothing more than to be a mother and being told that total it would take 10 years for that to happen?
Anyway, She ended up pregnant in 1970. Yep, with only part of an ovary left she got knocked up. My mom turned 40, and a few months after that she had me. I was a scheduled C-Section, because I was 2 weeks late. My dad had a bowling tournament that night, and they made sure to schedule it for after he was done. I was born at 1002 pm on Wednesday, May 19th. 2 years after I was born she required a total hysterectomy, and therefore I'm an only child. Given that my mom had originally wanted 6 kids, this broke her heart. In retrospect, I shouldn't even be here.
Mom was a bit leery about being an older mother, but apparently until I became a teenager I was a very good kid. I by no means never got into trouble, but it was simple things, and I wasn't horrible. When my mother had me she quit her job of the past 22 years and stayed home with me until I went to first grade. She got a part time job working in a school system on the lunch program. Although she eventually became a secretary there, she's still working there, 31 years later. She's now 77.
About those birth control pills? Well when my mom was 52 and I was 12 she was diagnosed with breast cancer, due to the massive amounts of hormones she had been given in order to get pregnant. She informed the doctors that she had no time for cancer, as she had a young daughter and a mother to take care of. So she beat it. She had a mastectomy, no chemo, no radiation. Just informed her body that the cancer had to leave. And it did.
She's been cancer free ever since.
So in honor of my mom coming down to visit tomorrow I wanted to share some of her with you. I know that most of what happened was because she has very strong faith. VERY strong. The kind I always wanted but was never able to develop. She's a very tough woman. I can only hope and wish that someday I'll be as strong.
6 comments:
Your mothers story is one of the few things that gives me hope.
And I had no idea about the cancer. She's one tough cookie. I know where you got it from.
Tell her I say hi, and that she rocks.
xoxoxo
Wow, that's pretty amazing. Have a fun visit with her!
What a beautiful post, I think your mom is awesome. Have fun while she is visiting.
Yay for mom! So glad you are getting a visit.
Your mom has gone through a lot. I am glad she is so strong but it does not surprise me. You are a very strong woman so that only makes sense that she would be as well.
Your Mom is amazing.
Now we know where you get it.
Post a Comment