8:32 a.m. The moment my mom received a devastating call from her doctor. The result of the biopsy was positive. My mom was diagnosed with Stage-2 Breast Cancer on August 13, 2003. In the year of 2002, my family and I had the opportunity to come to America. We were starting a new life here, ready to build a better future for ourselves. As we settled down, we were disrupted with the dreadful news of cancer in my mom's system.
Normally, kids grow up with their parents taking care of them. In my situation, the roles were switched. My brother was 5 years old and I was turning 4. At that age, we weren't completely aware of what was happening to our mom. We didn't know what cancer was, let alone what it could do to someone. I remember feeling the transition of having my mom make us home cooked meals to my dad making us microwaveable food. I remember having to hold my dads hand instead of my moms hand walking into preschool. I would do things for my mom that she would normally do for me if I was sick. There wasn't a moment where I didn't hesitate to help her. I would help my mom go to the bathroom and bring her food whenever she needed it. Taking care of my mom was a priority.
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Her needs were far more important than mine. It was tough to be so young and see my mom in a weak state. Even though my dad took on the major roles, my brother and I learned how to be independent at a very young age.
One of the hardest things my dad had to do was to inform me and my brother about her situation. He sat us both down, put his hands on our shoulders, and carefully explained that my mom was "sick". Sick was an understatement. This disease was life-threatening. It could take a mother away from her children, a wife away from her husband, and a sister away from her siblings. No, my mom was not "sick". She was suffering. There were days where I wasn't allowed to be near my mom. Being a 5 year old, it was hard to understand why things had to be that way. Why can't I see my mom? Why can't I play with her? Why can't I hug her? Although I was young, I could still see my mom in times of
distress. She was unable to eat, unable to move, and unable to talk at times. My mom had to undergo a series of chemotherapy and every three weeks, she went to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. This was the start of her nausea. She spent most of her time on the couch with nasal prongs for respiratory help. Whenever my brother and I were around my mom, she would do her best to laugh and smile with us but a part of me knew that she was still in pain. My mom's smile was genuine and somewhere along the way, she lost that smile. My transition from childhood to adulthood was divergent. I was still a child during the transition but I did not act like one. My mom needed me more than I needed her during this difficult phase in her life. As kids, we grow up depending on our parents for necessities we need until we are able to live on our own. This wasn't exactly how my brother and I grew up. Being independent and supporting ourselves as well as our mother was extremely important. My transition happened when I was still a child but this was a milestone leading me into the world of being an adult and what it takes to be an adult.
"Ring, ring", I wondered who was calling me at this time of evening. "Yes; o.k.; Yes, I'll be there", I said before hanging up the phone. What was wrong, I wondered all that evening that the doctor wanted me to come in to discuss my lab results? I had never been asked to come in to the office after doing blood tests before; when receiving a call as this the mind plays tricks on the person and wild things start popping up in the head.
Rosen, Leo and Rosen, Gloria. (2011).Learn About Cancer. American Cancer Society. Retrieved November 26, 2015 from http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/index
Fortunately, my mom has gotten better, but the environment around her is physically and emotionally draining, nonetheless I will continue to support her throughout my life. While at UCLA, I was physically there for my mom and it was one of the greatest feelings in the world. This reflects the determined, focused, and motivated person I am because I take part in school clubs and organizations that aid students who have similar problems, so no one else would have to endure experiences like mine. Being there for my mom made me a stronger person and it pushed me to continue fighting for problems that are set aside in our
Imagine having to wake up each day wondering if that day will be the last time you see or speak to your father. Individuals should really find a way to recognize that nothing in life is guaranteed and that they should live every day like it could be there last. This is the story of my father’s battle with cancer and the toll it took on himself and everyone close to him. My father was very young when he was first diagnosed with cancer. Lately, his current health situation is much different than what it was just a few months ago. Nobody was ready for what was about to happen to my dad, and I was not ready to take on so many new responsibilities at such an adolescent age. I quickly learned to look at life much differently than I had. Your roles change when you have a parent who is sick. You suddenly become the caregiver to them, not the other way around.
I had the pleasure to interview my grandma, Olga Hernandez. She was born on November 8, 1951 in Cuba. She worked in a workshop making clocks. After she retired, she took care of me while my mom worked. I consider her to be my second mom because she lived with me for eight years. She taught me love, discipline, manners, etc. My grandma is: strong, beautiful, caring, and passionate. Most importantly, she is a breast cancer survivor. I chose to interview my grandma because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I couldn’t think of a better time to do this interview. I like her story because although it’s sad, it has a happy ending. It shows you that no matter how hard things get, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.
My mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer at the time, so when she became sick, I had to become her aid. Every day after school, I would have to do my homework and then tend to my ailing mother via giving her medicine ...
I’ve seen my mother struggle, but smile through it all. She remained faithful and believed that God would work all things out for her. The amount my faith my mother possesses is amazing, and she has always instilled a sense of religion and spirituality into me and my brother’s lives. The things she have sacrificed for us is unbelievable and I have no choice but to be thankful. She has always stressed the importance of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you, education, hard work, and perseverance. Along with our struggles were some fun times. We would do little shopping errands on weekends at Target and maybe the mall sometimes. She made birthdays and Christmas worth it every year. For our birthdays, my mom made sure we always at least had a cake or cupcakes if we had nothing else. And on Christmas day, she never promised us what we asked for, but somehow she always made sure we had exactly what we asked for and more. I admire my mom for this because she never set us up for a disappointment or a “let down,” and we learned the true meaning of Christmas. My little brother, who is now 17, is a handful. He has always been a character and can definitely get a laugh out of you. Being a big sister, I had to care for my brother at times when we were younger because my mom had to work. This helped surface my independence and reliability. He has helped me become more responsible for my actions and
Coping has been closely connected to stress; it involves a process by which a person attempts to restore balance in response to a stressful life event (Henderson, Gore, Davis, and Condon, 2003). The most common cancer among Canadian women in 2010 is breast cancer. An average of 445 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and an average of 100 Canadian women will die of breast cancer every week (Canadian Cancer Society, 2010). Coping with breast cancer has been defined as being emotionally and physically challenging for women and their families (Henderson et Al., 2003). Women that are newly diagnosed with breast cancer and those in the period between diagnosis and treatment are seen as being most stressful due to the uncertainty and ambiguity about the disease, lack of information and the need to make treatment decisions as soon as possible (Balneaves and Long, 1999). Understanding women’s experience in coping with breast cancer will aid nurses and other health care professionals to recognize maladaptive coping strategies and ensure that women receive the support that they need in order to promote physical and psychological recovery (Luker, Beaver, Leinster and Owens, 1996).
I interrogated my best friend’s mother, Charlene Gonzales who in the beginning of the year was hit with shocking news. A small but noticeable bump on her breast was all it took to catch her attention and get tested by a doctor. The results, were breast cancer. The doctors were amazed she felt such a tiny bump that she was able to catch it very early.
"Coping Interventions for Parents of Children Newly Diagnosed with Cancer: An Evidence Review with Implications for Clinical Practice and Future Research.(Report)." - Pediatric Nursing. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.
Historically speaking breast cancer has been around for hundreds of years. Thankfully the treatment has improved. Patients who get the cancer removed and take care of themselves after, for example, by exercising and eating healthy, will live longer. There are many risks that increase the likelihood of developing breast cancer, for instance, age, family history, and race. A women who made history with breast cancer was Betty Ford, Betty was one of the first lady’s to speak openly about her disease. Betty encouraged women who have been affected with the disease to go to their doctor as soon as possible and told women who had shared that they didn’t have breast cancer to do self breast exams regularly and get mammograms. She also said when women get diagnosed with it don’t be embarrassed. Treatments in the past were pretty good and quite the same compared to the treatments given to people now, for instance, mastectomy’s which was the primary...
My mom has always been the type of person to put other people's necessities before hers, especially when it comes to family. I could tell you guys millions of stories of when she chose to put her problems aside, just to help someone out, but there is one time I will never forget. It was my little brother's birthday and it was time to cut the cake. My brother was only 9 so obviously he couldn’t cut the cake himself, so my mom decided helped him. After all the cake was handed out, there was one slice left, her slice.
It takes a very strong, unbelievable and determined person to deal with the fear and pressure of having breast cancer. It is not only the survivor that deals with these things, but also the caregivers of the patients. People that care for cancer patients go through extreme mental and physical ache all with knowing that someone is depending on them. Breast cancer, as well as other cancers, is a serious disease. The Center for Disease Control wrote an article titled, “International Cancer Control”, and said, “More than twice as many people die from cancer than from AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined”. Breast cancer should be more prevalent in public awareness in order to stress early detection and to inform the person of how to deal with their
Numerous families here in the United States are affected by breast cancer each year. Some women are affected by this disease for the first time, while others have to re-live this experience. Whether the cancer has returned or is discovered for the first time, breast cancer patients, survivors, and their families, need continuous support. Being diagnosed with this disease is very overwhelming. More awareness should be brought to the fight against breast cancer because the patients, survivors, and their families need increased emotional, physical, and financial support.
I faced the death of a loved one without the presence of a father. My grandma died from the illness