Tuesday, May 26, 2009

and i thought my life was hard.

Cancer is not prominent in my family history. My family is mostly associated with high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Those are all bad too, but when you think about it, Cancer is what people in this world fear the most.

I just lost my grandmother to Pancreatic Cancer, after more than a year long fight. When it came down to the wire, I couldn't bear to see her in pain. It's heartbreaking. It's the first time I had to deal with a death of someone close to me.

However, when I was in fifth grade, my aunt also passed away due to a type of Cancer. I was in 5th grade at the time. I didn't know much about anything because I was young. I didn't know how much Cancer could affect the people around you.

Now my cousin, Sarah Ruiz. 18 years old. She was diagnosed 2 years ago, a couple days before my high school graduation. Leukemia. She has been fighting so hard for 2 years. After the first year of chemotherapy, we thought she was cured, but sadly it came back. After another long year of fighting, with a half match bone marrow translant from her sister, we hoped and prayed it was gone for good.

Today, I received a text from her mother that the doctor found leukemia cells in her blood. It hurts me to believe that she has to go through another long chemotherapy treatment without knowing if there is going to be a successful outcome this time. When you have cancer, get rid of it, and then have it come back, it's MUCH harder to get rid of.

About a week ago, I was talking to Sarah about her graduation which is in a couple days. Out of nowhere, she actually APOLOGIZED to me for not being there at my graduation, and for taking the attention away from me. I told her that I don't deserve an apology. It is not HER FAULT that she was diagnosed with Cancer. She is such a good kid. She doesn't deserve this pain. But, all we could do is pray, and hope for another recovery.

God, please watch over my cousin Sarah and all those whose lives are affected my Cancer.

This year will be my 5th year participating in Relay for Life. Please join if you can.

Relay For Life of Magic Island takes place from 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, 2009 until 7:00 a.m. on July 12, 2009

4 comments:

Garbo said...

Wow Nat ... that was such an amazing post.

It's seriously one of those things which everybody believes, 'it will never happen to me' but it's everywhere we look and affecting people close to us.
I was definitely shaken by this post.

I really do wish the best for your cousin.
She's a soldier!

RnB said...

I have an aunt that has Lung Cancer. I'm going to go see her and spend some time with her starting around next week. She lives in the province I was born in Saskatchewan. My family + 2 uncles + my other aunt live in British Columbia, 2 provinces away.

My aunt with Cancer never was a smoker but second hand smoke was good enough to give her it. The news of her cancer came suddenly last year. My mom's gone a few times to see her, and go with her through some of the treatments. All I know is that she's generally in better spirits when family is around. We even put her in touch with a cousin of mine on my dad's side that's an oncologist for a research/teaching hospital with Harvard University but he's only been able to recommend certain medications that will likely be really expensive. I don't really know what to believe. I just really want to see my aunt, and hopefully she recovers.

I just try to be optimistic. I know from personal experience dealing with Doctors in relation to health concerns related to my disability that sometimes they suggest whatever would be the quickest solution for them rather than something that would be better for the patient but might take more time. I don't know where I'm going with this. I just hope that she fights the cancer and is around for us all.

Your cousin sounds like she doesn't back down. She'll be in remission again, and I'm sure she'll be there for you for a long time.

Henry said...

I know you're not the one with cancer, and I'm glad its not too.

Still, I don't really know WHAT to say, but i WANT to say something, ukno?

All I know is that God has plans that none of us could ever understand until we look back maybe one or 1000 years from now. I'm happy that she's still in this and not down and out.

Post Script: she sounds like the kindest girl ever.

POST post script: My captcha is "dandy!" I hope you all will be dandy REAL soon!

callmeMIKE said...

aww nat, i almost cried at this post when you said she apologized. It hit me like a train. I wanna do the concert thing if you're serious about it.

hmmm.

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