Life Happens

Even the best laid plans sometime fail due to unforeseen circumstances.

I have so many ideas for creative projects which is why I started this blog.

Probably not the best idea to start such an ambitious project just before the holidays but I thought, "I have to do this!"

Then life threw me a curveball. Ok, no, more like a train wreck that blindsided me to the point that I am still picking up the pieces.

Have you ever had a nagging feeling that something just wasn't right? That's your intuition speaking and you should listen with all your heart.

My mom's inner voice was telling her that she wasn't well. She continually went to the doctor to figure out why she was so run down & in constant physical pain. She was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome, sleep apnea, urinary incontinence, & told quite bluntly that if she would just stop over eating she would feel better. But she wasn't over eating. She actually couldn't eat because when she did she felt sick to her stomach yet her abdomen continued to swell. She scheduled an appointment to visit her doctor yet again with knee pain. (on top of abdominal, lower back & leg pain). She refused to leave his office until he figured out why she was so run down. He examined her abdomen, for the first time in who knows how long and discovered a mass. This was early December. I vividly remember the phone call from my mom as she left the doctor's office. She called to tell me she has arthritis and that they found a large tumor. She began to cry and tell me she was scared. I was speechless. My mind couldn't wrap around the news that I was hearing. I tried to calm her fears and tell her that everything would be ok. She had an ultrasound the next day. Three weeks later, on December 23rd my mom entered the hospital for surgery to remove this mass & to diagnose what it was. After three hours in surgery the oncologist took my siblings, step-father & I into a small room and informed us that my mother had Stage III Ovarian Cancer. He removed a FIVE POUND tumor from her right ovary, removed both ovaries (Oophorectomy), her appendix, a small growth from her Omentum, and fifteen lymph nodes for biopsy. We would later learn that four of the fifteen lymph nodes had cancer which put her at stage III-C.

Never in a million years would I imagine these turn of events at this point in my life. I'm relatively young, in my late thirties. My mom just turned 60. No one can be prepared for such news.

I have put 100 percent of my energy into fighting this battle with my mom.

She will finish her second round of chemotherapy today.

Her hair has all fallen out and that has been heart wrenching for her. (I can only imagine! I certainly wouldn't like that either)

So my dolls, my crafts & best laid plans can wait.

Thank you for stopping by to visit.

I know that I need to make time for myself & play time is really what I need most, but for now my family has to come first.

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Stephanie