Birthdays & Cancer

I know that this is a weird title, but true circumstances as well. First of
all, I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer this week. I will have a
mastectomy next Thursday and of course, chemo following shortly.
I am the only caretaker for my mom, whom I have taken care of for
the past three years, since my stepdad passed. I would not tell my
mom of my news, because she will be 91, 11/16. I knew she would be
devastated when she heard the news about me.

Today, we celebrated Mom's birthday and my husband's, his is on
11/15. We got together as a family and enjoyed a great meal together
and we were happy to be together. My brother lives over 100 miles
away from us and could only be here today. He is a professor in a
Christian college, as well as a counselor.

After the party, my brother took mom home per my request, to visit a
while longer and then tell her the news about me. She really took it
hard, but my brother calmed her down. I am sure that when he left,
that she did lots of crying. Later she called me and was crying and
I told her that I didn't want this and didn't need it. I told her that
she is going to have to talk to me w/o crying and be strong for me.
I reminded her that I had been strong for her, for the past 3
years and that now it was her turn to be strong for me. But she
made it perfectly clear she couldn't do that . I got off the phone.

Much later, I called and gave a really good pep talk, and I
reminded her that I was strong for her when she had cervical
cancer when she was in her 80's. I stayed with her for 11 days
while she went through a radical hysterectomy. She did well.
I think now that she will be okay. My DH will have to take over
doing many things that I have been doing, but it will all work out
just fine. God is with me and all my family. He will bring healing
to me and mom will do just fine. She is a strong woman and I
am just like her. Thank God!