Who Needs Brains When You Have These?

Now that I have a title that she will appreciate...

I've avoided this post for about a week. Mostly because Mom reads this and she doesn't want to make big deal, but...

Last Thursday, my Mom, Tammy, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since then she's been through a whirlwind of doctors visits and terrible news.

And, yes, I know everyone reading this knows someone who has successfully beaten breast cancer. My grandma Kay (pictured with Mom) is a cancer survivor. But, here's the deal: I don't care. Not today. Today it's my mom who has cancer; not yours. Today I get to be scared and irritable and sad and angry and I even get to keep it all bottled up inside and say "fine" when you ask me how I am.

My mom and I are very similar. She said the other day that it seems like breast cancer has become the common cold - everyone's had it. Although she hasn't said it, I think that in everyone's quest to make her feel better they've tried to minimize her fear and in doing so they've implied that she shouldn't be scared. Can you imagine being told one day that a part of your body was going to be surgically removed? And not just any part of the body, not like a toe or your pancreas.

I can't even begin to imagine how she feels, I only know that she doesn't want to cry, so, if you see her, don't make her. It's the least you can do.