Cancer Sucks

My eyes have been opened in a way I wish they hadn't. I have been blessed to never had a close family member be diagnosed with a terminal illness - until June. My grandmother was diagnosed with state 4 breast cancer.

As you can imagine, it's been a difficult, emotional ride. She was taking a new oral chemo drug that made her really sick. She had to go to the hospital several times a week to get hydration IVs and had several chemical burns on her hands and feet. Then, the last week of August, while she was at an appointment at the Huntsman center she became unconscious and and to be resuscitated. Thank goodness she was at the hospital when that happened.

It's interesting how the Lord works. So, she had to spend several days in the hospital after her little "episode" as my family calls it. The only department that had an ICU bed available was the "Burn Unit" at the University Hospital. What a blessing that turned out to be. They were able to give her an ointment specifially made for the burn unit for the chemical burns. Yes, she hurt REALLY bad after having CPR performed on her, but in the end the relief she received from the oinment may just have been worth it.

The chemo was working despite how sick it made her. At the appointment she was supposed to be having instead of CPR, the results from a test shows some secondary lumps (tumors?) in her neck and liver were gone. She was taked off chemo so she could recoup from her experience.

She is back on chemo now, and they found some cancer that has spread to the skin on her chest. The area is too large for surgical removal, so she has to go in for 33 radiology treatments - every weekday until Christmas.

I know everyone has trials and family problems. I just needed to vent.