My mom is a special one of a kind lady. She’s a hard working, independent, pansit cooking, mango seed making, ogo picking, inamona pounding, genealogy searching, Molokai mana wahine. On July 13 we took my mom Fannie Agliam to the ER after having a fever for several days. That evening she was flown out on the air ambulance after a CT scan showed a mass on both the liver and kidney. I went down the next day to be with her as they wouldn’t let me go on the air ambulance with her because of coronavirus and I would only be able to visit her from 10am-6pm each day. It was heartbreaking news to deal with that she had cancer but it was harder to receive bad news every day around 4pm, have dinner with her at 5pm and then leave every day at 6pm. I cried my heart out every day walking out knowing i had to leave her alone each night to deal with all of these emotions by herself. But each day I was there I vowed to try and make her happy and make the most of each day by bringing her flowers from outside, or her Favorite food so she’d be interested in eating something.
After a week of waiting on biopsy tests results the doctors came back and told us that she had Stage 4 breast and liver cancer that has spread to her lungs, kidney and bones. And tho the doctor said it’s incurable and terminal, shes been a rock of faith trying to be strong for me while I was the one there to be strong for her. When he told us that news, I looked to her and said, LETS RIDE IT TILL THE WHEELS FALL OFF, LIVE EVERY DAY LIKE ITS OUR LAST AND MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT. She smiled and agreed. We always ask her how she feels and her saying is always “I good.” So we made her a shirt that says that. We told her later we’ll make shirts for us that say “if she’s good, I good.” Lol!
A week after, on July 21st she took her first dose of chemotherapy through IV. The chemo won’t cure her but can stop the cancer from growing more. Two days after chemo - she’s doing well so far and is responding well to the chemo. Within the week she will take another dose and hopefully be sent home for future treatments on Molokai. I flew back to Molokai on the 22nd to prepare for her to come home while my brother Lolly is now down there going to visit her during this weekend, as a Category 3 hurricane approaches the islands.
When she returns to Molokai she will be staying with me at my home where we can care for her 24/7 and where it can be more accessible compared to at her home where you need to go up stairs to get into the house. Eventually we plan to fix her wheelchair ramp which would provide accessibility for us to take her to her house to visit and relax when she wants. Her insurance will cover most of her expenses so we are fundraising for out of pocket expenses that may occur throughout her treatment. This will include, fixing up her room at my home, fixing the wheelchair ramp at her home, travel, food and lodging during treatments or doctors visits off island, other medicines not covered, healthy meals made of cancer fighting foods and anything else that she may need to pay for.
As we prepare for a future that’s unknown, together me and my siblings Albert, Dee and Lolly, and the rest of our ohana would like to thank everyone for their much appreciated Kokua, love, support and prayers at this time. Mahalo! She is a special woman and she is definitely loved. Mahalo ke akua for her.
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