She's Always Smiling

My mom began her journey to fight cancer in May of 2017. The treatment plan was clear and with a very good chance to beat it. Surgery, radiation treatment and chemotherapy were all part of the plan and to cover a 3 month span of time. Seems simple, clear and easy, but I saw firsthand how it was not easy. My mom is the strongest woman I know. On August 15th my mom was admitted to the local hospital to treat a serious complication, an infection that could have taken her life if left undiscovered and untreated. It was the scariest day of my life watching her in the ICU waiting to get into the operation room. Although we had been on this journey to fight cancer, our real journey had started this day. We did not know she would not come home for 4 months. We did not know she would go through 9 more surgeries, 4 blood transfusions and 3 CT scans all while given IV antibiotics to fight a very resistant bacteria for a period of 35 days. My strong, young mother still cannot walk on her own or stand for more than 10 minutes at a time. She currently is still healing from the various open wounds these infections caused. We recently resumed her cancer fighting plan, but there are still many unknowns of what is left to treat. She has been out of work since May of 2017 and has until May of 2018 to get back. Her income and health benefits ended in November and COBRA is very expensive amongst all of the medical debt and normal living expenses that have to be paid. We thank you for your help and generous donations to this fight. My mom's journey is not over yet! I will continue to be with her every step of the way to help keep her both physically and mentally strong. Cancer will not win!