The C Word

I had always heard the word cancer, but had always associated it with an elderly person. Now that word was part of my life forever. When you hear the word cancer, the first thought is that you are going to die. I think that was the hardest part of my diagnosis with kidney cancer. Immediately, I thought of missing my boys grow up to be spectacular adults and raise their own families and realize their dreams. This for a mom is heartbreaking...I received a letter from a friend at work(Thank you Lee!) after I was diagnosed that seem to make me feel better. She wrote that it was okay to be sad and okay to be really mad...but you can survive this! I was extremely sad and really mad but to know that she knew how I was feeling made me feel better. Lee too, is a cancer survivor, and her words she wrote kept me going up to and after my kidney was removed.

After my surgery, I had many teary moments worrying about the cancer invading my other kidney. I think this will always be a fear of mine but I no longer let it rule my life. The reason I named this blog, The One Kidney Mom, is because after the surgery that became a nickname in my house. My husband and kids affectionately tagged me that, and it has stuck with me since. I hope anyone reading this blog will take away from this that you can have or had cancer but it doesn't define who you are and when you life will end. Noone knows how much time they have here...So don't spend you time thinking this is the end, it actually is a new beginnning.

There are great websites now to help anyone diagnosed with Kidney Cancer or if you have a loved one with this diagnosis. Just to name a couple; on Facebook-Kidney Cancer Association page and on the web go to kidneycancerwarriors.com. There is support links and important info on each.

Now instead of that c word...I concentrate on the s word-SURVIVAL!