Just For A Season...

It is not so unusual that I would be popping in here and there with a post about artwork or to share a funny story from my "other" life, but my break here has been a bit longer this time.  Somewhere along the line, I lost a portion of October and all of November but will always cherish that time.

The last month has been a whirlwind, that is for sure!  For those of you closest to my heart, you know the emotional roller coaster we have faced.  My mother was experiencing some back pains when she woke up on Saturday, October 27, 2012, but did not think it was anything important so Shane and I went on to our first adult Halloween party.  Sunday morning, my sister called to say that the pain continued and spread around to her chest so off to the ER we went.  Our world stopped turning briefly on October 28th when the ER doctor came in to report that mom was not having a heart attack as we suspected, but that she was now a Stage III cancer patient with masses in her lungs and on her spine.  Mom was admitted to the hospital for a biopsy and additional scans.



Luckily, a special surgeon was not willing to accept the 'abscess theory' and biopsied that in addition to the lung.  It was a mass of tiny tumors.  If you are keeping track, we now have lung cancer, bone cancer and now breast cancer.  That same surgeon noticed in the days to come that mom was not communicating clearly and as we shared our concerns about the outlandish stories and conversations we had had with her, he ordered a scan of her brain.  He identified FOUR brain tumors as well so we have to add brain cancer to the list.

Mom changed hospitals and began receiving radiation treatment on her brain to control the swelling of the tumors.  She ended up taking 8 of the 10 treatments; some treatments were done as an outpatient because mom decided she wanted to be home surrounded by family for the remainder of her days.

We shared a beautiful and not so traditional Thanksgiving.  I venture to guess that it will be the most memorable of all!  Several days later, on Tuesday, November 27, 2012, my mother rejoined my father and are now basking in the Glory of God.

Saturday, December 1st, we celebrated my mom's life and honored her memory with friends and family.
My mother will remain forever close to my heart and will be missed immensely!

Remember to hug your loved ones and enjoy every moment together.  Do not wait to love.  Do not hesitate to tell friends and family how you feel.  Take pictures.  Make videos.  Record voices. Love unconditionally because we are not guaranteed time and may not get a "do over".


Craftily yours,

Check back soon because I am actually going to break out the inks and cardstock later!