A Bump in the Road

It began like a normal phone conversation, then my mother said, "I found a lump in my breast, and I had a biopsy done this week." My head immediately began spinning. This sounded all too familiar. "It's cancer," she ended shakily.

It is almost exactly two years after my dear father died of cancer. I can't even believe how surreal this all feels. I remember the diagnosis of my dad's cancer around Christmas in 2004. I had left Hudson who was only four months old with Stuart's mom in order to rush to San Antonio for my father's emergency neurosurgery which confirmed the diagnosis. Life has never been the same since.

My mom has a consult with the surgeon on Tuesday to discuss what to do, treatment options, etc. We won't know the stage or aggression of the cancer until lymph nodes are investigated. Please pray for wisdom and peace during this time of uncertainty.

I feel like my family has barely gotten over my father's death, and it is overwhelming to have to face cancer again so soon. The journey is still too raw, and I can still remember the bad parts of his final days all too clearly. I don't want to allow my mind to go down the road of the "what if's," and I'm trying to think positively.

My mother's mother (my maternal grandmother) died from breast cancer while in her forties, so my mother has always been vigilent about mammograms and preventative care. Now that my own mother has been diagnosed, there is possiblity that breast cancer in my family is due to a hereditary gene mutation. We are hoping that my mother will be able to get the genetic testing done this next week to see if she has the BRCA1/BRCA2 gene in order to help her decide whether she should elect more radical treatment as a prophylactic option due to her family history. If her genetic test comes back postive, then my sister and I will have to decide if we want to pursue genetic testing (which would then be covered by my insurance) to see if we also have the gene (I think there would be around a 50% chance I would have it, if my mother tests positive), and then we would have to make some decisions on prophylactic treatment options if we are found to be carriers. From what I've been reading, women who are shown to carry the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene have up to an 80% chance of developing breast cancer in their lifetime.

God is in control. I believe He is the same today with this news as He was yesterday. As a friend reminded me today, God was in control of my recent move which takes me further away from my mother at this time. He orchestrated the events so obviously to bring us to Bentonville, and He knew she would be diagnosed with cancer at this time. There can't be any regrets if we trust that God is in control. So, please pray for us as we navigate this bump in the road. Please pray that the cancer is in early stages and will respond well to treatment. Pray for wisdom as my mother has to decide what course of treatment she desires, and pray that the genetic testing does not show that she carries the breast cancer gene.

We trust in Him.