5 yrs ago Mima was diagnosed with breast cancer. Time stood still for me, knowing the one best thing in my life was ill - there was nothing I could do. We stuck together as a family; Mima was the glue, before & after her mastectomy. We thought the worst was done, she'd have chemo & be fine. March 2007, she was admitted to the hospital for Pleural Effusion due to the shoddy care from her oncologist. Two weeks before her release, we found out her doctor overdosed her both on chemo and on steroids. We were livid, though Mina remained serene, finding innocence in almost everyone, I loved her for that. March 2008 she was admitted again - her o2 stat & blood levels were extremely low, even after weekly transfusions, she wasn't improving. It was then we confirmed she had full blown metastatic bone cancer. Time stood still for me again, paralyzed with fear of the confirmation, and of losing her, not now, but soon. She was released to go home. Once home, she remained her optimistic self, going weekly for blood exams, & transfusions. I remember she called me saying her cancer count had stopped & her blood had increased, with the sound of legit happiness I hadn't heard in awhile. Each day that passes I know she has days of being worried, says many prayers, & has weakness from time to time, but tranquility overcomes her when she is with her family. Every day is a battle, but she is a warrior of her own kind. Not a Patient, but a Cancer Fighter. I love her for each day that passes, her remaining sane even when the family was not, for showing us how to stand when it feels damn near impossible.

barbie
miami, FL