The Servant's Quarters

I just got off the phone with my mother. This isn't the worst possible news that we could have received. The worst news would have been that my Mom is terminal with inoperable cancer and has only a brief time to live.

But this isn't much better than that would have been.

Mom had her appointment this afternoon with her surgeon. Only two of the lymph nodes taken out of her during the surgery were free of cancer. (I don't know how many total were taken out. Rita thinks that there were four.) Worse and much more shocking, the biopsies of the breast tissue taken during the surgery came back positive for cancer. According to my Mom, the surgeon told her that her entire right breast is cancerous. And it's "growing like crazy."

Further, she talked to the oncologist's office today as well. They want to move her appointment up to Thursday morning. (This will be the appointment where my Mom will hear the results of the many tests she had after being diagnosed with cancer, including MRIs and bone scans.) When Mom asked the receptionist if this meant that she was in for more bad news, the lady noticeably hemmed and hawed before saying, "The doctor just needs to speak with you."

This may not be anything, but given the results of today's appointment, the most likely news that she's going to receive is that the cancer showed up in those tests, too.

This is an absolute nightmare.

This week is going to be even worse than last week, and last week was nothing to write home about. Thursday morning is Mom's oncology appointment. The other shoe will drop then, if it's going to. (How many shoes are going to be dropped anyway?!?!) Thursday afternoon, she's has an appointment to check in at Oakwood Hospital. At 5:00 PM this Thursday, my Mom is scheduled for surgery to have her right breast removed.

Dear Lord, I thank you that you are always with us in all circumstances. Please lead us out of this horrible situation. Please let my Mom be okay.