Rock On, Mimi

Yes, I admit it, I have been a blog bum lately. I attribute my lack of sharing to starting a new job on Monday and coming down with a nasty case of bronchitis and upper respiratory infection on Wednesday, thus causing me to miss work on Thursday and play catch-up on Friday. Niiiice.

Also? I knew I needed to address what was going on with my mom, but I wasn’t sure what to say or how to say it — a writer’s worst nightmare — or, in this case, a daughter’s.

It’s been one week and two days since Melanoma Mimi went in for what I like to politely call “the slice and dice.” Her surgeon removed a chunk of cancer from her ankle and, to cover up the gaping hole, she had to carve — turkey-style — some skin from her thigh. Unexpected little twist? Tests just prior to the surgery revealed several hot spot lymph nodes and so, three of those were removed, as well.

This is why I have been at a loss for … everything.

I was terrified that testing on the lymph nodes would reveal that the cancer had spread. Plus, getting a skin graft to take anywhere, much less in the crazy ankle spot, is tricky. Mom has had to be VERY careful to stay in bed or in her chair, foot elevated. But too much bed-chair-elevation could result in a blood clot. Not enough and the graft could fail to make nice with the rest of the body and send Mom into yet another surgery.

While Melanoma Mimi is still on the same movement restriction until next Thursday and we won’t know for several more weeks if the transplanted skin is gonna’ stick. She went in for a check-up two days ago and wham, bam, thank you ma’am … everything looks good. Well, according to the doc anyway. (I think the “beauty” of the actual incision sites is definitely in the eye of the beholder.)

Score 1 for Mom!

Score 2? Drum roll, please …

Those pesky lymph nodes showed to be cancer free!!!!

When mom told me, I was thrilled, but the actual enormity of what she was saying was lost. I think, through all of this, I have become numb to the possibilities. Because I didn’t want to have a total breakdown about “what could be” I have been operating on auto pilot. Mom has had such an incredible amount of bad “luck” with her health the past few years, I couldn’t even muster the strength to be the “rah! rah!” optimistic cheerleader chick. If I had, I would have become a believer and then, I would’ve had that much further to fall if the news had been bad.

And then, I would’ve been no use to Mom at all.

So, I left it all in God’s hands. (As I know I always should, but doing so is much easier said then done.) And I know I have not been the only one.

Two surgeries down, cancer-free and on the road to recovery: this is the power of prayer.

Sidenote: In your daily chats with the big guy, please keep peppering him with prayers for my mom. Cancer is a nasty little bugger and you never know when/if he's gonna' come out and play! And, Melanoma Mimi needs that skin graft to stick!