Immediately upon seeing, he admitted her to the hospital. She was not doing well at all. type of breast cancer and treatment was started immediately. Fasting Forward, My mother lived almost two years after being told she had 24 hours or less to live.
Her blood count was 4.0; she was ferritin depleted; she had a pulmonary embolus; she was septic and dehydrated, with her electrolytes being out of whack. There was no treating the embolus because she had a gaping wound that was very vascular (which I still had not seen because she would not let me see up until this point). January 12, 2012, the doctor called me at work and told me he was not God, but by his medical knowledge, he was only giving her 24 hours to live. He stated her condition was not treatable. The surgeon that initially did her biopsy sent it out to Baltimore and it was a 14-21 day return and the type cancer was still unknown. Therefore, not even the breast cancer could be treated. Miraculously, her results were in by that Friday, January 14, 2012. We knew the type of breast cancer and treatment was started immediately. Fast forwarding, my mother lived almost two years after being told she had 24 hours or less to live.
During my mother’s breast cancer journey, I understood why nursing was my chosen career. I believe God led me into nursing to care for my mother. She would call me her personal nurse and I was. My nursing and medical knowledge was enhance as I did what I was called to do. I had recently started back to school to pursue my Master’s degree. Many times, I wanted to withdraw, but she would tell me not too, because she was doing well and did not need me to give up on my dreams for her life. I continued on and graduated and enrolled in my PhD program. A year into my PhD program, her earthly journey ended.
A year after her diagnosis, we found out the cancer had metastasized to her brain. At this time, my sister and I incorporated two sitters in her care to be with her until we got off work. Before she passed away, I did not work on Tuesdays and spent every Tuesday with her with one of the sisters. My mother had been self-employed for many years and did not have health insurance. She was approved for Medicaid after much back and forth and paperwork. Her Medicare information was coded wrong and we were told her Medicare would not take effect until May 2013. The social worker at the hospital entered one item wrong and Medicare stated it could not be changed, because it would be consider “fraud”. Due to limited coverage, my mother still received all her treatments. My sister and I paid for several of her medications out of pocket, because Medicaid only paid for five prescriptions a month. Later in her care, she was put on Chemotherapy pills and we had to let those go through on Medicaid the first of each month before any other medication, because we could not afford the Chemo drugs, but did pay for the others.
My sister and I experienced a lot of love during my mother’s journey and pay it forward each time we can. My mother’s strength and faith was unbreakable and proved to me even in the darkest hour of weakness, strength prevailed. My mother never had a complaint.