Better day

Mom had a better day today - she had a little bit of the pressure in her ears... but not as bad as last week. She slept in her recliner last night in order to keep her head elevated... the Trinity nurses thought that should help alleviate the symptoms. So far so good...

Last year at this time mom was recovering from major surgery. I remember thinking/feeling relieved that hopefully (always the word hope) that the cancer journey would be over. I did have that impression. I thought that there would be an end to it. I wish someone would have said from the beginning that the cancer is never going to go away. It is always going to be there and in order to survive you have to stay one step ahead.

The things that one would expect to be thankful for are always available - good friends and a caring family... but I find myself thankful for strange things like a good insurance plan, or a friendly pharmacist. When a person has to order thousands of dollars worth of medicine in order to curb the nausea after chemo, or to prevent clots from forming, you find yourself being thankful for every step in the process. I think it's outrageous that people have to get permission (or get approved) for medications... as if there's even an option to not take medications when it's a life or death situation.

We have to be thankful for the things that mean the most... our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, uncles, fathers, sons and daughters. Life, with our without cancer, is the priority. Unfortunately I don't feel that insurance companies feel the same way.