twistedANGEL25

First, it was my Mama.
April 2010.
She was diagnosed with Stage 1 B1 Cervical Cancer.

Why? How?

Those were the questions that were running inside my mind those days. The whole family was shocked to learn about it, since she was the first one to be diagnosed with the Big C. The months of April, May and June were spent at hospitals. One where she had to undergo an operation to remove her cervix and ovaries to remove that cancer cells and prevent it from spreading, and another hospital where she had to undergo Chemotherapy and Radiation sessions. My Mama had a hard time that year, but with the help and support from all of us, she survived it. Still surviving, actually.


Now, its my Uncle. My Mama's older brother.
April 2012.
My Uncle, who was living in Las Vegas kept complaining about pain in his abdomen, vomitting and loss of appetite. He practically had to be forced by my cousin on my Papa's side to be admitted at the hospital so that he can have himself checked. Finally, he relented. He was admitted at University Medical Center where he had series of tests. We were scared that he would be diagnosed with liver cancer. But we were so glad that the liver biopsy result was negative. My Mama immediately went to church to have a Thanksgiving Mass for my Uncle.

But still, my Uncle was sick.

The doctors suggested that he have a lung biopsy. Two days after that, at 3am in the morning (Philippine time), my cousin from Michigan called me. She was crying and sobbing she could barely talk. I asked her what was wrong, but deep inside I knew that it had to be about my Uncle. She told me that the results of the lung biopsy was in, and that my Uncle has Terminal Lung Cancer which has metastasized to his brain. He also has a brain tumor, and he was given 4-6 months to live.

I was stunned.
I couldnt talk.
I couldnt cry.
I didnt know the right words to say to console my cousin.

My Uncle having terminal lung cancer and 4-6months to live wasnt sinking in that well.

He was advised to undergo Radiation and to have hospice care. But my Uncle decided that he would rather come home, home here in Cebu.

May 10, 2012.
My Uncle's 65th Birthday, he arrived here. He was accompanied by my other cousin, who lived in the same house with him in Las Vegas. The 18+ hours of travel plus the delays on his connecting flights took a toll on him, he was tired. Drained. We prepared food, bought balloons, gathered the whole family but we had to let him take a rest. Me and my Mama helped him on the bed my Uncle said, "Basin nagsamok-samok ra ko ninyo."

I cried. My Mama cried.

I told him not to think that. NEVER to think that. That no matter what, we're here to help him.

The next day, we took him to SM(My Uncle is soo fond of laag-laag, it is his greatest pleasure. May it be in Cebu, Guam, Hawaii or Las Vegas. It is his great joy to buy stuff for himself and for us.) We took him to an Optical Shop, since he complained that his left eye vision got all the more blurry and that he wants to change his glasses. So he went with the Optometrist and tried on lots and lots of graded lenses. But in the end, after 30 minutes or so, we found out that the grades on his lenses were still the same. Thats when I told my Uncle to have a look around the shop to look for new frames. When he was gone, I talked to the Optometrist about my Uncle. I burst into tears when I asked her if his blurry vision was bought about by the tumor in his brain. She said it was a possibility.

Then one of his closest friends arrived at the Optical Shop.(At first, he didnt want to let his friends know about his condition, but he changed his mind when we told him that his friends would like to see him again.)

My Uncle was so happy to see his friend, he was SMILING. A LOT. He asked his friend to push him around the mall in his wheelchair. Me and my Uncle's friend got to talk for a while and she told me what my Uncle said when they were alone together. My Uncle told his friend, "Maypa ka, wala kay sakit." I cried upon hearing that. The tears wouldnt stop falling...



Mother's Day.
I made a reservation at one of our favorite restaurants, so that we can celebrate Mother's Day... My family, both on my Mama's and Papa's side were there. While waiting for the others to arrive and for our table to be ready, my Uncle realized that there were a lot of people, he got cranky and suddenly wanted to go home.(He didnt want people to see him as he was that time.) He was sitting on his wheelchair and he was covering his face with his hat and he was leaning on the railings. My Mama and Papa decided that they would be the one to take my Uncle home. When they left, I turned to my Aunt( My Mama's and Uncle's sister from California) and cried.



I cried(AGAIN) because it was hard to see him be ashamed of his condition.
I cried because it was hard to see him in a wheelchair.
I cried because it was hard to see him have difficulties in doing his activities of daily living.
I cried because it was so hard to see him not like his old self...

The active, independent, laagan, smiling and funny, shopaholic shirt loving, body-bag addict and techie Uncle Titing that I used to know.