Life changes the day you hear
"𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙃𝙖𝙨 𝘾𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧"
Many, many things change—forever!
𝗜𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆, you lose your sense of normal life.
You become confused and often distraught, crying often.
Life or death decisions must now be made by a very untrained and overwhelmed brain.
Weight gain or loss, inflammation, exhaustion, and even depression all commonly plague the body.
𝗜𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗲, the high stress can lead you to fighting with your spouse.
Financial strain from medical bills can cause increased worry and even more arguments.
Attempting to work, parent the remaining children at home, and being the support to the child in the hospital makes your nerves frayed and you often lash out at your spouse.
𝗜𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲, family dinner time ceases to exist. Junk food becomes the norm.
Children are left for long periods of time with other caregivers, not their parents.
Rarely are both parents in the house at bedtime.
Teens feel forgotten, children feel unimportant, even pets feel neglected as all the focus is on the cancer kid.
The house becomes cluttered, clothes get outgrown, laundry piles up, and outside maintenance is forgotten. Simply mowing the yard become a hard task to complete.
𝗜𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲, you can start to question God.
You pray for healing, you beg for another chance, you question why you are walking through this.
You cry when praise music plays.
You might become angry that your child is suffering.
You often feel broken and lost.
When I heard, “Your child has cancer” I think I went into shock. I was dazed and confused. I broke out in chronic hives, gained 25 lbs. in two months, and ached in every joint of my body.
David and I had to decide early on that we were not the enemy. We knew we could not lose her and our marriage too. We made an intentional effort to stay connected, be a support for one another, and to work as a team to get her through treatment.
Our home had many neglected corners and piles of things to attend to. I was constantly trying to weed out all the unwanted stuff that seemed to multiply by the day. There was school to do with the children, clothes to switch out with the seasons, and everyday cleaning that often went undone. Our farm had an entire year without doing much more than feeding the animals.
Spiritually, I felt fragile and broken. I cried out to God for Millie’s healing. I begged for her life. I praised him with all my being, offering tears of a broken heart as my sacrifice. I continued to trust Jesus but often prayed “Lord I believe, help my unbelief!”
I know many of you have walked through this horrible diagnosis with your child. Many more have seen it in a parent, spouse, sibling, or friend. Cancer is so invasive. It doesn’t care who it hurts or what lives it destroys. It takes and takes, leaving behind hurting bodies and often broken lives. It is no respecter of persons.
Today is World Cancer Day. If you or your loved one has been touched by cancer, please share it in the comments. Let us honor your warrior for the fight they endured. If they are still fighting, let us pray with you. If their journey is complete with healing either on earth or in heaven, please share. I will start by sharing my girl and her fight for those of you who don’t know Millie.
Amelia Joy Mount
“Millie”
Diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, Stage 4, MYCN Amplified June 2019
Went to heaven July 8, 2020
Forever 3
Blessings sweet friends…
︵‿︵‿୨☆୧‿︵‿︵
☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ ｡･:*:･ﾟ★
I still believe in Millie’s Miracle
☆｡･:*:･ﾟ Hebrews 11:1 ｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
︵‿︵‿୨☆୧‿︵‿︵
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