Monday, April 26, 2010

This is Barb, an inspiration


This is Barb, a wonderful mother, wife and friend. My Mom, who I miss every day. She was a person who could love anyone and in return, you couldn't help but love her back. She had 6 children, 13 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren, and loved all of us unconditionally. She lived for her family and would do anything to keep us happy. She touched more lives than any of us ever knew. Unfortunately that ended on March 11, 2010, when she passed away from Metastatic Breast Cancer. She was originally diagnosed in 2006 with Stage IIB Breast Cancer and had a lumpectomy and the affected lymph nodes were removed. She then underwent chemotherapy and radiation, which for her was no easy feat. She had multiple hospital stays due to the effects of the chemotherapy. We were ecstatic when they told us that she was "cancer free". She never once said, "Why me", she never felt badly for herself. She just fought the fight as graciously as she knew how. She always said that she did what she was told, went for the mammograms followed up with all the doctors and to no avail, the cancer returned to her liver in December 2009 and she was diagnosed with Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer. Still, she continued to fight. Once again, it was decided that chemotherapy would be the best way to "beat" this. In late December she tried chemotherapy and ended up in the hospital for a blood transfusion and hydration due to the effects of the therapy. We waited another few weeks and then in February she tried chemotherapy again and ended up back in the hospital, this time she could not fight the disease like she wanted to. She gave up the fight as graciously as she fought the fight. I am doing this race for her and so many others.

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