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Wordless Wednesday

Aunt Linda, I Love You (Part I)

Back at the beginning of 2015 we were given some pretty devastating news about one of my aunts. My mom had called me one morning to tell me that my bright, bubbly, and wild spirited tia had gallbladder cancer. I had been sitting on this for awhile before I briefly wrote about it one day in a jumbled mess, and didn't really touch on it again. But I remember we were all a bit baffled due to the fact that she didn't have a gallbladder. It had been removed sometime before, and yet that's what she was diagnosed with. Stage IV. It was aggressive, rare, and very resistant to treatment. But they had caught it so they would be treating it just as aggressively. My aunt was a fighter, and I just knew that this was not going to keep her down. 

Soon after we received the news my aunt had surgery and started treatment. After a few months, we were granted our miracle: all scans were clear and the cancer was gone. The doctors were confused, and what once seemed like a death sentence was now a full-blown testament of God's work. Miracles really did happen! I was told that they would finish up her treatment to be on the safe side, and then after several months she'd have scans to make sure she was still stable. Y'all, this was the best news I had heard that year. And that year was a rough one. I remember feeling such relief, and happiness. When we saw her that summer I hugged her tightly. MY AUNT KICKED CANCER'S ASS, Y'ALL! 

I think we all believed that the worst part was over. That because of the clear scans, and the steady physical improvements she was making she was in the clear. We all went back to our normal day-to-day. If I had done any research back then I would have been more prepared, I think. I would have known that cancer didn't back down so easily. I would have known that the chances of recurrence were high. I would have known that this was just the beginning of her journey. But I didn't. So, at the beginning of the year when we were told it was back --and had been for awhile-- I was surprised, and honestly a bit shocked. "How the hell did it come back? What are the next steps?" My mom said that she'd start chemo immediately, and asked that we start praying for my aunt daily as the next course of treatment would be really rough. So we prayed. We sent group texts, and words of encouragement. Pictures of sunrises, sunsets, and anything out in nature because my aunt loved being outside. We don't live in the same state, and I feel like this was our way of contributing. Of helping, and being there for her. Some days we'd get long conversations, and pictures in return. Other days she'd let us know she was too tired to keep up with the banter. But she felt good. She felt strong. And that's all that mattered. 

Then we were given some bad news. About three weeks ago, we were told that the chemo was making my aunt really sick. Her cancer had not grown, but it had not shrunk either. However the chemo was not helping, and it was only weakening her body to the point of it not being able to fight off anything. She was dehydrated and rapidly losing weight. By the following week she was being rushed to the hospital, and when they sent her in to have more scans done they informed our family that her cancer had spread. We received the call that following day with the news, and that's when we decided to go visit our family in Georgia while Emery was off on Spring Break. We spent time with aunts and uncles. My daughter was able to spend time with one of her cousins. She ran around in the front yard, and we could hear their giggles through the screen door. I was able to see several of my cousins, and one night we sat out on the porch just talking for a while about our lives. We all laughed and cried. We prayed, and we sat with my aunt each day. I painted her nails one night, and we exchanged stories of when we were all little. I would enter the room every time by announcing, "Aunt Linda! It's you're favorite niece here!" And she would give me her great big smile while softly replying, "Yes, mija, my favorite niece." 

We spent two full days there. On the last day that we went over before hitting the road, everyone gathered around to pray, and sing a few songs with my aunt. We had our own little praise, and worship  session right there in her living room. She wore this huge smile on her face, and she was being sassy towards my uncle which we all loved seeing. She asked me to take some pictures of her with her brothers and sisters, and then asked me to send them to her. I sent them in that same group text, and before I left I gave her a hug and kiss. Emery hugged her and kissed her cheek before saying goodbye. before walking out of the house I sat on the chair next to her, and said, "Okay Aunt Linda, we have to head back to Texas now. I love you so much, and we'll see you when we come back for a visit in May. You better be ready to dance, okay?" She smiled at me, "Okay. I love you too mija. Y'all are coming back in May? I can't wait to see y'all then. Drive safe." I gave her a final kiss, and then we all loaded up in our vehicle to start the long 12-hour drive back home.