Our Story of Survival: What doesn't kill us makes us stronger!

Reality hitting a little too close to home

In March 2010, I was at my home with my parents when my mother took us aside and told us the earth shattering news. It all still feels a bit more like a nightmare than anything. I remember the overwhelming fear of being completely lost, just saddened at the idea of possibility losing a parent.  Later the following year, my father was diagnosed with intestinal cancer. The anguish and the despair that ensued was unbearable, almost too much to take on even for the strongest of souls. Where does one go to from there? How do you stay strong and supportive to without falling apart. I honestly felt like I was going to come apart at the seams. My dad was distraught, but was solemn and said nothing. My mother has always been the rock foundation that held the family together and now everything was changed overnight. The thought of life being so precious and everything seemed so futile and nothing else seemed to matter.

During the process of their diagnosis and recovery, it was a long and most trying of times. I tried to remain calm and collected for the sake of the family for my mom, dad and Nate of course. I remained strong keeping an outwardly collected appearance, but dying inside screaming for mercy on the inside. I was deathly afraid of losing them to the illness that has tried to take over their spirits and waged war on their bodies. Watching them suffer and enduring the surgery and the mastectomy and later the chemo, was unbelievably hard and I pushed myself to not break down and cry, because that was all felt like doing for months. This tragedy brought us closer together and made mortality that much more real and remind us to cherish each day and each other, because you just don't know what tomorrow will bring. 

Naturally we all were encouraged to get tested since my mother diagnosis. Thinking back, I was afraid to get screened because I’ve always heard that it was a painful procedure. All the stories in the movie were so touching, seeing what each woman was going through, they had me in tears. At that very moment, I decided to make my appointment to get screened.  I have since then been tested regularly for ovarian, cervix, or breast cancer.

-Lost n Vicious Reality