Mom's medical rollercoaster ride

My wife, daughter and mom carefree at Disney

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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I'm sitting in the hospital waiting room as I write this. We've been here since 6 a.m. for my mom's surgery to remove her bladder. In late 2012 she was diagnosed with bladder cancer. She went through an aggressive treatment. By spring of 2013, the disease was gone, but doctors told us there was a high chance of it coming back.

First round of chemo

Fast forward to July 2016, mom texted me and said the doctor found something suspicious on the scan (she was getting checkups every six months). As much as I wanted to stay positive I knew the cancer was back. Sure enough, after a follow-up test, the news was confirmed. She started a very aggressive chemotherapy regime that kicked her ass. She got sick a lot. She ended up in the hospital early on in the treatment. And she lost her hair, but she never lost her smile. She stayed positive and strong, preparing for surgery to remove the bladder.

Finally, that day has come. The six-hour procedure is over and the doctor just talked with us and said things went well and it doesn't appear that there's any cancer outside the bladder. I'm excited beyond words right now, but she's still not out of the woods. Recovery time in the hospital is at least a week, then she'll have to take it easy and rest for the next six to eight weeks.

Get well card my daughter made

I'm not an overly religious person, but I have many people who are in our corner, praying for my mom, her doctors and our family. Words cannot express how grateful we all are to God for this support and love. Thank you isn't nearly enough, but it's all I've got for now. 

Editor's note: I used the rollercoaster pic because it's one of my favorite photos of my mom. It's from our 2014 trip to Disney World.