My Breast Cancer: My Mom's Story

On February 23, 2016, I was confronted with a scare that changed my life dramatically. My Mother Colleen Micele was admitted into Bayonne Hospital due to feeling ill, however, rapidly circumstances changed for the worst. My mother was rushed to the ICU unit and her time she had left us had been decreasing by the hour. My mother developed a condition called Pulmonary Edema which is when the lungs fill with fluid. This condition had caused my mother's lungs to then collapse which lead to my mother develop Atrial Fibrillation. Matters had become extremely severe and life threatening once my mother had become Septic. The uncertainty and living second to second not knowing if my mother would make it through her illness for 5 weeks emotionally destroyed

My strong, hilarious, wise Thatha had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in my eighth-grade year. My mom was gone for weeks to take care of him in India.

My maternal aunt gathered us together and we all sat on the couch. She turned to my mother and told us she had cancer. I looked at my aunt and I did not know what to say or how to respond. Three months later, my father received a phone call from his sister telling him that my pregnant cousin, Elizabeth, was diagnosed with leukemia and had to give birth to her premature baby. She and I grew up in the same house in Arizona and what hurt me the most was not being able to be with her during this difficult time. When we went to visit her in Arizona, my dad told us before entering the hospital room that he did not want us to cry in front of her. I was scared to enter. I did not know what to say to her but I knew I had to be strong. We stayed there for the holiday season but we never celebrated the holidays, that was too

Most people will experience something horrible in their lives. As a young child, I was ignorant to the idea that bad things could happen in my life. One cold day in November, my Mom said that she was feeling a little sick and had some pain in her neck. After some tests, the doctors came up with a diagnosis, it was devastating. Even after the evidence from X-Rays and MRI scans, my family was trying to find any reason to deny the truth. My Mom, Gricelda Martinez Ozuna, the strongest and most determined person I knew was fading away and I knew my time with her was shortening every passing moment.

Losing my mother, the most important person to me , was a life changing event that altered the way I see the world. Knowing that she is in a better place and at peace is everything I could've wanted for my mother. As me and my siblings grow older we miss her more every day. I have learned never to take someone for granted because we aren't promised forever with them. We have to make the most of who and what we

It was early one summer afternoon, shortly after lunchtime, when I heard my mom scramble towards the door. There was little noise, besides her loud stomps and faint cries through the drywall. The wind whistled faintly through my slightly open windows. Suddenly, the air conditioning kicked in startling me. It sounded as if it was a faint boat in the distance. I could make out the sound of the air conditioning through my vents. My brother’s television powered on, as well as my dad’s. They whispered silently through the insulation. Eventually, it all turned off and once again there was my mom’s loud stomps and faint cries.

My aunt, who was the kindest person I have ever known, passed away when I was ten years old. Before she passed away, she was bedridden for long time. Because of the illness she had, she suffered severely for a couple of years. During that time, doctors told her that she had a breast cancer. She fought for two years till the time she gave up. While she dies, I was in a hospital at her bedside till she gasps her last breath. What a traumatic experience for a young boy to witness my aunties death. The firsthand experience I had, motivated me to train and be a health professional and help patients to recover.

I'm glad to hear that you're feeling slightly better!!!!! I had a similar issue with my grandma who had breast cancer, as well as other family members. I was so frustrated and found the doctors were equally responsible for a multitude of reasons. I packed up her bags and moved her North, where she could receive treatment at the Mayo clinic. Everything is coordinated for you (like it should be)!!! Results (labs/scans) are immediately sent to your smartphone when they become available, and you receive a list of all your specialist appointments and testing in advance. Labs/scans/, etc. are done (same day) onsite prior to your doctor's appointment all under one roof. You have a team of doctors working together on your treatment

An ambulance came and carried out my mom. I didn’t know what was going on, so many questions running through my mind, what was wrong with her, was she going to be ok. I was scared, more scared then I had ever been. My sister Sheridan who was 8 asked me “what’s happening?” through tears. On that day a little piece of me began to change because if I let her see my fear that would not help anyone, and so even though I didn’t know what was happening I responded “everything is going to be ok” even though I did not trust my own words.

My home has been a place of many medical incedents. My mother has had countless operations before i was old enough to understand. I was three years old for her first one, and I tried to be the a good son. I hoped that if I loved her enough, her surgery would go well and shed be ok. When i had gotten older, i had become much more fearful for her welbeing, but my grandmother was always there to calm ma down and not lose it.

It all started when I received a phone call from my mother in 1998. She had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. I was grief stricken, and prayed she would get through this terrible ordeal. Nineteen years later, and she is in remission and doing great. Fast forward to 2007. I was active duty military and had not been getting my mammograms as recommended because of the high risk of breast cancer, or any cancer for that matter. I was stationed in Colorado Springs, at the Air Force Academy. I scheduled the mammogram due to soreness and an unusual lump in my left breast. (Teresa Harris).

This experience transformed me. When the doctors found something weird in my breast, they told me I had breast cancer. From that moment forward, my life changed and I couldn’t grasp why this was happening to me. However, with the help of my family, friends, and my faith I was able to pull through.

The greatest adversity that has made the biggest impact on my life was the passing of my mom. She passed away from cancer when I was nine. Losing her was the worst feeling that I ever had to endure. I was thankful that I had a family who cared for me and my younger brother, who was only three at the time. It took some time for me to understand that my mom couldn't come back, but that she no longer had to suffer with the pain. So after learning to cope with her no longer being here with me, I promised to always do my best to make her proud. Even though I had my family, I felt like I had to grow up and be strong for my brother. I felt that he needed me more than anybody. I had to learn that it was okay not to be strong like I thought I should

I can still remember vividly the day my mother passed away. My mother passed away at a critical point in my life when I was seventeen years old from a short term illness. She was sick for a week and I remember thinking this could be serious, however, my mother declined to go to the hospital because of the distance and financial hardship. I had loss my father when I was three years old, so my mother was a single mother. I have step sisters and brother, but I was not particularly close to them. Losing my mother was a defining moment in my life for it changed my life irrevocably. I was devastated, but I had to become strong, proactive and it spurred me to choose a new career path.

up and followed my daily routine: brush my teeth, put on my clothes, and went to school. Little did I know, that would be the day that changed everything. I found out that my uncle Danny had been diagnosed with lung cancer. The chemo originally worked and he went into remission. After a few months of remission, the doctors said he would have a few months to live. After he passed away, I couldn't talk to him. I couldn't see him anymore. He was just gone. Cancer ended the life of someone very precious to me and his death sparked the beginning of my desire to battle this disease.