Doesn’t that sound like something funny or benign? “Hey, stop making me laugh with that cholangiocarcinoma of yours!”. Mami died of it. It killed her in 10 months. No questions asked. One powerful round of 2 chemo drugs that reduced the tumor to half its size in the first half of the treatment and seemed
The Eulogy I Never Gave
One of my mom’s friends came up to me after the funeral and told me she’d been disappointed to not have heard me speak. I eulogized my grandmother and she thought I’d do the same for Mami. But I didn’t. I let her childhood friend go on and on and on about her. Because it
Bang the Drum: A Face of Courage
Many of you know my story. You’ve passed through this site and have read something about me losing my mami to cholangiocarcinoma (gallbladder cancer) last year. What you might not know is that my papi is a cancer survivor. Five years ago this September, I sat in a doctor’s office with my parents and my sister and
The Ex Files
I’m sitting in the hospital. Waiting. It’s weird how good I am in places like this. The(ex)man is in surgery having a hernia repaired. Each time someone came in prior to the surgery he was asked to recount his “interesting” history. Pretty simple, really. I’ve heard it a million times but hearing it 5 more
I Wish She’d Had More Birthdays
Every year for the last 7 or so, I’ve participated in the Relay for Life. I loved the idea of doing something to help others, enjoyed the events because it gave me a chance to pull together a team of friends, join for a common cause and generally have a great time at the overnight
It Takes a Village: Alice’s Bucket List
I found Alice’s blog about a week or so after she began her posts. It moved me to tears and, during a time when I was mourning the loss of my mami, it gave me a little perspective. Here was this 15-year old girl that had a bucket list because the doctors had done all
F#@k Cancer: A Tribute to Those That Fought the Good Fight
After mami was first diagnosed, I was in a Hallmark store and saw the coolest mug ever. It simply read F#@k Cancer! I bought it and mami kept it on her nightstand with pencils and trinkets. My siblings and I always smiled when we saw it there. Last night, as I tweeted about how I
Mami Blessings
Mami has been with me all week. On Monday she brought a situation to pass that, though rough at the start, transitioned itself into a moment of deep growth, connection and peace. I had a crying session last night on my way home as the hole that was left behind from the physical space that
I Want You to Have More Birthdays
It’s taken me a while to write about this. As I sit at my desk quietly getting some things done this evening, I am surrounded by pictures of my mom. Chillin’ in a hammock during her trip to DR in ’09, with me at the park that same year weeks before I got pregnant, holding
