My Sister's Cancer, 2006, by Violet Downs

From MemoryArchive

Who: Violet Downs
What: Obstacles
When: September 20,2006
Where: Bardstown, Kentucky

Cancer. The word alone packs a powerful punch. Everytime I heard that word I thought, I wonder what people go through when they hear that word. I never thought it would be my family or my little sister.

Obstacles are a part of our everyday life, but this obstacle was one that was unexpected and horrifying. We all go through obstacles everyday. When my sister was around 5 months old, tiny black spots were turning up all around her body. At first, my mom and dad thought they were just bruises, but everytime we would touch the "bruises" Eliza would neither flinch or cry out from pain, which is common with bruises.

So after about a week we went to the doctor. On April 29, my parents took little Eliza to the dermatologist. After some biopsys and a little research the verdict was this: Cancer. Neuroblastoma to be exact. This came as a shock, but my family was determined to stay strong. We prayed and had friends with us who would give us encouraging words of comfort.

Those first few days, weeks, and months were the worst for my whole family. We had to watch this little child, only 6 months old, go through things that even older people cannot seem to get through. My family had lost my grandfather a few years earlier to cancer and we were determined not to lose my little sister to this either.

In August, just as we were going to be starting school, my sister had "scans" to see how she was doing. The primary tumor had shrunk almost to its whole size and was no longer spreading. Here we faced another obstacle, do we take out the tumor and risk my sister's life or keep shrinking the tumor. Each way was a risk but we had the best doctors and decided to take out the tumor.

The operation was sucessful and she continued the last of her treatments. In two months time we were back at the hospital to have more tests run. In these final days we were both anxious and scared about what lay ahead. Finally, at the end of the week, we got the results. My sister, brother, and I were called out of class and were given the verdict.

Cancer free! I remember this feeling of absolute joy and complete relief.

This obstacle, while smaller than some, was still a big thing for my family. Yet we got through it and I have realized that obstacles are just another part of our life. One thing I learned from this though, is that even though it is said and repeated, live life to its fullest and don't dwell on tomorrow or the past, but on today. I feel like if you can do this, every obstacle in your life can be defeated.