Bad News from Home

I got a message from my Dad this morning that my Grandma probably has cancer -- again. This will be her third bout with it after surviving two breast cancers in the 90's, and this time it's her renal system. Her family practitioner called Dad (who is a physician, BTW) to tell him he had seen Grandma in his office for abdominal pain the other day and ordered a CT scan, which revealed a 2 inch mass on the lower pole of her left kidney. This is most likely renal cell carcinoma or something related, but we won't know for certain until she sees the specialists. Dad is driving up today or tomorrow to pick her up and bring her down to New Orleans for a series of doctor visits early next week at Tulane.

I don't know what this means for her. Grandma is 87 years old (or will be next week, anyway) and has gotten noticeably more fragile the last two years. The radiation therapy 10 years ago for her last battle with cancer nearly did her in, and I just don't know how much aggressive treatment her body can take. Dad seems to think that, at the least, the oncologist would probably have the mass removed and then evaluate the type of cancer and its aggressiveness. She will have to decide what she wants to do. And I'm fairly certain I know what that will be.

She is my last surviving grandparent, both natural and step, and that makes me terribly sad. I guess I'm pretty lucky that I actually have a grandparent still living at my age -- most of my friends do not. Charlotte Vondell Miley Baker Kinchen may be the most obstinant, difficult person on the planet, but she's still my Grandma and I love her.

Lord, I hope we get through this in one piece. Thank you, count_gunthar, for being there for me. You are my rock.