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The Day Cancer Waged War on My Son!

Childhood Cancer

By Kimberley UlmerPublished 6 years ago 6 min read
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September 11… Yes the day that everyone will never forget because that was the day that our country was attacked. I remember it like it was yesterday, we were living in Japan, our boys were small, we were driving to Tokyo to take my in-laws down to fly back to the States the next day, we drove through a typhoon to make it down there by evening.

We pulled into the military hotel and the gates were secured by armed guards. We were impressed at the level of security for military families... Little did we know, the Twin Towers had just been attacked along with the Pentagon. Little was known about what actually happened.

We pulled in, checked in, and got our rooms. We turned on the TV just in time to see the second plane hit. It was as if time slowed down. We were trying to keep the boys away from the TV; it was emotional and hard to wrap our brains around. Needless to say, my in-laws didn’t fly out the next day, it was a week later….

What does all this have to do with childhood cancer?? I’m sure you are wondering... Well fast forward to September 11, 2008, we were living in Mt. Home Idaho on the Air Force Base, and I took our youngest son in to have a bump on his leg looked at at 1 PM and by 3 PM he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (bone cancer).

September 11 was already a hard month for military families in general—for all that matters, it was hard for most Americans—but for our family on that day in 2008, our world came crashing down all over again. The wind was taken out of our sails, the dark clouds covered our head, and the rain came pouring down. One silver lining, my husband wasn’t deployed.

So our journey into childhood cancer started that day. Two days later we were in Boise, Idaho meeting with an oncologist (cancer doctor). Some of it is a blur, some is like it happened yesterday, and some of it I just wish my brain would erase.

September is a hard month for me. Even though it’s been ten years, my brain seems to freeze up, get confused, and just want to go on vacation during the whole month. My son is doing well—he will be ten years out from diagnosis next week. Though he’s healthy and living life to the fullest he can—he doesn’t even think about cancer—I on the other hand think about it enough for the both of us,.I struggle with this month probably more than I should. I just don’t know how NOT to.

As a mom, you just never think you will ever see your child go through hell and back and fight for their life from something that you have absolutely no control over

First Day of Chemo 3 Hours After Infusion

How do you protect your child from something that you can’t even see? How do you watch them suffer without being able to do anything for the pain? These are questions I continue to ask myself. I doubt I will ever get the answers. Though I do know that I am forever thankful to God for deciding to keep him here on this earth for a little longer. I do know that he still has something on this Earth to accomplish that is important, and I do know that this mom is oh so happy to have him still here.

So for me, September is a hard month. Some days are normal, and then all of a sudden I’m crying and can’t even put two words together. There are days that I need to just drive in the car with the windows down and music up with my husband next to me, not speaking, just breathing, crying, or enjoying the wind in my face. I don’t know any other way to get through this. I try to keep myself busy, do things that don’t remind me of all we went through, but it doesn’t seem to work. I do know that we got through something as a family that normally tears families apart, and I do know that we are stronger for it.

First Family Shave for St. Baldrick’s Foundation

Our son is doing well. He is 23, engaged, working, enjoying life, and even though he had his leg amputated to save his life, he has a new leg, a new outlook, and a new way of doing things. I’m thankful my little family is still together and healthy.

I pray that one day, September is the month that is easy to breath, the month that is not seen through tear covered eyes, but just known as the month before October. I don’t know if that will ever happen, but I do have hope for it.

If you know someone with cancer, just treat them like you always have. Please don’t pity them, please don’t make them feel useless, allow them to struggle to get through, let them ask you for the kind of help they need, don’t take being able to do things for themselves away from them, the Cancer is already doing that. Just love them!

Here are some stats about Childhood Cancer.

  • CANCER IS THE #1 DEATH BY DISEASE IN CHILDREN IN THE UNITED STATES
  • 1 in 330 children will be diagnosed with childhood cancer by the age of 20.
  • Childhood cancer occurs regularly, randomly, and spares no ethnic group, socioeconomic class or geographical region. In the US, the incidence of cancer among adolescents and young adults is INCREASING at a greater rate than any other age group except those over 65 years.
  • 3 out of 5 pediatric cancer survivors suffer late-effects of treatment including diabetes, secondary cancers, organ failure, reproductive issues, and learning disabilities.
  • The causes of most childhood cancers are unknown.
  • Childhood cancer is not one disease. It is made up of more than 12 major types and over 100 subtypes.
  • LESS THAN 4 PERCENT OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S TOTAL FUNDING FOR CANCER RESEARCH IS DEDICATED TO CHILDHOOD CANCER EACH YEAR.
  • Cancer kills more kids than AIDS, asthma, diabetes, congenital diseases, and cystic fibrosis combined.
  • In the last 20 YEARS, only three cancer medications have been specifically developed for children
  • Childhood cancer is not rare,
  • Pharmaceutical companies fund 60 percent of all adult's research, but they do virtually no childhood cancer research because it is not PROFITABLE.

Here are two foundations to support.

Camp Rainbow Gold

St. Baldrick’s

If you made it this far, I thank you for taking the time to read this confusing post that is all over the place, but at least you now know what it feels like in my head.. LOL.

Thank you again.

God Bless <3

#gogold

Our Son with his Fiancé

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