This memory kept coming up today…
We have cancer in my family. Most people do… On my grandma’s side, pancreatic, and my grandfather’s side, colon cancer. My great-grandmother (his mother) passed away in 1989 when I was 6. We had no technology at all. Somehow, doctors could determine what it was, and she died in agony soon after. My grandfather went for a colonoscopy annually. Supposedly, everything was okay. Then, one time, his doctor in Brooklyn could not take out a polyp, and she said that if he wanted to, he could go for a second opinion, maybe to take it out. We went to the city. The gastroenterologist looked at his age and the fact that he had a colonoscopy recently and said, “No.”. According to him, he could not risk performing an invasive procedure with anesthesia at his age, especially since he got it recently. I inherited my grandma’s love for books & pens and her ability to be aggressive and annoying. My mom and aunt always say I’m just as irritating and assertive as she was. I told the MD that he had to perform another colonoscopy to make sure he was okay because, with his family history, I couldn’t take a risk. He informed me that I would need to sign a document and that I would be held accountable if something were to happen to him. Just to let people know what I can do when it comes to my family, paramedics called the police on me once, and Brooklyn Hospital brought MD from NJ to Brooklyn. When it comes to my loved ones, I’ll bite your head off. We agreed. I remember waiting for him during the procedure. The MD came out…. Did you take outa polyp? I asked. He turned pale as he looked at me. “It’s cancer.” It was early stage, operable. Then every 6 months (August and March) we went for a scan, then I took him out to eat.
My mom always tells me to be thankful for my life and for the opportunities in America. My response tends to frustrate her. I'm a simple person; I can be happy living on a farm surrounded by trees and water. If I have more luxuries in life, I appreciate them, but I can live with or without them. However, I will always be grateful that America has increased the life span of the people I love most in the world!
P.S. He yelled at me again, calling me annoying and unbearable. Occasionally, he tells me that I’m too overprotective and that I’m “too much.” Yet, he also says I’m his best gift in life. This has been our relationship for 40 years. He yells at me for being overwhelming, and I just accept it. That's what we women do—it doesn't even matter as long as we can turn things around for the better!
The health tests may not always be pleasant, but they are essential for everyone.
This memory kept coming up today…
We have cancer in my family. Most people do… On my grandma’s side, pancreatic, and my grandfather’s side, colon cancer. My great-grandmother (his mother) passed away in 1989 when I was 6. We had no technology at all. Somehow, doctors could determine what it was, and she died in agony soon after. My grandfather went for a colonoscopy annually. Supposedly, everything was okay. Then, one time, his doctor in Brooklyn could not take out a polyp, and she said that if he wanted to, he could go for a second opinion, maybe to take it out. We went to the city. The gastroenterologist looked at his age and the fact that he had a colonoscopy recently and said, “No.”. According to him, he could not risk performing an invasive procedure with anesthesia at his age, especially since he got it recently. I inherited my grandma’s love for books & pens and her ability to be aggressive and annoying. My mom and aunt always say I’m just as irritating and assertive as she was. I told the MD that he had to perform another colonoscopy to make sure he was okay because, with his family history, I couldn’t take a risk. He informed me that I would need to sign a document and that I would be held accountable if something were to happen to him. Just to let people know what I can do when it comes to my family, paramedics called the police on me once, and Brooklyn Hospital brought MD from NJ to Brooklyn. When it comes to my loved ones, I’ll bite your head off. We agreed. I remember waiting for him during the procedure. The MD came out…. Did you take outa polyp? I asked. He turned pale as he looked at me. “It’s cancer.” It was early stage, operable. Then every 6 months (August and March) we went for a scan, then I took him out to eat.
My mom always tells me to be thankful for my life and for the opportunities in America. My response tends to frustrate her. I'm a simple person; I can be happy living on a farm surrounded by trees and water. If I have more luxuries in life, I appreciate them, but I can live with or without them. However, I will always be grateful that America has increased the life span of the people I love most in the world!
P.S. He yelled at me again, calling me annoying and unbearable. Occasionally, he tells me that I’m too overprotective and that I’m “too much.” Yet, he also says I’m his best gift in life. This has been our relationship for 40 years. He yells at me for being overwhelming, and I just accept it. That's what we women do—it doesn't even matter as long as we can turn things around for the better!
The health tests may not always be pleasant, but they are essential for everyone.