Opal

My mom: Opal H. Boyte 10.06.1918 to 11.21.94

My mom was never sick a day in her life until cancer arrived. She was the one always taking care of everyone else, always making sure everyone else was happy and healthy.

My mother had eleven cysts removed from her breasts over the years, all benign. As cyst number twelve surfaced there wasn't much alarm. The decision was to "watch it", as all the previous ones were benign. My mom was very religious about getting her mammograms due to her past. Three mammograms and three years later the cyst was "watched" right into cancer!

In 1984 my mom had a mastectomy. It was a difficult time to say the least. I was living in Alaska at the time and my parents were in California. My oldest son was two years old. My mother insisted it wasn't a big deal, women experienced this all the time. My dad however, was another story. I could hear the sheer fear in this voice, my reply was "I'll fly right down!" I remember wating in the recovery room for her return from surgery. My dad, normally the most talkative one in a crowd, had very little to say. All I remember him saying is "I can't lose her!" Tears came easily...

Now 1991, seven years later, the wonderful news comes. The words we all waited to hear, "Opal, you're now cancer free!"

The next two years my mother experienced various health problems. The main issue was she just really didn't feel well. Further testing established the cancer was back, now in her bones. She refused to allow herself to be debilitated by this horrid disease. She wanted, and kept a normal schedule for much of the time. Through agonizing pain with defiant determination my mother fought to the end.

Now 1994, I'm living six hours away from my parents. I drove down for the weekend, my mother was back in the hospital again. I had to work the following Monday, I also knew when I walked out of the hospital that day, I would not see my mother again. Sure enough, the call came at 3:00am Monday morning from my dad, "honey we lost her."

The next four years I spent many hours and weekends on the road traveling to be with my dad. After fifty years of marriage he was like a lost puppy. No matter what I did or said I couldn't cheer my father up. My dad simply did not want to live without my mother! I was sitting next to my dad in the hospital when he drew his last breath...they were finally together again.

Cancer is such a nasty disease with no regard for age or gender. It destroys more than the life of the victim, it destroys hopes and dreams. Cancer cuts a wide swath in the lives of family and friends. I would encourage all to get involved in some way to fight this terrible thing. The odds are high that you or someone you know in your life time will be affected by cancer. Let's do something today!

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of write2fight, for the opportunity to boost awareness.

Sincerely, Patty A. Boyte

Submitted by PattyB