Some Difficult News....

My heart is heavy, and I'm so sad....My sister, Lyle,  has breast cancer for the third time. It's been 24 years since the first time, and 13 years since the second. She's had breast cancer twice on both sides. She found a lump. She also has a spot on her lungs they are looking at. She is getting ready for all the crap you have to go through to fight it once again...biopsies, chemo, visits with this specialist, that specialist...Since she has had it in both breasts, she's talking about a double mastectomy in January.

I feel so helpless. When I heard the news, I felt like throwing up...I'm far away, there's not much I can do but call and tell her how much I love her and come when she needs me. She has a LOT of family nearby, so that's really great. Two of her three sons are there nearby, with their families. She has a wonderful, hilariously funny husband who bolsters her spirits each and every day. I just love my sister to pieces...she's so funny and witty, too, she always makes me laugh! Since my mom passed away, she's been like a mom to me, as she is eight years older than I. She's my connection to my mom. My three brothers are typical guys. They don't write or call much. They love me, but they just don't keep the connections going like sisters do. She and I have gotten a lot closer since my mom passed away. I get really panicky when I think about life without my sister. I can't imagine what it's like to be living with a terminal illness, how you keep going....And then I get scared thinking, when is it going to be me? It's so discouraging reading about women who are getting this disease. I just read about Judy Blume, the wonderful author for teen girls, and she is battling breast cancer. She is 74! It's crummy that we have this phantom in our closet all our lives, wondering when it's going to reveal itself. There seems to be no window of age where you can quite worrying about it as you get older. I try not to worry and I try not to think about that. 

She's in for a long fight...

What do I do when I have heavy feelings in my heart? I either eat, or I go spend money on crafts to make something. I started researching chemo hats. I've got some really pretty fun fur and microfiber yarn to make her a couple of hats. I found this Lion Brand hat pattern. 
http://knitting-warehouse.lionbrand.com/patterns/50566AD.html
I bought some really pretty lavender fun fur and microfiber, from Lion brand. Lavender is one of her favorite colors. And she loves the colors of the ocean, so I got her some colors of the sea....

I just about finished the lavender one and made Eldy try it on, knitting needles still in it. He's the closest thing to a bald head I could find to see if it fits. It did. What a guy! My sister will look a lot cuter in it, I think!  

Now I'm working on the ocean blues one. It's just about done. I sure hope she likes them and that they will cheer her up. Right now, she feels well, and hasn't started treatment yet. I hope that she continues to feel well for a long time! At least until the chemo starts, probably this week. I'm hoping that the drugs they use in chemotherapy have gotten better and more successful since 13 years ago, and that maybe she won't get as sick from them. With everybody, it's different....Please say some prayers for my sister, Lyle...Thank you....That's about all I can do right now is pray....

An update:  My sister's lung spot is NOT cancer...that's good news. And the cancer has not spread anywhere else in her body. That's great news, too....