High School Graduation, the Turning Point

            As a child growing up I was told, as many children are, “enjoy high school because after you graduate your life will change.” Little did I know how much those words would mean to me, I took it with a grain of salt, brushed it off and thought life will change but I can handle it. Before I was able to blink my high school years were gone and flashing before my eyes as I was listening to the names being called, so that I could take my moment of glory and walk across the stage. I received my high school diploma, and as I was walking back to my seat I saw my parents seated with a smile across their faces. Following the ceremony I met with them outside the school before going to the graduation party. During this brief meeting with them I noticed not only happiness in their voices, but tears that swelled within their eyes. The beautiful moon that was shining overhead made that night special as I spoke with them outside in the school’s courtyard. Not a lot was being said other than be careful, and the reiteration of “how life would change.” [1]

            At first, life did change that much. I continued working my two jobs doing the best that I could to save money for college. Then reality hit a mere month after walking across the stage. On June 25th I requested a day off to go with dad to a doctors appoint, no big deal. WRONG. From that day forward, life began to change and I found a word that had no meaning in my life before, to be a word I would detest. As mom and I sat in the waiting room chatting without a care in the world, waiting, until she was taken back into another room by the doctor performing the colonoscopy to receive the results. They were told that we would need to see a surgeon, and then possibly discuss chemotherapy options for Colon Cancer. Two months later we were sitting in a hospital waiting room filled with family members and friends praying that everything would go well during surgery. Peace came over us and we began making small talk with other families also awaiting news from the numerous surgeries being performed that morning. [2] After six long hours of anxious waiting, the news finally came. Everything went well during surgery and all the cancer was removed, but chemo was going to be used as a precautionary measure. As sighs of relief were heard, they were not going to last very long. Six months of chemo went as scheduled, but God’s calendar was already laid out in advance. During a routine test, cancer was present again, this time in lymph nodes throughout dad’s body, but the liver was now under attack.  Exactly one year from the original diagnoses, we were sitting in another waiting room as surgeons were attempting to remove cancerous tumors from dad’s liver.[3] The news from the surgeons this time was nothing but infuriating. After slicing dad open there was nothing the doctors could do, but place the liver back into the body and stitch it up.