A Moment to Catch My Breath
- Christy Masco
- May 28
- 2 min read
May 27, 2025
Hi there friends and family! :) I know it’s been quite some time since I’ve posted an update. I apologize. I hadn’t realized just how many of you were hoping I’d post more often so you could keep up with what’s going on with Mom.
I’m not even sure why I took a break from writing, other than being utterly exhausted emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, since being a caregiver of a family member with terminal cancer truly wears down the entire family and turns the world into cancer land. I’ve put my life on hold for the last 4 years, and I wouldn’t dream of complaining because I wouldn’t want it any other way. The moments and memories Mom and I have created since she was diagnosed are some of the best of both of our lives.
Thank you to those of you who’ve “gently suggested” or said “what the fuck” because you’ve motivated me to post an update to let everyone know what’s been happening and where things stand today.
Life was (and still is) in a constant state of up and down (and up and down), with many changes happening nearly every day. It’s absolutely a miracle that Mom is still with us. We were told her life expectancy was 3-6 months. It’s been 4 years of her fighting daily to stay alive. We’re all grateful for every extra day we have with her. My mom is a warrior.
Since my last update, here’s what you’ve missed and what’s happening now:
Quality Over Quantity
August 5, 2024 - Mom’s last day of chemo. It all finally caught up to her, she was feeling sicker by the day, she was weak, had mouth sores, neuropathy, couldn’t eat, had debilitating nausea, and her scan came back with not so great results: the cancer had spread even more. It was in her liver, lymph nodes, and spread even more within her stomach and what’s left of her colon.
She couldn’t go to lunch and church with friends.
It was too tiring to garden.
She couldn’t take a weekend drive with Jade, Kennedy, Rudy and me to visit Hannah , Dylan, and Kendall in Columbus.
Cooking exhausted her.
She couldn’t enjoy a night out to dinner with my Dad.
As soon as she stopped receiving chemo treatments, she slowly started to feel better, and eventually she was able to enjoy many of the things chemo had been preventing her from doing.
The long term side effects of chemo still linger even now. It really decreased her energy level and made her feel more tired than ever before. We spent last summer making memories and spending time together.
