Brenda Balint

My sister turned 45 on December 2, 2001. She was first diagnosed with BC in 1998 as Stage II. She had lymph involvement also (9 of 9 nodes were positive). She was given very aggressive treatment from the get-go. After the treatment, she went almost a year before it showed up again...this time at the base of her neck. From that time until now, she has never been cancer free. She next developed spots on her lungs, then her liver and lastly her brain. She has never been the same. I appreciate Tricia's story which gave very good suggestions on how to act around the cancer patient. I can tell that well-meaning friends sometimes get on my sister's nerves. She has been given 6 months to a year to live. At the beginning, she was so upbeat about the disease, but now she is so frustrated with the fact that she went through all that grueling chemo for nothing. She refuses any more chemo treatments.

She is in bed all of the time now. I think she should get up and away from the bed, but as Tricia said, I have to realize that this is her disease, not mine. I also have the ever present realization that I could be next. So could her daughters, my daughters and my other sisters. You see, my grandmother (who I never got to meet) died of this disease in her mid 40's, my mother also had the disease (although she died of something else at the young age of 53) and my great grandmother died of uterine cancer. These women are all on my maternal side and it seems almost inevitable that BC will not stop with my sister. I have taken out cancer insurance on myself and try my best to keep current on my mammograms. My thoughts are with all who are fighting this cruel disease. I am also patiently awaiting the time when God promises to remove all sickness and death from the earth forever (Rev. 21:3,4).

Brenda Balint

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