More Loved Ones Succumb to Cancer—and It Makes Me Angry

 

Why I Have Been Away

I have not posted for some time because I have been focused on supporting my family through an extraordinarily difficult period. Cancer has taken two people I loved, tested two others, and left my family facing grief, uncertainty, and new caregiving responsibilities.

Losing My Sister

My older sister was diagnosed with breast cancer and faced the disease with courage. Sadly, she died a couple of years ago from complications of metastatic cancer.

I do not know whether she was ever tested for a BRCA gene mutation. However, because other members of my family have tested positive for a BRCA2 mutation, I am concerned that she may also have carried it. I worry about what that possibility could mean for her children and grandchildren.

Losing My Stepmother

While my sister was undergoing treatment, my stepmother was diagnosed with lung cancer. She died the following year from complications of metastatic lung cancer. Losing both of them within such a short period was devastating.

Becoming My Father’s Care Facilitator

While receiving hospice care, my stepmother asked me to become the care facilitator for my almost 90-year-old father, who is disabled. Her request marked the beginning of another difficult chapter for our family—and for me personally.

My Father’s Battles With Cancer

During the past year, my father has faced cancer three times. Each diagnosis and treatment brought fear, uncertainty, and emotional strain, but he has overcome all three battles so far. It has been difficult for both of us, and I remain grateful—and cautiously hopeful—that he continues to prevail.

My Own Battle

During Christmas week last year, a biopsy of suspicious tissue on my left ear confirmed that I had basal cell carcinoma. At the beginning of this year, I completed 21 radiation treatments successfully.

I continue to perform regular self-examinations and visit my dermatologist every six months. My experience has reinforced how important it is to pay attention to changes in the body and seek medical advice when something does not look or feel right.

Living With Grief—and Anger

Intellectually, I understand that death is part of life. Yet understanding that truth does not make loss any easier to bear.

Cancer has taken people I love, threatened others, and entered my own life. I hate the fear it creates, the pain it causes, and the lasting burden it places on patients and their families. That anger remains—but so do gratitude, vigilance, and hope.