Fighting Stage 4 Leiomyosarcoma one day at a time

Hello Everyone,

Thank You for visiting, I initially started this blog to keep family and close friends updated on our journey to Houston Texas, to visit with Dr. Burzynski, a world renowned doctor, who specializes in cancer.

A year and a half ago, MB was diagnosed with stage 4 Uterine Leiomyosarcoma and given no more than a year to live.

MB is only 50, she hasn't seen any of her kids get married or have babies. She still has a thirst for life, three kids and a Husband who absolutely adores her. My sister is 23 and youngest brother only 17. We still need our Mama Bear. If you are, or were, blessed enough to have an MB like mine, who has always loved you unconditionally and supported you, you will know how we feel. Nothing can replace a mother's love. Nothing.

Because MB's cancer is very aggressive, we had no time to waste. The very same day the doctor told us to prepare for hospice, MB and I said, "Fu*k That!", Hospice is a dirty word at our house.We started applying to the Burzynski Clinic as soon as we got home from the doctors appointmet, after 3 days of collecting medical records and sending faxes we were finally accepted.We never took time to think, we just acted. No more than a week and half after we were told to go home and prepare for death, we were on a plane headed to Houston TX in search of life and a second chance. We've left California and our family during Thanksgiving.

Even though the treatment is crazy expensive and we are away from home during the holidays, this is still the best decision we ever made. Sometimes you have to bet big to win big!

We aren't the Kardashians, we are just the Vargas' and we are going through the "realest" hardest battle of our lives...This is our story....If you'd like to start reading from the very beginning click on November, on the lower right hand side of the page and the very first post is the "Adventure Begins"

Sunday, November 13, 2011

The Adventure Begins

The days leading up to the big departure were nerve- racking to say the least . Everyone was holding their breath hoping my Mom wouldn’t get sick before the big day. It was important she be as healthy as possible to fly 5 hrs to Houston. When the day finally arrived we all breathed a sigh of relief because apart from a slight cough my Mom was good to go. Like an idiot I decided to google “Is it safe to fly with Lung Tumors?”. Of course I read an article that said that when the Lungs are compromised by Tumors the change in air pressure caused by flying could cause the lungs to collapse.  I kept this information to myself and figured one freaked out passenger was good enough. Truth be told when we were ascending I held my breath and listened for my moms smoothe rhythmic breathing. I listened for a good 30 minutes to the steady sounds of air entering and exiting her lungs.
Once we were safely in the air, my mom’s lungs still in tact,  I was free to focus on the old, bitter, racist lady sitting in the seat next to me.  Me and “Grumpy Bitter Grams”, which I so dearly started to refer to her as after our first encounter did not hit it off at all. Within the first  10 minutes of the flight I accidentally grazed her pants with the bottom of my boots as I was getting situated and she yelled at me to get my feet OFF HER!”. No, the bitch didn’t even say please, and I grazed her,my boots touched her for less than a second! As the flight progressed we continued to have friction, she was very territorial of her space and the slightest elbow graze would incite her to give me the dirtiest looks. When my Mom and I were talking she would huff and grunt annoyingly but never told us to stop talking.
 Later in the flight I started burping and my burps were funky because mama bear and I decided to have garlic fries at the airport while we were waiting to  board. Normally I would be really embarrassed and try to burp away from people but today my Burps were loaded ammo against the evilest lady I have met to date. Everytime I felt  a burp coming on I would  turn towards Grumpy Gram  to make sure she got a whiff of what was coming…..I know I know Im evil but I couldn’t tell her off because I was with my Mom and couldn’t risk getting kicked off the plane, the flight was full so I couldn’t go to another seat. This was my only line of defense people. After I burped I could feel her evil stare piercing through me…..muahahaahah, I was clearly getting to her.
 When we finally landed the captain said we could turn on our cell phones which I did, but Grumpy Gram didn’t hear his announcement cause she’s old and she proceeded to tell another old grumpy person  that “some people were turning on their phones before they were supposed to, (as she said this she blatantly pointed at me) but I guess that’s just what happens when you fly with, ‘SIMPLE’ people” . Yes the bitch called me and my Mama Bear simple! Funny thing is this isn’t even the rudest thing she said. As we were waiting for people to get off the plane another Hispanic passenger in front of us pulled out a bag and her friend asked whats in your bag and the Hispanic lady said a burrito…..Are you ready to hear  what this old bitter white lady said under her breath after she heard that????.....She said, “ It figures”. Wow really?? welcome to Arizona I guess.
My mom didn’t hear any of this because she was in the window seat but when I told her as we were getting off the plane she just laughed and said that’s just how some people are  meanwhile I’m still wishing to one day run into Grumpy Grams and slap her in the face.
We took another flight from Pheonix to Houston and both sat in the middle seat booo. Finally arrived in Houston and the nice rental car guy gave us a ride to our hotel for 20 bux. Right now my mom’s crashed out on the hotel bed Im typing away while we wait for our gourmet papa johns pizza. As we sleep tonight we secretly hope and dream that we’ve come all this way for something.  More to come tomorrow sweet dreams;)

2 comments:

  1. Mariela, I got to give you props and credit for putting up with Grumpy Grams attitude. I applaude you for not stepping down to her level. Shell get what she deserves very soon :)

    I love your blog and I look forward to reading it daily!!! I don't know your mom and I hope I will meet her when you both get back, but tell her to stay strong and that god is watching over her.
    Pedro-

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