Young, healthy and strong and nothing can beat Melissa

I apologize for this being so long -
1 week ago tonight my daughter broke the news to me that she had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, okay I was fine with that until she added that it is a form of cancer, yes she said that word, “cancer”. My defense mode set in and I instantly thought “okay we can beat this, she is young, healthy and strong and nothing can beat Melissa”.

Her doctor told her to tell everyone not to go and google it and get all confused by the information out there, so I will be honest I did google it, only clicking on the link for Swedish hospital (figured it was safe to read their site since that is where she was going), I was good, I would have normally clicked and read everything there was to read. I didn’t because what I read was more than I was able to face, cancer, my daughter, my baby girl, all grown up with babies of her own has cancer. Ok again my defense mode kicked in and I again thought, “okay we can fight this, she is young, healthy and strong and nothing can beat Melissa”.

On Wednesday she went in for her tests, it struck me about noon that, “oh my god, my daughter is having cancer testing done” there was that word again, it was so much easier calling it Hodgkin’s Lymphoma I had not called it cancer. I couldn’t get my thoughts off her all day, hard to focus on my work or anything else around me, only to go home where I found myself sitting home alone, yeah imagine that our house was empty and no one home but me, let me tell you the quiet gave me time to think, I had not done that since she gave us the news. I sat here in my living room thinking about the last 21 years, living in this house and 23 years total of watching my baby girl grow up, thinking about the number of times she walked through the living room door carefree, healthy, and full of laughter and smiles.

The tears came to my eyes and I cried, I am as some know not one to cry (or admit to it anyway), but my daughter stood in this very room and told me what every mother hopes to never hear, “I have cancer”.

Today’s visit with her doctor made it all a reality (I will let Melissa post the update), but the word cancer did not seem so scary, while she has a tuff road ahead of her she will be okay, we will all be by her side as we were today sitting in the room listening to the doctor explain what we never thought or wanted to hear, our daughter, sister, wife, granddaughter, sister in law has cancer. Together we will fight it and together we will get her life back for her, this will not beat her because she is young, healthy and strong and nothing can beat Melissa.
I love you Melissa and Vince and we will get you through this. - Love Mom

Thank you to everyone for your supportive words and ongoing prayers; with all of your support we will be stronger to fight this.