Thank you so much, y'all. It means a lot to me, it really does.
Mom was in her 60's the first time she was diagnosed. The year before, she had cared for her own 80-something mother after she had had a radical mastectomy, and had vivid memories fresh in her mind. With Mom, the chosen course of action was a lumpectomy and radiation. At first, she was a little self-conscious about the two tiny blue dots that they tattooed on her breastbone to help them stay on target with each session, and she could have had them removed once the treatment was over, but by that time, she decided they weren't that big a deal . . . . battle scars, and all that.
She has faced this dragon before, and knows it can be defeated. She knows the battle is different this time (for one thing, certain treatment options are no longer on the table) but it doesn't loom as large in her head as it once did. She can say, "next year we'll . . . ." with the casual confidence of someone who expects to be around to see those plans through. She isn't thrilled with the prospect of chemo and all that that entails, but at this point, she more or less just wants to get on with it. It sounds to me like she's in a pretty good place in her head on this. I live almost 2 hours away, so realistically, I am in the position of having to do most of my caring and supporting long-distance - which means a lot of praying.
