November 19th 2019. A day where I would learn the most disturbing/earth-shattering news in my 26 years. Just a week before, we had a CT scan performed and fluid was pulled from my mom’s chest. She felt much better after that. That Tuesday morning, prior to going to work, she seemed fine and wished me a good day. The doctor was going to call us later that afternoon with the results from the fluid test and the CT scan.

I went to dinner with a friend after work in Montebello and came home around 9pm. I saw my mom lying in bed and just looking up while my dad was sitting in a chair. Immediately something felt off. I asked my mom how she was doing. She said she was doing fine. I then asked how the test results looked. She turned to my dad and said, “I should tell him huh”.

It was cancer. Stage 4 Lung Cancer.

Immediately my heart sank and I didn’t know what to do or feel. I just said, “okay” and went to my room. I was on my bed for about one or two hours just sitting there in shock. After the initial shock went away, I began to cry all night. I didn’t show my mom I was crying and I tried to keep it as quiet as possible. Before we all went to bed, I went to my mom’s room and we all prayed.

The week we received the diagnoses was truly a nightmare. Every day for a week I couldn’t help but cry. The fluid around my mom gathered again and was causing immense pain. Dad and I were frustrated at the situation and temper was high. It was a difficult period figuring out what to do next within that week prior to meeting our oncologist for the first time. Every day, even at work, we would fervently do as much research as possible. We would call insurance to speed up the process and everything was in panic/frantic mode.

We finally got to meet firsthand with our oncologist. She is extremely helpful and a born-again Christian. The next step was to get a PET scan and an MRI to see if the cancer has metastasized to any other distant organs, etc. Even waiting for that was difficult as it was the holiday week (Thanksgiving). After the pain and weakness became unbearable about a few days after meeting the oncologist, we had to get her to the ER at Torrance Memorial.

At Torrance Memorial, the oncologist ordered the PET scan and the MRI to be done immediately as we were all unsure what was going on with my mom. After that was done, the hospital doctor and oncologist agreed to keep her at ICU for a couple days. That second week of December, we spent the entire time at the hospital from Monday thru Friday. The oncologist visited my mom at the hospital on Thursday. Things were looking a better from that day on. She told us that although the first doctor said Stage 4, it looks like from the PET scans and MRI the cancer did not spread to distant organs. Her cancer diagnosis was now marked at Stage 3b. Not much of a difference it may seem but it was much better news to hear.

That Friday she was being discharged from the hospital, we received our targeted treatment medication called Tagrisso after insurance’s approval. The clinical studies and the results from them were very positive. Since then she has been on that and so far it is having great results.

Life has thrown our family a curveball, how do you feel?

I’ve never personally experienced a very difficult trial within my life. This was the first time and it just happens it involved someone I truly love and care about. To be honest, my faith in God has never wavered throughout the past month. In fact, my faith has grown exponentially like never before. I was reading the book of James and in the beginning of the passage, James reminds the believers and the brethren to count it all joy especially within times of tribulations.

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” – James 1:2-4 KJV

When trials come within our life, we must recognize that it isn’t always because we’ve done something wrong or anything like. Sometimes trials come in our lives as believers to grow us. I know for a fact that this trial has grown our family within the past month. We’ve become much closer and stronger. Our love for one another is true, it is genuine, it is strong, and it is so powerful. We would do whatever we need to do to help one another as family, as one blood. Our faith in the Lord keeps growing day by day and we spend more time in prayer, more time in reading His word, more time in thanking Him for all that we do. We’re doing better emotionally and physically, especially my mom.

When life throws us a curveball, we still have a choice how we can respond to it. We can choose to ignore and respond with no hope or despair. However, my family and I are going to respond with strength, with unity, with hope, but most importantly with trust in the Lord in what God’s will is in the midst of this trial.

Thank you for your prayers, I will keep you updated on this page.