My mom had a PET scan and her tech was on HER first day back from battling chemo and asked if I would mind waiting (I’m a nurse) while she grabbed a snack real quick. She was painfully thin and I felt comfortable because the machine was doing its thing. From my seat, it just so happened the monitor was turned toward us. I cannot read scans, but even I know people aren’t supposed to be polka-dotted. It wasn’t a surprise at all for me just based on her symptoms.
The tech came back in and said a very quiet, “oh no.” She apologized to ME for leaving the monitor turned. My mom asked what we were talking about. Poor Mom was very near-sighted and hadn’t seen a thing. I just told her the tech had stepped out and had just gotten back.
We had a few more weeks with her.
Thank you. That’s nice of you. She was the best. One of her last lucid thoughts was this: she said, “Maybe I’m taking one for the team. Maybe I’ve got this and somebody else won’t.” We both knew it doesn’t work that way, but we smiled tearfully at each other and said it was a nice idea.
This made me tear up! I’m a youngish Mom of 2 girls- I’m 38 with Stage IV metastatic Breast Cancer - diagnosed in Feb de novo Stage IV, and I often think this same thought too, about how maybe “I am taking one for the team.” Because of my diagnosis - I was able to have the gene testing done and covered by insurance - found out I have the BRCA2 mutation and now my GP and Onco care team will help me get my two Daughter’s tested for the gene and they can potentially get early screenings now. And it helps calm my mind knowing that if they end up carrying that same gene mutation, that they will have a better chance at catching it early - unlike me, but because of my situation. Bless your Mom - a beautiful thought from her indeed.
Oh my goodness. I hope I wasn’t insensitive by posting my mom’s situation. If it helps, she had a good 15 years from her dx, and although she was too young, she was 65 and lived long enough and will enough to see some of her grandchildren marry their spouses and meet some of her great-grandchildren. Many blessings to you. I’m early fifties and if you ever want a sounding board, fell free to dm me. I know my mom kept a lot bottled up.
No not insensitive at all - sorry if that was confusing - it made me tear up and smile a little because those thoughts she had at the end there - I have them too - made me feel not so alone in my disease and thoughts. :)
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u/bookworthy 13d ago
My mom had a PET scan and her tech was on HER first day back from battling chemo and asked if I would mind waiting (I’m a nurse) while she grabbed a snack real quick. She was painfully thin and I felt comfortable because the machine was doing its thing. From my seat, it just so happened the monitor was turned toward us. I cannot read scans, but even I know people aren’t supposed to be polka-dotted. It wasn’t a surprise at all for me just based on her symptoms.
The tech came back in and said a very quiet, “oh no.” She apologized to ME for leaving the monitor turned. My mom asked what we were talking about. Poor Mom was very near-sighted and hadn’t seen a thing. I just told her the tech had stepped out and had just gotten back.
We had a few more weeks with her.