Debbie Nugent
My Grandfather became very ill in late 1999; we found that Cancer had spread all over his body. He was very important to me since he had basically raised me since I was a little girl. My Grandfather was Mexican American, very proud Military.. and very proud he had finally got a Granddaughter. I was the only girl in my family for a very long time. So needless to say we were very close. I was by his side almost every day along with most of our family of which visited multiple times from Texas. It was very tough seeing him in pain and going thru all the treatments. Finally my Aunt told me on a Sunday, go ahead and go.. you need a break, go to your game. (Softball) Every day I would sit and hold his hand with his favorite rosary, it was tough to leave since I knew he was getting worse. So I made sure they had my pager # and they knew to page me if anything happens.. and I left. By the 1st inning, my pager went off with a reply from my Mom and Aunt telling me *911…911. So I left immediately.. got there and held his hand, and I heard him take his last breath.. loosen his hand and let go of the rosary into my hand. It was the toughest thing I had went thru. I had always dreamed he would walk me down the aisle for my wedding, and needless to say although I was with my boyfriend (now husband) my Grandfather would never get that chance. I was truly devastated, and I know he would have been so proud to do it. Just as he had taken me for walks in the neighborhood, telling everyone ‘this is my Granddaughter’. But I know he is at peace and in a better place. And he may not have been physically with me at my wedding.. but he was there, and with me every day.
After my Grandfather passed away, my Aunt came back for the funeral and we noticed she really wasn’t doing well. We all kept asking her what was wrong, but she refused to let us in. After the funeral and she was back home in Lubbock, she called each of us to let us know that while she was on the operating table for a breast reduction (during the time my Grandfather was sick) they found Breast Cancer. She didn’t want to tell any of us what she had been dealing with since we were all so devastated by losing Dad/Grandpa. We all couldn’t believe it. The Dr’s never saw anything ahead of time.. How can this be? How can she go thru losing her Dad and keep this information to herself? So she basically told them to stitch her up, so she could come back for the funeral. Unreal, she is one tough Lady. To this day, yes.. she is a Survivor.. we talk on a regular basis, I have even taken my sons to visit her. I can honestly say, I’m closer to my Aunt than anyone else in my family and I have 5 Aunts. She is going strong and I’m so happy she is still fighting the fight and still with us.
Then, 2004 my Mother-in-law found out she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. She struggled thru it which was tough; she had a lot of additional medical issues which made battling this disease even harder for her. She went thru the chemo and radiation, lost her hair, taste buds and the whole nine yards. But she was a trooper, once she got her taste buds back she just wanted ‘dinner’. So my husband and his brother decided to cook her Lobster, Shrimp.. all of it, it was great and she was doing well. Then, 7/15/2008 after some additional medical issues plagued her earlier in the year my Mother-in-law succumbed to this horrendous disease. She had already told the whole family that she physically could not go thru the chemo and radiation again, and she would have to let it run its course. This was so, so hard on our entire family. For my husband it honestly took over a year to not get emotional and to get thru his daily functions. And my sons, I don’t think they will every truly get over it. They were extremely close to their Grandparents. My son’s had been going over to their Grandparents house to help take care of household things and help their Grandfather take care of her. (Hospice) They were there when she took her last breathe and I know this was emotionally difficult for them. They ended up getting in fights at school, changing schools and just not dealing with any issues very well. The only thing my husband and I could do is keep them fishing, keep them at the lake so they could try and get on with life and not be so angry. She was truly the bond that kept our family together; it is very tough not having her here. Not having her here to see my kid’s graduate school, see them get married, see how well all of us are doing in fishing. It’s hard, every single day.
And you thought that would be it, no. In 2010 my best friend found she was Stage 1 Breast Cancer. She is doing well, but again it’s been excruciating since she has had to have 11 surgeries. She is a Survivor as well, and finally doing very well. My boys feel a very close bond with her, since what they went thru with their Grandmother. Which is explainable and I’m honestly glad they have her. I don’t know what myself and my boys would do without her. She is going strong.
Now in 2012, I just found out my Uncle has Prostate Cancer. So right now he has gone thru surgery and having some treatments. But along the way I have had multiple people in my fishing family go thru similar issues. Right now I have a fishing friend that we fish a local Couples circuit with going thru Breast Cancer and another one of my very good friends that I fish local circuits with go thru Cancer twice now. So it just seems to keep showing its ugly face in my life more times than I would like. More than any of us would like.
So when Allen mentioned the website and your Company.. I was really emotional and even looking at your website to place an order, I just started crying. I’m usually a toughie..lol but when it comes to Cancer in general I get very emotional. When I think of what my friends and family have personally gone thru, I have to remind myself that there are so many others that have gone thru worse. It’s just great that you find people that create these businesses, or do fund raisers, anything really just to help support the cause. And any little thing I can do, I try. Any little bit helps, and I personally thank you for what you’re doing.
Thanks – a ‘Family Survivor’