The "C" Word

Tita Mila has cancer. Liver. We found out last week. Mom's not doin so hot. She took Tita Mila to the emergency room on Saturday b/c her blood count was super low and she had a fever of about 100.3. And now she's there. In room 708. The tumor in her liver is 9 cm already. She's too weak for surgery or treatment. I took off work today b/c I decided to put together a fundraiser. Mom wants her to be able to see her family in the Philippines. They have 7 siblings there as well as all my cousins from my Mom's side. The last time I saw them in person, I was 9. And well, 2 tickets to Asia isn't very cheap. So I decided to ask all my friends if they'd be willing to sing in the concert and I am typing email after email and making phone call after phone call. What better way to use our gifts of music right? I didn't want to write a blog about it all at first- it makes it seem so trivial. But I figured this was the best way to get the word out about the fundraiser.

WHAT: Fundraiser for "Miracles"
WHEN: March 27th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
WHERE: St. Helena's Church on Philadelphia Pike
FOR: 2 plane tickets to the Philippines for Nida Romero and Mila Lagdameo, and the American Cancer Society
DONATIONS: any little bit helps

I'm hoping there's a big turn-out. This is the 4th time someone in my family has had to fight Cancer and I'm pretty much done with it. Since I'm not smart enough to find a cure on my own, raising money I guess is the least I could do to help find the cure. So I plan to email and facebook and make flyers and do everything I can do tell people in the community about it. And I hope you can too. There are a lot of ppl who have had to deal with it in one way or another and it'd be nice to all come together to fight it.

I've been helping out a lot around the house while my mom visits her in the hospital and tries to keep in touch with the Philippines through yahoo chat and phone calls. And I still have a list of things to do:

1. Wash her bed sheets
2. Do her laundry
3. Do my laundry
4. Do Mom's laundry
5. Bake muffins to bring to her in the hospital
6. Clean out her room
7. Scrub bathroom
8. Dishes


Did you know doing laundry is the number 1 chore I absolutely hate doing? Grocery shopping is a very close second.

I visited her on Sunday. I freakin' hate hospitals. Just walking into the door makes me nauseous. And I didn't realize how awful she looked. SO skinny and pale. Not tan, pale. And no energy whatsoever. Mom and her friend Gigi who came with left me alone with her when they went to go talk to the nurse. And I heard a beep go off. And Tita Mila tried to get out of bed. And I started panicking cuz I had NO clue what she was trying to do. I considered running out of the room and calling for someone to help. But apparently, the "beep" is the signal for the patients that tells them they have to change their body position in bed so they don't get bed sores. Well it took her about 4 tries before she could sit up and stand for a second and then get back in bed. I added my favorite blanket I brought to her bed and organized all her toiletries just for something to do.

I feel really bad for Mom. She's so alone here without her family. So that's why I really need this to happen. One of her sisters is trying to get a VISA to come here to help out my mom but not sure if that will be possible. I'm hoping. My OCD is coming in handy as I organize this fundraiser. Hopefully it will be a success and I can send them on their way. Having family on the other side of the world doesn't really work for life emergencies like this. So be thankful if you have family close by- in the United States even. And please help me spread the word. Cancer sucks.

Love,
Kristin