Cancer Free Mom

A year ago October 1st my mom found out she had breast cancer. We weren't sure what was going to happen in the next year and all processed in our own ways. Now a year later I'm happy to report my mom is cancer free. We're all very grateful it is a year later and besides a few doctors visits and therapy appointments all seems to be normal, well, as normal can be after cancer.

I wanted to do something special for my mom on this anniversary to celebrate the fact she's here to celebrate. At first she wasn't on board for celebrating and didn't see the significance to getting dressed up and going out. I finally coaxed her to get dressed (not nearly as dressed up as I wanted her to be, but then again wearing a ball gown to the mall isn't exactly appropriate attire) and out we went to celebrate being cancer free one year later!

I didn't have an exact plan of what to do or where to go, but I had seen on a cancer support website to celebrate with a charm bracelet. I then imagined a bracelet so full of charms to represent all the milestones she's reached the charms would hardly move because they are so jammed packed on this bracelet! I LOVED the idea! Then again, sometimes my ideas can be a little out there for my family to understand at first so I wanted to keep this a surprise until we were at the store. Unfortunately since I didn't tell my mom where we were going or what we were doing she was dragging her feet and the stores I wanted to go to had closed (why is a mall closing on a Saturday night at 8:00??? Wouldn't this be a night people could stay out later??? As you can tell I'm still a little upset the malls closed so early... and yes I said malls... as in more than one!). The only other store I knew was open just so happened to be at Downtown Disney and I knew it was going to be crowded and not some place to take a weary not-really-wanting-to-be-there-at-all-especially-all-dressed-up mom. In the end I think she was glad we compromised on the dressing up with a little sparkle on her new shirt and new pants so she didn't feel overdressed, but I still wore my non-ball gown dress and toned it down with the jean jacket (I will find an occasion to wear my ball gown though!).

My mom and I out to celebrate being cancer free!

Once we got to the jewelry store I told my mom what my plan was for the charm bracelet. At this point she was along for the ride and stopped dragging her feet and just went along with me. We walked through the store and I told her she could pick out anything she wanted, but it needed to be able to have charms added to it. I pointed out a few bracelets and necklaces (I wasn't sure if she'd prefer a necklace to a bracelet, but either would work). She then told me she had some bracelets like this she got on her Europe trip a few years back and didn't want a new one. I told her this was significant because this celebrates being cancer free. She then asked if we could just get a charm to put on the bracelet she's never worn. I figured if this is going to keep her in the store I'll go with it and pick out a few more charms than the one I was thinking of originally. 

We started picking out charms and then she'd see one that was "for" one of my sisters, or "just perfect" for whatever. Next thing I knew we had half a dozen on the counter picked out and still looking for more! Here's what we ended up with and who/what it reminds her of:

Top row: "2011" - the first year since she found out she had cancer, "#1 Grandma" - well, that's easy to understand - the representation of her granddaughter and grandson, Armadillo - to represent the Texans (my sister and her family in Texas), Cow - to represent my older sister, Spool of Thread - to represent me, Dolphin - to represent my little sister

Bottom Row: Butterfly - to represent new life, Red Rose - to represent new life, "T" and birthstone - to represent her husband, "A" and birthstone - to represent my oldest sister, "G" and birthstone - to represent my older sister, "A" and birthstone - to represent me, and "G" and birthstone to represent my younger sister.

She may decide later the top row might represent something else like the end of chemo or radiation in the past year, but she picked them because they reminded her of said people. When we saw the initials she couldn't decide between the character or initials with birthstones. I figured why not get both. 

She chose what she wanted, but the only one I insisted to get her was the butterfly. I love the representation of the butterfly. I don't remember where I heard this from, but this is what I think of when I see a butterfly (real or image). The butterfly starts off as a caterpillar and then goes through a transformation in a cocoon. In order for the new beautiful butterfly to come out of the cocoon it has to break through the cocoon shell. It has to struggle to get free. This is not necessarily easy, but it is a must for the butterfly to get free. No one can do this for the butterfly because if someone were to cut open the cocoon to let the butterfly free it's wings would not be strong enough to fly and it would soon die. By struggling to break through the cocoon on it's own the wings are strengthened enough so when it finally does break free it can fly away and enjoy it's new life as a beautiful butterfly. 

I figured my mom deserves a beautiful butterfly to remind her of the struggle she's been through in this past year to begin her new life as a strong beautiful butterfly. 

When we left the store I think my mom understood what I was doing, but I wasn't sure what she thought. When we got home I knew she liked the idea and was excited for her new bracelet because in the time it's taken me to write this she's come in multiple times asking what chain to put them on and the order that would look best. At this point I tell her it's her choice, beautiful butterfly.

UPDATE: October 3, 2011
When we went back to get the charms put on my mom's bracelet a cast member handed me a button. I thought it was weird he was handing me a button, but figured why not take it. I thanked him for the button and then looked at the button. After I read what was on the button I put it on my mom. The button read "I'm celebrating being here!" (the cast member wrote "being here" on the button). I thought, "Man, I'm not even sure he understands just how exciting this button is, but I sure am glad I get to put it on my mom!"

Here's my mom's button and the bracelet with all her charms 

with plenty of room for many more milestones!