14

14, a simple number. One that you don't think too much about. Not until it is the day of the month that you lost your Mother. Each month, I make it until around 2pm when something happens to remind me it is the 14th. It's hard to believe that it has been 1 year and 4 months since I have seen or talked to my Mother. Most of the time it still does not feel real.

Death All Around

As we get older, so does everyone else in our life. Profound realization huh? All jokes aside, it seems like lately I can't go a few days without finding out some bad news about someone. My Uncle has a Stage 4 Glioblastoma. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), WHO classification name "glioblastoma", also known as Grade IV Astrocytoma,[1] is the most common and most aggressive malignant primary brain tumor in humans, involving glial cells and accounting for 52% of all functional tissue brain tumor cases and 20% of all intracranial tumors. GBM is a rare disease, with an incidence of 2–3 cases per 100,000 person life-years in Europe and North America. It presents two variants: giant cell glioblastoma and gliosarcoma. About 50% of the patients diagnosed with GBM die within one year, while 90% within three years. Treatment can involve chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. Median survival with standard-of-care radiation and chemotherapy with temozolomide is 15 months. Median survival without treatment is 4½ months. Insert sad face here. Just last week, a good friend lost his Mother after she was sick for barely a week. Dee was a great woman. Then, to add to all matters, S's Stepdad potentially has Stage 4 lung cancer. Death comes in threes they say. I say bull damn shit. #Fuckyoucancer