They Keep On Dying/It Keeps On Coming Like a Locomotive

I just found out tonight that my adopted sister has terminal cancer. Now....I just lost my mother 3 years ago, and my Dad on April 4th of this year. I have buried at least 2, child-aged people, and friends in their 30's, 40's and 50's. Their deaths were primarily from cancer, 'syndromes', accidental deaths, or heart attacks.. Why, in this country, or any other, can't we figure this disease out? Cells in the body go evil and take over good cells. This has been around a long time now; probably longer than we know, way, way back in history. If I were talking to my ex-father-in-law, he would say it's a conspiracy theory. Control the population allowing big business to flourish and pollute, enhance cigarettes with more nicotine to increase addiction. Take away jobs, homes, sanity (increase the suicide rate and cause drug addictions), and increase gas prices. All of this will in turn increase the cost of health care and health care insurance needed. More expensive healthcare will cause more lack of compliance, more load on the middle income back, and more baby-boomer burn-out. Then the circle revolves to increase the need for more scientific study.

In any event, I am mortified and numb yet again. This woman has such a beautiful extended family. She lives a lone now and had just retired at 68. She wasn't feeling well. Her stomach hurt under her ribs. The sonogram shows a mass. The biopsy shows adenocarcinoma. The prognosis of gall bladder cancer with positive nodes, she is told, is 6-18 months. She is told her cancer is aggressive like pancreatic cancer.
Her daughter Lisa, called me to tell me I was number one on her mother's list to call and tell (after her immediate family of course). Now remember, this is my 'adopted sister'. When my mother had tuberculosis, I was a baby. My Dad was afraid. He had six other children to raise while my mother would be in the hospital for 18 months in Valley Forge. A neighbor asked a neighbor if they could help this man (my father)with seven children and watch his baby until his wife was well. The people who agreed one night, were total strangers to my Dad when he took me to live with them the same night. He knocked on their door, introductions were done, the baby and the clothing was handed over, and (the baby) I, instantly had a 14 year old sister for the next few years. Her name was Sandy. She was an only child. She now felt like she had a family. It was a sad time when I was slowly weened away from this family back to my biological family of 6. I felt lost in a shuffle. Confused. Scared. And I know Sandy was too. Now she is scared for her life.

She will have known about this diagnosis a week come Friday. She had her first chemo the day after the diagnosis. I was called tonight, by her eldest daughter, who was eight when I was born. All I know is, those years with Sandy and my 'adoptive' family were very happy, relaxed, warm, loving years. We are still in contact, my  'other' parents and I; she is 91 and he is 80. But their only daughter is close to death now if she goes without a good fight, many good prayers, much love, and the miracles gifted doctors can perform. Let us pray that Sandy can pray, stay busy, and fight. This I told her tonight," Tonight marks 'Kick Cancer's Ass Kick-Off Night". I could feel her smile over the phone 1000 miles away.