I met Karla in 2003 through our horse-crazy teenaged daughters (14 and 15 years old). At that time, she had been cancer free for 5 years and was on Tamoxifen. Her daughter, Kayla, became like a daughter to me. Karla's cancer returned in spades 2 1/2 years ago...and this time spread throughout her body. This courageous woman never gave up, through chemo, surgeries for liver damage, lympodema.... She lost her battle last Monday, July 5th, passing peacefully at home with her husband and parents beside her.
I am so glad Karla got to see Kayla graduate high school, complete her AA and finish her first year at the University. I am sad, no doubt, that she will not be here to see Kayla graduate college, get married and have babies.
What is amazingly sad about this story is that Karla's parents, Vern and Millie, had two children. Their son died of cancer in his 20's. And now Karla, at only 44. Parents burying both of their children. You can imagine the grief.
That's my story. Oh, and I forgot to mention...my mom had breast cancer. But in the end, she passed away from complications of dementia.
Lisa
Penngrove, CA